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LG wants us to believe that its notch design has nothing to do with the iPhone X

Published May 4th, 2018 5:36PM EDT
LG G7 ThinQ vs. iPhone X

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LG earlier this week unveiled its own iPhone X clone, the LG G7 ThinQ, a phone so hot that not all carriers out there are looking to sell it to their subscribers. LG is, thus, the latest Android device maker to either unveil an iPhone X clone or announce that it’s making one, and the list includes plenty of well-known names in the business like Asus, Huawei, and OnePlus.

And, just like some of these iPhone X clone makers, LG claims it hasn’t copied Apple.

When Asus came out with a blatant iPhone X clone at MWC a few months ago, the company made fun of Apple and said it’s notch is even better. At the time, we also saw a slew of other iPhone X ripoffs from various China-based companies you’ve probably never heard of.

Then came OnePlus with its own notch announcement. The company mentioned the OnePlus 6 design before anything else, trying to get in front of the expected backlash from fans. OnePlus insisted it’s not copying the iPhone X with the OnePlus 6.

Huawei launched the P20 series, and revealed it had notch designs a few years ago, but lacked the courage to go forward with the design, fearing that customers might not appreciate it. Huawei at least acknowledge’s Apple’s courage to go forward with the iPhone X design.

Now it’s time for LG to come forward with its own notchy explanation about its iPhone X clone.

The CEO of LG’s mobile division said that LG “planned the notch design before Apple,” according to The Investor. Of course, it did. I actually mean that. LG’s Display division may have envisioned such smartphone designs long before Apple started toying with the idea. We might never know.

But there’s absolutely no chance that LG or any other company would have gone for notch designs had it not been for the iPhone X. Let me repeat that: Zero. Chance. Nobody would have cloned the Essential or Sharp phones of the world whose notch designs preceded the iPhone X, given that they both flopped dramatically.

LG is also saying that it doesn’t like the “notch” name for the feature, as it insinuates that something is missing. Instead, it wants to call it a second display to indicate there’s more to show. Good luck with that! Notch it is, for everyone but LG’s marketing team at least.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.