LG G5 impresses with cutting-edge hardware, innovative modular design

[Shawn Knight]

All eyes were on LG as the technology company took the stage at the Sant Jordi Club in Barcelona, Spain, hours before South Korean rival Samsung to unveil its flagship smartphone for 2016, the LG G5. We had a pretty good idea of what to expect thanks to a series of leaks and thankfully, LG didn't disappoint.

The LG G5 features a 5.3-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum display (2,560 x 1,440 / 554 PPI) that's powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor and Adreno 530 graphics alongside a hearty 4GB of RAM – all packed inside a full-metal unibody design.

LG introduced an always-on display with its LG V10 smartphone. With the LG G5, they're taking it a step further by integrating the always-on function into the main display by selectively backlighting only a small part of the overall display. This affords the benefits of an always-on display without the need for a goofy secondary display; it consumes just 0.8 percent battery life per hour.

The LG G5 is offered with 32GB of local storage (expandable to up to 2TB via microSD card slot) and features a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera, an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera, an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter and a removable 2,800mAh battery. The primary rear camera captures images using a 78-degree lens and is flanked by a 135-degree wide-angle shooter which LG says is the widest available in any smartphone.

Connectivity-wise, the LG G5 features 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, an X12 LTE modem and has a USB Type-C connector. It'll ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, we're told.

As impressive as the LG G5 is on its own, what really makes the handset stand out is its modular design and ecosystem of peripherals.

The LG Friends, as they're collectively called, are modular components that deliver added functionality to the LG G5. The bottom section of the handset slides out, allowing you to quickly replace the battery and / or swap in an alternative module.

The CAM Plus module adds a camera grip as well as physical buttons for power, shutter, record and zoom, allowing you to shoot with one hand should you so desire. The CAM Plus also offers autofocus and exposure locks and includes a 1,200mAh battery of its own, booting the handset's total battery capacity to 4,000mAh on-the-fly.

The Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play is a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that was developed in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen. It supports 32-bit, 384Khz high-definition audio playback either as a module for the LG G5 or as a standalone DAC for use with any smartphone or PC.

To say it was a busy day for the South Korean technology company would certainly be an understatement as LG also showcased a series of non-modular accessories including the LG 360 VR headset, the LG 360 CAM, the LG Rolling Bot, the LG Tone Platinum Bluetooth headset and H3 by B&O PLAY earphones.

The LG G5 will be offered in silver, gold, pink and titan color schemes when it goes on sale globally early next month (AT&T has already committed to carrying it). No word yet on pricing.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/63872-lg-g5-impresses-cutting-edge-hardware-innovative-modular.html

 

[teddy]

I just wish it was 4k battery instead of lower than 3k. and without apple ( b&o ).

 

[ET3D]

I like the idea of an always on partial display.

 

[SirGCal]

I just wish it was 4k battery instead of lower than 3k. and without apple ( b&o ).

With the screen that small, at normal distance, it's more then enough that your naked eye will never likely be able to see the difference regardless. All you're doing is burning battery beyond that.

I'm happy they continue with removable batteries (though this one is small) and SD cards.

 

[Burty117]

I just wish it was 4k battery instead of lower than 3k. and without apple ( b&o ).

With the screen that small, at normal distance, it's more then enough that your naked eye will never likely be able to see the difference regardless. All you're doing is burning battery beyond that.

I'm happy they continue with removable batteries (though this one is small) and SD cards.

I think he was talking about battery size, not screen resolution.

It does appear that the CAM attachment adds another 1,200mAh into the mix though.
2,800mAh + 1,200mAh = 4,000mAh which was exactly what he was after.

 

[teddy]

I just wish it was 4k battery instead of lower than 3k. and without apple ( b&o ).

With the screen that small, at normal distance, it's more then enough that your naked eye will never likely be able to see the difference regardless. All you're doing is burning battery beyond that.

I'm happy they continue with removable batteries (though this one is small) and SD cards.

I think he was talking about battery size, not screen resolution.

It does appear that the CAM attachment adds another 1,200mAh into the mix though.
2,800mAh + 1,200mAh = 4,000mAh which was exactly what he was after.

I have a 12k power bank to my note 5, so ill get 15k with your way the 1200 is only when using the camera gimic. wich you have to buy extern. and for the battery and screen, it should be max 1080p for 3k batteries. so the phone will last 2 days on daily usage and fun. but just as samsung just showed, it wont last much more than a day on battery. bc of the 2k screen, no matter how big. the resolution says it all. as we saw on meizu pro 5, that beat note 5 on perfomance and lifetime, bc of max 1080p.

 

[hahahanoobs]

So the G in G5 stands for gimmick. I didn't expect this from LG.

 

[seefizzle]

I didn't expect much from the promo video. It made me laugh though. that's gotta count for something. Right?

 

[oldikes]

This is an astounding feature and im honestly amazed that anyone could complain about it, a DAC addition is something that alot of people I know would love and this will only have more modules in the future.

 

[Arturo]

My only problem with this new phone is the form: It looks like that of Samsung!

I dislike round phones. I am glad that I didn't wait and bought my V10.

 

[SirChocula]

My only problem with this new phone is the form: It looks like that of Samsung!

I dislike round phones. I am glad that I didn't wait and bought my V10.

I'm with you. The G5 was so close to being my perfect phone. I was expecting a shaping similar to the G3 and G4 and a screen that's 5.5+. I would have bitten if the G5 had those aspects. Otherwise, it's a great phone.

 

[Technician]

Phones have become so same-same its really boring. None stand out anymore at all.

 

[Badvok]

I just wish it was 4k battery instead of lower than 3k. and without apple ( b&o ).

I think you are a little confused, although B&O make stuff that connects with Apple kit they are not in any way synonymous. Both are indeed known for producing grossly over-priced technology which makes B&O a strange partner for LG who generally aren't.

 

[Adhmuz]

They moved the buttons to the side, that's too bad, the back of the phone really makes a better place for buttons, allows for a cleaner look, easier to protect with a case. Finally they switched away from the plastic fantastic body of previous generations, looks good, just not in that ugly pink color.

Not sure why two cameras with such different specs, so you can take wide angle shots in lower quality like a fool I would presume, or you can use the high res camera and take multiple shots that can then be stitched together with a dedicated app. The ladder may take more time but results will be far better.

The modularity is neat, but sadly I'm afraid of it just becoming a gimmick with a couple over priced accessories made by a select few manufacturers appointed by LG. If this happens it could damage the concept of a modular cell phone before it gets to truly be something good, although at the same time if LG does it right this could very well be a step in the right direction for the dream of a modular, user up-gradable, smartphone.

 

[SirGCal]

I just wish it was 4k battery instead of lower than 3k. and without apple ( b&o ).

With the screen that small, at normal distance, it's more then enough that your naked eye will never likely be able to see the difference regardless. All you're doing is burning battery beyond that.

I'm happy they continue with removable batteries (though this one is small) and SD cards.

I think he was talking about battery size, not screen resolution.

It does appear that the CAM attachment adds another 1,200mAh into the mix though.
2,800mAh + 1,200mAh = 4,000mAh which was exactly what he was after.

Ahh. I've heard people barking about the screen resolution before so I started there. Plus my autism doesn't let me see the k for the battery. it's mAh so 4000 is actually just 4. Although a real 4k battery would be so awesome (4,000,000 mAh). Just the way my brain works when I work with those numbers all day (frim Pico to Tera (10e-12 to 10e12). So to me K is really what it is.. ohh well. As for the screen, my point is still valid.

However, I'd still buy this before the S7 cause this has a removable battery. Plain and simple. Not for any other reason than in a few years I can buy a new fresh battery and have a 'new' lasting phone again instead of one that goes from 100-30% by booting up and opening email cause the battery can no longer hold a good charge after heavy use over time.

 

[teddy]

I just wish it was 4k battery instead of lower than 3k. and without apple ( b&o ).

With the screen that small, at normal distance, it's more then enough that your naked eye will never likely be able to see the difference regardless. All you're doing is burning battery beyond that.

I'm happy they continue with removable batteries (though this one is small) and SD cards.

I think he was talking about battery size, not screen resolution.

It does appear that the CAM attachment adds another 1,200mAh into the mix though.
2,800mAh + 1,200mAh = 4,000mAh which was exactly what he was after.

Ahh. I've heard people barking about the screen resolution before so I started there. Plus my autism doesn't let me see the k for the battery. it's mAh so 4000 is actually just 4. Although a real 4k battery would be so awesome (4,000,000 mAh). Just the way my brain works when I work with those numbers all day (frim Pico to Tera (10e-12 to 10e12). So to me K is really what it is.. ohh well. As for the screen, my point is still valid.

However, I'd still buy this before the S7 cause this has a removable battery. Plain and simple. Not for any other reason than in a few years I can buy a new fresh battery and have a 'new' lasting phone again instead of one that goes from 100-30% by booting up and opening email cause the battery can no longer hold a good charge after heavy use over time.

k is 000 kk is 000. but you need to be a gamer to understand that term I ordered s7, and I really hope it wont be as bad as s6. I dont care about removeable battery, but if you like to spend a lot of money on gadgets, then lg is the way. samsung at least give you a gadget with the sale. lg you get a removable battery, but need to buy all xtra stuff.

 

[amstech]

It's like no phone we have ever seen before! Ohh wait, it looks like every other smartphone out there.
Hey its just money right?

The modularity is neat, but sadly I'm afraid of it just becoming a gimmick with a couple over priced accessories made by a select few manufacturers appointed by LG..

Its true. All of these little gizmos and gadgets on new phones make a great sales pitch but don't account for much.
1440p on a 5"-5.5" screen is a nice gimmick too, after 1080p on a phone your not seeing much of improvement, if any at all for your standard user.
Battery life, screen quality and power are what matters.
All phones now have amazing camera's, so thats a mute point too.
The new phones, while quicker, aren't much better at practical real, world performance, don't offer anything captivating; and thats why more and more people are sticking with their phones for 3-5 years.
If you spend $500-$600 on a phone, your getting something thats barely better then a $300 phone for 95% of what is phone is used for.
These are the same people who buy a TitanX for $1000, and act like its much better then a 980Ti, when really its not. At all.

 

[Technician]

It's like no phone we have ever seen before! Ohh wait, it looks like every other smartphone out there.
Hey its just money right?


Its true. All of these little gizmos and gadgets on new phones make a great sales pitch but don't account for much.
1440p on a 5"-5.5" screen is a nice gimmick too, after 1080p on a phone your not seeing much of improvement, if any at all for your standard user.
Battery life, screen quality and power are what matters.
All phones now have amazing camera's, so thats a mute point too.
The new phones, while quicker, aren't much better at practical real, world performance, don't offer anything captivating; and thats why more and more people are sticking with their phones for 3-5 years.
If you spend $500-$600 on a phone, your getting something thats barely better then a $300 phone for 95% of what is phone is used for.
These are the same people who buy a TitanX for $1000, and act like its much better then a 980Ti, when really its not. At all.

I have yet to see a phone with an amazing camera. They all suffer in low light or with high speed movements.