The LG G5 teardown conducted by iFixit reveals modular components, which are cheap and easy to replace.
LG took the wraps off the LG G5 on Feb. 21 during the Mobile World Congress event and the smartphone has hit the shelves. The design of the LG G5 is quite different when compared to its predecessor — the LG G4.
The new LG flagship phone has a rounder, smoother and more metallic exterior when compared to its predecessor. However, iFixIt suggests that the LG G4 feels more comfortable in the hand than the LG G5. The modular design of the LG G5 and the use of LM201 aluminum alloy are the reasons why the LG G5 is slightly chunkier than the LG G4.
The SIM card and microSD card are housed in a single tray. The battery module comes out with a simple pull. The LG device has a 2,800 mAh battery and is affixed firmly to its module, which cannot be decoupled by accident. The front of the module is plastic while the back is made of aluminum. The module pieces are held together by glue.
iFixIt suggests that the removable battery makes it easy to take apart the LG G5. After taking out the battery module, only two screws are to be taken off to get access to all internal components of the LG G5.
The modular unibody design of the LG G5 makes it simple to take off the display, which is mounted to the case without any glue. After taking off the display other components including the headphone jack, vibrator motor and buttons are clearly visible and easily accessible.
Other components such as the 16-megapixel rear-facing camera, 8-megapixel selfie camera, the 4 GB RAM, Snapdragon 820 chipset Universal flash storage, NFC controller, USB-C switch, Qualcomm audio codec and more are also easily taken apart - thanks to the modular design.
iFixIt was able to conveniently tear down the Wi-Fi combo chip, Qualcomm LTE receiver, Skyworks power amplifier module, Qualcomm power management IC and more from the back of the motherboard.
Overall, iFixIt gave a repairability score of 8 out of 10 (10 being the easiest to repair) to the LG G5.
"The user-removable, slide-out battery is a huge boon to phone lifespan. No glue and few screws make for a relatively simple opening procedure. Standard Phillips #00 screws means the right tool is probably already in your toolbox. Many components are modular, making for easier, cheaper part replacement," says iFixIt.
It remains to be seen if the modular unibody design as found in the LG G5 catches on and other smartphone makers opt for a similar design for their mobile devices.
