An LG Electronics-made Android smartphone bearing the model number LM-V350EM has been certified by the United States Federal Communications Commission earlier this week, as revealed by a set of testing documentation published by the agency on Friday. The device is believed to be the LG V35 ThinQ, yet another 2018 flagship from the South Korean company which is expected to be released exclusively on AT&T’s network several months from now. The newly discovered listing reveals little about the phone itself, safe for confirming it’s compatible with AT&T’s 4G LTE bands.
Shortly following the early May announcement of the LG G7 ThinQ, AT&T said it won’t be retailing the new phablet and will instead be releasing an exclusive LG-made product this summer. While the company hasn’t clarified whether that exclusivity will only pertain to the United States or apply globally, the handset in question is believed to be the V35 ThinQ which AndroidHeadlines already detailed last month before also obtaining an official render of the device seen above. The V35 ThinQ isn’t meant to be a direct successor to last year’s V30 and the newer V30S ThinQ as LG is also understood to be planning to commercialize the V40 ThinQ in the second half of the year. The company is instead more likely to present it as a stepping stone between its 2017 and 2018 main V-series releases. Compared to the new G7 ThinQ, the V35 ThinQ should provide an upgrade in the display department, featuring a 6-inch OLED panel instead of an LCD one.
The fact that the FCC already certified the LG-V350EM is indicative of a summer release, with the majority of LG-made products historically passing through the U.S. telecom regulator several months ahead of their official debut. The render obtained by AndroidHeadlines seen above appears to have been made particularly for the purpose of AT&T’s promotional activities and mentions August 10, with the LG V35 ThinQ possibly launching around that date. The Korean OEM‘s overall flagship strategy is presently being described as extremely confusing, having been envisioned as LG’s latest attempt at reviving its struggling smartphone business, starting with the high-end market segment that’s usually associated with the most lucrative profit margins in the industry.