The LG G7 notch will be optional

There's something different about the LG G7. Sure, it has an iPhone X-like notch, as do many other Android phones we saw at MWC 2018, but it has a distinctive trick.

The notch cut out at the top is optional on the LG G7, according to a tip we got to re-check a previously leaked video by Ynet. Few people picked up this disappearing act.

It can be turned off through the software settings, we can confirm, and if you look closely enough, the video is edited when the leaker dives into the settings menu.

You can either show the notch cut out (like the iPhone X), or hide it behind consistent screen bezel (like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus). The choice appears to be yours.

So why the notch?

The LG G7 is embracing Google's future Android P update, which moves icons – including the time and battery life percentage – to the top left and right corners.

Google's 2018 operating system software is embracing the notch with this move, and it appears as if the LG G7 is too – if you want. That's different from other Android notch phones, like the Asus Zenfone 5, which lock you in with a hardware notch.

There's a benefit to LG's notch software trick. As you can see in the video, it allows for more screen real estate in portrait mode by moving the icons further up.

The right and left areas straddling the camera and sensors usually go unused. With the blacked-out notch in place, you get about a quarter inch more screen space to use. But, you don't have to commit to that look.

Fresh rumors from today indicate that the LG G7 and rumored LG G7 Plus release date could be as late as May and cost more than the LG G6. We'll know more about notch/not-notch Android phone soon enough.

Lead Photo Credit: Ynet