LG Electronics’ latest flagship smartphone, the LG G5, with detachable modules and a slide-out battery was unveiled in February, and released into the global tech market in April, 2016 and has since then become a major contender in the world of Android smartphones.
Just like its competitors, Samsung S7 and S7 Edge which were also released globally this year, LG’s G5 which is currently sold around N233, 000 has began to gain ground in the global technology market.
The G5 smartphone which comes in quite attractive colours of silver, titan, gold and pink is encased in a sleek metal body with dimension of 149.4mm x 73.9mm x 7.7mm and weighs 159g.
Unlike your typical uni-body design, this new flagship by LG still retains both microSD and a removable battery. This feat is accomplished by the addition of a “cap” at the bottom that can be removed to unveil the battery, microSD slot, and LG’s unique new “Magic Slot” which is a new slot found by removing the G5’s bottom ‘cap’, allowing users to connect special detachable modules to the G5 device.
Below is a detailed review of some of the G5 features
DETACHABLE MODULAR COMPONENTS SUPPORT
The detachable modular components support is one of LG’s G5 most striking features. The “magic slot” segment of the smartphone below the display can be removed, and replaced with a compatible module. The compatible modules of the G5 by LG also known as LG Friends include CAM Plus, 360 VR, 360 CAM, Rolling Bot, Smart Controller, etc. Some of these modules will be explained further in this review.
SLIDE-OUT/REMOVABLE BATTERY:
[quote font=”georgia” font_size=”23″ font_style=”italic” align=”right” bgcolor=”#” color=”#” bcolor=”#” arrow=”yes”]LG says that its 360 VR is a VR goggle that can be connected with the G5 via a dedicated cable and works exclusively with the G5 to simulate a 130-inch TV viewed from two meters away. It has a stylish design that is foldable so that users can easily carry and watch VR content anytime, anywhere.[/quote]Another striking feature of the new G5 Smartphone is its removable battery. According to LG, the slide-out feature enables users to easily swap its 2,800mAh removable battery by sliding out a depleted one for a fully charged one in seconds.
Although, smartphone lovers might say “why a 2,800mAh battery when there are Smartphones with 3,500mAh or even 4,000mAh batteries?” LG says it has provided a means of keeping G5 users regularly online with its low power location estimation technology which enhances battery efficiency by as much as 41.9% by improving the power consumption related to location-based apps.
The tech company says the G5 also charges incredibly fast with its Quick Charge 3.0 technology which charges 27% faster and 45% more efficient.
DUAL REAR CAMERAS
The dual rear-facing cameras of 16MP and 8MP respectively with optical images stabilization (OIS) is yet another striking feature of the flagship device. The device also features a front camera of 8MP.
The 16MP main camera with OIS is quite similar to that of the LG V10, except that this time, it is backed by an 8MP wide-lens, which makes it possible to smoothly transit from standard angle to wide angle and all the points in between.
QUALCOMM SNAPDRAGON 820 PROCESSOR
The tech company says the G5 which is equipped with the powerful Snapdragon 820 530 graphics and lower-power Qualcomm Hexagon DSP as well as Qualcomm Spectra 14-bit dual image signal processors (ISPs), is designed to deliver high resolution quality images.
The Snapdragon 820 processor, according to LG also has an integrated X12 LTE modem that supports category 12 download speeds of up to 600 Mbps and category 13 uplink speed of up to 150 Mbps and its advanced CPU architecture offers double the speed and ability to save power. Its Adreno 530 graphics demonstrate up to 40 percent faster graphics performance and up to 40 percent more power efficiency compared to the previous generation.
The snapdragon 820 processor, according to LG also supports 4k capture and playback at four times more than the resolution of 1080p, enabling users to watch and capture their daily moments in stunning detail and clarity. The processor is also optimized for VR, generating quality pixels and life-like colours to deliver the ultimate VR experience to G5 users.
ALWAYS-ON DISPLAY
LG says its G5 device sports a sharp and high-resolution 5.3-inch QHD IPS display with 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution of screen density of 554ppi (pixels per inch). The display also boasts of ‘Always-On’ feature, which according to the company, allows users to check time, date, and notifications without waking up the phone.
LG insists that the ‘Always-On’ feature wouldn’t take a toll on the battery life as it only requires 0.8 percent of the battery’s full capacity per hour. The LG G5 display also offers Daylight Mode feature, which the smartphone maker claims gives the smartphone an “exceptional outdoor visibility beyond that of current auto brightness technology.”
OPERATING SYSTEM
The G5 runs a combination of Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS (Operating System) which is the latest version of the mobile OS and also LG’s own new UX 5.0 UI.
MEMORY
The G5 comes with 4GB RAM (Random Access Memory) and 32GB internal storage capacity and can be expanded with a micro SD card.
LG FRIENDS MANAGER
The G5 device features “Friends Manager” which as stated by LG, is the hub application that allows the G5 to connect with LG Friends with minimal fuss and effort. LG Friends Manager automatically detects nearby LG Friends and connects quickly and easily in three simple steps, eliminating much of the hassle of pairing devices. LG says this feature is exclusively available in the LG G5 alone.
RANGE OF COMPATIBLE DEVICES/DETACHABLE MODULES
These are devices which according to LG can be connected to the G5 to enhance user experience. They include the following:
LG CAM PLUS
LG’s says its innovative modular type design which is one of the striking features of G5 gives it the ability to transform into a digital camera. The tech company says the G5 module type design –CAM Plus is a versatile camera module that can be attached through the battery slot to deliver a comfortable grip and convenient control of a stand-alone camera.
The CAM Plus as stated by LG provides physical buttons for power, shutter, record, zoom, Led indicator and comfortable grip. It also offers intuitive auto focus and exposure lock, features usually found on stand-alone digital cameras. In addition, it provides additional battery capacity of 1,200mAh to allow for longer shooting times for more fun and enjoyment.
LG 360 VR
LG says that its 360 VR is a VR goggle that can be connected with the G5 via a dedicated cable and works exclusively with the G5 to simulate a 130-inch TV viewed from two meters away. It has a stylish design that is foldable so that users can easily carry and watch VR content anytime, anywhere.
The LG 360 VR weighs only 118g 4.16 ounces and delivers a resolution of 639 ppi (pixels per inch). The device is compatible with 360-degree images and videos captured with LG 360 CAM as well as all Google Cardboard content, according to LG.
Other G5 companion devices by LG include 360 CAM, Rolling Bot, Smart Controller, etc.
KEY SPECIFICATIONS OF LG G5 SMARTPHONE
-Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor
-Display: 5.3-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display with 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution (554ppi)
-Memory: 4GB LPDDR4 RAM / 32GB UFS ROM / expandable with microSD
-Camera: Rear Standard 16MP, Wide 8MP / Front 8MP
-Battery: 2,800mAh (removable)
-OS: Android 6.0 Marshmallow, UX 5.0 UI
-Size: 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm
-Weight: 159g
-Network: LTE / 3G / 2G
-Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / USB Type-C / NFC / Bluetooth 4.2
-Colours: Silver / Titan / Gold / Pink
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