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LG G5 Design Tipped in Renders; Magic Slot and More Detailed in New Leaks

LG G5 Design Tipped in Renders; Magic Slot and More Detailed in New Leaks

By Ketan Pratap | Updated: 20 February 2016 16:30 IST

LG's upcoming G5 flagship will be unveiled on Sunday at an event in Barcelona and the company has already confirmed it will showcase a galore of devices at the launch. While confirming the launch event, LG Mobile on its Facebook page said, "Come meet the new friends on the playground. LG G5 Day."

Now just a day before the launch, new details about the LG G5 smartphone's various features including 'Magic Slot' apart from other devices such as a 360-degree camera have surfaced. The smartphone was also leaked in two press renders, where it is visible from both front and back.

Evan Blass of Venture Beat in a report has claimed that the LG G5 will not be the only "piece of hardware on stage" as the company will showcase plug-in modules and customised accessories for the handset. This also means that the LG G5 may be the South Korean company's first attempt at modular handset.

According to Blass, the modules will be dubbed "G5 and Friends," and will be available as hardware components as both attached and independent. The company is also expected to introduce a new app which will be able to control the modules known as the LG Friends Manager. It adds that LG plans to just showcase two modules which will compatible with the slot - a battery grip for photography and digital audio chip (DAC) for sound.

Blass also posted a leaked press render image (seen above) of the LG G5 on Twitter showing the front of the handset with "Always On" display. The tipster had previously shared another leaked image (seen on top) on Twitter that he deleted shortly after some backlash on the social network, but not before it was picked up by other sites. Both images show the the front and back of the smartphone, including a rear camera setup, and the presence of a round fingerprint sensor that's placed on the rear - very similar to the Google Nexus 5X, also made by LG.

While it is not immediately evident, the bottom of the G5 appears to be detachable, and replaceable with new modules. This fact is further emphasised with the bottom part of the handset seen attached to a removable battery in a new leaked image. The leaked image (shared both on Weibo and by French mobile site Nowhereelse) is presumably of the retail box (seen below) of the LG G5 handset, alongside a tagline that said, "Life's good when you play more." The image also re-confirms the presence of Magic Slot, which is widely expected to be the bottom part of the handset.

Android Authority has posted separately posted a leaked image (seen below) claimed to show the LG Cam Plus which is said to serve multiple functions such as working like a shutter release, zoom and flash toggle through the hardware buttons. Additionally, the LG Cam Plus is said to pack an 1100mAh battery which will also complement the LG G5's removable battery. The second module is said to be the DAC which has been developed in partnership with Bang & Olufsen Play (B&O Play). Notably, the company had recently confirmed that it teamed up with B&O Play to deliver "enhanced high-quality audio experience" in its upcoming LG G5 flagship smartphone. This also makes the South Korean tech giant first to offer Hi-Fi audio features co-designed by B&O Play. LG has also showcased the LG G5 Quick Cover ahead of the MWC 2016, while Qualcomm has confirmed the G5 will sport the top-end Snapdragon 820 SoC on board.

For several weeks, LG has been rumoured to be working on a 'Magic Slot' on its latest G5 flagship and Android Authority claims that the feature will actually allow accessories or modules to be inserted into the device via bottom part. In the leaked image, the bottom part of the alleged gold-coloured LG G5 is seen featuring a bump which is said to be an inserted module. The leaked image also purportedly shows a dual-camera setup on the handset alongside the fingerprint sensor.

The South Korean is also said to debut a 360-degree camera dubbed LG 360 Cam which will be a spherical camera and will be able to capture 360-degree shots as well as videos at 16-megapixel and QHD resolutions, respectively. Also expected to be showcased at the MWC event is the company's LG 360 VR. Blass says that the VR headset from the company will feature nine-axis sensors and an 83-degree lens with its own LCD display. It adds that the LG 360 VR will be lighter than the competition including the Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, or the Oculus Rift. It suggests that LG's VR headset should be compatible with YouTube's 360-degree videos. Lastly, LG will also show a drone at the MWC 2016 event. Called Rolling Bot, the drone is likely to be remotely controlled and is expected to be capable of turning on or off the smart appliances at home.

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Further reading: Android, LG, LG G5, LG G5 Specifications, LG Mobiles, MWC, MWC 2016, Mobiles

Ketan Pratap

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Ketan Pratap is the editor at Gadgets 360 - with over 12 years of experience covering the technology domain. With a breadth and depth of knowledge in the field, he's done extensive work across news, features, reviews, and opinion pieces. But what's truly inspiring about Ketan is how he spends his free time. He's often found gazing at snow-capped mountains from over 20,000 feet while sitting on the hood of his car, taking in the breathtaking beauty of nature. His passion for the great ...More