LG put all the rumors to rest and unveiled its 2016 flagship smartphone, the LG G5, to kick off Mobile World Congress 2016. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint have all confirmed a release on their networks.
The LG G5 has been making headlines for months leading up to its official launch. The smartphone was reported to be a major departure from that of its predecessors and those features included a premium unibody aluminum case and first of its kind modular design.
In late January, LG tweeted a jab at rival, Samsung, for not including a removable battery in the Galaxy S6, a feature the company offered in each previous model and often used in advertising against Apple's sealed iPhones. The message from LG appeared to confirm its next-gen flagship smartphone; the LG G5 would not compromise such an important feature for a metal design like Samsung and it delivered on that when it unveiled the LG G5 at its press event to kick off Mobile World Congress 2016.
The LG G5 features a 5.3-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad HD display with a pixel density of 554 pixels per inch (ppi) and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, Adreno 530 GPU and has 4 GB of RAM. It includes 32 GB of internal storage and a microSD expansion slot that supports up to 2 TB microSD cards, all housed in a sleek aluminum body.
The LG G5's camera capabilities include two cameras on its rear, one with a standard 78-degree lens and the other with a 135-degree lens, which allows users to capture images 1.7 times wider than any other smartphone on the market. It also boasts an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter for video calling and selfies. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and ships with a 2,800 mAh removable battery.
LG introduced a new modular type design for the G5 that allows users to swap out its battery and add hardware accessories by simply sliding out the bottom of the smartphone. LG has introduced a digital camera add-on that also adds an extra 1,200 mAh battery and Hi-Fi player that rocks B&O Play for enhanced sound.
All four major U.S. carriers have officially announced they will offer their customers the LG G5.
Verizon will offer the LG G5 in choice of Silver and Titan and has created a registration page where interested customers can sign up to receive information on the smartphone. The carrier hasn't specified an exact release date and notes the LG G5 will be available this spring with select device modules and accessories.
AT&T announced it would offer the LG G5 and its accessories and has created a page where it will provide information on pricing and release date in the coming weeks. The carrier will offer the LG G5 in choice of Silver, Titan, Gold, and Pink.
T-Mobile has confirmed it will be bringing the LG G5 to its network but hasn't provided any details on pricing, availability, color options beyond a link to LG's official G5 page.
Sprint issued a statement confirming it will offer its customers the LG G5. The carrier has created an LG G5 preview page where it will provide pricing and release date information in the coming weeks. The carrier will offer the LG G5 in choice of Silver, Titan, Gold, and Pink.
We'll be sure to update you on any new LG G5 details as they become available.
