A few years ago we took a look at the best LG phones and called the LG G5 “the most ambitious LG phone ever.” We stand by it – the phone has brought some features that have made a notable impact on the market.
The G5 was the first phone with a decent dual camera. At least as we understand it today, it wasn’t a 3D camera like the Optimus 3D, it didn’t have a depth sensor and it was his two camera modules with different focal lengths.
The LG G5 was a bold and innovative phone, but it failed to resonate with the market.
You might argue that the LG V10 featured a combination of wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras the year before. However, they were on the front lines, which made them less useful. Used more in V10’s own flashback.
The LG G5 had a 16MP main camera with a 26mm lens (1/2.6 inch sensor). The module features optical image stabilization (OIS), aided by a laser autofocus system that LG was pushing hard at the time.
The ultra wide camera was amazing. Her 9mm lens is wider than most smartphone ultra-wide cameras you still see today. The 8MP resolution (1/3.6 inch sensor) wasn’t enough for him to cover a 135° field of view (FoV), but this is definitely one of the standout cameras of 2016. stand out.
FoV comparison between the main camera and the ultra-wide-angle camera.
As for the front-facing camera, it was a single 8MP unit on the top bezel. LG didn’t repeat his V10’s crazy dual-camera, second-screen design from a few months ago.
The company also dropped a signature design quirk of placing the volume rocker in the back. This is what we’ve been doing since G2. But LG has tried to shake up the world of smartphone design, which has settled on a boring routine.
The LG G5 was actually a modular phone. It didn’t have the quirky patchwork design of Google’s Project Ara, and took a more pragmatic approach. The bottom was removable (the battery also pulled out, making it easier to replace). This was the so-called magic slot.
The idea was that this lower segment could be replaced with different modules. At launch, it included an LG Cam Plus, a camera grip with an extra 1,200mAh battery, and hardware camera controls (shutter key, video camera button, zoom dial, and on/off toggle).
LG Cam Plus Module for LG G5
Another module enhanced the phone’s excellent audio capabilities. The LG Hi-Fi Plus had a Bang & Olufsen DAC and more powerful speakers, hence the “B&O Play” brand name. The cool thing about it is that it can also act as a standard USB DAC and AMP for PCs and other Android phones.
LG Hi-Fi Plus for LG G5 (and other phones too)
For more information, check out our LG G5 Friends article at the time. LG has also been experimenting with his 360° camera and VR headset, and it’s been a fun time in smartphone history.
Due to Magic Slot’s design, the G5 wasn’t water resistant like other flagships of the time, and its relatively small 2,800mAh battery offered only average endurance. On the plus side, it supported 18W fast charging and of course I was able to carry a spare battery. module has not been released).
Modularity aside, the LG G5 meant a change of direction for the company. The G5 ditched the G3 and G4’s bulky 5.5-inch display for a smaller 5.3-inch panel. The body of the phone was made of an aluminum alloy, but a so-called “micro-dyed” process gave it a strange finish that didn’t feel like metal on the outside.
LG G5 sandwiched between Galaxy S7 and LG G4
A few months after unveiling its flagship product at MWC, LG has launched a cheaper version called the LG G5 SE for South America and China.
The original G5 was powered by Qualcomm’s flagship chip at the time, the Snapdragon 820. The SE switched to the older 28mm part Snapdragon 652. LG also cut the gig of RAM, leaving the SE at his 3GB, plus replacing the 32GB UFS 2.0 storage with his eMMC 5.1 drive of the same capacity.
The camera has changed as well, with the 16MP main module getting an even narrower lens (29mm vs 26mm) and the ultra-wide as well (at 12mm it was pretty wide even by today’s standards).
For what it’s worth, the G5 SE also featured a Magic Slot design, so LG was looking to build a modular ecosystem around it. The V20, launched in the same year, did not have Magic Slot, nor did the LG G6. Also, the company has abandoned the launch of new modules.
As revolutionary as the LG G5 was, its legacy is less than illustrious. Anyone who’s followed the smartphone market over the last few years knows the company’s struggles. In the quarter after the G5 was launched, LG had to cut its shipment target from his 16.5 million units to his 15 million units, and his underperforming G5 was blamed for that. Estimates for the flagship were originally between 3 and 3.5 million units, but have been revised downward to 2.5 million units.
Already on a downward trajectory, LG missed its ambitious sales target of 12 million units, as the LG G4 last year was similarly underperforming. LG posted a loss in his second quarter of 2015 as well, but blamed it on his G4.
The company spent years and millions of dollars trying to regain its popularity, but despite its bold and innovative design, sales continued to decline and losses continued to mount. We withdrew from the smartphone market in 2012.
