LG's next flagship phone may not ship with some key features, though there is one way it could still vastly improve over the LG G5, according to a new report.

Anonymous sources within the mobile phone industry revealed to ChosunBiz, a Korean news site, that the LG G6 will stick with a non-curved LCD display and won't come packing wireless charging.

That's going to disappoint a few people, to be sure, but the sources also say the G6 will herald a leap in build quality over its predecessor thanks to a tempered glass back.

LG received criticism for the lackluster build quality of the LG G5, which featured a painted aluminum body and felt like plastic to some. A tempered glass back, meanwhile, could help the phone feel more like a premium product. LG previously built a glass back phone, the Nexus 4, but hasn't made another once since.

Of course, trading a metal back for a glass one does compromise durability. Where metal will bend, glass will shatter. Samsung Galaxy owners know the pain of shattered glass backs all too well, so G6 owners will have to be cautious when taking their phones out of their back pockets, or performing other treacherous tasks.

No OLED

The other bits of today's LG G6 rumors are likely to be a let down for some, though not deal-breakers.

LG plans to eventually bring OLED screens to its phone, according to the ChosunBiz's sources, but its smartphone display production isn't ready for the screen tech yet. The company currently makes excellent OLED TVs as well as OLED displays for wearables like the Apple Watch 2 and LG Watch Urbane.

LG's biggest competitor, Samsung, has pioneered the use of curved OLED displays on its flagship phones, like the Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy Note 7. OLED displays are considered better than LCD panels because of superior color reproduction, contrast, brightness and flexibility. Even Apple is rumored to be developing an OLED display for next year's iPhone.

Though LG might miss the OLED boat with the G6, it sounds like the company is gearing up to introduce one at some point down the line.

Charging the old fashioned way

Finally, the anonymous industry sources revealed the LG G6 won't feature wireless charging as its fast juicing tech isn't ready yet.

The new technology is rumored to offer faster wireless charging than what's currently available, and can be charged from up to 7 centimeters (3 inches) away.

Despite potentially missing some features, the LG G6 could still wow us with unique qualities not found on other phones. The company says it's committed to the G5's modular design, and could even include the excellent audio features of the LG V20 in the G6. We just won't know for sure until the device releases sometime next year.

• How to replace your Samsung Galaxy Note 7

If you were disappointed by the incremental updates in the iPhone 7, you now have more reason to wait for the next iPhone.

A new report says Apple is in negotiations with Sharp to manufacture OLED displays for the iPhone 8.

An anonymous source told Bloomberg that Apple is hashing it out with Sharp to secure OLED displays for the next generation iPhone. The news comes after Sharp announced today that it will spend $570 million (about £440 million, AU$744 million) in OLED production. Sharp aims to start production of the mobile displays by June 2018, according to Bloomberg.

Why OLED?

OLED, or organic light emitting diode, is a display technology that doesn't require backlighting like traditional liquid crystal displays (LCD). Instead, each pixel is filled with an organic compound that emits light when an electrical current is passed through it.

OLED displays allow companies like Samsung to create curved displays found on the Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy Note 7. Since OLED doesn't require a backlight, devices can be made thinner as well. For small electronics like smartwatches, OLED makes complete sense, which is why the Apple Watch 2 already has an OLED display.

While the iPhone 7's display was rated "the best mobile LCD display" by analysis company DisplayMate, it isn't the best mobile phone screen out there. That honor goes to the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which features an OLED display that offers better contrast, brightness and colors.

Apple may be working with additional partners on securing a supply of OLED screens for its next iPhone, according to Ubergizmo. Apple could theoretically obtain OLED displays from companies like LG, Japan Display, or even Samsung.

The iPhone 8 might not be the only future Apple device getting an OLED upgrade. There are rumors that Apple is preparing to refresh its line of MacBook Pro laptops with OLED touch screens, too.

BlackBerry dropped a huge bombshell yesterday announcing it would no longer make phones. Instead, the struggling Canadian firm said that it would begin outsourcing hardware development to third parties.

The news led many fans to to mourn their cherished BlackBerries and feared the worst for the iconic BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard. However, BlackBerry CEO John Chen put those fears to rest today by confirming that the physical QWERTY keyboard would live on.

"We need to sit down with each [company] to work on a portfolio," said Chen speaking with Business News Network. "[QWERTY] will continue on but we'll be very selective."

But will anyone actually care about BlackBerry retaining its iconic physical keyboard? Digital keyboards are now so good that many people can type on them without issue. It took some getting used to, especially with trusting auto correct, but a physical keyboard on a phone seems like a relic of the past.

"For those coming from fully touchscreen devices the keyboard on the Priv will likely feel outdated and clunky," said our very own John McCann in his BlackBerry Priv review. "The keys are small, and I continually found myself hitting the wrong letters."

There are plenty of third-party keyboard apps for both Android and iOS for users to choose from. Swiftkey is great for those who want intelligent typing. Google Gboard is great for iOS users who want quick access to search results and animated GIFs.

One of the biggest issues with the iPhone 7 is that you can't charge and listen to music at the same time, unless you're using wireless headphones. This problem has lead accessory makers to release expensive adapters to solve that problem.

If Belkin's $40 (£35, AU$60) Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar adapter is too expensive for you, then $10 (about £8, AU$13) iLDOCK adapter might be up your alley.

If you haven't heard of iLDOCK before, that's because it's a new company that's currently crowd funding its affordable iPhone 7 adapter on Kickstarter. The company will create two versions of its dock for different users. If you just want to charge and play music at the same time, the affordable iLDOCK will work great. If you want more features like a USB port and SD/microSD card reader, then the $20 (about £16, AU$26) iLDOCK plus is for you. Note that these are introductory prices, so snap them up at these low prices while you can.

The iLDOCK adapters look nice and come in a variety of colors to match the color of your iPhone. There are options for a silver, gold, rose gold and space gray finish. Each dock is made of aluminum and plastic, which blends in nicely with the iPhone's design. The adapters sit flush with the iPhone 7, making it more elegant than Belkin's adapter, which features a short Lightning cable. Do note that the flush design may interfere with thicker cases.

While the iLDOCK adapters look nice and are affordable, you have to take some risk by crowdfunding the project. There could be delays and post-purchase support can be difficult without a more established company.

The iPhone 7 has been a boon for the accessories industry. Expect to see a lot more adapters and cases designed to take advantage of the controversial removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Samsung is taking a beating in the news for its massive Galaxy Note 7 recall. It's hard to ignore the news reports of phones exploding, and yet, it appears Note 7 are continuing to use the recalled phone.

According to data from Apteligent, Galaxy Note 7 users are continuing to use the device at the same rate as before the recall.

"The adoption abruptly halted after the recall as retailers stopped selling the phones and Samsung activated an exchange program," writes Apteligent CEO Andrew Levy. "However, it appears that the usage rate of the phone among existing users has been almost the exact same since the day of the recall."

It's been almost two weeks since Samsung issued a worldwide recall of its Galaxy Note 7 phones, giving affected users plenty of time to send back the defective devices.

US users can either exchange their Note 7 for a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge, or get a loaner phone while waiting for a Note 7 replacement. UK users won't be getting loaner devices, as Samsung advises using a previous phone while waiting for a replacement.

Warning signs

Samsung isn't the only one warning Note 7 users to return their phones as soon as possible. Multiple government agencies including the Federal Aviation Authority and US Consumer Product Safety Agency urged Note 7 users to stop using the device. More recently, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority urged its riders not to take the Note 7 aboard its busses and trains.

As a temporary solution, Samsung is preparing a software update in South Korea that would prevent recalled Galaxy Note 7 devices from charging beyond 60%. This would in theory prevent the device from heating up and causing an explosion. However, Samsung doesn't have any plans to release the update in the US, according to The Wall Street Journal.

It's understandable that some users may be reluctant to send in their Note 7, especially if it's the only phone they have. We rely heavily on our smartphones for everyday tasks, but risking injury or death from an exploding battery just isn't worth it.

In order to stop its Galaxy Note 7 phones from exploding, Samsung is allegedly readying a software update that will cap battery capacity at 60%.

Today's news broke in a South Korean newspaper where Samsung took out an ad to announce the upcoming software update, according to the Associated Press. By limiting the battery capacity of recalled Note 7, Samsung hopes to reduce the chance of explosions due to overheating. This isn't a guarantee that the phone won't explode, and will serve more as a reminder for owners to exchange their phones.

"It is a measure to put consumer safety first but we apologize for causing inconvenience," reads the ad. Samsung plans to start rolling out the update in Korea on September 20. There's currently no information about if the update will roll out globally. We've reached out to Samsung for comment and will update this post when we hear back.

Yonhap News Agency reports that Samsung is in talks with mobile carriers to deliver the battery-capping update to protect users while its massive recall gets underway.

Recall headache

Samsung issued the global recall of its Galaxy Note 7 phones after numerous reports of the device exploding while charging. The phones were deemed dangerous enough that US Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration both issued warnings to stop using the devices, especially on airplanes.

The recall is so massive that it will cost Samsung an estimated $1 billion to replace all affected Galaxy Note 7 phones and to compensate its customers. The Note 7 recalls have sent Samsung shares tumbling as Apple celebrates the launch of its iPhone 7.

Samsung says it's speeding up Galaxy Note 7 replacements after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning about the device.

"In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note 7 devices, the [FAA] strongly advises passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage," reads an FAA statement.

The agency's warning comes as the Galaxy Note 7 is undergoing a massive recall. The problem, it's been discovered, stems from a manufacturing defect in the phone's batteries, which could cause the battery to short on itself.

New phones on the way

In response to the FAA's warning, Samsung said in a statement today that it's planning to "expedite new shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 starting from this week in order to alleviate any safety concerns and reduce any inconvenience for our customers."

The company urged customers to participate in its Product Exchange Program immediately.

In order to make updated Galaxy Note 7 devices easily identifiable, Samsung will begin placing a blue "S" sticker on the boxes of fixed phones. You'll find the sticker next to the device's IMEI and UPC code sticker.

However, if you don't have access to the original packaging, Samsung will launch a database website so customers can look up their unique IMEI numbers to see if their unit is defective. You can find your IMEI number next to the USB charging port on your Note 7.

For now, it's best to back up your user data and power down your recalled Galaxy Note 7 and seek a replacement immediately.

• How to replace your Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Apple killed the headphone jack with the iPhone 7 but included a pair of Lightning-enabled EarPods and a headphone adapter in the box. There's just one problem: how do you change and listen to music with just one Lightning port on the phone?

Belkin has a solution and, you guessed it, it's another adapter. The $40 (£35, AU$60) Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar adapter (what a mouthful) splits the iPhone 7's single Lightning port into two.

But if you want to charge and listen to headphones with a 3.5mm jack, you'll need to plug the iPhone 7's 3.5mm adapter into Belkin's adapter in an unholy cluster of dongles.

Audiophiles will be happy to know that Belkin's RockStar adapter supports up to 24-bit/48 kHz lossless audio, though it's a shame it doesn't support Hi-Res Audio's 24-bit/96 kHz minimum requirements. This is more Apple's limitations for the Lightning connector than it is Belkin's fault.

The RockStar adapter will work with any device running iOS 10 so you can use your fancy Lightning EarPods with your iPad. It'll also support up to 12W of power for charging up power hungry iPad Pros.

The Belkin Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar adapter will be available October 10 online and in Apple's retail stores.

Top image credit: Belkin | YouTube

Apple will not be releasing iPhone 7 pre-order numbers, a first for the company. However, the company predicts it will sell out of the iPhone 7 even before pre-orders begin.

In a statement to CNBC, Apple said it would not be releasing data about iPhone 7 pre-orders because that info "is no longer a representative metric for our investors and customers." Apple continues, explaining that the iPhone 7 will be in short supply since the company increased its distribution network to many more stores across the world.

We previously reported that it might be tough getting your hands on the iPhone 7 due to a component shortage. This won't the first time an iPhone launch has sold out; the iPhone 6 faced similar supply issues in 2014 and the iPhone 5 also faced insufficient component supplies.

It seems odd that Apple is only now refusing to disclose iPhone 7 pre-order numbers as previous iPhones have sold out at launch as well. The company has historically been happy to disclose record-breaking pre-order numbers during every iPhone launch.

Apple's statement may mean the company is expecting continued flat iPhone sales. The removal of the headphone jack an incremental updates may turn off customers to the new phone.

Still, Apple confidently says, "we are now at a point where we know before taking the first customer pre-order that we will sell out of iPhone 7."

The iPhone 7 will be available for pre-order this Friday, September 9 with devices arriving in customer's hands as early as September 16.