LG, which has come under fire for using a plastic cover instead of metal for the LG G5 as claimed, has clarified that it is not plastic but primer.
For the unfamiliar, the flagship smartphone from LG, the LG G5, is being touted by the South Korean company as a premium device that has a metal uni-body. However, as we reported earlier in the week, a teardown revealed that the smartphone packs in plenty of plastic and is not all-metal as the company's marketing would have customers believe.
For the record, LG asserted at the time of the smartphone's debut in February at the Mobile World Congress 2016 (MWC 2016) that the LG G5 handset had a metal uni-body.
"[LG] today unveiled its highly anticipated LG G5 smartphone, a brand new design with not only a sleek, metal uni-body featuring a Slide-out Battery and a Modular Type design that gives a greater smartphone experience," claimed the company at the time.
However, last week, YouTuber JerryRigEverything, who is well-known for the robust tests he carriers out on smartphones, put the LG G5 under the scanner. What did JerryRigEverything find when scrutinizing the handset and putting it through a scratch test among a battery of other examinations? That the LG G5 was half metal and half plastic!
Basically, while scratching through the LG G5 with a sharp blade, the YouTuber discovered that the only the external layer of the smartphone sported a metallic finish. The supposedly aluminum backplate was essentially a thick layer of plastic atop of an aluminum chassis. The metallic paint was scraped off with ease revealing the plastic beneath and the aluminum layer resting below.
This revelation caused quite a stir online and understandably wound up several consumers who purchased the smartphone. The cat was out of the bag as to why the LG G5 was so light and yet did not have a premium feel in one's hands unlike other metal-based smartphones.
The contradiction to the company's statement raised quite a furor and now LG has finally cleared the air and clarified its stance to Phone Arena.
LG says that what JerryRigEverything scraped off from the device's backplate was a thick layer of primer and not plastic as thought. The primer had paint on it.
"What you're seeing there is primer, not a plastic cover. As you know, primer is used to get paint to bond to aluminum, which is what we used for the G5's body," clarified LG. "The aluminum alloy we sourced is known as LM201b (patent pending) and was developed at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology for use in automobiles and aircraft. LM201b, unlike the aluminum used in other smartphones, is diecast uni-body which makes it very sturdy while still maintaining lightweight properties."
The reason one cannot feel the lines is because LG was able to formulate a method to integrate the antenna bands into the aluminum flawlessly. The aluminum alloy was covered with both primer and paint using microdizing.
The LG spokesperson added that it is not correct to call a product not "all metal if paint is involved." The company also explained that even anodized metal scratches off. The process used by LG was different but accomplished the company's goal of offering a lightweight and durable metal finish seamlessly.
"We weren't interested in doing what has already been done. When did this become a bad thing?," noted the company.
