[TXSTYLE]

So as bad as I wanted the LG V10, I knew that they were already working on a "game changing" flagship device. The G5. I have had the G3 since it was released and have been very happy with it! It has been reliable, fast, sturdy and just works. But I am a "techie" and enjoy grabbing the 'latest and greatest'.
Samsung has also unleashed the S7 which looks pretty awesome as well (my wife loves Samsung for the great and consistent picture and video quality). So I will be getting the G5 and she will get the Galaxy S7.
LG still trumps all top tier devices with several key features: removable battery and expandable memory!

LG put all the rumors to rest and unveiled its 2016 flagship smartphone, the LG G5, to kick off Mobile World Congress 2016. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint have all confirmed a release on their networks.

The LG G5 has been making headlines for months leading up to its official launch. The smartphone was reported to be a major departure from that of its predecessors and those features included a premium unibody aluminum case and first of its kind modular design.





In late January, LG tweeted a jab at rival, Samsung, for not including a removable battery in the Galaxy S6, a feature the company offered in each previous model and often used in advertising against Apple's sealed iPhones. The message from LG appeared to confirm its next-gen flagship smartphone; the LG G5 would not compromise such an important feature for a metal design like Samsung and it delivered on that when it unveiled the LG G5 at its press event to kick off Mobile World Congress 2016.

The LG G5 features a 5.3-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad HD display with a pixel density of 554 pixels per inch (ppi) and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, Adreno 530 GPU and has 4 GB of RAM. It includes 32 GB of internal storage and a microSD expansion slot that supports up to 2 TB microSD cards, all housed in a sleek all-aluminum body.

The LG G5's camera capabilities include two cameras on its rear, one with a standard 78-degree lens and the other with a 135-degree lens, which allows users to capture images 1.7 times wider than any other smartphone on the market. It also boasts an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter for video calling and selfies. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and ships with a 2,800 mAh removable battery.

LG introduced a new modular type design for the G5 that allows users to swap out its battery and add hardware accessories by simply sliding out the bottom of the smartphone. LG has introduced a digital camera add-on that also adds an extra 1,200 mAh battery and Hi-Fi player that rocks B&O Play for enhanced sound.

All four major U.S. carriers have officially announced they will offer their customers the LG G5.

Verizon will offer the LG G5 in choice of Silver and Titan and has created a registration page where interested customers can sign up to receive information on the smartphone. The carrier hasn't specified an exact release date and notes the LG G5 will be available this spring with select device modules and accessories.

AT&T announced it would offer the LG G5 and its accessories and has created a page where it will provide information on pricing and release date in the coming weeks. The carrier will offer the LG G5 in choice of Silver, Titan, Gold, and Pink.

T-Mobile has confirmed it will be bringing the LG G5 to its network but hasn't provided any details on pricing, availability, color options beyond a link to LG's official G5 page.

Sprint issued a statement confirming it will offer its customers the LG G5. The carrier has created an LG G5 preview page where it will provide pricing and release date information in the coming weeks. The carrier will offer the LG G5 in choice of Silver, Titan, Gold, and Pink.

We'll be sure to update you on any new LG G5 details as they become available.

The G5 itself runs the house and is central to this crazy ecosystem, which is only in its infancy. The phone’s body is made of metal — a first for LG’s G Series — but it’s not a heavy metal, nor is it course or heavily textured. It’s very smooth to the touch with an understated finish. We’ve seen metal phones many times before, but the G5’s beauty comes from covering up something we’re all too familiar with: those plastic antenna bands. It used a process called micro-dizing, which hides the bands from view without disrupting reception. We wanted more details on how it works, but LG wouldn’t reveal its secrets, saying only that it has taken years to get right. The result is an uncluttered look that’s very striking, to the point where it’s hard to believe the G5’s made of metal, because we’re so used to seeing those antenna breaks running across the body.

The phone’s body is made of metal, but has no visible seams or cellular antenna bands — a first for a metal device.

The lack of seams softens the phone’s look, something accentuated by the many curves all over the G5. Curvy corners blend into rounded edges, while the body gently rises around the camera lens and fingerprint sensor, a design that’s more preferable and less jarring than the sharp angles seen on the Galaxy S6 Edge. The top of the screen turns down toward the body, in an exaggerated 2.5D screen effect, and if you look at it front-on there’s a hint of an angled G Flex 2-style curve to the G5’s body itself. It’s not showy, but mature and considered. I really like it.
LG- G5
Jeffrey Van Camp/Digital Trends

LG has reduced the screen size to 5.3 inches over the 5.5-inch G4 and kept the resolution at 1440p, but raised the brightness to 900 nits, promising excellent visibility even in challenging conditions like a sunny beach. A Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB of RAM powers the phone, there’s 32GB of storage space, a MicroSD card slot, and a 2,800mAh battery. That’s smaller than the G4, and it has the extra pressure of keeping the new always-on screen alive. LG’s done its best to minimize the impact this has on the battery by putting the display IC (integrated circuit) in charge rather than the Snapdragon chip, resulting in power drain between 0.3 and 0.8 percent per hour over a 24-hour period. This is what they told us, anyway. However, this pull is less than the amount needed to wake up the phone entirely to check the time and notifications, so everything may work out in the long run.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow is installed on the G5, but the company has taken the controversial decision to remove the familiar Android app drawer from its user interface. Huawei and ZTE have done this for a while, and LG says it’s in the name of simplicity. In reality, it doesn’t make a huge difference, and newcomers converting over from the iPhone will probably find this easier — but it’s going to annoy Android purists.

The G5’s performance was strong during our hands-on time, with apps responding instantly and no sign of any excess heat from the processor.
Dual camera lenses

No, the dual-camera lenses on the G5 aren’t for stereoscopic 3D images, they’re for taking really wide-angle shots that look amazing. The G5’s field of vision is 135 degrees, which is 15 degrees more than the human eye manages and way beyond the standard 75 degrees provided by most phone cams. The difference is dramatic, making it possible to get a complete shot of a room, landmark, or view without the need to use a panoramic mode.

The second lens takes standard angle shots, and there’s a fun mode where the two lenses take a photo at the same time, producing a weird effect with a tight central shot surrounded by a wide-angle picture. Also, and for the first time, LG’s added in filters. There are nine in total, all inspired by film-based looks, and they can be applied in real-time to stills and video. Taking pictures with the G4 (and the G3) was always a joy, and there’s no reason this will change on the G5. The wide-angle shots are genuinely startling, the difference instantly noticeable when compared to a competing phone. Combine this with the G5’s already superb camera ability, and we expect it to be another hard act to beat in 2016.
LG- G5
Jeffrey Van Camp/Digital Trends

Here’s where we get to the G5’s Friends, because adding the new Cam Plus module will be the next step for the keen mobile photographer. Slot it in and your hand wraps around a large grip that houses a battery extender pack, which adds an additional 15-percent capacity, plus a two-stage shutter button, video record button, and zoom wheel, all placed within reach of your right hand. The zoom feature is a hybrid, mashing both digital and optical zooms into one. It certainly caught and maintained focus quickly, and the zoom wheel feels natural, but there was still a drop in image quality when zoomed in.

The other new module isn’t photography orientated, but one for audiophiles. The Hi-Fi Plus module is almost a direct replacement for the bottom part of the G5, adding barely any size or weight, and giving the G5 a 24-bit DAC co-designed and tuned by Bang & Olufsen. Oddly, attaching this module does add another headphone socket to the G5. The socket on top of the phone uses LG’s 24-bit DAC, while the Hi-Fi Plus module’s socket sends out B&O’s audio. Weird.
Pop, snap, clip

Forget all those years of treating gadgets carefully, and thinking that a gentle touch produces better results than wildly pushing away at screens and buttons. The G5’s Friends need to be treated with a bit of roughness. Press the button on the side to pop open the magic slot (not its official name, by the way), and then pull the long battery and base plate free.

Once its out of the phone, the battery has to be detached from the base plate and reattached to a new module. This requires a firm snap, and the first few times you do it, it’s scary: The amount of force needed goes against the way we’ve been conditioned to treat these expensive gadgets. Battery attached, the module is slid back into the G5. Because the battery has been removed, the phone’s now turned off, so you’ll have to turn it back on. Although the volume buttons have been shifted to the G5’s edge, the power button is still on the rear under the fingerprint sensor. A compromise, but vaguely in keeping with the three-year LG tradition of putting buttons on the back of the phone.

All this popping, snapping, clipping, and sliding is fun the first few times, but we can see it becoming a chore the more modules you have at your disposal, and the more times you do it. LG’s opening up the API for third-party developers, so more modules could be made, adding even more features to the G5. After all, that’s what modular phones are all about. Whether LG can attract new friends to make new Friends is the big unanswered question.

Sliding out components, unclipping bits, and exposing the innards of a phone to the elements while you do so raises the question of durability. There’s no reason to expect all the securing clips to degrade or get loose, but it’s not a worry I’ve missed since sealed smartphones became commonplace. There’s also the potential for dropping or losing bits while out and about, and if the phone takes a tumble without the base plate fitted, we don’t hold out much hope for the bottom of the screen.

Not everyone is going to like all this chopping and changing. It’s the way modular phones must work, however, so if you want the flexibility, you’ll have to get used to it. LG’s putting the G5 and selected accessories on sale in April.

That’s normally where we’d end our hands-on, but LG’s not finished yet.
First steps into VR

LG wants to make cool tech more accessible to regular people, and the company has come up with the 360 VR headset and GoPro-alike 360 Cam, which along with the other modules are controlled through an LG Friends Manager app that come pre-installed on the G5. Everything syncs up using a proprietary system that means no messing about with complex setup, no passwords, Bluetooth pairing, or third-party app downloads. If you own a G5, it’ll all just work.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/lg-g5-news/#/1-18

[robbys3m3]

thanks for posting this..ive been thinking I would go to the S7 (plus or edge), but I really like removable battery...thanks!

[IndotagSwizz]

Originally Posted by robbys3m3

thanks for posting this..ive been thinking I would go to the S7 (plus or edge), but I really like removable battery...thanks!

what's the point of the removable battery?

[robbys3m3]

Originally Posted by IndotagSwizz

what's the point of the removable battery?

for me with working conferences and work travel, its just convenience. I keep an extra battery around and swap it in as sometime I cant leave the phone for charging, or sometime don't have the option to anyways at a booth.

[TXSTYLE]

Originally Posted by robbys3m3

thanks for posting this..ive been thinking I would go to the S7 (plus or edge), but I really like removable battery...thanks!

Absolutely! One of my favorite features of LG and any smart phone.

[TXSTYLE]

Originally Posted by IndotagSwizz

what's the point of the removable battery?

Here are the main reasons why you should get a phone with a removable battery.



If your phone is frozen.

A lot can be said about the advantages of modern day cell phones, but due to the complexity of the way they work they sometimes freezes. No matter what you do it simply won’t respond. The fastest and easiest fix for this problem is to remove the battery for a second. This way ,when you reenter the battery and boot your phone again it will most likely work like a charm again. If it does not you will most likely have to buy a new phone or have it sent to a service center.

Water damage.

The first thing you should do if your phone gets wet is to remove the battery. This way you will minimize the chances of your phone being ruined forever. If you can get the battery out before something shorts out you will be on the right track towards saving your phone. The next thing you should so is to put it in a bowl of dry rice for a few days. Through the miracle of osmosis, the rice will “pull” the water out of your phone.

Batteries deteriorates.

As your battery charges it slowly deteriorates. After a year or two your battery will most likely have lost much of it’s ability to retain that all important battery juice. If you got a phone with a replaceable battery you could simply buy a new one and replace it quite simply. If your battery is unreachable you will likely have to pay someone a lot of money to have it replaced or even more expensive option, buy a new phone.

Emergency battery

Lots of phones has power saving features built into their system. Some phones can actually last for weeks using these features. But it’s going to limit the way you interact with your phone. Most times these power saving modes will have you going without Wi-Fi and lots of other goodies we have come to take for granted. To prevent this from happening you could rather get a spare battery to get you through the day. Having a spare battery on a phone that has a non removable battery is … well useless.

Untraceable.

Supposed you would like to get of the grid for whatever reason, and you would like to bring your phone with your. Remove the battery. This way your phone will stop transmitting, due to the lack of power.

[IndotagSwizz]

Originally Posted by TXSTYLE

Here are the main reasons why you should get a phone with a removable battery.



If your phone is frozen.

A lot can be said about the advantages of modern day cell phones, but due to the complexity of the way they work they sometimes freezes. No matter what you do it simply won’t respond. The fastest and easiest fix for this problem is to remove the battery for a second. This way ,when you reenter the battery and boot your phone again it will most likely work like a charm again. If it does not you will most likely have to buy a new phone or have it sent to a service center.

Water damage.

The first thing you should do if your phone gets wet is to remove the battery. This way you will minimize the chances of your phone being ruined forever. If you can get the battery out before something shorts out you will be on the right track towards saving your phone. The next thing you should so is to put it in a bowl of dry rice for a few days. Through the miracle of osmosis, the rice will “pull” the water out of your phone.

Batteries deteriorates.

As your battery charges it slowly deteriorates. After a year or two your battery will most likely have lost much of it’s ability to retain that all important battery juice. If you got a phone with a replaceable battery you could simply buy a new one and replace it quite simply. If your battery is unreachable you will likely have to pay someone a lot of money to have it replaced or even more expensive option, buy a new phone.

Emergency battery

Lots of phones has power saving features built into their system. Some phones can actually last for weeks using these features. But it’s going to limit the way you interact with your phone. Most times these power saving modes will have you going without Wi-Fi and lots of other goodies we have come to take for granted. To prevent this from happening you could rather get a spare battery to get you through the day. Having a spare battery on a phone that has a non removable battery is … well useless.

Untraceable.

Supposed you would like to get of the grid for whatever reason, and you would like to bring your phone with your. Remove the battery. This way your phone will stop transmitting, due to the lack of power.

what kind of crappy phones have owned lol if my phones freezes which happened maybe twice I turn in off and on no need to remove the battery,

water?? we are not in 2010, insurances now cover water damage, same goes for the battery shorting out

now bringing a fully charged battery instead of just a charger of course its better but don't forget that you had to charge that extra battery every night and that includes plugging it in to a charger lol, only real advantage is if there's no outlet, in that case I see why

[-BEASTMW-]

Originally Posted by TXSTYLE

Here are the main reasons why you should get a phone with a removable battery.



If your phone is frozen.

A lot can be said about the advantages of modern day cell phones, but due to the complexity of the way they work they sometimes freezes. No matter what you do it simply won’t respond. The fastest and easiest fix for this problem is to remove the battery for a second. This way ,when you reenter the battery and boot your phone again it will most likely work like a charm again. If it does not you will most likely have to buy a new phone or have it sent to a service center.

Water damage.

The first thing you should do if your phone gets wet is to remove the battery. This way you will minimize the chances of your phone being ruined forever. If you can get the battery out before something shorts out you will be on the right track towards saving your phone. The next thing you should so is to put it in a bowl of dry rice for a few days. Through the miracle of osmosis, the rice will “pull” the water out of your phone.

Batteries deteriorates.

As your battery charges it slowly deteriorates. After a year or two your battery will most likely have lost much of it’s ability to retain that all important battery juice. If you got a phone with a replaceable battery you could simply buy a new one and replace it quite simply. If your battery is unreachable you will likely have to pay someone a lot of money to have it replaced or even more expensive option, buy a new phone.

Emergency battery

Lots of phones has power saving features built into their system. Some phones can actually last for weeks using these features. But it’s going to limit the way you interact with your phone. Most times these power saving modes will have you going without Wi-Fi and lots of other goodies we have come to take for granted. To prevent this from happening you could rather get a spare battery to get you through the day. Having a spare battery on a phone that has a non removable battery is … well useless.

Untraceable.

Supposed you would like to get of the grid for whatever reason, and you would like to bring your phone with your. Remove the battery. This way your phone will stop transmitting, due to the lack of power.

I have specifically only bought phones with replaceable batteries for many of these reasons (though I do have an iPhone for work). When my wife's year-old iPhone runs out of charge while we're on the plane, I simply laugh and toss a new $6 battery into mine and I'm back at 100%, like it never happened. No stress, no restriction.

The best camera, sharpest screen, coolest apps... none of this matters if your phone doesn't have power!! IMO it is stupid to design a non-replaceable battery when everyone knows battery performance only gets worse over time.

Originally Posted by IndotagSwizz

water?? we are not in 2010, insurances now cover water damage, same goes for the battery shorting out

now bringing a fully charged battery instead of just a charger of course its better but don't forget that you had to charge that extra battery every night and that includes plugging it in to a charger lol, only real advantage is if there's no outlet, in that case I see why

I don't buy insurance, because when I did for a short while and had to use it, they made me pay the same in deductible as my contract-price phone cost anyway (in addition to the monthly payment) and they didn't even have the same phone anymore since it was no longer being made, so they would have replaced it with a refurb or a completely different model that I didn't want. At that point I could have just bought one off Amazon or eBay off-contract without paying much more, and without paying monthly for insurance that I may or may not use.

Regarding the extra battery, you don't have to charge it every night if it's not used. In my case, I bought two batteries and a charger for a Galaxy S5 for under $20 from Amazon. Charge them once, throw them in my work or travel bag. You can keep them there for a month or two and they barely lose any charge. I effectively have 300% battery life this way, and I can also swap batteries if/when one of them starts to degrade noticeably.

Another benefit is since the batteries have their own separate charger, once you're back at home or your hotel, you can charge the extra batteries while using your phone, out and about, etc. It's just so much more convenient.

[ksa]

I commend LG for trying something different but even though I haven't seen this phone in person yet it looks butt ugly from the pictures. I don't see much benefit for me to swap camera, stereo etc as I don't do either of those things THAT much. The S7 Edge looks super good though. That being said I just picked up a Note 5 the other day and pretty happy with it. Before that I had the Blackberry Priv and quite liked that one too.

[BayMoWe335]

Will be a niche phone just like every other non Samsung and Apple. Nothing compelling enough to have to deal with LG.

[ASAP]

So, I like Iphones... and the only thing that I ever ask for from it, is more battery. The phone doesnt need anything else.... oh and green text bubbles are for poor people

[M3 Number 86]

that's pretty nice. I bought the S6 edge when it first came out and the graphics and camera were top notch. It was a little big for me to use one handed and as a person who lies down in bed to watch videos, I kept touching the edge surface. I got the iphone6s because it was smaller and easier to use - strictly for that only lol.

Every time I take photos though, they look like absolute utter bullshit in my eyes since I've seen other phones' capabilities.

[EL Jeffe 5]

As long as Apple is making IPhone I will never buy different phone.

[TXSTYLE]

I am really digging the "expandable tech" that LG and Samsung are bringing to the table:

LG G5 accessories: LG Friends

The big play with the G5 is in the domain of accessories. Using that removable bottom section, you'll be able to change the skill set of your phone by swapping modules.

There's the LG Cam Pro which is designed to enhance the camera experience. You simply remove the bottom of the phone and put the Cam Pro module in its place and you have a range of additional features. Firstly it expands the battery to 4000mAh for all-day shooting, but it also adds buttons and a better grip, for a more natural camera experience.

The LG Hi-Fi Pro is a module developed in partnership with Bang & Olufsen Play, offering a 32-bit DAC and amp, designed to give you an audiophile experience from your handset. Again, you simply swap the bottom module of the phone for the Hi-Fi Pro module and you'll be ready for better quality audio.

There are also external accessories. The LG 360 Cam is a 360 camera, using dual 13-megapixel cameras back to back. This wirelessly connects to the G5 so you can preview, save and share your 360-degree world. It captures both video and stills, perfect for making your own VR content and it is fully compatible with YouTube 360 video and Google Street View.

Talking of Virtual Reality, there's also the LG 360 VR headset. This VR headset takes the form of glasses that you wear, connected to your phone via USB. It contains a display for each eye, offering 960 x 720 pixels each. For audio you can connect a set of headphones to the VR headset. It works with Google Cardboard and YouTube 360 video content, as well as LG offering its own hub within the headset.

Finally, LG has announced the LG Rolling Bot. This cute ball carries a camera, speaker and mic and connects to your home Wi-Fi network. You can control it using your G5, driving around your house. It also contains a laser pointer, designed to entertain your cat or dog.

[larryn]

Not into the gimicky add-ons. Totally reminds me of the Handsping Visor, and the subsequent visorphone. I had that, back in the day, along with the springboard modules (add-ons).

The rest of the phone looks really nice though. Great specs, but wish it had more than 2600mAh battery. The S7 has 3000, and the edge even more.

Both looks like great phones, but I'm a purist and only get Nexus phones.

[pikkagtr]

Originally Posted by EL Jeffe 5

As long as Apple is making IPhone I will never buy different phone.

All I hear is bah bah bah
Sheeple

[eluded]

I really need some Kool-Aid

[jtodd_fl]

I, for one, am just glad that the non-Apple thing is not totally dogmatic. Like, if those people said things like "I only get Android ever", they would lose all credibility. I would have to mock them for being Sheeple? Whew - hypocrisy crisis averted.

[fcman]

I have the G3 and was really getting sick of it. The software has been giving me trouble. But this G5 looks good, especially interested in the DAC attachment. My phone is pretty much paid off at this point.... Hmmm

[TXSTYLE]

Just arrived Today!

Ordered a new phone for the Mrs. too on the right.




And the case for my G5 which includes a metal kickstand for video watching.

[ksa]

I hope your device is good cause apparently LG has messed up the launch with tons of shitty hardware issues etc.

[TXSTYLE]

Originally Posted by ksa

I hope your device is good cause apparently LG has messed up the launch with tons of shitty hardware issues etc.

We shall see....

My current G3 has been "rock solid" since I got it on it's launch week nearly 2yrs ago. Not to mention all of the other LG products I have ever owned.