The LG G5 has just been unveiled at MWC in
Barcelona. There's no word yet on pricing but Best Buy has a landing
site that shows a pre-order date of March 18.
LG G5 design and build quality
The LG G4 was one of the few 2015 flagships not to
feature a metal unibody design – instead, LG opted for a removable
plastic or leather back. The manufacturer has decided to switch the G5
design to more premium materials: metal and Gorilla Glass 4.
At 5.3 inches, the LG G5 display is 0.2 inches
smaller than the G4's, but since it offers the same QHD resolution
(2,560 x 1,440), its pixel density is greater. The difference this makes
in quality is negligible, however,The G5 makes use of an interesting feature called Always On
Thanks to DCI (Digital Camera Initiatives), colors on
the IPS LCD screen appear natural, and the display itself is
particularly bright. The viewing angles are also excellent, even in the
artificial light of the MWC stand.
The G5 has bowed to market demands with the inclusion
of a fingerprint scanner, which, in addition to unlocking the
smartphone, allows you to launch the camera, answer incoming calls and
silence alarms.
The G4 ran Android Lollipop when it was released, so it's no surprise to discover that the LG G5 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow,
with LG's own UX 5.1 user interface pasted over it. This brings the
return of Material Design, along with a number of new features to
improve user experience, including Doze, enhanced app permissions and
Google Now on Tap.The app drawer has been removed, perhaps lending credence to the rumor that Google plans to drop it from Android N
Dual-window mode has been dropped from UX 5.0, and the
app drawer has also been removed, perhaps lending credence the rumor
that Google plans to drop it from Android N.
Under its metal body, the G5 houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
octa-core processor, supported by 4 GB of RAM and 32 of internal
storage. The Snapdragon 820 was announced as a highly optimized
processor, leaving behind the overheating problems that have plagued the
Snapdragon 810.
It was likely this overheating problem that
encouraged LG to equip the G4 with the hexa-core Snapdragon 808, which
still managed optimal performance. With the G5, we can expect very good
performance and a strong handling of everything from multitasking to
hardware-intensive games.
The LG G4 offers one of the best cameras on Android and the G5 camera isn't likely to fall behind, featuring a 16 MP rear camera with a dual LED flash and autofocus laser.
Although
the MP count remains the same as on the G4, the G5 promises to offer
superior image quality thanks to an additional 8 MP wide-angle camera
that provides a 135-degree field of view. We've not been able to test it
yet, but we will do in our full LG G5 review.
The G5 has a removable 2,800 mAh battery. It's 200
mAh smaller than its predecessor but Marshmallow’s Doze feature should
mean that battery management is more keenly optimized. The LG G5 also
provides two energy-saving modes within its settings menu, allowing you
to conserve battery life effectively.
The G5 undoubtedly shows LG's commitment
to giving its users a carefully considered smartphone that they can
enjoy for its premium looks and useful features. The LG G5 is well-designed, visually appealing and apparently robust.
Its technical specifications are promising and, in combination
with Android Marshmallow and LG's user interface, should meet the needs
of customers who want a smooth user experience – not just in terms of
apps and navigation, but also when taking photos or playing
graphic-intensive games.
The question of whether the battery can cut it looms large, however, especially considering the Always On display.
The LG G5 is well-designed, visually appealing and apparently robust.
Its technical specifications are promising and, in combination
with Android Marshmallow and LG's user interface, should meet the needs
of customers who want a smooth user experience – not just in terms of
apps and navigation, but also when taking photos or playing
graphic-intensive games.
The LG G5 is well-designed, visually appealing and apparently robust.
Its technical specifications are promising and, in combination
with Android Marshmallow and LG's user interface, should meet the needs
of customers who want a smooth user experience – not just in terms of
apps and navigation, but also when taking photos or playing
graphic-intensive games.
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