LG will this week roll out their new G5 smartphone, in an attempt to claw market, share away from several brands, competing in the Android market.
While the L G4 got rave reviews and was seen as good as the leading Android smartphones out there, it was not a big seller for the simple reason that it was very late being launched and it suffered from poor PR and ongoing marketing.
The G5 is LG’s answer to Samsung’s Galaxy S7 minus the marketing hype.
I have always been a fan of LG smartphones, because the software is excellent and the G5 lives up to the standards set by LG engineers.
As for the new G5, It’s a nifty this goes with that modular system smartphone that lets users add new functionalities to the phone using add-ons called “Friends”.
Carriers and retailers are still working out how to range the G5 and the modular add on together.
The phone is set to be carried by every network along with key LG retail partners JB Hi Fi and Harvey Norman.
As of Friday LG Australia was still waiting on the latest software updates, however I did manage to lay my hands on a version of the G5 from a carrier who got hold of a version for certification.
I am also in New York this week for an Acer launch and I have arranged to get my hands on a US model of the G5.
Unlike the premium brands of the world who tend to evolve to the next design or functionality, something that Samsung has latched onto, LG has a penchant for bring out brand new gimmicks attached to the device.
With the G3 it was the button on the back which was a very good idea, then we had the leather cover on the G4, mine was scuffing at the edges with weeks of using the cover which while it looked good did not stand the test of time.
LG are desperate to create a point of difference, a product that the Korean Company hopes will appeal to millions.
The new G5 has the specs you’d expect from a 2016 flagship, yes, but is this enough. The answer is no because the LG brand lacks the brand street cred that Samsung and Apple have spent millions of dollars building around their brand.
What LG is banking on is a fancy new ‘modular’ system of accessories that expand the G5’s functionality, while it’s interesting, different it’s going to be dam hard to communicate the benefits let alone convince consumers that they actually need the this goes with that gadgets.
One thing that Samsung has delivered with the S7 is a smartphone which is an evolution of their G6 that feels really good in the hand. The G5, and I have to get a model in my hand for a period of time is not in the same league as it still feels like any other bog standard Android smartphone, which is a problem that I suspect HTC is going to have with their 10 offering.
The G5 has what LG is describing as a “microdised” metal body, removable battery, modular system, and a rear fingerprint sensor.
Weighing in at 159 grams the device is very clean looking, the rounded corners, slightly curved sides and fairly compact size make it easy to hold but it is not an S7 which is getting rave reviews.
There is single volume clicker and SIM-tray present on either side. LG has ditched the volume keys on the back, though they have kept the lock switch in the slightly unorthodox position just below the camera sensors.
The standby switch now also houses a fingerprint scanner, a must for any 2016 flagship. This is the first phone from LG to use a fingerprint scanner and it does a really good job.
It’s fast, accurate and you don’t even have to press down to unlock the phone. Just glide your digit across and it’ll bypass the lock-screen completely.
The LG G5’s modular system is its stand out feature.
Now, this isn’t quite on Google Project Ara levels of customisability so you won’t be switching out the RAM or CPU, but it’s clever and unique nevertheless.
It works like this; along the side there’s an almost indistinguishable button set just about flush to the body. Press this in with the tip of your nail and the bottom chin pops out, you can now pull it off and out comes the battery.
The battery comes off the bottom unit, though it does feel like you’re breaking the entire thing, and then you can attach it to other modules, or ‘Friends’ as LG calls them. At launch, there will be two available and neither are going to sell the phone by themselves.
The camera grip adds a touch more battery, a separate shutter button for both photos and video and a jog dial for zoom. The second module is a DAC powered by some B&O tech. The DAC gives you 32-bit audio and an extra headphone jack.
The new HTC 10 has 24-bit audio, but what is baffling is where is the 32bit audio going to come from as most music has been mastered in 24 bit.
The G5 has a 5.3-inch, IPS LCD, quad-HD display with always-on mode and like all past LG smartphones the screen is an utter standout, sharp, clear and bucket loads of colour.
LG was one of the first manufacturers to really bring quad-HD, 2560×1440 panels to the mainstream, for example, and since the G3 it has gone from strength to strength.
The G5 ships with Android 6.0, and benefits from many of its enhancements such as Google’s Now on Tap, native fingerprint recognition, on demand app permissions, and improved power management.
The Camera app, the best custom application found on the phone, provides many different modes to take advantage of all three of the G5’s cameras. The LG G5 is 4K-capable and contains low-level manual options for control beyond what you’d get on most stock camera apps. We’ll discuss the camera more in depth later.
Smart settings is LG’s location/contextually-aware feature that will automatically perform functions, such as change sound profiles and Wi-Fi connectivity, based on location or contextual situations. In a nutshell, it’s a way to automate things like ringtone volume based on where you are.
Multitasking
Like the Galaxy S7, LG lets users enjoy side-by-side multitasking, although it takes a more limited approach. LG calls its multitasking QSlide, and it’s buried deep within several menus in the settings app. It’s obvious from its location in the Settings that LG isn’t putting much stock into QSlide, and that seems warranted given its limitations.
QuickRemote
The G5’s QuickRemote app utilizes the IR blaster on the top of the phone. QuickRemote turns your smartphone into a remote that can be used to control all sorts of components. If you have lots of electronics that still use infrared remotes – receivers, TVs, AC units, and projectors – then this is a handy feature to have especially if you are in a pub and the are showing the wrong football code, all you have to do is dial up the code of the TV the football is being shown on. RF connect and wella, you can easily change the channel.
Specifications
5.3-inch IPS QHD screen, Snapdragon 820 processor & 4GB RAM, 32GB on-board storage and microSD slot, 2,800mAh battery, USB Type-C v3.0 port, Fingerprint sensor, 16MP rear camera & 8MP front camera.
It also has an additional 8MP wide-angle rear camera as well as LG UX 5.0 on Android Marshmallow OS.
Conclusion
If you are an existing LG smartphone customer you are going to love this device.
If you are looking to switch from an iPhone or another Android brand you are not going to go wrong switching to an LG smartphone, the simple acid test is to ignore all the big budget brand marketing out there for the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy smartphones or the new Huawei models and ask yourself. ‘Does the LG device tick all the boxes” that you need in a smartphone. If so buy it because you will not be let down.
