LG has had its phases when it comes to mid-range smartphones: it started with conventional low-end specs in unremarkable blocks and moved over to highlighting one special aspect for different phones. Now, we've got the new W10, W30, and W30 Pro are coming soon exclusively to Amazon and exclusively in India. What does the 'W' stand for, you ask? "For the win."
For as dated as the use of "winning" in marketing is, LG seems to be taking a simple yet clever "ABCD" playbook that one could argue the company has been sticking to for a long time with its flagship phones: audio, battery, camera, and display. Each 'W' phone features proprietary "Stereopulse Sound" to boost speaker woof, a 4,000mAh battery, at least two rear cameras, and 6.2-inch 720p "FullVision" displays near or at 19:9 aspect ratio. All of them also have microUSB ports (yes, in 2019), rear-based fingerprint sensors, and "near-stock" approach to Android Pie — XDA-Developers reports that software updates were not guaranteed.
The LG W10 (left) and W30 (right)
Now to the differences, which we have bulleted for clarity:
- The W10 and W30 feature a MediaTek Helio P22 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
- The W30 Pro gets a Snapdragon 632 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of disk space.
- The W10 has a 13MP main rear camera, a 5MP depth sensor, and an 8MP selfie shooter.
- The W30 brings a 12MP main, a 13MP wide-angle camera, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 16MP front camera.
- The W30 Pro has a 13MP primary snapper, an 8MP wide-angle cam, a 5MP depth sensor, and a 16MP selfie camera.
The extra-special trick on the W30 and W30 Pro is that buyers are able to "choose" from three different display notch styles: two teardrop-esque bumps shaped as either a 'V' or a 'U,' or a clean, straight cut-off at the top end. Software in tandem with an optimized section of LCD make it look pretty convincing. Meanwhile, the W10 will get more of a lozenge in that area.
The LG W10, at a cost of Rs. 8,999, and the W30, starting from Rs. 9,999 ($145), will go on an initial flash sale on July 3. The W30 Pro is "likely" to begin selling on Prime Day, July 15, at a price to be determined.
Chinese brands, particularly Xiaomi, have been extremely competitive in India with recent releases pushing high-end specs for mid-range prices and it's only been a short time ago that Samsung has mounted a more cohesive counterstrategy to maintain its lead in the market. That attention, though, may have left the budget market feeling a little ignored or put on autopilot, but ultimately lacking a special spark. LG may have had the right purview in making this attempt, though as to whether the 'W' series is the right tackle to take, we'll have to wait and see.
Source: Amazon.in