LG begins global rollout of its G6 flagship smartphone ahead of rival Galaxy S8 launch

LG has announced the global rollout of its 2017 flagship smartphone, the LG G6, following its initial launch in the company's home market of South Korea.

Unveiled at February's Mobile World Congress 2017 event in Barcelona, the LG G6 will start shipping in the US, Asia, Europe, and other selected regions over the next few weeks. As many as 200 carriers and operators across the globe will stock the device.

In the UK, the G6 will be available from retailers such as Carphone Warehouse, Clove and Expansys, with a suggested retail price of £650. Shipment of the orders are expected to begin towards the end of this month, around the same time Samsung's Galaxy S8 flagship hits the UK market.

"The initial reaction and feedback to the G6 has exceeded our expectations by far," said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics Mobile Communications in a statement issued on 6 April. "We had a lot of ground to make up with the G series and what we learned from consumers in the past year has truly been inspiring and illuminating," said Cho.

The G6 comes with a 5.7in screen with an aspect ratio of 18:9, Android Nougat operating system, a dual-lens 13 megapixel camera and a five megapixel front camera, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor. It also comes with built-in Google Assistant out of the box, and boasts a Quad HD display featuring Dolby Vision technology and HDR support.