LG Once Bitten Twice Shy Says No More Modular Smartphones Like The Poorly Received G5
It is likely that LG's next generation G series phone, currently expected to be branded the LG G6, will ditch modular accessories. The LG G5 did not sell as well as anticipated, and some theorize its under-performance was due to the unpopular modular accessories and possibly the modular design itself.
Korean website ETNews noted that some LG executives want to offer a phone that “reflects the demands of their customers” and will therefore maintain a traditional phone design. Rumor has it, however, that there are other executives who feel that they are prematurely abandoning modules. LG has yet to officially confirm any of this speculation.
LG's G5 modules appparently were quite unpopular. Many owners complained the “Friends” modules were difficult to attach and remove. Some also contended that the modules were poorly designed and offered a subpar experience.
HotHardware also reviewed the LG G5, and we were not particular fans of the modular accessories either. We agreed with many owners that the module swapping process was cumbersome. The operation took at least a minute and required a complete power-down - a far cry from Motorola's excellent execution of the Moto Z family with Moto Mods.
We were able to personally test the LG CAM Plus module and were unimpressed. The module incorporates a shutter button, video recording button, zoom dial, 1,200 mAh of extra battery, a power switch, and a small area of grip. The “grip” actually made it more difficult to hold the phone and required two hands. The shutter button and zoom dial were imprecise at best and occasionally unresponsive. The LG CAM Plus also had a few connectivity issues with the LG G5 and they frequently needed to be reconnected.
Perhaps the LG G5 would have been a better phone if LG had focused on the core phone experience and scrapped the module altogether. We did not find the LG G5 to be a complete failure per se, however, other phones on the market performed similar tasks with better performance.
Will you miss the LG modules? Let us know below.
Korean website ETNews noted that some LG executives want to offer a phone that “reflects the demands of their customers” and will therefore maintain a traditional phone design. Rumor has it, however, that there are other executives who feel that they are prematurely abandoning modules. LG has yet to officially confirm any of this speculation.
LG's G5 modules appparently were quite unpopular. Many owners complained the “Friends” modules were difficult to attach and remove. Some also contended that the modules were poorly designed and offered a subpar experience.
HotHardware also reviewed the LG G5, and we were not particular fans of the modular accessories either. We agreed with many owners that the module swapping process was cumbersome. The operation took at least a minute and required a complete power-down - a far cry from Motorola's excellent execution of the Moto Z family with Moto Mods.
We were able to personally test the LG CAM Plus module and were unimpressed. The module incorporates a shutter button, video recording button, zoom dial, 1,200 mAh of extra battery, a power switch, and a small area of grip. The “grip” actually made it more difficult to hold the phone and required two hands. The shutter button and zoom dial were imprecise at best and occasionally unresponsive. The LG CAM Plus also had a few connectivity issues with the LG G5 and they frequently needed to be reconnected.
Perhaps the LG G5 would have been a better phone if LG had focused on the core phone experience and scrapped the module altogether. We did not find the LG G5 to be a complete failure per se, however, other phones on the market performed similar tasks with better performance.
Will you miss the LG modules? Let us know below.
