The Smartphone Goes Modular With the LG G5

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it as they say. But at the same time, how do you offer something innovative that actually might be useful? LG reckons they have something with their new G5.

The classy mobile sports a 5.3-inch display that’s slightly curved at its edges, seamlessly meets a metal uni-body, and designed with cut edges for visual contrast as well as a comfortable grip. The G5 also bids goodbye to ugly antenna lines, which is invisibly integrated into the body without disrupting a seamless look.

The G5 is equipped with two cameras on the rear: one with a standard 78-degree lens and another with a wide, 135-degree wide angle lens – approximately 1.7 times wider than cameras on existing smartphone cameras, and makes it easy to capture wider landscape photos.

The G5 also offers an Always-on feature that displays the time and date at all times even when the phone is in sleep mode, at relatively little cost to battery life: 0.8 percent per hour in fact. It’ll need all the power it can save, because the phone also features the latest high performance Snapdragon 820 processor. Other high-tech features include aptX HD for high quality 24-bit wireless audio (Bluetooth), improved Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 that is 27 percent faster than the incumbent, and Low Power Location Estimation tech to lower power consumption by 41.9 percent due to location-based apps.

Modules

But the highlight of the G5 is in its clever, modular design, which gives the phone the option to have enhanced functionality. The battery is easily replaceable, but what’s more interesting is that you can swap in two modules through the same battery slot: one to transform your phone into a camera, another to change it into a high resolution audio player.

The LG CAM Plus is a versatile camera module that gives you a comfortable grip and convenient control of a standalone camera. Physical buttons for power, shutter, record, zoom, LED indicator and comfortable grip. It also offers intuitive auto focus and exposure lock, features usually found on standalone digital cameras. When attached to the LG G5, it provides an additional battery capacity of 1,200mAh to allow for longer shooting times for more fun and enjoyment.

The LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O PLAY is an innovative portable Hi-Fi DAC audio player. It supports 32-bit 384KHz high-definition audio playback, and can be used either as a module with the LG G5 or as a separate Hi-Fi DAC by connecting it to any smartphone or PC.

No word on when the phone will be available in Singapore yet, but if this is what you want in a top-end smartphone, then keep an eye on this space.

Accessories

LG 360 VR

The LG 360 VR is a VR goggle that works exclusively with the G5 to simulate a 130-inch TV viewed from two meters away. The device is compatible with 360-degree images and videos captured with LG 360 CAM as well as all Google Cardboard content.

LG 360 CAM

A compact 360-degree angle camera equipped with two 13MP 200-degree wide angle cameras, 1,200mAh battery and 4GB internal memory, which can be supplemented by a microSD card. The LG 360 CAM can be easily connected to the LG G5 allowing users to create 360-degree content. Images taken with the 360 CAM can be uploaded to Google Street View and YouTube360.

LG Rolling Bot

Somewhat like a Sphero, this companion device that rolls like a ball, but can capture images and videos with its embedded 8MP camera. It can be used as a monitoring system for the home, pet care companion as well as a remote controller for compatible home appliances.

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