LG has made its mark upon its loyal customers by offering a number of features no longer available in many premium smartphones, specifically storage expansion via microSD slot and a removable battery that can be swapped with a new one when the first one runs out.
Soon, these features may also leave the flagship LG smartphones, as a new report coming out of South Korean publication ETNews says LG is planning to unveil the LG G5 with a "full metal case."
If the report is true, then LG is certainly veering away from a distinctive design language that has set its phones apart from other manufacturers for three generations of smartphones. Even as other Android OEMs such as Samsung and HTC have gone the way of Apple and outfitted their flagships in an all-metal unibody, LG has stood its ground with the polycarbonate and leather cases for the LG G4.
Aside from the ability to offer them at slightly lower prices, one reason why LG has retained the plastic for its premium phones is the ability to provide room for other components inside the smartphone, such as the microSD slot and a bigger, removable battery. It seems, however, that OEMs, at some point, will have to make the decision to choose between these features and an all-metal design to evoke the same premium, plush feeling that holding an aluminum-bodied iPhone does.
The time for LG to do the same may have arrived. In the last quarter ending in October, LG posted its first loss for its smartphone business in the last six quarters, despite shipping 15 million smartphones during that period. The problem, the company said, was its inability to sell premium-priced smartphones, or smartphones above $400. Perhaps, the polycarbonate and leather didn't feel premium enough to customers? Perhaps a metal case would be more sufficient?
LG has toyed with metal for its smartphones in the past. In 2006, the OEM released the LG Shine, a slider mobile phone with a case made of metal. No premium LG smartphone has yet been given the full metal treatment, though just recently, LG launched the LG V10, which features a secondary display and a stainless steel frame that lends a lot of durability to the device's silicone body.
That said, there is no proof that smartphones sell better because of their metal cases. Samsung and HTC, for instance, continue to see declines in their phone business even after shifting to an all-metal design.
The LG G5 is expected to be unveiled sometime in February at the Mobile World Congress. Until then, all information available here is speculation and should be taken with a healthy dose of salt.
