LG G5 review: Evening the odds

LG G5 360-degree spin

The LG G5 stands at 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7mm, not as wide as the LG G4 and about the same height and weight at 159g. The smaller footprint is down to the slightly smaller screen with a 5.3" diagonal, down from 5.5".

Design and build quality

The LG G5 takes a break from the familiar G-series design, losing the signature rear deck with lock and volume keys and returning back to the rounded elegant shape. We like what LG has done with the G5 - the metal shell suits the flagship, while the front 3D Arc Glass is unlike anything we've seen so far.

LG G5 flanked by the Galaxy S7 and the LG G4

The glass spreads across the entire front of the device and is flat throughout except at the top where it curves towards the metal frame. It's quite subtle yet makes for a great effect regardless of the angle at which you are examining the G5.

The LG G4

The chassis is carved out of metal, and even though it looks like it's made of two separate pieces, it isn't. The reason for the illusion is the chamfered edge separating the back from the framing. The edge is painted in silver and is quite sharp to the touch - enough to feel it, but not as much of course as to cause pain or discomfort.

The camera module bulges quite a bit, which depending on personal preference, can be an interesting accent or an eyesore. Either way, you should at least appreciate that it houses two camera lenses, the LED flash, and the laser autofocus system.

Just below the black deck is a circular fingerprint scanner, doubling as power button. Since it looks like a touch key/fingerprint sensor combo that we've seen on many phones by Chinese brands, you may be surprised that it's actually a button that you can press.

Popping out the original battery from the Magic Slot is quite easy and you can insert whatever new accessory you have. It does power off your G5, there's no way around it. Good thing is the G5 is one of the quickest phones to boot, which limits the waiting after that.

The bottom is also made of metal and fits nicely into the ensemble. It fits nice and snugly without any wobbling and the whole thing feels as solid as if it was a non-removable part of the phone.

The LG G5 is a flagship smartphone and you can tell it right away. Its handling is great, with one of the most secure grips we've experienced thanks to the choice of materials, design changes, and the overall shape. The chamfered edges may feel odd at first (the antenna lines being quite sharp), but we got used to it rather quickly.

Handling the LG G5

Overall, the G5 is compact enough, and pocketable. It's smooth to the touch and easy to operate with one hand. The Magic Slot release mechanism is secure, and you can't unlatch it by accident (if only it wasn't for the gap it would be perfect). We found the G5 more than likable regardless of whether you intend to use the modular feature or not. It's comfortable to hold, well built, and pleasant to the touch. That's easily the majority of checkboxes ticked on your flagship check list.

Controls

The front of the LG G5 has the earpiece on the curved forehead, alongside an 8MP front facer, a couple of sensors and a status LED. The Optimus launcher lets you customize the notification LED, and you can configure it to flash in different colors depending on the type of notification.

The front of the LG G5

The Magic Slot ejector and volume rocker are now on the left, while the right side of the G5 has the dual tray that holds the nanoSIM and microSD card.

The left side • The volume rocker • The magic slot release • The cards holder

The G5 puts the audio jack, the IR blaster, and the second mic on top; while the USB Type-C port, the primary mic, and the loudspeaker grille are over the bottom.

The top of the LG G5 • The IR blaster • The bottom side • The USB Type-C port

Finally, the new camera setup is on the back - a 16MP 16:9 sensor with laser-assisted AF, accompanied by the laser and color spectrum sensors, a LED flash, and the secondary wide-angle 8MP FF camera lens.

The rear side

Releasing the chin with the Magic Slot requires you to push the release button on the left. If you have an add-on, you just need to insert it, and turn the phone back on. The mechanism is very sturdy and won't detach on its own.

Using the Magic Slot

There are two official Magic Slot add-ons at launch. The first one is the LG Cam Plus camera grip. It adds extra 1,200mAh of battery capacity, and hardware camera controls: shutter key, a camcorder button, camera on/off button and a zoom dial.

Then there's the LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O PLAY with Bang & Olufsen DAC for enhanced audio quality. LG has confirmed opening the standard to third-party manufacturers to create even more add-ons.

LG Cam Plus • LG Hi-Fi Plus