LG to launch 5G phone with vapor chamber cooling, big battery, at MWC

LG has confirmed it will launch its first 5G smartphone on February 24 at MWC in Barcelona. The company offered some details on the device in a post published on its Korean newsroom earlier today (via PhoneArena).

As well as 5G connectivity, the smartphone will also house a Snapdragon 855 chipset, 4,000mAh battery, and a vapor chamber cooling system, suggesting it’s going to be a high-performance flagship.

Vapor chamber cooling is said to help more quickly dissipate heat inside a device compared to the conventional heat pipe. The tech has been seen on gaming phones like the Razer Phone 2 and ASUS ROG Phone, though heat pipes are still the preferred cooling method among Android OEMs.

The LG 5G phone’s vapor chamber replaces the heat pipe found in the LG V40 ThinQ and is said to contain twice the water and 2.7 times the surface area. This type of cooling system may become increasingly necessary as more high-power, 5G-enabled devices arrive.

In its statement, LG also reaffirmed its 5G phone would be sold in the U.S. through Sprint, and that it would be available in Europe with unspecified carriers.

We don’t know what the phone will look like yet, or what it will be called, but it’s expected to be separate from the rumored LG G8 ThinQ — a non-5G phone that may also make its debut at MWC. Judging by the LG V40 ThinQ references in the press statement, it’s possible the 5G phone will be modeled on that device.

MWC 2019 runs from February 25 to 28 for general consumers and is open to the press a little earlier. We’ll be there as always bringing you all the news as we get it.