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mel823

macrumors 6502a
Sep 7, 2012
628
324
NYC
LG has no prayer versus the announced Galaxy S7s.

I don't feel sorry for them. They tried to steal Samsung's thunder by announcing the phone on the same day, before them, and it backfired. HTC is looking somewhat smart holding off their announcement until a later date.
 
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Flow39

macrumors 68000
Sep 7, 2014
1,784
1,753
The Apple Store
The modular design is a good idea, but the overall phone is pretty meh. The screen size shrunk to 5.3", the software skin removed the app drawer (if I wanted no app drawer, I'd use iOS), and the software still blows. I'll pass.
 

2298754

Cancelled
Jun 21, 2010
4,890
941
I don't feel sorry for them. They tried to steal Samsung's thunder by announcing the phone on the same day, before them, and it backfired. HTC is looking somewhat smart holding off their announcement until a later date.

All of this. But it doesn't matter what LG or HTC try to do. Samsung marketing is top notch.
 

Tig Bitties

macrumors 603
Sep 6, 2012
5,517
5,692
I don't feel sorry for them. They tried to steal Samsung's thunder by announcing the phone on the same day, before them, and it backfired. HTC is looking somewhat smart holding off their announcement until a later date.

I agree. Plus the phone is a letdown, the design I don't mind, it's different and kind of cool looking. But 5.3" screen is the wrong way, what happened to everyone stating just a couple days ago 5.6" screen size ? And 2,800mAh battery WTF ? This phone would've been perfect with a 3,200mAh battery.

And that small 2800mah battery, didn't make the G5 ultra thin, like I'd expect if going small battery. It's a thick 8.1mm, thicker than any other newer phone released. So why's the G5 so thick but has a tiny battery ? Come on LG.
 
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Savor

Suspended
Jun 18, 2010
3,742
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I think LG is the winner in creativity/innovation this year. Samsung won it last year with the edge but only refined the winning formula this year. I think neither Korean manufacturers are losers here. LG is reaching Project Ara territory. Eventually these "gimmicks" will catch on.

But for 2016, even though I hate getting another phone without a removable battery which G5 has still maintained having, I'll go with Safesung this round. S7 camera alone is worth it but I want waterproofing. I prefer LG over Samsung as LG never gets the credit they deserve with their innovations. But S7 edge has got my money this year.
 
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Truefan31

macrumors 68040
Aug 25, 2012
3,589
835
The lg is interesting with the slot. It's a shame the phone restarts though if u switch them. Should be seamless to really show off the functionality.

I can see many a Kickstarter though and accessory oems getting creative though.
 

Fernandez21

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2010
4,840
3,183
The lg is interesting with the slot. It's a shame the phone restarts though if u switch them. Should be seamless to really show off the functionality.

I can see many a Kickstarter though and accessory oems getting creative though.
They should've built in a 100-200mah small battery to keep the phone powered while you switch the slot.
 
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Savor

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Jun 18, 2010
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The more I read about the G5, the more I want it over the S7 edge. LG is really thinking for the next decade. You can only do so much with a slab design. The biggest G5 complaints I hear are...

- FUGLY design. I think it is ok. When the Nexus 6P came out, not many people complained on the looks. What LG proved is you can have a metal design and still have a removable battery like the old HTC days. I think the slide-out modular design is a fantastic concept that is probably a few years ahead of its time. Some thought the fingerprint scanner was a gimmick before becoming a mainstay. Apple even copied the always-on Siri taking cues from the og Moto X.

- 2800 mAh battery. This might not be remedied except through the fast charging (0-83% in 30 minutes) and being swappable for something bigger.

Too many people complaining on the superficial when the real beauty with the G5 is within.. and it slides out too. I have went back and forth with the pluses and minuses of removable battery which other OEM's have gone away because of the metal or glass designs. LG just showed us how to have the best of both worlds while opening up potential with LG Friends with the other. By the 2020's decade, how we all use our smartphone will change with our daily habits.

LG G5 might be the most innovative smartphone since the original iPhone. But it is the LG hardware and not Apple software like what iOS brought to the table. The S6/S7 edge is more "gimmick" than the modular design of the G5. I hope more OEM's actually copy this modular design to revive removable batteries again. Because we all know battery is the first one to go broke after so many charges.
 

Truefan31

macrumors 68040
Aug 25, 2012
3,589
835
The more I read about the G5, the more I want it over the S7 edge. LG is really thinking for the next decade. You can only do so much with a slab design. The biggest G5 complaints I hear are...

- FUGLY design. I think it is ok. When the Nexus 6P came out, not many people complained on the looks. What LG proved is you can have a metal design and still have a removable battery like the old HTC days. I think the slide-out modular design is a fantastic concept that is probably a few years ahead of its time. Some thought the fingerprint scanner was a gimmick before becoming a mainstay. Apple even copied the always-on Siri taking cues from the og Moto X.

- 2800 mAh battery. This might not be remedied except through the fast charging (0-83% in 30 minutes) and being swappable for something bigger.

Too many people complaining on the superficial when the real beauty with the G5 is within.. and it slides out too. I have went back and forth with the pluses and minuses of removable battery which other OEM's have gone away because of the metal or glass designs. LG just showed us how to have the best of both worlds while opening up potential with LG Friends with the other. By the 2020's decade, how we all use our smartphone will change with our daily habits.

LG G5 might be the most innovative smartphone since the original iPhone. But it is the LG hardware and not Apple software like what iOS brought to the table. The S6/S7 edge is more "gimmick" than the modular design of the G5. I hope more OEM's actually copy this modular design to revive removable batteries again. Because we all know battery is the first one to go broke after so many charges.

Idk I'd think they'd try to advance battery tech vs going this route. Make batteries more efficient while reducing physical size. Increase longevity also.
 

nj-morris

macrumors 68000
Nov 30, 2014
1,897
804
UK
I agree. Plus the phone is a letdown, the design I don't mind, it's different and kind of cool looking. But 5.3" screen is the wrong way, what happened to everyone stating just a couple days ago 5.6" screen size ? And 2,800mAh battery WTF ? This phone would've been perfect with a 3,200mAh battery.

And that small 2800mah battery, didn't make the G5 ultra thin, like I'd expect if going small battery. It's a thick 8.1mm, thicker than any other newer phone released. So why's the G5 so thick but has a tiny battery ? Come on LG.

The thing is, a 5.6-inch screen would have fit in that body perfectly. The G5 is actually the same size as the G4, even with the smaller screen. And with that size, a bigger battery would have also been a great idea. I don't know what has become of LG.
 

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
The thing is, a 5.6-inch screen would have fit in that body perfectly. The G5 is actually the same size as the G4, even with the smaller screen. And with that size, a bigger battery would have also been a great idea. I don't know what has become of LG.
They tried too hard to be original and in the process forgot what has won them fans in the past.

As i said earlier i think they should have released the G5 as a revision of the V10/G4. Have a more premium exterior but improve the LG skin (perhaps go more stock like Sony) and increase battery size and maybe move to a super amoled panel.

Then released this device as a different handset as there 'one last thing' surprise.

Instead the only surprise is how alienating they have made their flagship device.

A skin / interface that hawks back to Android Gingerbread days, a modular design that seems to sell you hardware you would want as standard in your flagship as additional micro-transactions and a treated metal finish that pretty much makes going the premium materials route redundant .... It's a mess.
 
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nj-morris

macrumors 68000
Nov 30, 2014
1,897
804
UK
They tried too hard to be original and in the process forgot what has won them fans in the past.

As i said earlier i think they should have released the G5 as a revision of the V10/G4. Have a more premium exterior but improve the LG skin (perhaps go more stock like Sony) and increase battery size and maybe move to a super amoled panel.

Then released this device as a different handset as there 'one last thing' surprise.

Instead the only surprise is how alienating they have made their flagship device.

A skin / interface that hawks back to Android Gingerbread days, a modular design that seems to sell you hardware you would want as standard in your flagship as additional micro-transactions and a treated metal finish that pretty much makes going the premium materials route redundant .... It's a mess.

I found it dumb how they put the always-on display with the display still being LCD. I don't think they get that OLED is generally better, let alone with the display always being on.
 
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JaySoul

macrumors 68030
Jan 30, 2008
2,629
2,865
I absolutely applaud the innovation that LG have displayed here, it's incredible.

But I wouldn't buy this phone (and I had the G3 and G4). It's half-baked.
 

Savor

Suspended
Jun 18, 2010
3,742
918
I have gotten bored on the things most smartphones can do. And generally most newer phones do the same thing just a little faster or better in areas every year. I thought 2015 was a disappointing year for smartphones thanks to the problematic Snapdragon 810. It looks like 2016 os starting off more promising.

I don't get why Samsung gets praised for bringing back two features (micro-sd slot, waterproofing) that was already there for the S5 while using the same design of the S6. While LG gets criticized for thinking different and for having more foresight. The G5 looks better than every single non-edge Galaxy S1-S7. At least they went metal. The material has its flaws like scraping, chipping, and dents but I'll still take it over dual-sided glass that has been six years overused.

Practicality -
Modular design > dual-sided edge display

The disadvantage is I hate in what both Koreans OEMs are doing is having this always on secondary display. This will kill standby time. LG's IPS will die faster than Samsung's AMOLED. But 2016 is supposed to be the year of VR. I'm looking forward to watching LG create a HARDWARE accessory ecosystem... I see Virtual Reality becoming more mainstream by the 2020's especially for gaming, arcade attractions, and travel agencies right after other wearables.

I need to see this G5 in person and see how comfortable it is to hold and not be annoyed by any loose parts once I detach the bottom. I'm thinking Tom Cruise dancing in Tropic Thunder everytime I think G5.
 
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Truefan31

macrumors 68040
Aug 25, 2012
3,589
835
I have gotten bored on the things most smartphones can do. And generally most newer phones do the same thing just a little faster or better in areas every year. I thought 2015 was a disappointing year for smartphones thanks to the problematic Snapdragon 810. It looks like 2016 os starting off more promising.

I don't get why Samsung gets praised for bringing back two features (micro-sd slot, waterproofing) that was already there for the S5 while using the same design of the S6. While LG gets criticized for thinking different and for having more foresight. The G5 looks better than every single non-edge Galaxy S1-S7. At least they went metal. The material has its flaws like scraping, chipping, and dents but I'll still take it over dual-sided glass that has been six years overused.

Practicality -
Modular design > dual-sided edge display

The disadvantage is I hate in what both Koreans OEMs are doing is having this always on secondary display. This will kill standby time. LG's IPS will die faster than Samsung's AMOLED. But 2016 is supposed to be the year of VR. I'm looking forward to watching LG create a HARDWARE accessory ecosystem... I see Virtual Reality becoming more mainstream by the 2020's especially for gaming, arcade attractions, and travel agencies right after other wearables.

I need to see this G5 in person and see how comfortable it is to hold and not be annoyed by any loose parts once I detach the bottom. I'm thinking Tom Cruise dancing in Tropic Thunder everytime I think G5.

Yeah like seriously a part of me feels bad for all those s6 buyers last year especially those who paid full price on phones that dropped in both price and value in mere weeks/months. Samsung supposedly listened to customers after the s5 and ditched ir, removable battery, expandable storage. Now they supposedly listened to customers again and gave back the things they took away in the s5 except the ir and removable battery. Then they'll probably be an active series on top of that in a few months then the note 6 and note 6 edge after that. And they wonder why they're having slumping quarters.
 

Tig Bitties

macrumors 603
Sep 6, 2012
5,517
5,692
I feel LG just didn't think this through, once you start comparing the G5 to the new competition. I'm really no Samsung fan, but of the two new phones, the LG G5 and Galaxy S7 Edge, you seem to be getting a lot more with the S7 Edge.

Size = 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm 159g - LG G5
Size = 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm 157g - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Size wise they are extremely similar, with the larger screen S7 Edge actually almost smaller than the G5, it's narrower and weighs less.

Battery = 2,800mAh in the G5, and 3,600mAh in the S7 Edge, that's a MASSIVE difference in battery.
Screen size = 5.3" G5, 5.5" S7 Edge
Waterproof = S7 Edge only
Wireless Fast QuickCharge = S7 Edge only

Overall, the S7 Edge will give you a larger screen, but basically same size phone as the G5, a massively larger battery on the S7 Edge over the G5, which is a huge deal, water resistant on the S7 Edge. Wireless quick charge on the S7 Edge, etc... I really wanted to like the G5, and I sort of like the design on it, but that 5.3" screen in still a large overall phone is a turnoff, as is the tiny 2,800mAh battery kind of crappy to me.
 
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Truefan31

macrumors 68040
Aug 25, 2012
3,589
835
I feel LG just didn't think this through, once you start comparing the G5 to the new competition. I'm really no Samsung fan, but of the two new phones, the LG G5 and Galaxy S7 Edge, you seem to be getting a lot more with the S7 Edge.

Size = 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm 159g - LG G5
Size = 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm 157g - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Size wise they are extremely similar, with the larger screen S7 Edge actually almost smaller than the G5, it's narrower and weighs less.

Battery = 2,800mAh in the G5, and 3,600mAh in the S7 Edge, that's a MASSIVE difference in battery.
Screen size = 5.3" G5, 5.5" S7 Edge
Waterproof = S7 Edge only
Wireless Fast QuickCharge = S7 Edge only

Overall, the S7 Edge will give you a larger screen, but basically same size phone as the G5, a massively larger battery on the S7 Edge over the G5, which is a huge deal, water resistant on the S7 Edge. Wireless quick charge on the S7 Edge, etc... I really wanted to like the G5, and I sort of like the design on it, but that 5.3" screen in still a large overall phone is a turnoff, as is the tiny 2,800mAh battery kind of crappy to me.

I think this is a intro into what lg hopes are endless possibilities. That slot imo can make or break the user experience. Sad it restarts when changed but the accessory oem market for this phone could be huge.
 

kasakka

macrumors 68020
Oct 25, 2008
2,389
1,083
I can't really find much to praise on the S7 Edge either. The edge display is a useless gimmick that just makes the edges of the screen harder to view.

At this point all I really want in a phone is something with a fingerprint sensor on the back, 76mm width or less, a 5.5+ screen at 1080p or above and a good battery life. If I want a compact phone, I want something around the size of the Galaxy S4 or Oneplus X but if I go larger I don't want anything bigger than my current Oneplus One.

I think a Note 5 with the fingerprint reader in the back, with on screen buttons would be my ideal phone. It doesn't seem like that a hard product to make yet nobody does it. Putting any frequently accessed buttons on the bottom is annoying because I find them hard to reach and trying to use a fingerprint reader there is a pain in the ass.
 

Fernandez21

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2010
4,840
3,183
I think a Note 5 with the fingerprint reader in the back, with on screen buttons would be my ideal phone. It doesn't seem like that a hard product to make yet nobody does it. Putting any frequently accessed buttons on the bottom is annoying because I find them hard to reach and trying to use a fingerprint reader there is a pain in the ass.
That sounds a lot like the Nexus 6P, have you looked into that phone?
 
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spriter

macrumors 65816
May 13, 2004
1,460
586
After looking over the hands on videos and impressions write ups, I don't think LG can tempt me yet. And whilst I agree they've been bold, it's come at the wrong time.

They need a ton of killer 'Friends' to get this concept off the ground and get a clear foothold. When one of the launch Friends is a rolling ball-camera-pet-following-something it leaves me thinking they ran out of genuine must-have ideas. And withholding the Friends pricing only makes me think it's not gonna be easy to swallow. The fewer Friends I want/need/can afford, the less likely I am to buy the handset given the competition.

The other big kicker is the battery. Yes, it's removable but it's small by comparison so almost had to be removable... particularly if you're going always on with an LCD display.

I'd much rather have a bigger battery that will last me a day than a smaller one that needs swapping or charging at 4pm. Yes, swapping is nice but it's still an inconvenience. And road trips or long hauls can already be solved with portable packs or a battery case. Or better still the in-seat power socket or in-car charger.

I admire the overall concept but think they've come up short in terms of execution this time around - it's just not a compelling option at this stage.
 

Savor

Suspended
Jun 18, 2010
3,742
918
I think for 2016, Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is better for the mass consumers. Since I prefer the "s" years for iPhones, it is the way to go. Samsung doesn't need to be applauded for bringing back two features the underrated and maligned S5 had two years ago. But it doesn't seem to have alot of weaknesses especially if used for the next two years. Better contract phone. The G5 will age better over the S7 though because of the removal battery and LG Friends. G5 will still be usable than S7 by 2019 when Star Wars 9 comes out.

For 2017, let LG refine the modular concept and correct the smallish battery concerns. It surprisingly went smaller at "5.3, but QHD with Snapdragon 820 still can't be fed enough with 2800 mAh. This is the G5's main Achilles heel along with the camera hump on the back. G5 might be the worst looking design among all the G flagships. I actually prefered the power/volume buttons on the back. It gave LG flagships character on the rear which are generally boring designs on the backside. They went Huawei Nexus 6P backwards with it.

Forget Tropic Thunder, let Far East Movement song get into our heads by 2017 as LG can start feeling fly like a G6.

2016-2018 = S7 edge is the better device
Beyond 2018 = G5 will age better

Thank goodness we get 4 GB of RAM on these devices. Should be standard for the next 3-4 years. I hate when iPhone 6/6+ were released in 2014, it only got 1 GB which will make it age the worst like iPhone 4's single-core.
 

kasakka

macrumors 68020
Oct 25, 2008
2,389
1,083
That sounds a lot like the Nexus 6P, have you looked into that phone?

Close but no cigar. It's a lot taller, almost two mm wider and has the SD810 chip which in my experience is an overheating POS. Physical dimensions vs screen size is quite important for me and that's why I can't be bothered with a large majority of phones out there. Just too much bezel.

Samsung seems to be one of the only ones making phones that have mostly screen taking surface space but now looking at Sony's Xperia X it actually looks pretty nice. If they later announce a larger model with similar display to bezel ratio I might consider it as I really liked the Z5 Compact if it wasn't for the 720p screen and lagging and hot SD810.
 
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