Here's one way the LG G6 may be a big step up from the G5

LG G5 back

LG's next flagship phone may not ship with some key features, though there is one way it could still vastly improve over the LG G5, according to a new report.

Anonymous sources within the mobile phone industry revealed to ChosunBiz, a Korean news site, that the LG G6 will stick with a non-curved LCD display and won't come packing wireless charging.

That's going to disappoint a few people, to be sure, but the sources also say the G6 will herald a leap in build quality over its predecessor thanks to a tempered glass back.

LG received criticism for the lackluster build quality of the LG G5, which featured a painted aluminum body and felt like plastic to some. A tempered glass back, meanwhile, could help the phone feel more like a premium product. LG previously built a glass back phone, the Nexus 4, but hasn't made another once since.

Of course, trading a metal back for a glass one does compromise durability. Where metal will bend, glass will shatter. Samsung Galaxy owners know the pain of shattered glass backs all too well, so G6 owners will have to be cautious when taking their phones out of their back pockets, or performing other treacherous tasks.

No OLED

The other bits of today's LG G6 rumors are likely to be a let down for some, though not deal-breakers.

LG plans to eventually bring OLED screens to its phone, according to the ChosunBiz's sources, but its smartphone display production isn't ready for the screen tech yet. The company currently makes excellent OLED TVs as well as OLED displays for wearables like the Apple Watch 2 and LG Watch Urbane.

Galaxy S7 Edge

Samsung already has several generations of phones with curved OLED displays

LG's biggest competitor, Samsung, has pioneered the use of curved OLED displays on its flagship phones, like the Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy Note 7. OLED displays are considered better than LCD panels because of superior color reproduction, contrast, brightness and flexibility. Even Apple is rumored to be developing an OLED display for next year's iPhone.

Though LG might miss the OLED boat with the G6, it sounds like the company is gearing up to introduce one at some point down the line.

Charging the old fashioned way

Finally, the anonymous industry sources revealed the LG G6 won't feature wireless charging as its fast juicing tech isn't ready yet.

The new technology is rumored to offer faster wireless charging than what's currently available, and can be charged from up to 7 centimeters (3 inches) away.

Despite potentially missing some features, the LG G6 could still wow us with unique qualities not found on other phones. The company says it's committed to the G5's modular design, and could even include the excellent audio features of the LG V20 in the G6. We just won't know for sure until the device releases sometime next year.

Via TechnoBuffalo

Lewis Leong
Lewis Leong is a freelance writer for TechRadar. He has an unhealthy obsession with headphones and can identify cars simply by listening to their exhaust notes.