LG K7i is a smartphone that ‘repels’ mosquitoes [Update: no SA release]

Update, 5 October 2017: LG South Africa has confirmed that the K7i won’t receive a local release.

“This device will not be coming to SA,” a representative told Gearburn.

Original article: Who says smartphone innovation is dead? No, I’m not talking about dual selfie cameras and slightly faster fast charging. Instead, the LG K7i has recently been announced, packing mosquito repellent technology.

Spotted by Stuff and PhoneRadar, the smartphone seems to be a bog-standard budget buy at first. But the South Korean firm has added “Mosquito Away” tech in the form of a rear cover that uses ultrasonic frequencies to drive the pests away.

The Mosquito Away cover can also be detached and used on its own, letting owners use a more traditional rear cover instead.

However, LG has also issued a disclaimer, noting that long-term effects haven’t been tested and that mosquitoes could become resistant over time. It adds that the tech works best in enclosed spaces and that the mosquito species tested could be different from the ones in your region.

The disclaimer also revealed details of a test with the tech, yielding a 72% success rate.

“Found to repel on average 72.3% of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes… Represented average of 72.3%… Derived from 70.7%, 74%, 72.1%,” the excerpt reads.

The LG K7i includes mosquito repelling technology, but will it work in our country?

LG cautions that the tech is “not intended to replace other protective device against mosquitoes”.

As for other specs? You’re looking at a budget octacore A53 chipset, 2GB of RAM, dual-SIM support, Android Marshmallow (not Nougat), a 5-inch 854×480 screen, 2500mAh battery, 16GB of expandable storage and an 8MP/5MP camera pairing.

The LG K7i will retail for 7990 rupees (R1665 as a straight conversion) in India. We’ve contacted LG South Africa and will update the article when/if we receive a response.