An image of a Windows Phone 8.1-powered phablet with LG branding has leaked onto the internet.
LG hasn’t made a Windows Phone device since the days of Windows Phone 7. It completely skipped Windows Phone 8, which launched in October 2012.
The Korean company’s Windows Phone future has continued to be in doubt despite Microsoft announcing LG as a "new" hardware partner back in February. LG promptly rebutted the announcement by claiming it had no plans for Windows Phone 8.1 support in the near future.
That’s why it’s still a pleasant (if not massive) surprise to witness the latest leak to emerge from the ever-reliable @evleaks. It’s for a device called the Uni8, and it’s made by LG.
There are no accompanying specs, but a lot can be gleaned from the picture. From the look of the display, with its three main columns of Live Tiles, this appears to be a phablet device in the mould of the Nokia Lumia 1520. It could well be a 6-incher.
Also notable is the apparent lack of a physical camera shutter button along the phone’s right-hand edge. Microsoft has relaxed its requirements for such a feature in recent months.
This would suggest to us that LG is looking to provide an affordable phone that undercuts the aforementioned Nokia Lumia 1520 and its premium specs and price point.
Removing the usual camera shutter button is a move that Nokia itself has made with the entry-level Nokia Lumia 630, though we'd expect the LG Uni8 to be pitched a little higher.
The original tweet mentions a 2014 release date, so stay tuned for more details as they emerge.
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