The Mobile World Congress is already underway and has wrapped up with the first day today. The conference actually began yesterday with the Unpacked event where LG, Huawei and Samsung kicked off the show with their products. Flagship mobiles aside, the MWC attention being given to new technology as well. 360 cameras and virtual reality were big at the MWC. Here are the products that grabbed our attention the most.
Gear 360 Camera
The MWC has always been the grandest stage for Samsung as it is where the Korean giant always unveils its flagship smartphones. That being said, yesterday’s Unpacked event for Samsung seemed a lot less about its flagship S7 devices and a lot more VR-centric. Indeed, the event opened with a virtual reality presentation, having the audience wear the Gear VR headset to experience the arrival of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge with a VR presentation.
Along with the flagship devices, Samsung also unveiled the Gear 360 camera that can capture 360-degree videos that can capture and share 360-degree images and videos thanks to its double-lense spherical shape. The eyeball-shaped camera has a flat bottom that allows it to rest on any surface, a MicroSD card slot (up to 128GB) and swappable battery, hidden within.
Each of the opposing f/2.0 lenses have a 195-degree field view and the resulting 15 degrees of overlaps helps the software stitch the two images together. The camera shoots 30-megapixel spherical photos and 3840 x 1920 video that offers a great experience, especially inside the Gear VR.
LG 360 Cam
The LG 360 Cam is a low-cost, and easy way to record 360-degrees video. The camera uses two 13MP lenses on either side with a 200-degree field of view. The camera carries a 1,200mAh battery pack inside and can record up to 70 minutes on a single charge. The camera also records 2k videos.
This is one of the major modular attachments announced by LG at the launch event and the company has high hopes from the LG 360 Cam for helping increase sales for the LG G5
LG 360 VR
Apart from its revolutionary modular flagship G5 smartphone, LG also displayed its 360 VR headset that is designed to work as a standalone display, without the need to attach a smartphone like the Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR.
The LG 360 VR has a pixel density of 639ppi, which is pretty high. The headset connects to the G5 using a USB Type-C cable.
Nokia Ozo VR Camera
One very interesting device here is the Nokia Ozo VR camera which will in all probability be the first cinema grade virtual reality recorder. The device comes with the capability to record and store up to 45 minutes of audio and video. we checked out the results first hand and the VR quality is really high standard.
Nokia thinks the Ozo VR will be able to revolutionise the movie-making industry with this new offering, and as such will look to make a big push for the Ozo VR Camera in the coming days. How it fares in the market though only the future knows.
As a chunk of the world awaited Samsung’s release of their yearly flagship revision, LG got on stage and announced the G5. The Korean company which has remained an underdog in comparison to Samsung massive fan appeal may finally bring back its glory of the Nexus 5.
With a first look the all aluminum design is a stark reminder of the Nexus inspired design and while the LG G5 resembles the Nexus 6p it is much smaller and more rounded. Which the location of the fingerprint scanner and the bump of the camera module almost falling exactly in place.
The LG G5 has a 5.3 inch 2560 x 1440 pixel display which also features a new always-on technology which consumes a fraction of a single percent of battery power per hour.
Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 820 chipset, 4GB of RAM inside the G5. LG now actually offers two camera module on the back: a regular 16-megapixel image and a 135-degree wide angle 8-megapixel camera. with both offering different features and capability.
But with all of the above, the G5 is a mere upgrade with beefy specs and power to boot. Where it radically changes the perception of a flagship smartphone, is by offering a modular 3 tier design.
The LG G5’s bottom compartment slides out, and along with it the 2800 mAh battery. Once removed the module can be interchanged, presently LG offers two, and with third party manufacturers getting access the possibilities are vast. The ones on offer include a camera grip that adds advanced hardware controls for use with the main camera on the device and a beefier stack for a better grip in the hand. The module also doubles up as a battery pack, offering 1200 mAh of additional juice in today’s battery hungry age.
Of course, the personal preference and the more interesting module is the LG Hi-Fi Plus, an external 32-bit DAC and amplifier combo unit, manufactured in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen. It supports native DSD playback and will come with a pair of H3 B&O Play earphones.
Audiophiles have been long carrying portable amps and DACs and LG aims to remove that additional problem and this may work out really well for a lot of people.
LG has basically taken one step forward towards making a truly modular phone a reality. Now if we could just replace out the chipset and the camera we are golden.
LG has dropped a panic bombshell on the audience and the tech industry, and the world should take notice. This is the evolution of smartphone design, and with the future only closer to what modular requirements each customer would have.
Samsung has done little with the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge, a safer play, giving the consumer what they wanted. Hybrid sim-slot and waterproofing, are majority changes in the Galaxy S7 in comparison.
South Korean tech Giant, LG, announced its much-awaited flagship, the G5 in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress today. The G5 has a full metal body and comes with impressive specifications but the what sets the phone apart from its competition is the fact that it comes with modular attachments which for now can be utilised to enhance the camera and battery of the phone.
The company also announced modular accessories for the phone at the launch. Most interesting of the lot was the LG Cam Plus module which can be attached to the G5 through the battery slot giving the user “comfortable grip and convenient control of a DSLR” for better imaging and also adds to the battery of the phone taking the capacity up to 4000mAh.
Next is the Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play module. This is a Hi-Fi DAC audio player which is perfect for audiophiles. It can also play high-definition audio files encoded in 32-bit at 384KHz.
On the specifications front, the LG G5 comes packing a primary 5.3-inch QHD LCD display with 3D Arc Glass on top. It also has a cool Always-on feature that lights up the display for access to important updates. The phone’s construction is full metal unibody and is powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset, paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable by upto 2TB with microSD cards.
When it comes to photography, the phone is equipped with dual cameras at the back. A standard 16-megapixel 78-degree lens and another 8-megapixel 135-degree wide angle lens. The LG G5 features a front-facing 8-megapixel camera too for clicking selfies.
LG G5 comes packing a 2,800mAh removable battery with Quick Charge 3.0, and when it comes to connectivity it gives users options such as Bluetooth 4.2, NFC and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. The smartphone also features USB Type-C 2.0 port. The G5 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS with LG’s custom UI on top. The G5 will be available in four different colors, silver, gold, pink and silver. No pricing details have been revealed yet so watch this space for more details.
LG stated a while ago that its upcoming G5 flagship smartphone will come with market distruptive features. For LG to stay true to that promise, it looks like it won’t just rely on the G5 alone but on what the G5 can do with a little help from its friends. The LG G5 is said to launch with a mini-ecosystem of hardware add-ons and accessories collectively known as “G5 and Friends.” Reports claim that these could be a VR camera, a smartphone-controlled robot and, at least, two modular add-ons – for photography and audio – that will fit into the previously rumoured modular design of the G5 that has a removable bottom.
According to popular leakster Evan Blass, one of LG G5’s photography add-ons will include an 1100mAh battery and physical buttons for various camera functions — zoom, flash, shutter release, etc. A recent image of the module shows a large bump on the bottom back of the G5. It could also be that the modules will fit inside the G5 to its modular nature, if rumours are true. LG also recently revealed that the G5 will have an ‘Always On’ mode.
The audio add-on is being made in partnership with Bang & Olufsen, and adds a DAC (digital to analog converter) to the G5 to improve its sounds quality. Blass claims that the audio module is called LG Hi-Fi Plus, while the camera add-on is called LG Cam Plus. Additionally, it is also reported that LG will be launching a spherical camera for capturing 360-degree video and stills, called the LG 360 VR. There’s also a smartphone-controlled robot named the Rolling Bot (along the same lines as Sphero’s BB-8 toy).
We’re just a few days away from the MWC 2016 in Barcelona, where LG wlll unveil the G5. The tag line LG is going for is “Play Begins”, which is what LG plans on giving with the G5, a lot to play with.
Last year saw some incredible smartphones that pushed the boundaries of design and specification, making it difficult to pick out just one favourite. This year promises to do the same. We take a look at some of the most anticipated smartphone launches expected in 2016 and what we know about them so far.
iPhone 7
Apple’s iPhone 7 and Samsung’ Galaxy S7 are perhaps the most talked about flagship devices today. There’s just a lot of anticipation attached to the upcoming handsets and along with it a lot of rumours as well. The first round of rumours a few months ago suggested that the iPhone 7 will lose the home button and will sport an OLED display thereby giving up on LCD display that it has relied on so far. Apple followers will know that the Apple Watch is the only Apple device to sport an OLED display currently. Furthermore, the OLED display will either be supplied by LG or Samsung, or both.
Next up, the iPhone 7 is rumoured to be waterproof and will feature 3 GB of RAM. More recently, there have been talks related to Apple’s decision to ditch the headphone jack. This is part of Apple’s plan to improve the quality of music streaming. Furthermore, the loss of a headphone jack means more space for Apple to add a larger battery to the iPhone 7, as well as make the device thinner. We’ll just have to wait and see how this strategy plays out.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
There have been a lot of rumours and a lot of questions regarding the launch and specs of Samsung’s upcoming flagship Galaxy S7 devices. What everyone is expecting is Samsung to pull out another stunning flagship that pushes the boundaries of design and power, like it did with the Galaxy S6 series.
It’s almost confirmed that the Galaxy S7 will arrive in two variants – one powered by the new Snapdragon 820 chipset and the other by Exynos 8890.
Among the many rumours that have been making the rounds, some that have caught our attention is that the S7 devices will feature Apple’s 3D Touch-like pressure sensitive display called ClearForce that’s being developed by Synaptics. Additionally, the Galaxy S7 will have a Type C USB Port which means the device will charge significantly faster.
The flat Galaxy S7 will likely sport a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display while the ‘Edge’ variant will come with a 5.5-inch display of the same kind. In terms of design, Samsung is sticking to the S6 design language only upgrading the specs, which we’re not complaining about. The flagship devices are slated to be unveiled on February 21 at the MWC ‘Unpacked’ event.
HTC One M10
Being a successor to the One M9, the HTC One M10 will look to improve on specs wherever it can. The new iteration is said to come with a 5.5-inch QHD display. You can expect some bright, crisp colours under a Gorilla Glass 4 protection.
On the design front, the device will have the all-metal, unibody form associated with HTC flagships, along with curved edges and bezels to give it an attractive look. The One M10 will look a lot more like the One A9 than the One M9. From what recent renders tell us, HTC is ditching the BoomSound front speakers as well as the much-hated logo on the front that was found on the One M10. The HTC One M10 will sport a Snapdragon 820 chipset under the hood along with a powerful graphics card.
Other features include a Touch ID fingerprint scanner housed inside the home button, 4 GB of RAM with 16 GB and 32 GB internal storage variants, and a battery capacity of 3,500 mAh. The device is expected to come out sometime in March.
Xiaomi Mi 5
Xiaomi fans have been eagerly awaiting the Mi 5 flagship smartphone, which has been delayed due to the launch of the Snapdragon 820 chipset. Since Samsung has claimed exclusivity of the new chipset for the first quarter, the Mi 5 along with any other device sporting the new, powerful processor will all likely see a post-March release.
Recent rumours about the specs of the Mi 5 are contradictory with some claiming the Mi 5 will sport a 5.5-inch screen with quad HD (2560×1440) display and the others pointing to a 5.7-inch with Full HD display. What’s almost confirmed is a Snapdragon 820 chipset, 20MP primary camera and an 8MP front cameras. The device will also come with 3,800mAh battery and 4G LTE support. RAM is set at 4GB and the phone will offer 16GB/64GB/128GB storage options.
OnePlus 3
OnePlus 3 Render
OnePlus has done so much in so little time. The company, still in its infancy, has already released 3 spectacular devices -OnePlus One, OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X in the span of two years. This year, OnePlus will look to reclaim the title of the ‘flagship killer’ with the upcoming OnePlus 3 smartphone. Not much is known about the third flagship device, and only a couple of leaked renders have appeared giving rise to possible hardware specs.
The image above shows a brushed metal back instead of the usual sandstone panels. The new OnePlus might also feature a front speaker. The render shows that the handset could possibly come in two different colours.
From what we’ve heard so far, the new OnePlus device will sport a 5.5-inch UHD display with 5GB RAM. Sources also reveal a little about the hardware and display citing that the handset could arrive with the Snapdragon 820 chipset and a 1080p display resolution.
LG G5
LG G4
A Redditor recently leaked some specs and images of the LG G5. The device will sport a 5.3-inch Quad HD display, powered by the new Snapdragon 820 SoC with 3 GB of RAM and an 8 MP front camera. Other specs include a full metal body, SIM and MicroSD slot, heart rate sensor that’s under the camera module, a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, a USB Type-C port, bottom firing speaker and an IR blaster on top.
Some recent rumours have suggested a modular design for the LG G5 where the bottom is detachable so as to easily remove the battery pack. This, however, is still a long shot and nothing has been confirmed on that front.
A leaked image also suggests that the LG G5 will sport a dual camera set-up at the back – 16 MP and 8 MP. LG will launch the G5 flagship smartphone at the MWC next week.
Sony Xperia Z6
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
It looks like Sony is planning to launch a slew of devices under the Z6 line. It is rumoured that a total of six Z6 devices will be launched this year: a 4-inch Xperia Z6 Mini, a 4.6-inch Xperia Z6 Compact, a 5.2-inch Xperia Z6, a 5.8-inch Xperia Z6 Plus, a 6.4-inch Xperia Z6 Ultra, and a 5-inch Z6 Lite. Now, Sony is yet to confirm the rumours, but you can expect some, if not all, to be true.
What you can expect from the Xperia Z6 is a build that’ll reflect the Z5 with a squarer, flatter design rather than the traditional rounded edges that Sony had previously stuck to with the older models. The Z6 will also come with a fingerprint scanner added to the power side button.
The burning question is whether Sony will go for a 2K display with the 5.2-inch Xperia Z6 or will it continue with a Full HD display as it has with the Z5. Doing the former would mean having to sacrifice battery life, which Sony isn’t all too fond of doing at the moment.
Nokia C1
Nokia C1 Render
Nokia is all set to make a comeback with a new smartphone. This new device, allegedly called the C1, will be the first flagship device to bear the Nokia logo since the Finnish company was sold to Microsoft a few years ago.
There have been a number of leaked renders that claim the design of the C1, though each source has leaked different designs. One of the more recent renders show a very minimalist and sleek design, which actually looks pretty good, if confirmed as legit. The C1 is also depicted running both Android and well as Windows 10 OS.
Rumours suggest that the Nokia C1 will come in two variants. The first one will sport a 5.5-inch Full HD display and a 13 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. The device will also come with 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory expandable via microSD card slot.
The second variant will have a 5-inch Full HD display and will sport an 8 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of memory.
Countless leaks have already talked at length about how the upcoming flagship from LG, the G5 will come packing a Snapdragon 820 SoC upon its MWC 2016 launch, and today, Qualcomm, the company behind the Snapdragon chipsets has with a reader tweet all but confirmed that the phone will sport the best chipset that Qualcomm currently has to offer.
This will come as great news for Qualcomm which infamously saw the South Korean tech giant choose to ignore the previous top of the line chipset from Qualcomm for the better thermals of the 808.
Other specifications of the phone detail it to come equipped with 4GB RAM, a 5.6-inch QHD display, along with 8-Megapixel camera at the front, and a Dual 20-Megapixel, with laser autofocus and Optical Image Stabilization at the back. The device is also said to come in a modular design for easy access to the battery.
The Mobile World Congress 2016 is just a day away. The technology fest will see some major unveiling and some next-gen tech on display. In the smartphone department, two names have been given a lot of hype for many weeks now, and rightly so. Samsung and LG are both ready to unveil their flagship devices. We’ve heard rumours and leaked renders of both and now it’s time to see which flagship does better based on what we know so far.
Design
Samsung achieved a beautifully crafted phone with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and there is no reason why the Korean-based giant would want to steer away from that. From what the renders have told us the upcoming Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will follow the same design language as their S6 counterparts. Only the standard 5.1-inch S7 will have a curved edge at the back rather than a flat one seen on in the S6. The renders of the devices look great and Samsung may just have another great looking device on their hands.
The LG G5, on the other hand, is likely to go with a more squarish look as compared to the G4. The back may not be as curved as its predecessor. It is also rumoured that LG is incorporating a modular design with the G5. The G5’s modular design, according to rumors, involves a detachable bottom, which will reveal the battery and allow it to simply slide in and out. Not only does this design help in making a thinner looking device, but it also gives easy access to the removable battery. Furthermore, it is also rumoured that the G5 will feature a secondary display above the primary one that will display apps and notifications, similar to the LG V10.
Camera
When it comes to the camera, Samsung has done extremely well in decimating its competition with some superb camera modules in the S-series. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Plus had incredible cameras that won last year. This year, Samsung wants to take its camera up a notch which is why it’s using a new Britecell technology for the Galaxy S7. Rumours peg the rear camera at 12MP with f/1.7 aperture, which means that Samsung is focusing a lot more on quality while the front camera will be at 5MP.
The LG G5 is set to sport a dual camera set-up at the back – 16 MP and 8 MP. Leaked images posted in December show a dual camera fitted under a back panel. There’s also a flash and what looks like a fingerprint sensor below which is also expected to double up as the power button. LG has also done extremely well in the camera department and the V10 is one such phone in LG’s lineup that stands as proof. The cameras on the G5 is said to be developed by Sony.
Hardware
Both the flagship devices are expected to feature top-of-the-line and next-gen specifications. The Samsung Galaxy S7 upon launch is expected to to feature a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with Quad HD resolution, a new 12 MP BRITECELL camera with f/1.7 aperture, and a 5 MP secondary camera. Two SoC configurations are expected – one being the new Exynos 8890 and the other being Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820. 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage is expected as well as a MicroSD card slot this time around and the battery is expected to be upwards of 3500mAh. A fingerprint sensor will be housed in the home button.
The LG G5 is rumoured to come equipped with a 5.3-inch QHD display, sporting a Snapdragon 820 processor and 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage. It’s also suggested that LG G5 might include an eye scanner, USB-C connectivity and a fingerprint sensor.
Features
It has been rumoured that Samsung has been working on an Apple 3D Touch-like feature for the Galaxy S7 devices. The pressure sensitive feature, reportedly called ClearForce, is being developed by Synaptics. If this is true, we may just see apps for Android being updated to include pressure sensitive features as well, much like the apps for iOS. Meanwhile, another set of rumours suggest that the S7 will have Apple Live Photos-like feature which makes tiny GIF-like videos.
A recent teaser video posted by Samsung’s Indonesian page showed that the Galaxy S7 will be waterproof to some extent.
LG is planning to launch the G5 with market disrupting specs and features, according to rumours. Now while one unconfirmed feature involves a modular design with a removable bottom, LG has teased some other features as well such as an ‘Always On’ mode which displays notifications on the screen without having to turn the screen on. A dual rear camera setup and a secondary display will be the other highlights of the G5.
LG is gearing up for a busy week ahead it seems. The company had already revealed plans of unveiling the G5 and the new X series mid-range smartphones to the tech world next week at the Mobile World Congress 2016, and now the marketing guys at LG have gone ahead and dropped another bombshell.
The South Korean tech giant has now revealed that a sequel to last year’s G4 Stylus, which will be called the Stylus 2 will also be unveiled at MWC 2016. The Stylus 2 will also come with a pen, but unlike the last iteration, it will come with nano-coated tip instead of the previous rubber-tipped pen. According to LG this will offer increased accuracy.
Specifications of the phone list the Stylus 2 to be powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, and sport a 5.7-inch HD display. RAM is 1.5GB, while internal memory is 16GB which will be expandable up to 128GB. The phone will also house a removable 3,000mAh battery which will be great news for users.
On the camera front, the device features a 13MP rear shooter and an 8MP front shooter. Dimensions of the phone are 155 x 79.6 x 7.4mm and it weighs at 145g, the handset will run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, and will be available in three colors namely titan, white, and brown. Pricing details were not announced, but LG did reveal that the “Stylus 2 will be exceptionally priced.”
In an official comment, Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, said “LG Stylus 2 provides both the big screen and premium notetaking functions of a premium large phone at a price of a mid-tier phone. This device is another example of our commitment to the mass-tier segment where there is so much opportunity for growth and creativity.”
The Stylus 2 will also come with special features aimed at improving user experience. These include Pen Pop and Pen Keeper. Pen Pop “toggles a popup menu when the stylus is removed to offer shortcuts to Pop Memo and Pop Scanner,” Pen Keeper will help prevent the stylus from being misplaced by displaying “a popup message when the phone is detected as being in motion when the stylus bay is empty.”
We all know that LG is ready to unveil the G5 flagship smartphone at the MWC one week from today. It has been spoken about quite extensively. But that’s not all LG will be revealing at the event. The company is also ready to bring out its mid-range X series smartphones.
The two models in the LG X series, the X Cam and X Screen, will fall in the mid-range category for those consumers “who do not want or need all the bells and whistles that come with today’s high-end phones.” The devices will have a few high-end specs nonetheless.
The LG X Cam comes with a 5.2-inch screen, with 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution. An octa-core 1.14GHz CPU coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. This model sports two rear-facing cameras. One is 13MP while the other is 5MP, and an 8MP front-facing selfie shooter. Lastly, a 2520mAh battery brings the device to life and Android 6.0 comes pre-installed.
The LG X Screen features a 4.93-inch screen with a 720 x 1280 HD resolution. A 1.76-inch secondary screen is on top which shows notifications, time, weather and battery status without having to turn on the phone, similar to the one found on the LG V10. There are rumors that the G5 flagship will also come with a secondary screen. A quad-core 1.2GHz CPU powers the LG Screen couples with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The device comes with a 2300mAh battery, and Android 6.0 pre-installed. This model will be offered in Black, White and Pink Gold.
Pricing and availability will likely be revealed at the MWC next week.
GFXBench, which in the past has been our trusted friend in leaking specifications of upcoming phones, has now revealed to the Internet the details of an unknown handset from the stables of LG.
The latest listing reveals that the device will come equipped with the recently announced Snapdragon 625 chipset, the first of its kind to be manufacfured using a 14nm process.
The listing further reveals that the handset will sport a 5.3-inch Quad HD display. The phone will come with a respectable 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory.
The new smartphone which looks to be a budget device at best will come with 8-megapixel shooter at the front and the back. Surprisingly, the listing claims that the phone will run on the outdated Android 4.4 platform.
The listing further reveals this model number of the phone which bears the mark of the upcoming LG G5 model number, hinting to this being a toned down lite version of the soon to be launched G5, in which case the phone coming with Android 4.4 makes no sense.
Today we saw Qualcomm not just take the lid off it’s upcoming SoCs for mobile phones, but also along with it the company, take the opportunity to unveil its new range of processors for wearables. Qualcomm has aptly named it Snapdragon Wear 2100.
This is rather exciting news for smartwatch makers, and users alike. In the past manufacturers except Apple, and Samsung have had to use low end SoCs meant for mobiles in their wearables which led to improper management of energy, and wastage of scarce battery power.
Qualcomm sensing the need of the market has come out with a fix by introducing the Snapdragon Wear 2100 that is designed with wearables in mind.
The company claims that this dedicated solution will be 30% smaller in physical size than the S400, enabling more compact designs and thinner wearables. It will at the same time be 25% more power efficient than the S400 used in the Moto 360 2nd Gen.
The Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC is a quad-core system with Cortex A7 running at up to 800MHz or 1.2GHz paired with an Adreno 304 GPU and 400MHz LPDDR3.
Qualcomm with the Wear 2100 will also be able to offer an integrated X5 modem for basic cellular connectivity. Two versions of the chip will be provided (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi only), the other – connected, with full 2G/3G/LTE cellular connectivity. The chip also supports NFC and GPS, and comes with Quick Charge 2.0 capabilities.
And just in case more proof was needed about how important this launch is -we have LG’s Wearables branch Vice President David Yoon’sword who indicated that the Korean giant is already working on smartwatches which will be powered by the Snapdragon Wear 2100, and will be launched later this year.
With the Mobile World Congress right around the corner, giants of the smartphone world have taken it upon themselves to tease fans around the globe world every day about their upcoming flagships.
Latest in the line is LG, which has today taken the lid off the first accessory for its upcoming flagship, the G5. It has unveiled a Quick Cover case for the LG G5 with a mesh design that allows touch gestures through the cover and on to the screen. LG says the cover is wrapped in “a unique film with a glossy metallic finish” for a luxurious feel.
The mesh design quick cover helps the user access the display for minor tasks such as swiping to pick calls up and checking notifications without having to open the cover.
In line with the previous LG Quick Covers that the company has offered in the past, this one too has a small window that shows a part of the screen. For the G5, this small window will give a peak into the Always On mode of the phone which shows the date, time and notifications.
No pricing details for this beautiful looking cover have been revealed as of now.
As we approach closer and closer to February 21 where LG, among others, will unveil its flagship G5 smartphone, we will find a number of details in online that want fans to know everything about the device before it is unveiled. LG yesterday made official one of the features of the G5 and today we have some specifications confirmed by Geekbench benchmark test.
Apparently, someone with an LG G5 model decided to run a Geekbench test on the device and has posted the result online. We find that the device with the model number F700 will feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4GB of RAM and will run on Android 6.1 Marshmallow. The test also reveals the G5 scoring a 2248 in single-core test and 5061 in multi-core.
Now, these specs are but a few and aren’t all that surprising. Being an Android flagship device in 2016, one expects to see the above specifications. The F700 model number logically implies the G5 as the F600 and F500 in the past stood for the V10 and G4, respectively.
Other specs still unconfirmed include a dual rear camera setup, an 8MP front camera, 5.6-inch QHD display. The device is also said to come in a modular design for easy access to the battery. We’ll know if any of the alleged rumors are true in just a few days time.
Last week, LG confirmed that its LG G5 flagship will be officially unveiled on February 21 at the ‘Unpacked’ event just before the MWC. Today, just days before the unveiling, the company has revealed a new feature for the G5 – an Always On mode.
The Always On mode, much like the Active Display found in Motorola devices and Ambient Display in Google’s latest Nexus phones, displays notifications on the screen without having to turn the screen on. This feature that is slowly growing in importance will also be seen in the new Samsung Galaxy S7 devices, according to rumours.
The image release by LG shows the Always On feature as well as an outline of the phone itself, the shape of which looks similar to past renders of the device. Furthermore, it is also reported that the G5 will be made out of metal and will also feature a fingerprint scanner and a dual rear camera setup. It won’t be long before these rumours will be confirmed as we appraoch the big day.
After many rumours and leaks, we finally have some concrete news about this LG flagship. The G5 will be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress this month. LG has sent out invitations for an official event on 21st February at MWC in Barcelona.
We have heard a lot about the device the last couple of days. Rumours suggest that the LG G5 may come with a ‘modular’ design. Now before you thing of Google’s Proje ARA here, the G5 is going full modular, and you won’t be able to replace parts as you please. The G5’s modular nature is more to do with design rather than anything else. The design and the ability to still preserve the removable battery is LG’s top priority.
Other than this, it is also rumoured to come equipped with a 5.3-inch QHD display, sporting a Snapdragon 820 processor and 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage. It’s also suggested that LG G5 might include an eye scanner, USB-C connectivity and a fingerprint sensor. Speculation also points to a 21-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing sensor.
