• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechInternet of Things

LG Takes a Unique Approach With New G5 Smartphone

By
Jason Cipriani
Jason Cipriani
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jason Cipriani
Jason Cipriani
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 21, 2016, 8:00 AM ET
LG G5
Courtesy LG

LG announced Sunday its latest flagship smartphone at Mobile World Congress, an annual industry event held in Barcelona, Spain.

At first glance, the LG G5 looks similar to most Android smartphones on the market. An aluminum frame outlines a high-definition display. Volume buttons now flank the left side, and the power button pulling double-duty as a fingerprint sensor is found just beneath a pair of camera lenses on the back.

What makes LG’s latest flagship smartphone unique is that the bottom of the device houses a slide out module for removing the battery.

Essentially, the company has designed the G5 in such a way that it was able to switch from a plastic housing to aluminum while still boasting a removable battery.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“We’ve listened to the consumers and our fans, and they said “bring metal,” Frank Lee, director of communications of LG Mobile in the U.S, recently told Fortune. Lee continued, “What’s kept us from [a metal housing] is that we wanted to make sure that the design and form factor could accommodate a removable battery.”

Instead of dealing with a removable aluminum back plate that could easily bend as a user takes it on and off, the bottom of the G5 slides out of the device, bringing the battery with it.

On paper and in pictures it appears to be an ingenious solution, but I’ll reserve final judgement until I’m able to put it to the test.

This setup serves more than one purpose, as it allows vendors, developers, and LG (LGCEY) itself to create accessories that plug into the G5. For example, LG also announced the CamPlus, a camera grip that uses the slide out module to connect to the G5, and offers the user better control over the camera app while also extending the battery life of the device.

For more on the future of smartphones, watch our video.

In a bid to differentiate itself from the likes of Samsung and Motorola, LG reduced the screen size on the G5. Previous flagship models from LG had a 5.5-inch display, but the G5 has a smaller 5.3-inch display.

Additionally, the G5 is equipped with two rear-facing cameras. One lens offers a 78-degree viewing angle, with the second lens offering 135-degree viewing angle. Using the wide-angle lens, users are able to now zoom out on a photo.

Another unique feature of the G5 is its always-on display. A small section of the display is constantly on, displaying time, date, notifications, and music controls.

“We did some research and found people were checking their phone, on average, 150 times a day for these pieces of information,” Lee explained. The feature won’t drain your battery, however, thanks in part to new capabilities of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor powering the G5, according to Lee.

For more read John McAfee Says He’ll Decrypt Contested iPhone ‘Free of Charge’

The G5 will come in four different colors: Pink, silver, gold, and titanium. Exact availability and pricing will be announced on a carrier-by-carrier basis.

LG also announced a virtual-reality headset that connects to the G5 using an USB-C cable to display images and video on two screens embedded into the headset. Again, LG is taking a unique approach to its VR headset. Samsung’s (SSNLF) Gear VR headset, for example, uses a smartphone as the screen when placed in the front on the headset. By removing the smartphone from the front of its VR product, LG claims the headset is the lightest, weighing in at 118 grams.

A 360-degree camera, an LTE-equipped GoPro-like action camera, and updated LG Tone Bluetooth headsets were other products announced by LG.

About the Author
By Jason Cipriani
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

AIOpenAI
OpenAI plans to almost double its headcount this year, FT says
By Liza Tetley and BloombergMarch 21, 2026
9 hours ago
Politicsarms, weapons, and defense
The U.S. has the world’s most advanced military, but the unforgiving economics of wars in Iran and Ukraine show quantity has a quality all its own 
By Jason MaMarch 21, 2026
10 hours ago
AIAI agents
OpenAI cofounder says he hasn’t written a line of code in months and is in a ‘state of psychosis’ trying to figure out what’s possible
By Jason MaMarch 21, 2026
14 hours ago
david
CommentaryScience
The one skill that separates people who get smarter with AI from everyone else
By David Rock and Chris WellerMarch 21, 2026
19 hours ago
Geoffrey Hinton standing in front of a white and grey background.
AITech
‘Godfather of AI’ says tech companies aren’t concerned with the AI endgame. They’re focused on short-term profits instead
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 21, 2026
20 hours ago
MagazineCoding
Cursor’s crossroads: The rapid rise, and very uncertain future, of a $30 billion AI startup
By Allie GarfinkleMarch 21, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.