There may not be a huge new flagship coming from LG at Mobile World Congress, but their press event slated for Monday (Australia time) will still have some new devices to show off with the company pre-announcing some updated K-series phones ahead of the event.
The LG K8 and K10 are refreshed models of the same name which launched here in Australia in May and July last year respectively.
There will be three models of the K10, while the K8 will come in just one. LG are spruiking the improved low-light photography performance of both the new K8 and K10 series handsets. The K10 will now include Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) as well as the option to use the rear fingerprint sensor as a quick shutter, while the K8 will see the return of Auto Shot, Gesture Shot, Flash for Selfie and Quick Share features introduced on last years model.
The K8 will again have an 8MP rear camera, while the front-facing camera is a 5MP sensor. The K10 will be available in a number of different configurations with the K10α, a seemingly entry level device with 2GB RAM/16GB storage offering an 8MP rear camera and 5MP front-facing camera, the standard K10 will have the same RAM/storage combo but a higher resolution 13MP rear camera with either an 8MP or 5MP sensor with wide lens on the front, while a K10+ model with 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage will also have a 13MP rear camera and either 8MP or 5MP (Wide) sensor on the front. All models of the K8 and K10 will also include a microSD card slot.
Full Specs include:
| K8 | K10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | 1.3 GHz Quad-Core | 1.5 GHz Octa-Core |
| Display | 5.0-inch HD On-cell Touch (1280 x 720 / 294ppi) | 5.3-inch HD In-cell Touch (1280 x 720 / 277ppi) |
| Memory | 2GB RAM / 16GB ROM / microSD (up to 32GB) | K10+ : 3GB RAM / 32GB ROM / microSD (up to 2TB) K10: 2GB RAM / 16GB ROM / microSD (up to 2TB) K10α : 2GB RAM / 16GB ROM / microSD (up to 2TB) |
| Camera | Rear 8MP / Front 5MP | K10+ : Rear 13MP / Front 8MP or 5MP (Wide) K10: Rear 13MP / Front 8MP or 5MP (Wide) K10α : Rear 8MP / Front 5MP |
| Battery | 2,500 mAh (embedded) | 3,000mAh (embedded) |
| Operating System | Android 7.1.2 Nougat | Android 7.1.2 Nougat |
| Size | 146.3 x 73.2 x 8.2mm @ 152 grams | 148.7 x 75.3 x 8.68mm @ 162 grams |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (802.11 b, g, n) / Bluetooth 4.2 / USB 2.0 Type B | Wi-Fi (802.11 b, g, n) / Bluetooth 4.2 / USB 2.0 Type B/ NFC |
| Colours | Aurora Black / Moroccan Blue / Terra Gold | K10+: Moroccan Blue / Terra Gold K10 : Aurora Black / Moroccan Blue / Terra Gold K10α: Aurora Black / Terra Gold |
| Other | FM Radio / Flash Jump Shot / Music Flash / Time Helper / Quick Capture / Quick Shutter |
Fingerprint Scanner / FM Radio / Flash Jump Shot / Music Flash / |
The phones will continue with their ‘handsome glossy pebble identity’, with most of the phones available in Aurora Black, Moroccan Blue, and Terra Gold colour options. The K10 will have a ‘classy metallic design’ with metal U-frame.
At this stage it there’s no local availability or pricing information but as we saw both the 2017 K8 and K10 model phones launching here in Australia it’s likely we’ll also see these models here later this year. We’ll be checking them out when we hit the show floor at Mobile World Congress next week.
