LG has tried something a piddling fleck different with the G5. While its predecessor was a decent handset with a solid drove of features, information technology didn't sell every bit well as LG was hoping due to strong competition from Samsung and Apple. And so instead of just iterating, LG has completely redesigned their flagship smartphone to include revolutionary new ideas in an attempt to capture the eyes of buyers. It's a bold move by LG, and in this case I'm not sure information technology was the right one.

And so what are these new ideas LG has brought to the G5? The biggest and about obvious 1 is the modular design, which sees the battery slide out the bottom of the handset attached to a swappable module. This gives LG the ability to sell additional modules that pack in other features, and it makes the G5 the most flexible handset on sale today.

LG has too given the G5 an all new design that finally includes actual metal. The camera system has seen an upgrade every bit well, with the rear module at present packing 2 cameras, one for normal shots, and ane with a wide angle lens. And of form internally LG has used Qualcomm'southward new and extremely powerful Snapdragon 820 SoC.

There'south been a lot of criticism in the media about the G5'due south metal blueprint, and some of it is definitely valid. Rather than delivering a truly metal body, LG has coated the metal frame with plastic, which is an odd and deceptive motion. LG conspicuously advertises the G5 as a metal smartphone, and while that'due south technically true, the plastic coating hides the pleasing texture and sheen of the metal frame, giving the G5 and expect and experience that doesn't match truthful metal handsets.

I find it strange that LG would bother to coat the metal with plastic considering it reduces the visual entreatment of the G5. Surely the handset would await ameliorate if the metal was exposed, and at the same time, LG wouldn't accept to face up criticisms about their use of plastic. The only reason I tin remember of that explains the plastic is that LG figured it would exist more than durable and scratch resistant: a valid concern, although in the metallic phones I've used previously I never had any bug with durability.

With the complaints of plastic oft dominating discussion of the G5's design, the 1 crucial thing that has been overlooked is the ergonomics of this handset. LG has washed a fantastic chore making this telephone fit well in the hands of users through subtle sculpting and curving of the edges. The corners take also been rounded to perfection so that the bottom edge doesn't dig into your hands, which can be an issue with other devices.

The G5 doesn't autumn into the trap of being slippery or difficult to grip, which is a big upshot with the G5's master competitor, the Samsung Galaxy S7. The plastic-coated metallic helps in this regard, whereas the glass on the back of the S7 is a slippery fingerprint magnet. Sure, the Galaxy S7 looks nicer and uses a better array of materials, only the LG G5 is easier to hold and less fragile.

The front panel of the G5 is one of my favorite aspects of the device because information technology avoids existence a bland blackness slab of glass and display. There is nonetheless a big 5.3-inch display protected past smooth glass, merely I actually capeesh the way LG has curved the glass to each side, and particularly at the summit of the handset. This subtle bend along the elevation bezel is an interesting and bonny design element, while the metallic surface area below the brandish adds a much needed accent to the body.

The back has 2 slightly raised areas: one for the wide dual camera module, and the other for the fingerprint sensor. Equally expected, the fingerprint sensor is extremely fast and authentic, making it a speedy and secure way to unlock your handset. I'm likewise a fan of the positioning of the sensor on the rear of the device: it's more convenient than having the sensor below the display in about cases.

On the flip side I'k not a fan of how the fingerprint sensor doubles as a power push. Information technology may be easy to hit the fingerprint sensor when initially picking up the handset, but after use my finger doesn't residual virtually the push. This ways that when I demand to power off the display, I take to adjust my finger, whereas a side ability button requires minimal finger movement to activate. While this is a modest annoyance, it'southward something that could exist improved to strengthen the overall experience.

Around the edges of the G5 is a 3.5mm headphone jack and IR blaster on the top, and a volume rocker on the left. On the correct is a large tray for inserting nano-SIM and microSD card slot. The USB-C port and unmarried loudspeaker can be found on the lesser edge. I'm a huge fan of USB-C on smartphones and information technology's great to see it here on the G5, just I don't similar the unmarried speaker that's easily blocked. The best phones on the market have stereo front facing speakers, and then the G5 is a disappointment in this regard.

The G5 is slim, at 7.7mm, though its weight of 159 grams is nix to get excited about. If annihilation, the G5 could perhaps be a little thicker to add together in a larger bombardment and remove the slight bumps for some elements on the rear panel.

This brings me to the G5's modular slot, which can exist ejected past a small button on the left edge. LG has washed a proficient job to minimize the affect of the seam created from the removable lesser section, and the bottom department itself is compact enough not to cause complaints. Some users will no incertitude enjoy the ability to hot swap batteries on the go, and even though the G5 has moving parts due to the modular slot, the entire build feels very sturdy.

However, I don't think the concept of the modular slot enhances the G5 feel. The entire removable bombardment associates has left the G5 with a smaller than average battery: ii,800 mAh compared to 3,000 mAh in the more than compact Galaxy S7. This impacts the vast bulk of consumers who accept no involvement in hot swapping batteries. I also generally believe that external battery packs are a more versatile way to keep your battery charged on the go.

The advantage the G5's modular slot has over a regular removable bombardment is the ability to add in other modules, but LG's range of modules is very uninspiring. The high-stop audio DAC could have been integrated into the phone itself, making the removable unit mostly redundant. And the camera grip feels cheap and doesn't really enhance the camera experience in whatever meaning way. It does include a pocket-size extra bombardment, but I can't see anyone leaving the bulky unit attached to their G5 for any extended period of fourth dimension.

The modular slot would be a compelling feature of the G5 had LG bothered to create really decent addition modules. There'due south still a chance we'll see clever uses of the modular slot in the future, only for the moment the feature is a dud.