LG G4 will launch around mid-April – sources

LG just announced a sleek new smartwatch that’s coming at MWC next month, but we’ll have to wait until April for LG’s most anticipated device, the G4.

Korea Times cites sources familiar with the matter claiming LG would introduce the latest iteration of the G series sometime in April. LG needs time to wrap up development of the G4, and launching in April means LG won’t have to compete for the spotlight with rivals. Samsung, HTC, and Huawei will all introduce new flagships phones at MWC, scheduled to open on March 2 in Barcelona.

Las year, the LG G3 launched later than most of its competitors, on May 27. This late arrival allowed LG to one-up its rivals with a Quad HD display, and also gave the G3 an empty slot between Samsung’s spring marketing blitz and Apple’s fall onslaught. It looks like LG is hoping to replay this scenario, albeit slightly earlier in the year.

A tipster in position to know told Android Authority last month that the LG G4 would launch in mid-April. We’ve sat on the info because we couldn’t confirm it, but with this Korean report pointing to the same time slot, we feel safe to reveal it.

Things can always go of course, but at this point, we expect a standalone LG press event in mid-April.

Among the potential factors that could derail LG’s plans are issues with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor that will power the G4. Samsung has reportedly dropped the Snapdragon 810 in favor of its own Exynos chip, allegedly due to overheating issues that Qualcomm could not fix. But LG has been adamant that it has no problems with the chip, which also powers the curved G Flex 2.