LG launches 2020 K series lineup with quad cameras all round

Inheriting advanced features first introduced in LG’s premium smartphones, the three new smartphones offer choice, at least, in today’s ultra-competitive mid-range market where LG has struggled to stay relevant. Like so many other manufacturers, and in a similar vein to what we have just seen from Samsung with its S20 lineup, LG is banking heavily on camera technology to sell phones this year.

Each phone in the K series comes with a rear quad-camera array consisting of a high-resolution main camera, a wide-angle lens, a depth sensor and a macro lens, a first in the K series. The 48-megapixel main lens in the flagship K61 is the highest resolution camera ever offered in an LG smartphone. With 108-megapixel sensors now showing up at Xiaomi and Samsung, however, a 48-megapixel sensor is no longer a big draw in the flagship sector but in the mid-range, it's more than welcome.

The 32-megapixel camera in the K51S also surpasses the pixel count of any previous LG phone. LG said in a press release that the new K series offers the "ideal camera for any situation, capturing the magic of the moment has never been so easy or fun".

The most expensive in the range, the K61, comes with a 6.5-inch 19.5:9 FHD+ FullVision Display while the LG K51S features a slightly narrower 6.5-inch 20:9 HD+ FullVision Display. Both feature a hole punched display for the selfie camera. The LG K41S comes with a 6.5-inch 20:9 HD+ FullVision Display. All three 2020 K series phones are designed with cinematically proportioned displays with thinner bezels than their predecessors to improve the immersive viewing experience.

Other features of the series include a 4,000mAh battery, DTS:X 3D Surround Sound for realistic 7.1-channel experience with headphones and MIL-STD-810G standard for durability will surely add to the attractiveness of the LG’s new K series for consumers eager to upgrade from their old smartphones without breaking the bank.

LG did not mention anything about the Android version that the new K series phone would ship with. I would assume it's Android 10. Shipping with Android 9 out of the box in 2020 would be a strange move, even in the mid-range, for a company like LG.

"The key value propositions of LG’s K series are advanced technologies and competitive pricing," said Chang Ma, senior vice president of the product strategy group at LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "We believe the K series will be the most competitive smartphones in its category offering features consumers really appreciate."

LG’s new K series will be available starting in the second quarter of 2020 in the Americas followed by key select markets in Europe and Asia. You can see the full specs at the bottom of this article.

LG K61, K51S, K41S technical specifications

LG K61

• Chipset: 2.3 GHz Octa-Core
• Display: 6.5-inch 19.5:9 FHD+ FullVision Display
• Memory: 4GB RAM / 64 or 128 GB ROM / microSD (up to 2TB)
• Camera:
• Rear: 48MP Standard / 8MP Super Wide / 2MP Macro / 5MP Depth Sensor
• Front: 16MP Standard
• Battery: 4,000mAh
• Size: 164.5 x 77.5 x 8.4mm
• Network: LTE / 3G / 2G
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi Dual Band / Bluetooth 5.0 / NFC / USB Type-C
• Color: Titanium / White / Blue
• Others: AI CAM / DTS:X 3D Surround Sound / Google Assistant / Google Assistant Button / Google Lens / Rear Fingerprint Sensor / MIL-STD 810G Compliance

LG K51S

• Chipset: 2.3 GHz Octa-Core
• Display: 6.5-inch 20:9 HD+ FullVision Display
• Memory: 3GB RAM / 64GB ROM / microSD (up to 2TB)
• Camera:
• Rear: 32MP Standard / 5MP Super Wide / 2MP Macro / 2MP Depth Sensor
• Front: 13MP Standard
• Battery: 4,000mAh
• Size: 165.2 x 76.7 x 8.2mm
• Network: LTE / 3G / 2G
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi / Bluetooth 5.0 / NFC / USB Type-C
• Color: Titanium / Pink / Blue
• Others: AI CAM / DTS:X 3D Surround Sound / Google Assistant / Google Assistant Button / Google Lens / Rear Fingerprint Sensor / MIL-STD 810G Compliance

LG K41S

• Chipset: 2.0 GHz Octa-Core
• Display: 6.5-inch 20:9 HD+ FullVision Display
• Memory: 3GB RAM / 32GB ROM / microSD (up to 2TB)
• Camera:
• Rear: 13MP Standard / 5MP Super Wide / 2MP Macro / 2MP Depth Sensor
• Front: 8MP Standard
• Battery: 4,000mAh
• Size: 165.7 x 76.4 x 8.2mm
• Network: LTE / 3G / 2G
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi / Bluetooth 5.0 / NFC / USB Type-C
• Color: Titanium / Black / White
• Others: AI CAM / DTS: X 3D Surround Sound / Google Assistant / Google Assistant Button / Google Lens / Rear Fingerprint Sensor / MIL-STD 810G Compliance

What do you think of the new LG K series smartphones? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.