The LG G6's Square Camera Looks Kind Of Awesome

LG has released more details of the screen, camera and UI of its upcoming LG G6 handset - and it's all about the squares.

The G6 is already making waves with the unusual 18:9 aspect ratio of its screen, and one of the reasons LG has gone for that shape is now clear. A big component of the LG UX 6.0 used for the phone is a square-based aesthetic that actually looks very cool.

The G6's so-called FullVision display is a corker: 5.7 inches, QHD+ (2880 x 1440), which works out at an impressive 565 pixels per inch. The 18:9 aspect ratio could also realistically be called 2:1, meaning it's twice as tall as it is wide. That lends itself beautifully to the two-squares look that LG is apparently going for - we've already nicknamed the G6 The Domino.

The screen almost completely fills the front of the phone, which will satisfy the many bezel-haters in the Android community - but the really smart bit is the way the domino look is going to be used in the UX. You'll be able to open "two perfectly square windows side by side, delivering a more productive, better multitasking experience" - for instance: "Inside the calendar app, turning the G6 horizontally will display the calendar in the left window while a detailed schedule will appear on the right." Niiiice.

If you're already thinking of the Instagram possibilities, LG is way ahead of you:

The expansive screen enables users to take and review photos simultaneously. LG UX 6.0 provides a Square Camera feature which divides the 18:9 display into two identical perfect squares. With this, users can shoot images in 1:1 format – a popular format on social media apps such as Instagram – and review them in the adjacent window.

There is also new shooting mode called Food Mode that delivers high colour quality and saturation ideal for, well, food. Users can create GIF files by combining anywhere from 2 and 100 pictures in a loop.

GIVE. ME. THE. PHONE.

LG reckons their phone will "kick off an era of premium smartphones with 18:9 screen aspect ratios," which is a big claim - especially after much the same was said of their modular G5 that turned out to be a bit of a trainwreck. However, it's always good to see a company innovating and doing something new - you couldn't have blamed LG for going back to basics with the G6 to guarantee sales, but they've decided to twist again.

This time, the approach was inspired by Hollywood. Juno Cho, president of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, explains:

“The LG G6 with FullVision was inspired by the philosophy of experts in the movie industry who believe that an 18:9 ratio screen would be the best solution for viewing both old and new cinematic content in the digital age. We’ve not only embraced that philosophy in our newest smartphone but taken it to a whole new level by incorporating the 18:9 format in many other ways. I think users will appreciate the many ways we’ve made the LG G6 more productive."

Well, colour us excited. And there's not long to wait now - after the many leaks, the G6 will launch on the 26th of February at MWC.