The display notch found at the top of the recently leaked LG G7 can be hidden with one of the phone’s software settings, TechRadar reports, citing a previously emerged video of the successor to the 2017 G6. While the handset appears to be ready to embrace a physical screen cutout reminiscent of Apple’s iPhone X and ASUS’s ZenFone 5 lineups, LG seems to have decided to provide consumers with some choice in regards to how the G7 handles that design cue. While the default display mode will be similar to other notch-equipped devices on the market, its alternative will see the area around the notch blackened so as to make the top of the G7 look like a regular bezel while still utilizing the extra space to show notification icons and other status bar indicators, with the difference between the two being seen in the images above.
Users who opt to look at the notch at all times will hence be able to benefit from more screen real estate in portrait mode, while those who dislike the look should be able to mask the cutout. If the LG G7 ends up utilizing an OLED panel like the V30 did, it’s likely to be capable of blacking out the notch in an extremely effective manner given how OLED-generated blacks are essentially perfect, consisting of unlit pixels which guarantee infinite contrast. The Seoul-based original equipment manufacturer was previously expected to rebrand its LG G series with the G6 successors but that may not end up being the case, with all recent rumors suggesting the upcoming Android flagships will be advertised as the G7 and G7 Plus. The prototype showed behind closed doors at Mobile World Congress last month was labeled as the LG G7 Neo which some suggested is an internal name of the project that’s also said to be code-named Judy.
LG’s next ultra-premium offering is expected to be officially announced come spring and is likely to begin retailing on a global level early in the second half of the year. The smartphone maker has recently been rethinking its flagship strategy and pushed back the announcements of its high-end products, with the LG V40 now also being expected to debut in November instead of late summer like its predecessor did.