There’s fierce competition in the high-end smartphone market, and the rivalry between Samsung and LG is as healthy as ever.

LG has quashed the suggestion that it shares the spotlight with Samsung over the introduction of “always-on” displays.

The firm is adamant that it launched the technology – featured on the new LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7 – long before its South Korean competitor.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

We spoke to LG about how both handsets appeared to introduce always-on displays simultaneously during their Sunday launches at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress trade show.

“Not at the same time, let me correct you,” said Shaun Musgrave, LG product marketing manager for the UK. “So the V10 was out in October, with an always-on screen.”

“So we had always-on displays before Samsung,” he added.

However, it’s worth noting that the V10’s always-on display is actually a second screen altogether. That’s in contrast to the LG G5, which uses only a single panel.

Don’t miss the latest smartphone deals on Amazon

The LG V10, launched in October 2015

Always-on screens allow users to view information – such as notifications and the time – without actually waking their smartphone.

In the LG G5, this feat is achieved by activating just one-third of the LCD backlight. LG maintains this drain on battery life is a mere 0.8% per hour.



Related: Samsung Galaxy Note 6

The LG G5 is the company’s latest flagship smartphone, and features a number of upgrades over last year’s LG G4.

It boasts a 5.3-inch quad-HD display, a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a removable 2,800mAh battery module, USB-C charging, a fingerprint scanner, and three cameras.

The handset is pegged to land in April, although pricing remains a mystery for now.

(apester:56bafd2c3c42ab681c5ff222)

Do you think this is corporate pettiness, or is LG right to claim the “first” always-on display? Let us know in the comments.

Deputy News & Features Editor Writer.