LG today announced that it will be unveiling the LG G7 ThinQ, its flagship smartphone for 2018, on May 2 at an event in New York City. The company will also be holding an event in Seoul on May 3. The company mentions in its announcement that the G7 will be its first smartphone in the G series to feature the ThinQ branding.

All of LG products under the ThinQ branding will make use of AI to deliver a superior user experience. So far, we have already seen LG unveil home appliances and consumer electronics with ThinQ branding. LG had already debuted a phone with ThinQ branding earlier this earlier, the V30S ThinQ. The Korean company says that the ThinQ AI on the G7 will offer an even better experience and offer interconnectivity with other LG devices featuring ThinQ.

“Now is the time when manufacturers have to pay close attention to what customers actually need and want for their smartphones,” said Hwang Jeong-hwan, president of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “With the LG G7^ThinQ, LG is continuing to deliver on its promise to enhance core technologies to meet customers’ real life needs by incorporating AI technologies that are more than features, they are part of the user experience.”

Sadly for LG, official renders of the handset have already leaked thereby spoiling its surprise. The renders show the G7 ThinQ as having a notch display design and a vertically placed dual-camera setup at the rear. The render also confirms the previous rumor of LG including a dedicated AI button on the G7 similar to what Samsung does on its flagship handsets, the Galaxy S8/S9 and Note 8.

Our Take

LG has not had much success with its smartphones over the last couple of years. The company usually unveils its flagship handset at MWC every year but deviated from that timeline this year to ensure that the G7 turns out to be an impressive handset. Whether that plan has worked or not is something we will know once LG unveils the G7 early next month.