LG rumored to discontinue G Pro line in favor of G series

Although LG's earning and performance didn't take a big hit, at least compared to its dearest rival Samsung, the Korean company is still girding up its loins and focusing its resources on its big winners. Unfortunately, that usually means letting go of some models, even if they be well-loved previously. In LG's case, it will be the "Pro" line that will be getting the axe, with LG reportedly not interested in a G Pro 3 next year as two of its premium lines start converging in terms of features.

The Optimus G Pro, later simply the G Pro after LG dropped the Optimus moniker, once offered LG's customers a bigger, more spacious but still premium option compared to the Optimus G/G flagship. However, the delineating line between the Pro and non-Pro devices are starting to blur, especially with the increasing sizes of the LG G series. The current G Pro 2 spans 5.9 inches while the LG G3 is only 5.5 inches big. Even if the rumors of a 5.9-inch LG G4 turn out to be false (and some might wish it to be that way), there is very little else to distinguish these two lines. It is unlike the situation between the Samsung Galaxy S flagships and the Galaxy Note series, which differ not just in progressively higher specs but also in the S Pen or the lack thereof.

So instead of seeing an LG G Pro 3 early next year, usually around MWC in February, LG will be skipping that and will instead be focusing on getting the LG G4 out the door by mid 2015, early than the usual G reveal. Considering how the G3 indeed pushed the limits of the current generation of flagships, especially when it came to its QHD displays, there is almost very little for the G Pro to push. It might indeed make more sense for LG to just focus on a single champion for the whole year instead of two a year, a strategy that Sony might also be adopting.

On the other hand, LG's bottom line won't be seeing any changes yet. The L series remains the company's low-end range while the F series somewhat straddles low and mid tiers. But as even lower end smartphones start getting more powerful, the lines might blur again and LG might be forced to make cuts there as well.

VIA: Herald Corp