LG G5 Flagship Delivers 5.3-inch QHD Display, Snapdragon 820 Power And Modular ‘Magic Slot’ Expansion
The aluminum unibody G5 brings with it a 5.3-inch QHD display with an Always One mode. And like most new Android flagships that will be unveiled this year, it is powered by a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor that it paired with a generous 4GB of RAM. 32GB of internal storage is standard, and you’ll find a microSD slot that accommodates cards up to 2TB. On the rear of the device you’ll find a fingerprint scanner and two cameras (a standard 16MP unit and a 135-degree wide angle 8MP shooter), while the front of the G5 is graced with an 8MP camera and an Iris scanner. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a ticker display for notifications, USB-C connectivity, and a removable 2800mAh battery.
But that’s all rather routine stuff; what’s truly innovative about the G5 is its Magic Slot, which brings a new modular twist to the Android platform. Google is venturing off on an ambitious, fully modular smartphone platform with Project Ara, but LG has taken a more measured approach with Magic Slot, and we must say that we’re quite impressed.
For starters, you’ll have to press a “key” on the side of the G5 to pop out its bottom section -- this will also allow you to remove the battery. Then you can proceed to attach new modules, like the LG Cam Plus. The LG Cam Plus adds a camera grip to your G5 along with a dedicated camera button and a jog wheel for zooming. The module even ups the convenience factor by boosting the battery capacity from 2800mAh to 4000mAh.
LG G5 CamPlus Module
The second module is the LG Hi-Fi Plus, which brings with it an external 32-bit DAC and amplifier. This particular module was developed in conjunction with Bang & Olufsen and comes with a pair of H3 headphones that support native (Direct Stream Digital) DSD playback.
LG G5 Hi-Fi Plus Module
While LG is only providing us with two modules at launch, the potential for the Magic Slot expansion system is endless and we can’t wait for the next wave of accessories to launch from LG and third-party manufacturers. The company isn’t not yet ready to reveal pricing for the G5, but we do know that that it will ship in April and will be available in Silver, Gold, Pink and Titan finishes.
