When renders of the upcoming LG G8 based on leaked CAD models were first circulated, one feature was particularly conspicuous by its absence — there was no earpiece. It's been rumored that the soon-to-be-unveiled smartphone could feature a vibrating display that emits sound, and we now have official confirmation that this is the case.

According to LG, the G8 ThinQ will "push boundaries" with its Crystal Sound OLED (CSO) that acts as a diaphragm/amplifier, similar to technology previously announced for LG TVs. This also confirms that the G8 will have an in-house OLED panel. The whole display will vibrate in order to produce audio that LG promises will be sufficiently loud and clear.

Looking at the bottom of the device, it's clear that there's a separate downward-firing speaker too. LG has cleared that up, explaining that the G8 will be capable of 2-channel audio using both the screen and secondary speaker. The Korean OEM has once again teamed up with Meridian Audio from the UK for fine-tuning. Other audio features coming to the phone include DTS:X 3D Surround Sound and Hi-Fi Quad DAC.

If the in-display speaker tech works well, it could give us the front-facing sound we want without the need for unsightly speakers or earpieces on the front of our phones. We'll get our hands on the LG G8 at MWC, so stay tuned for our coverage from Barcelona.

Alt title: LG to kickstart mobile division by releasing vibrator

Source: LG