LG's modular flagship, the G5, has been spending extended periods of time in the palms of reviewers just days away from the date consumers will get their hands on it. The critics have had a lot of good things to say about the inspired phone, but all of those are kept in check by plenty of negative points.
The LG G5 has a 5.3-inch Quad HD display, with a pixel density of 554 pixels per inch. It boasts a dual lens 16-megapixel rear camera with laser autofocus and an 8-megapixel selfie camera.
The Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow device is driven by a quad-core Kryo processor and an Adreno 530 GPU. It's stocked with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage space.
But the G5's standout feature is its modular "magic slot," which allows users to swap out the phone's battery for add-ons. Magic slot add-ons, so far, include a higher capacity battery, a camera grip with shutter button and a sound amplifier.
While recognizing the potential of the magic slot, even if it isn't truly realized in this generation, GSMArena stated that the modular design may fail to help the handset stand out among this year's class of flagship phones.
"The LG G5 may as well turn out to be the flagship with the least exciting design of the season," writes GSMArena. "It's refined, but it lacks character. It comes with quite a lot of hardware innovations and yet it looks trite."
While Digital Trends found the magic slot to be a bit "alien," its staff seemed to be pleased with the performance of the G5's camera.
"The LG G4 and the LG V10 are two of the very best camera phones ever made, and LG hasn't sacrificed any of that photographic prowess on the G5," writes Digital Trends' Andy Boxall. "The G5's camera is absolutely fantastic, and we can't stop taking pictures with it."
While unsure about the magic slot, Pocket Lint rated the G5's battery life as being "so-so." The fingerprint scanner is ideally placed, but it seems small, according to Pocket Lint's take on the G5's build.
"The G5's metal body looks and feels plastic despite being metal, and while all the 'micro-dizing' and subtle screen curvature sells might sound the part, they don't add-up for a phone that's especially stunning," writes Pocket Lint.
