LG G5 review

LG G5

PROS ·         Lovely screen ·         Great wide-angle camera ·         USB-C fast charging

CONS Dodgy build quality Software is on the ugly side Expensive modules

KEY FEATURES ·         5.3-inch IPS QHD screen ·   Fingerprint sensor ·         Snapdragon 820 processor & 4GB RAM ·   16-megapixel rear camera & 8-megapixel front camera ·         32GB onboard storage and microSD slot ·   Additional 8-megapixel wide-angle rear camera ·         2,800mAh battery ·   LG UX 5.0 on Android Marshmallow ·         USB Type-C v3.0 por ·  Manufacturer: LG

WHAT IS THE LG G5?

There was lot of hype surrounding LG’s quirky modular G5, but it didn’t last all that long. The visions of this Project Ara like device with a wide selection of add-ons that you switch at will hasn’t really happened, leaving us with a good phone that fails to stand out.

LG also probably didn’t count on other brand’s upping their game. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is fantastic, as is the HTC 10, and there’s even budget offerings like the OnePlus 3.

The lack of interesting modules has really hurt the LG G5, and it’s no longer the only modular phone on the market. Moto has the Moto Z and it’s already got a better selection of add-ons. There’s also the LG V20 coming soon, and it’ll be the first phone to run Android Nougat.

LG G5 – DESIGN AND MODULES

Metal body, removable battery, modular system, rear fingerprint sensor, sloped top, 159g

In pictures the LG G5 looks curvy and sleek, but pick up the smartphone and it feels oddly hollow.

LG played up its switch from the plastic body of the LG G4 to a metal one on the G5. However, in the hand the G5 really doesn’t feel like any other metal phone I’ve come across. the handset has an odd finish that feels much more like plastic than the advertised “microdized” metal. I do like the slightly sloping top, though, but it's the only feature that sets it apart.

The G5's design is very clean too, with only a single volume clicker and SIM-tray present on either side. The volume control suffers from having a very shallow push, but it's usable nonetheless. While LG has ditched the volume keys on the rear, the lock switch remains in the slightly unorthodox position just below the camera sensors.

In my opinion it's far better to have all the buttons in the same spot, be it on the back or sides of a phone. Positioned as they are, I’m forced to move my hands around the G5 more than normal just to reach everything.

The standby switch now also houses a fingerprint scanner – something I consider a must for any 2016 flagship. V10 aside, for which there's been no UK launch, this is the first phone from LG to use a fingerprint scanner.

I'm pleased to report that it does a superb job – it’s fast and accurate. In addition, you don’t even have to press down to unlock the phone; simply glide your digit across and it’ll bypass the lockscreen completely.

As with all back-mounted scanners I’ve tried, it can sometimes go off randomly in my pocket. On more than a few occasions I’d pull it out of my pocket to be met with a message reporting "too many incorrect attempts, fingerprint blocked". But I guess this is a side-effect of it being so sensitive. The scanner itself is also quite small, which might be issue if you have large fingers.

The LG G5’s modular system is its stand-out feature. Now, it isn’t quite at Google Project Ara levels of customisability – so you won’t be switching out the RAM or CPU – but it’s clever and unique nevertheless.

It works like this. Along the side of the handset there sits an almost indistinguishable button set just almost flush to the body. Press this in with the tip of your nail and the bottom chin of the phone will pop out; pull it off and out comes the battery.

The battery comes apart from the bottom unit – which can feel like you’re breaking the device – and then you can attach it to other modules, or "Friends" as LG calls them. At launch, there are two modules available and neither are going to be a draw in themselves to sell the phone.

The camera grip adds a touch more battery, a separate shutter button for both photos and video, and a jog dial for zoom. The second module is a DAC powered by some B&O tech. The DAC gives you 32-bit audio and an extra headphone jack.

I find myself wishing that LG had started off with slightly more enticing accessories. The DAC is a nice idea – I’m all for ways to improve smartphone audio – but the camera grip doesn’t actually make the camera any better; it just makes the shooting process "easier". I also don’t like the fact it encourages people to use digital zoom – photo tech that universally produces terrible photos on all the smartphones I’ve tested, including the G5.

These two modules are also much pricier than I'd anticipated. The B&O DAC costs £150, while the camera grip will set you back £79. Problems will also likely arise when you’re ready to upgrade to the LG G6 – will the new device support the same modules? I'm not convinced.

LG is encouraging third parties to make their own Friends, so hopefully they’ll be a few more to choose from in the coming months. However, if the LG G5 fails to sell in large enough numbers then maybe there won't be much incentive to build a costly module.

The modular system also hampers the build quality of the device. Both parts of the phone don’t quite fit flush together; there’s an ever-so-slight gap between the two. It’s minimal, but wide enough that I can see light filtering through.

LG G5 – SCREEN

5.3-inch, IPS LCD, quad-HD display with always-on mode

LG’s past few flagship devices have benefited from impressive displays.

While they can't be described as perfect, they’ve always adopted new tech and utilised it well. LG was one of the first manufacturers to really bring quad-HD, 2,560 x 1,440 panels to the mainstream, for example, and since the G3 it has gone from strength to strength.

I’m happy to say that the display on the LG G5 is the best yet – even though on the surface it appears that not a whole lot has changed.

LG hasn't made the switch to a 4K display; it remains quad-HD. Although in my opinion this isn't a bad thing – quad-HD is the highest resolution a phone needs to be unless it will be used for VR. The display on the G5 remains a IPS LCD panel too, rather than the AMOLED panels favoured by Samsung and Google.

The biggest change here is that the screen is actually marginally smaller than before – 5.3-inches as opposed to 5.5-inches. But the number of pixels remain the same; they're simply crammed into a smaller surface area.

The display is ridiculously sharp, far more true-to-life and softer than the Galaxy S7 display. This isn't necessarily a positive, though – it’s all down to personal taste, with some preferring accurate colours over vibrancy. Viewing angles are on point.

LG has also improved the brightness of the screen, not that the G4 suffered much in this area. At its highest, it's at 900 nits, but there will be few instances in which it will need to be set so high. Around 50% is right, or you can opt for auto-brightness.

I'm not a fan of auto-brightness on Android devices, and it's no different here. It’s too obvious, results in a stuttering motion and is rarely accurate in its judgements.

The G5 display's black level – an area in which many IPS displays struggle – is solid. While not as deep as those on the Samsung Galaxy S7, blacks on the LG G5 are suitably inky and deep, and mean the display has a great contrast ratio.

Just like the Samsung Galaxy S7, the LG G5 has an "always-on" display mode, so the time and your notifications remain visible even when the phone is locked.

LG’s implementation is much better than that of Samsung in just about every way. It uses less battery, about 12% a day (8am to midnight) as opposed to the Galaxy S7’s 15%. The LG G5’s always-on screen also displays all your notifications, including those from WhatsApp and Gmail. This makes it far more useful than the S7, which pushes alerts from only a limited selection of apps.

The display on the G5 is less customisable, however, and since it isn’t AMOLED, it lights up every pixel rather than just the clock. This means it’s far more noticeable, and more distracting, in low light.

LG G5 – SOFTWARE

Android Marshmallow, LG UX 5.0

The software on the LG G5 is a little hit and a miss. It includes the latest version of Android – that’s 6.0.1 – with all the fantastic tweaks and additions that Google added towards the end of last year. However, like the majority of Android phones, it’s been heavily skinned.

LG’s UX 5.0 is nowhere near as sleek as vanilla Android. It doesn’t even match Samsung’s TouchWiz for overall style, and is way behind the HTC 10. Although, being fair to LG, it’s still slimmer and less in your face than it was previously.

The biggest deal-breaker is that LG has – gasp – completely ditched the app drawer, which is exactly what Huawei has done. I know there are a few die-hard fans who view the removal of the app drawer as an unforgivable sin, but I’m okay with it. In fact, I might even prefer Android without it.

Hopefully, the rumours claiming that Google plans to let users choose if they want an app tray in Android N will ring true, keeping those on both sides of the fence happy. But for now, at least, the LG G5’s skin is only good for people like me.

The other problem here is the serious amount of bloatware loaded onto the phone. Combine this with the lack of an app drawer and your homescreen becomes super-messy. Alongside your typical Google apps, there's LG’s own music player, email client and app store. LG Backup is present too, as is its RemoteCall Service plus Evernote, Instagram and Facebook.

I understand that most folk use Facebook, but I'd rather have the option to install it myself than it being forced on me.

Considering I haven’t felt the need to use any of these pre-installed apps should prove that they aren't particularly good.

However, I should add that the UI is very fast and smooth, something that wouldn’t have been the case in the past.

LG G5 – PERFORMANCE

Snapdragon 820, 4GB RAM, Adreno 530, 32GB internal storage

The internals at play here will be familiar to anyone who's seen a flagship phone this year. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 is backed up by 4GB RAM, an Adreno 530 GPU and a single storage option – 32GB. That’s pretty much the same as US versions of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and HTC 10 handsets.

What do all these high-powered internals give you? A super-fast phone – obviously.

Browsing, scrolling through menus, opening up apps, and all the other things you do all-day, everyday on your phone are mostly smooth and lag-free. However, since general performance is so decent, it makes those moments when things don’t quite go to plan even more jarring. This is rare, but there has been a couple of instances when the phone grinds to halt.

Most of the time, though, the G5 performs brilliantly. Games run as intended, whether it’s an intensive title such as Hitman: Sniper or something far simpler, and there’s no stuttering when streaming 1440p video on YouTube.

In our usual array of benchmarking tests, the LG G5 performs admirably. Its picks up a score of 5,241 in the Geekbench 3 multi-core test and 2,255 in the single-core version. This puts it behind the Samsung Galaxy S7 (6,307) but ahead of the HTC 10 (5,065). It’s much the same in Antutu, where the G5 scores 126,842 and the Galaxy S7 picks up 129,468.

Benchmarks aside, there isn’t currently anything you can really do with Android that pushes these high-end components to their fullest. It’s all about future-proofing them really.

32GB seems to be the sweet-spot for Android phones right now. Especially since most of them now make microSD expansion standard. There’s no 64GB option available for the G5, but expandable storage makes this less of an issue.

Be warned, though: the LG G5 doesn’t feature adoptable storage, which is disappointing. Adoptable storage is a useful feature Google debuted on Android Marshmallow. It enables phones to treat SD cards as internal memory – meaning that, if you shell out for a decent one, you shouldn’t suffer the performance issues associated with microSD cards.

A single down-facing speaker produces adequate audio, but it isn't in the same league as the HTC 10. It can reach quite loud volumes, which is handy for various alarms, but it lacks any sort of bass and depth for listening to music.

Still, the phone supports 24-bit audio so tunes sound will sound decent enough with a pair of headphones.

Call quality is superb, with my voice exceptionally clear even in howling wind. There’s a loud speakerphone too, and the microphones are very accurate.

LG G5 – CAMERA

16-megapixel rear with secondary, wide-angle sensor; 8-megapixel front

LG is adept at producing smartphone cameras. In 2015, the company treated us to, arguably, two of the best camera-phones on the market with the G4 and V10 handsets – and the way things are going, LG is set to do the same in 2016.

It will be the modular system of the G5 that will earn it many plaudits. For me, however, it's the second, wide-angle camera sensor – which sits next to the regular 16-megapixel sensor – that's the star.

This lets you capture GoPro-esque footage with a 135-degree field of view, which is in fact more than the human eye can actually see. Most phones tend to have a 75-degree view.

An example of a wide-angle shot

It’s an 8-megapixel sensor, so the results aren’t quite as sharp as the main camera, but the pictures it produces are genuinely different and, well, cool. It’s great for landscape shots, although I’d avoid using it for close-ups.

The main 16-megapixel, 16:9 camera is far more by-the-book, but it’s excellent nonetheless. Colours are natural, the laser-auto focus system is spot on, and each shot is packed with details. I generally prefer 16:9 photos, too, since they let you cram in far more of the background. It is possible to switch to 4:3 if you prefer, though.

Intricate detailing in walls, licks of paint on a picture and wool strands from a carpet are all picked out perfectly.

The laser auto-focus doesn’t do quite such a good job in low-light. It struggles with focus points when there’s a lack of a light source; it takes a couple of goes to get it right.

But low-light shots in general are really good. The f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilisation combine to produce pictures that are bright, with strong colours, and mostly blur-free. You will need to hold the phone as still as possible, though – moving it suddenly throws the whole picture off.

4K/UHD video looks great, as you'd expect. It's smooth and crisp, although shooting for long periods does cause the device to warm up ever so slightly.

Selfies taken with the 8-megapixel front-facing camera aren't in the same league as the HTC 10, but they get the job done. It has a wide-angle lens, so you can cram multiple faces into the frame without the need for a selfie stick.

LG G5 – BATTERY LIFE

2,800mAh (removable), Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, USB Type-C

The battery life on the LG G5 is good. Not phablet good, but it managed to easily last the day with about 10% remaining when I plugged it in before bed.

The 2,800mAh battery isn't the biggest on the market; it’s beaten by the Galaxy S7and the HTC 10, which both boast 3,000mAh units. It is removable, however, so you could throw a spare into your bag to double your running time.

Over the course of a week I managed about three hours screen-on time per day, which is about the same as the HTC 10. Sixty minutes of streaming Spotify takes about 4-5%, while watching an hour-long HD TV episode on either Netflix or BBC iPlayer with auto-brightness enabled chews through 8-10%.

Standby time is fantastic – leaving the phone unplugged overnight only saw a drop of around 3%.

The G5 is Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0-enabled too; the S7 is stuck on Quick Charge 2.0. However, LG doesn’t supply a charger to take advantage of this boost – it includes only a regular 2.0 one.

Regardless, the battery powers up pretty swiftly. You’ll get a full charge in about an hour, and 60% in half that. One I've used Quick Charge tech, I struggle to go back to a phone without it.

LG is also using a USB Type-C port, rather than the more standard micro-USB. It's reversible, meaning it's possible to plug in the cable either way – which is the future.

Once it’s more widely adopted, it will allow you to power your laptop, phone and tablet, meaning you'll need only one cable for all your devices.

SHOULD I BUY THE LG G5?

The LG G5 is a really good phone, but in a year of really great phones it can’t quite match the impressive standard set the by the HTC 10 and Samsung Galaxy S7.

It shares many of the same components – fantastic screen and high-end internals, plus a camera that tries to do something a little different. Then there the "mostly"exciting prospect of the modular Friends, too.

However, the G5 feels a little cheap compared to other flagship handsets and LG’s software remains on the "less attractive side".

There are questions, too, over how well these modules will actually work and whether anyone will bother making them. A greater number of modules on the market will make this a more enticing phone, but whether or not third-party companies will take the step to produce “Friends” for the G5 remains up in the air.

VERDICT

LG hasn’t done enough with the G5 to increase my desire for a modular phone. Combine this with the disappointing build and you have a phone that isgreat in many areas, but misses the mark overall.

SCORES IN DETAIL

  

• Battery Life8
• Calls & Sound8
• Camera9
• Design7
• Performance9
• Screen Quality9
• Software7
• Value8

1:20 AM