LG G5 preview
Update 10/02/16: It looks like the G5 might have an always-on screen too
This year is shaping up to be the best yet for smartphone lovers. We’ve already got the feature-packed Samsung Galaxy S7 and Apple iPhone 7 to look forward to, and we could very well see an early reveal of the LG G5 too.
LG’s G4 flagship was neck and neck with its rivals last year, and it has one of the best smartphone cameras we’ve ever seen.
With the competition expected to be fiercer than ever though, the South Korean tech giant is going to have to step up its game - and then some.
Here’s a roundup of all the rumours and speculation surrounding the LG G5, and don’t forget to check back for regular updates leading all the way up to launch day.
FULL METAL JACKET
This could finally be the year that LG ditches the plastic for an all-metal build, and we imagine that the changeover will be welcomed with open arms.
While the leather rear of the G4 isn’t awful, it still doesn’t feel as premium as the metal and glass-clad Samsung Galaxy S6 or iPhone 6s. Switching over to a metal build will make the G5 feel like it’s in the same premium league as its main rivals, at least physically.
The only concern with this move, however, is that we could see the death of the G4’s fabled removable battery and microSD card - two features that have retained loyal power users over the past few years.
Update 19/01/16: We don't expect LG to stray from its rear power and volume layout, but the latest rumours suggest otherwise. A tip from Shai Mizrachi sent to Android Authority shows a thinner, taller and wider phone than the G-series handsets we're used to. The slightly curved display found on the G4 looks to have been ditched for a flat panel too.
The biggest change looks to be moving the volume buttons to the side, rather than keep them on the back. Rear buttons helped set the G2, G3 and G4 apart from the competition, so it would be a shame to see LG stick with convention for the G5.
If rumours of a fingerprint scanner are true, we expect it to be located on the rear - a setup that’s worked very well for the Nexus 5X and 6P. The leaked diagram seems to show it doubling up as a power button, using similar technology to the Galaxy S6’s home button. In this way, the back of the G5 can keep a familiar layout without over-cluttering the rear with an extra fingerprint scanner.
EYE DON’T BELIEVE IT
Another rumour that we’ve seen points to the G5 having a built-in iris scanner. Yes, really.
Reportedly developed by South Korean eye-scanning technology company Irience, the scanner can, according to Alphr, read a person’s eye from a distance of up to 50cm.
It sounds far-fetched, but there’s still a chance it’ll see the light of day. It would certainly be a unique string to add to LG’s bow, that’s for sure.
PLOT TWIST
Update 13/01/16: The latest leak throws most of the above rumours out of the window, and if true, will be a major move forward.
According to a report from Cnet South Korea, LG has managed to get around the problem of an all-metal build and removable battery by allowing the bottom portion of the G5 to disconnect, letting users slide new batteries in and out with ease.
In this way, a thinner body can be achieved without sacrificing one of the G4’s most applauded features.
According to renders of the new system however, the volume and power buttons have moved to their more traditional side positions, making our dreams of a rear power button/fingerprint sensor combo rather unlikely.
Multiple sources have shown off similar looking renders and diagrams, but this is the only evidence we've seen for a detachable bottom piece - so chalk this one up as an outside chance until we hear anything more concrete.
SOUPED-UP SCREEN(S)
Rumours surrounding the G5’s screen are conflicting, with various different sizes and resolutions being thrown around.
In the first camp, we have normally-reliable leaker Evan Blass (aka @evleaks), who has stated that the G5 will have a 5.3in 2K display.
While this is slightly smaller than the existing G4’s 5.5in screen, Blass believes that LG will also incorporate a much smaller 160 x 1040 ticker display directly above it - a trick taken straight out of the LG V10’s playbook.
In the V10, this miniature display is used to display notifications or provide shortcuts to your favourite apps, which sounds like LG’s answer to the Galaxy S6 Edge’s side-screen app shortcuts.
The second camp of G5 screen rumours believes that LG will up the ante and join the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium with a 4K display of its own. We’re not convinced that all of those extra pixels will make any difference at the current screen size, but LG could decide to join in on the spec war, if it fancies it.
Some rumours also suggest that the screen size will actually increase to 5.6 inches. If true, we’d like to think that LG has found a way to shrink down the bezels even more to make the G5 a little easier to handle. Remember how the G2 managed to squeeze a 5.2in screen into a phone barely any bigger than Samsung's 5in Galaxy S4? More of this please, LG.
If it were up to us, we’d love to see an AMOLED display with the extra ticker screen at the top. Fingers crossed.
Update 10/02/16: Following the rumour of an always-on mode for Samsung’s Galaxy S7, it looks like LG’s getting in on the act too.
A new leak discovered by Android Authority suggests the G5 will have its own always-on screen, putting the time, date and notification icons front and centre, even when the main screen is switched off.
LG’s tried something like this before with Glance View on the G Flex 2, but needed a gesture to activate. That had a battery-sipping OLED screen, though, and all the signs point to the G5 using an LCD display.
Still, LG is definitely no stranger to OLED,so we're not counting this out just yet.
MASTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY
The G4’s camera is superb, and we have very lofty expectations for the G5’s snapper.
Numerous rumours point to a rather snazzy light-guzzling 20MP Sony sensor, which should provide even better performance in low light shots, while capturing more detail overall.
Any improvement over the G4’s camera will be fantastic, and we’re rather excited about the 2016 camera shootout between the G5, Galaxy S6 and iPhone 7.
Lens and sensor aside, the dual-LED flash, laser autofocus and RGB sensors will no doubt remain too.
MORE POWER
The G5 will be more powerful than its predecessor - that’s a given. So far, everything is pointing towards the new Snapdragon 820, Qualcomm’s newest, most powerful processor to date.
The little chunk of silicon promises a 40% increase in graphical grunt, 35% faster performance, and 30% better power efficiency.
Those numbers sound extremely tasty - assuming the 820 won’t be met with reports of overheating like its 810 predecessor.
A minimum of 3GB of RAM is practically guaranteed, though we think there’s a strong chance that LG will bump that up to 4GB to better match the competition.
One potentially worrying rumour (provided by Venture Beat) suggests that the current 3000Ah battery will be shrunk down to 2800mAh - potentially due to the all-metal build.
If true, we’re hoping that the processor’s increased efficiency will make up for the drop in power capacity.
PRICE AND RELEASE DATE
LG has sent an invitation to the press, asking us to save the date for 21 February - the day before Mobile World Congress officially kicks off in Barcelona.
The only thing the invite really teases us with is the cryptic phrase “Play Begins”, which really doesn’t reveal much of anything.
If
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