LG Rolls Out G5, Its Modular Smartphone in India

LG Electronics India has launched its first ever modular smartphone, G5 in India for INR 52,990.

This smartphone comes with a sleek metal uni-body featuring a Slide-out battery and a Modular Type design that gives a greater smartphone experience. G5 is also accompanied with LG Friends, a collection of companion devices like LG CAM Plus, LG 360 CAM and LG 360 VR.

Encased in a sleek metal aluminum body and Slide-out Battery to easily swap out a discharged battery for a fully charged one in seconds, the LG G5 surpasses the visual experience of its predecessor, the LG G4.

First, the G5’s 135-degree wide angle lens lets you choose between standard or wide angle to get more in the shot. Second, the Always-on Display makes notifications just a glance away with the time, date and more available anytime without waking the G5. Third, the 3D Arc Glass featured in the smartphone’s 5.3-inch display creates a gentle curve and a smooth colorful metal surface through an advanced microdizing process which takes anodized aluminum to a whole new level.

Furthermore, the insulative antenna is invisibly integrated into the body without disrupting the seamless look of the metal uni-body. LG designers took the metal body concept one step further by adding a Shiny Cut edge for added contrast and a more comfortable grip.

Speaking on the occasion, Kim Ki Wan, Managing Director, LG Electronics India, said, “We are really proud to bring the LG G5 to India. With this smart phone, we are living up to our promise of Innovation for a Better Life; LG has always brought something really innovative to the world of smartphones. This year yet again with G5, we have come up with a very unique concept of modular smart phone. This phone will certainly amaze the smart phone users with its ability to be transformed into multiple devices like digital camera, Hi-Fi player and more. G5 will certainly redefine smart phone experience for consumers.”

Commenting on this launch, Ajay Yadav, VP – Smartphones, Flipkart said, “Technology is one of the key drivers in the Indian smartphone market. LG’s G5 is packed with innovation and new-age technology. We are happy to introduce LG’s flagship product as an online exclusive on our platform. The pre-booking response has been great and we expect this new offering from LG will be a hit with our customers.”

Sunil Lalvani, Vice President and President of Qualcomm India, said, “Qualcomm Technologies is very pleased to work with LG on their latest flagship device, the LG G5, featuring the Snapdragon 820 processor with Qualcomm® TruSignal™ Multi-Antenna Boost technology, enabling a superior and reliable connected experience. LG and Qualcomm Technologies have worked together for many years with the shared goal of enabling new and exciting user experiences for consumers. We look forward to seeing the LG G5 launch in India.”

The First Modular Smartphone

LG’s innovative Modular Type design gives the LG G5 the ability to transform into a digital camera and more while keeping its traditional removable battery in a full metal uni-body design for the first time ever.

Extreme Wide Angle Lens and Advanced UX

Reflecting LG’s longstanding reputation as a leader in smartphone cameras, the LG G5 has two cameras on the rear: one with a standard 78-degree lens and another with a 135-degree wide angle lens, the widest available in any smartphone. The 135-degree lens on the LG G5 offers a viewing angle that is approximately 1.7 times wider than those of existing smartphone cameras and 15 degrees wider than the human eye’s field of view. The wide angle lens makes it easier for users to capture more landscape, taller buildings or larger groups without having to position oneself farther from the subject.

The LG G5 features a collection of powerful photo effects including Pop-out Picture, Film Effect and Auto Shot. Pop-out Picture combines images taken by the standard and wide angle lens to create a picture-in-a-frame effect. Film Effect can apply nine different film emulators to an image while Auto Shot is an enhanced camera UX which automatically captures the perfect selfie shot when a face is recognized.

Always-on Display for Enhanced Convenience

The 5.3-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum display on the LG G5 offers an Always-on feature, the first on a main smartphone display. The concept of the Always-on Display was first introduced in the LG V10 as the Second Screen and now that feature has evolved on to the main display to show the time and date continuously even when the G5 is in sleep mode. This means that you can always see the time at a glance, even during important meetings or when your hands are full.

To minimize power consumption, LG redesigned the display driver IC memory and power management function so that the display’s backlight only illuminates one small part of the overall display. Thanks to this technology, the Always-on Display requires only 0.8 percent of the battery’s full capacity per hour to operate. With consumers turning on their smartphones up to 150 times a day mostly to just check the time, the G5’s Always-on Display will make a notable difference in the life of the battery over the course of the day.

Another advanced display feature in LG G5 is the Daylight Mode, which gives the G5 exceptional outdoor visibility beyond that of current auto brightness technology. Day-light Mode detects surrounding light conditions and instantaneously increases or decreases the brightness of the display, up to 850 nits. Even before your eyes have adjusted to the different lighting conditions, the G5 will be ready.

More Performance, More Efficiency

The LG G5 offers many other innovations designed to revolutionize today’s mobile lifestyle, such as:

Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 820 Processor

The LG G5 is equipped with the powerful yet energy-efficient Snapdragon 820 processor which offers advanced features such as 64-bit performance, Adreno 530 graphics and lower-power Qualcomm® HexagonTM DSP as well as Qualcomm Spectra™ 14-bit dual image signal processors (ISPs) designed to deliver high resolution DSLR-quality images and additional power savings. The Snapdragon 820 processor also has an integrated X12 LTE modem that supports Category 12 download speeds of up to 600 Mbps and LTE Category 13 uplink speeds of up to 150 Mbps.

Compared to the previous generation Snapdragon processor, Qualcomm Technologies’ most advanced CPU architecture offers double the speed and power savings. Adreno 530 graphics demonstrate up to 40 percent faster graphics performance and up to 40 percent more power efficiency compared to the previous generation. The Snapdragon 820 processor also supports 4K capture and playback at four times more than the resolution of 1080p, enabling users to watch and capture their daily moments in stunning de-tail and clarity. The processor is also optimized for VR, generating quality pixels and life-like colors to deliver the ultimate VR experience to G5 users.

aptX™ HD: 24-bit Hi-Fi Wireless Audio

The LG G5 is equipped with aptX HD, an enhanced codec that supports 24-bit sound over Bluetooth, delivering rich and clear sound over wireless connections without any loss. When paired with the LG TONE Platinum, users can experience superb quality Hi-Fi audio that sounds amazingly close to the original source.

Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 3.0

The LG G5 offers Quick Charge 3.0 for incredibly fast charging. By employing an intelligent algorithm, Quick Charge 3.0 is 27 percent faster and 45 percent more efficient than the previous generation.

Low Power Location Estimation (LPLE) Technology

The LG G5 has excellent battery life, thanks to the Low Power Location Estimation technology. This solution enhances the battery efficiency by as much as 41.9 percent by improving the power consumption related to location-based apps.

Diverse Range of Companion Devices

With the G5, LG is introducing a paradigm-shifting smartphone ecosystem — the LG Playground. With this, LG aims to strengthen the ties with its partners and introduce various devices and supporting programs to fully maximize the LG Playground experience.

As part of the ecosystem, LG is introducing a wide range of companion devices, aptly called LG Friends, to deliver fun while providing a new mobile experience far beyond traditional smartphone boundaries.

LG CAM Plus

The LG CAM Plus is a versatile camera module that can be attached through the battery slot to deliver a comfortable grip and convenient control of a standalone camera. The LG CAM Plus provides physical buttons for power, shutter, record, zoom, LED indicator and a comfortable grip. It also offers intuitive auto focus and exposure lock, features usually found in 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.

LG 360 CAM

The LG 360 CAM is 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. The LG 360 CAM provides 2K video and 5.1 surround channel recording on three microphones to help users effortlessly create high-quality 360-degree contents. Thanks to the partnership with Google, images taken with the 360 CAM can be uploaded to Google Street View and YouTube360, adding the fun of sharing creative contents with others. The images will also be available to view on the LG 360 VR or other smartphones or devices that are capable of 360-degree content.

LG 360 VR

The LG 360 VR is a VR goggle that can be connected with the G5 via a dedicated cable and works exclusively with the G5 to simulate a 130-inch TV viewed from two meters away. It has a stylish design that is foldable so that users can easily carry and watch VR content anytime, anywhere. Unlike other VR devices that require a smartphones to be inserted in the device, the LG 360 VR weighs only 118g (4.16 ounces) and is just one-third as heavy as competing VR goggles while delivering a resolution of 639 ppi. The device is compatible with 360-degree images and videos captured with LG 360 CAM as well as all Google Cardboard content.

LG Friends Manager

Only available in the LG G5, Friends Manager is the hub application that allows the G5 to connect with LG Friends with minimal fuss and effort. LG Friends Manager automatically detects nearby LG Friends and connects quickly and easily in three simple steps, eliminating much of the hassle of pairing devices.

LG G5 will be available in India at Rs. 52,990/-