LG G5 will feature dual displays and camera lenses, hardware expansion
-Besides the metal enclosure, perhaps the most distinctive feature of the 5.3-inch G5 — slightly smaller than the 5.5-inch G4, but with the same 1440 x 2560 QHD resolution — is the alleged secondary “ticker” display, first seen on the larger, 5.7-inch V10. VentureBeat understands that this smaller, 160 x 1040-pixel screen will be one of the company’s headline features across its 2016 lineup, appearing on multiple devices.
-The G5 is said to utilize a dual-lens configuration on the rear, giving the main 16-megapixel camera a 135-degree wide-angle capability, the source said.
-Underneath the trio of camera components sits a fingerprint sensor similar to the one found on this year’s Nexus 5X, also from LG. While rumors have swirled regarding an iris scanner — as retina scanner rumors have around the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge — nothing of that nature was revealed to VentureBeat.
-As far as battery capacity is concerned, LG, it seems, is taking a page out of Apple’s book. Just as the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are equipped with slightly smaller batteries than the prior model year, so too is the G5 alleged to shrink its removable pack down to 2800mAh, from the G4’s 3000mAh. Bear in mind, though, that the G5’s battery will supposedly power a smaller display and a more efficient processor.
-Curiously, there was no mention of a microSD slot, although we would not assume that the omission correlates to its lack of inclusion — especially since LG made the G4’s slot a significant marketing differentiator with respect to the Galaxy S6’s conspicuous lack of expandable storage.
-Finally, in what’s being described as a greater push into the high-margin accessories market, LG is said to have endowed the G5 with what’s being branded as the “Magic Slot.” While its physical incarnation isn’t very clear, it is said to enable some functional expansion by way of hardware modules. The examples we were given range from an array of specified cameras — action, 360 VR, “party” — to an audio amplifier to a physical keyboard.
-Neither price nor release details were shared with VentureBeat, beyond the generic “first quarter 2016 launch.” For reference, the LG G4 was both unveiled and released this past April.