LG Electronics rebranded its K8 (2018) and K10 (2018) Android smartphones as the K9 and K11 for the Italian market, having launched them in the Mediterranean country this week. The rebranding itself has already been carried out in Russia where the same devices have been introduced earlier this month, though Italian consumers will have to wait for the K11 to be released in May, whereas the K9 is already available for purchase at €150, which translates to just over $180. The device is offered in Moroccan Blue and Aurora Black, being €50 ($61) cheaper than the K11 which is set to be available in the same black variant, as well as Terra Gold.
Both handsets are entry-level offering targeting price-conscious consumers, though the more premium K11 model verges on the lower mid-range segment, featuring 3GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear camera, and an 8-megapixel front one. The base variant of the K11 comes with an 8-megapixel main sensor, 5-megapixel selfie camera, and 2GB of RAM, with both being powered by MediaTek’s 1.5GHz MT6750 chip, having 16GB of storage, and sporting a 5.3-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 1,280 by 720 pixels amounting to a traditional widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9. The K11 lineup comes with an integrated 3,000mAh battery and NFC capabilities as well.
The K9 is only available with a single hardware configuration which includes Qualcomm’s 1.3GHz Snapdragon 210 silicon, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of flash memory, and a 5-inch 720p LCD panel. The camera setups found on the K9 are the same ones used by the weaker K11 model, with the handset also bosting a 2,500mAh battery which is removable, unlike the one powering its more powerful peer. While both of the newly launched series offer FM radio, dual-SIM capabilities, and a microSD card slot with support for up to 2TB of external storage, the K9 lacks NFC. LG’s next major product launch is set to take place on Wednesday, May 2, when the Seoul-based company will officially announce the G7 ThinQ Android flagship.