LG Pay Might Not Debut At MWC 2016 After All

Based on recent leaks and official announcements, LG has a lot to showcase at MWC 2016 next week. Ironically, one of the perhaps most interesting product it has won't actually get any stage time at all. Korean media are reporting that LG officials revealed that LG Pay, the company's upcoming mobile payment system, won't actually be unveiled and demonstrated at the event. The reason, at least say the officials, isn't because the product is going to be delayed but because they want to give more focus on the LG G5 instead.

Given how LG is a bit late to the party, there is no small amount of speculation that LG is having a hard time getting the sweet deals with credit card and payment issuers that the likes of Google, Apple, and even Samsung have already grabbed. Of course, LG officials aren't going to admit to that if that is indeed the case, though LG Pay is perhaps unique enough to be interesting to those card companies.

LG Pay has more in common with the likes of Stratos and Coin than, say Android Pay or Apple Pay. Based on leaked photos, it still uses a plastic card, but one equipped with a small display and buttons for going through the stored cards inside. Implementation details are still scarce, but, if the card also features a traditional magnetic strip, it could take Samsung Pay head on. Chances are, however, it would be more NFC based like Google's and Apple's systems.

For now, however, the success of the LG G5 is of utmost importance for the company. Its desperation to keep the flagship smartphone in focus might be seen in how it has decided not to share the MWC space with LG Uplus telecom this year, a first for the company. It is seemingly still reeling from how the LG V10 supposedly didn't get that much media attention, leading to disappointing sales. Presuming, of course, that was actually the reason for it.

Smartphone makers have predicted that 2016 will be a trying year for the industry, which is probably what is causing LG to fret a bit. The LG G5 is expected to have a few interesting features that could help sell the device, like a modular, or at least battery replaceable, design, and an always on LCD, not OLED, display. Whether those are actually enough to take on Samsung and, later on, Apple has yet to be judged.