Phone lgi g5. LG G5 - Specifications

Despite the fact that LG is responsible for the very successful Nexus 5 and , the Korean company has not yet been able to get into the first echelon of smartphone manufacturers - everything there is occupied by the Chinese, as well as Samsung and Apple. Realizing the situation, LG is taking a step towards unusual and niche devices - this movement is confirmed by the gradual winding down of production of Nexus 5X, which was unable to repeat the success of its predecessor. LG G5 at least aroused serious interest and gossip: wouldn’t this design be flimsy? Is it really necessary to have two main cameras?

In Russia, another topic for discussion has been added to this: at the start of sales, the LG G5 will be supplied in a simplified se version, which is distinguished by the use of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 system-on-chip instead of the Snapdragon 820 and 3 GB of RAM instead of 4. These are the differences, actually , are exhausted - but the image suffers somewhat. The fact is that the lightweight version costs the same 50,000 rubles - the same as the Samsung Galaxy S7 or Apple iPhone 6s in “full” versions. Is it really that important?

⇡ Specifications

	LG G5 SE (H845)	LG G4	LG V10	Huawei P9	Samsung GALAXY S7
Display	5.3 inches, IPS, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 554 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.5 inches, IPS, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 538 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.7 inches, 2560 × 1440, IPS, 515 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.2 inches, IPS, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 424 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.1 inches, AMOLED, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 575.9 ppi, capacitive multi-touch
Air gap	No	No	No	No	No
Protective glass	Corning Gorilla Glass 4	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass 4	Corning Gorilla Glass (version not specified) on both sides
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (four ARM Cortex-A72 cores, 1.8 GHz + four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.4 GHz)		Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.4 GHz + two ARM Cortex-A57 cores, 1.82 GHz)	Huawei Kirin 955 (four ARM Cortex-A57 cores, 2.5 GHz; four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.8 GHz)	Exynos 8890 Octa (four ARM Cortex-A57 cores, 2.6 GHz; four ARM Cortex-A53 cores, 1.6 GHz)
Graphics controller	Adreno 510, 550 MHz	Adreno 418, 600 MHz	Adreno 418, 600 MHz	Mali-T880 MP4, 900 MHz	Mali-T880 MP12, 650 MHz
RAM	3 GB	3 GB	4 GB	3/4 GB	4 GB
Flash memory	32 GB	32 GB	64 GB	32/64 GB	32/64 GB
Memory card support	Eat	Eat	Eat	Eat	There is, in the S7 Duos version, a combined slot for a memory card and SIM card
Connectors	USB Type-C, 3.5 mm minijack	microUSB, 3.5 mm minijack	microUSB, 3.5 mm minijack	USB Type-C, 3.5 mm minijack	microUSB, 3.5 mm minijack
SIM cards	Two nanoSIM	One microSIM	Two nanoSIM	One nanoSIM/two nanoSIM	One nanoSIM/two nanoSIM
Cellular connection 2G		GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
Cellular 3G	HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz	HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz	HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz	HSDPA 800/850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100 MHz	HSPA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
Cellular 4G	LTE Cat. 6 (up to 300 Mbit/s): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 38, 40	LTE Cat. 6 (up to 300 Mbit/s): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 17, 20, 28	LTE Cat. 4 (up to 150 Mbit/s), bands 1, 3, 7	LTE Cat. 6 (up to 300 Mbit/s): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40	LTE Cat support. 12 (up to 600/50 Mbit/s): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 20
WiFi	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth	4.2	4.1	4.1	4.2	4.2
NFC	Eat	Eat	Eat	Eat	Eat
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Sensors	Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), barometer, pedometer, IR sensor	Light, proximity, pressure, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), pedometer, IR sensor		Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass)	Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), barometer, heart rate
			Light, proximity sensor, pressure sensor, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), pedometer, IR sensor
Fingerprint's scanner	Eat	Eat	Eat	Eat	Eat
Main camera	Dual camera: 16 MP, f/1.8 + 8 MP, f/2.4, laser autofocus, optical stabilization, 4K video recording		16 MP, ƒ/1.8, laser autofocus, LED flash, optical stabilization, Full HD video recording	Leica, dual module, 12 megapixels, f/2.2, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, 4K video recording	12 MP, ƒ/1.7, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, optical stabilization, 4K video recording
Front-camera	8 MP, fixed focus	8 MP, fixed focus	5 MP, fixed focus, 80° viewing angle + 5 MP, fixed focus, 120° viewing angle	8 MP, fixed focus	5 MP, fixed focus
Nutrition	Removable 10.8 Wh battery (2800 mAh, 3.85 V)		Removable 11.4 Wh battery (3000 mAh, 3.8 V)		Non-removable 11.4 Wh battery (3000 mAh, 3.8 V)
Size	149.4 × 73.9 × 7.3 mm	149 × 76 × 9.8 mm	160 × 80 × 8.6 mm	145 × 70.9 × 7 mm	142.4 × 69.6 × 7.9 mm
Weight	156 grams	155 grams	192 grams	144 grams	152 grams
Housing protection	No	No	No	No	IP68 Up to half an hour at a depth of 1.5 m
operating system	Android 6.0 Marshmallow, LG Optimus UX 5.0 UI shell		Android 6.0 Marshmallow, LG Optimus UX 4.0 UI shell	Android 6.0 Marshmallow, own EMUI 4.1 shell	Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Samsung's own TouchWiz shell
Current price, rub.	49 990	30 000	35 000	Approximately 50,000	From 49 990

LG G5 se - information about the filling according to the Droid Info application

⇡ Appearance and ergonomics

If the LG G3 and LG G4 were similar to each other with their cat-like “back” and textured back surface (in the case of the G4, even leather was used), then the LG G5 se is like a step into the world of traditional values. The flat back panel is made of metal, and the volume key has returned to the side. However, the power button, combined with a fingerprint scanner, remains at the back. In the company of two camera eyes, it creates an image reminiscent of a shocked emoticon - and really, how many smartphones have you seen with two cameras at once?

LG G5 se, front panel: above the display there is an earpiece, status indicator, front camera and light sensor

However, Huawei with Honor 6 Plus and the new P9 asks you to calm down - they also have two main cameras, albeit used for other purposes. Let's return to design. Due to the metal, rather than leather, back, the smartphone does not cling to the palm as much - but matte metal cannot be called slippery either. But the smartphone has become much thinner (7.3 mm versus 9.8 mm) and slightly narrower - there is also a smaller display: 5.3 inches versus 5.5 inches for the G4. As a result, it is difficult to say which smartphone is more comfortable to use - everyone has their own trump cards. Although the G5 has a "joker" - a beveled surface above the display, it is very pleasant to drag your finger across it, pulling down the notification panel.

LG G5 se, rear panel: camera unit with two lenses, dual LED flash and laser autofocus eye, below is the power button combined with a fingerprint scanner

The dimensions of the display are quite comfortable - it is no longer too small (although I personally don’t mind 4-4.5-inch smartphones), but still quite suitable for working with one hand. Even though it’s difficult to fit, even I, who has very long fingers, have to reach the corners of the screen. Girls, for example, will have to use their second hand. However, 5.3 inches is still a very reasonable compromise in this age of throwing.

The smartphone is offered in three colors: gold, pink and gray. Once again there was no black case - it seems that the times of “black bricks” have indeed sunk into oblivion. We tested the gray one - the simplest and, I think, popular option.

The rear button, like the camera block, protrudes slightly above the body - if the cameras simply could not be placed entirely in the thin body, then the slight swelling of the key allows you to quickly feel it blindly.

It’s difficult to talk about the build quality and weak points based on the results of a week of testing, but there is an obvious point - since the smartphone is modular, it means it’s definitely not monolithic. In the photographs you can see that the bottom panel does not fit evenly to the body, this is especially noticeable in the photo of the left side. And there is a very serious possibility that it is in this place that the case may become loose when constantly changing modules: at MWC 2016, LG’s stand was strewn with smartphones with large gaps between the display and the bottom panel. On the other hand, this increases maintainability when the battery fails.

A fingerprint scanner is built into the power button. Software - everything is as usual: the scanner is configured in a standard way, helps to unlock the device or confirm payment on Google Play, and by combining it with the power button, it can activate the smartphone in one movement. But either the sensor itself does not work very accurately, or the problem is that you place your finger on the back button at an unusual angle - it did not always recognize me on the first try.

⇡ Modules

The likely source of problems with the reliability of the case and the main distinguishing feature of the LG G5 (and LG G5 se) is the modular design.

The lower part unfastens in one movement - just pull it by holding the small button on the left side. The button, by the way, does not protrude above the body and has a very tight movement, so that accidental presses are excluded. By default, in this way we gain access to the battery - in which case it can be easily changed without contacting the service. The smartphone, naturally, turns off - such gadgets have not yet learned to work without power.

There are currently two modules with which you can improve your smartphone: LG CAM Plus and LG Hi-Fi Plus. LG CAM Plus is essentially a protrusion for gripping your smartphone like a camera, with a built-in 1200 mAh battery and additional controls: a shutter button, camera on, video recording and a zoom wheel. It slightly extends the battery life of the device and makes shooting in horizontal orientation easier - holding a smartphone with it is more comfortable, your hands don’t shake as much and you can set longer shutter speeds when shooting in the dark. LG CAM Plus will cost about $85.

The company's new flagship with replaceable body parts

At the end of April, LG Electronics presented its new mobile products on the Russian market and on the same day announced the opening of pre-orders for the LG G5 se smartphone. It is curious that in the current economic conditions, LG decided to launch in Russia with a simplified version of the LG G5 se and only then bring the flagship LG G5 to the market. In fact, the difference between these two modifications lies only in the type of processor and the amount of RAM, and in all other respects, the presented LG G5 se model is practically a copy of its older sister.

Key Features of LG G5 se (model LG-H845)

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (MSM8976), 8 cores: 4x1.8 GHz (ARM Cortex-A72) + 4x1.4 GHz (ARM Cortex-A53)
• GPU Adreno 510 @600 MHz
• Operating system Android 6.0
• Touch display IPS 5.3″, 2560×1440, 554 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB, internal memory 32 GB
• SIM cards: Nano-SIM (2 pcs.)
• Supports microSD memory cards up to 2 TB
• GSM networks 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• WCDMA 900/2100 MHz networks
• LTE networks FDD Band 3/7/20, TDD Band 38/40
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Concurrency
• DLNA, Miracast
• Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
• USB 2.0 Type C, OTG
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• Direction, proximity, lighting sensors, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, magnetic compass, infrared transmitter, fingerprint scanner
• FM radio, plug-ins
• Camera, two modules: 16 MP, f/1.8 and 8 MP, f/2.4; autofocus, LED flash
• Front camera 8 MP, f/2.0
• Battery 2800 mAh
• Fast charging Quick Charge 3.0
• Dimensions 149×74×7.7 mm
• Weight 157 g

Since the hero of the review is distinguished from the older model LG G5 only by a less powerful SoC, it is quite possible to outline the main competitors for the LG flagship:

	LG G5 se	LG G4	Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	Apple iPhone 6s Plus
Screen	5.3″ IPS, 2560×1440, 554 ppi	5.5″ IPS 2560×1440, 534 ppi	5.5″ Super AMOLED, curved on both sides, 2560×1440, 534 ppi	5.5″ IPS, 1920×1080, 401 ppi
SoC (processor)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (4x Cortex-A72 @1.8 GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.4 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (2x Cortex-A57 @1.8 GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5 GHz)	Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa (4 Mongoose cores @2.6 GHz + 4 Cortex-A53 cores @1.6 GHz)	Apple A9 (2 cores @1.8 GHz)
GPU	Adreno 510	Adreno 418	Mali-T880	Apple A9
Flash memory	32 GB	32 GB	32 GB	16/64/128 GB
Connectors	Micro-USB Type C (with OTG support), 3.5mm headset jack		Micro-USB (with OTG support), 3.5mm headset jack	Lightning dock connector, 3.5mm headset jack
Memory card support	microSD (up to 2 TB)	microSD (up to 2 TB)	microSD (up to 200 GB)	No
RAM	3 GB	3 GB	4 GB	2 GB
Cameras	rear (16/8 MP; 4K video), front (8 MP)	rear (16 MP; 4K video), front (8 MP)		rear (12 MP; 4K video), front (5 MP)
LTE support	There is	There is	There is	There is
Battery capacity (mAh)	2800	3000	3600	2750
operating system	Google Android 6.0.1	Google Android 5.1	Google Android 6.0.1	Apple iOS 9.0 (updated to 9.2.1)
Dimensions (mm)*	149×74×7.7	149×76×9.8	151×73×7.7	158×78×7.3
Weight (g)	157	155	157	190
average price	T-13804120	T-12466715	T-13485518	T-12858631
LG G5 se retail offers	L-13804120-10

Left - LG G5 se, right - LG G4

Appearance and ease of use

Since the described modification of the LG G5 se does not differ from the flagship G5 in terms of design, we can talk in this case about both models. The new flagship has a body that is surprisingly different from all previous models in the G line. If the back wall of the same G4 had an arched bend and noticeably tapered towards the ends, then here the wall itself is flat, like the sidewalls. But there are no right angles here either: all the elements have received slight roundings, so that the body as a whole resembles a pebble turned on all sides.

Many complain that as a result of this “simplification”, the new LG flagship has lost its individuality, the design has become ordinary and boring. The LG G5 se really can't be called a particularly attractive beauty. The smartphone does not look flashy or expensive, and, of course, it is noticeably inferior in terms of the wow effect to its predecessor with its natural leather multi-colored covers.

The dimensions of the smartphone are quite standard. Its body is not record thin and not so small in size, the frame around the screen also has a quite standard width. The body is made entirely of plastic with a metallized coating.

There is no real metal here, and there are some complaints about the quality of workmanship: the thin shiny bezel on the test sample had noticeably peeled off and peeled off in places, which is why the case immediately lost its attractiveness.

All surfaces have a matte hard coating, making fingerprints virtually invisible. In dry hands, such a rough coating can be quite slippery.

The body of the new LG flagship is unusual, although we have already seen something similar in the HTC Legend and One V models. Here, too, the bottom cover is a removable element; the battery is hidden under it.

The modular structure of the new product provides not only for replacing a dead battery, but also for installing additionally purchased digital camera or Hi-Fi player modules in this place. All this, of course, is not included in the basic package.

To remove the bottom cover, there is a small button on the left side of the bottom, which is barely noticeable and does not protrude beyond the surface at all. However, it is quite easy to handle: it is easily pressed in, the lid is detached and replaced without any problems. This element is held securely on the body, no cracks are visible, there is no play, the assembly does not raise any complaints.

The remaining buttons on the body are also located unusually: previously, LG had volume and power combined on the back side in a single block, but now you can find only one round power button there. The volume has moved to the left side edge, and all this is quite confusing at first. The side key is quite large and can be easily felt blindly.

The round area of ​​the power button located on the back side with the fingerprint scanner embedded in it, on the contrary, is quite difficult to feel. It is not recessed inward and does not protrude outward; its presence can be felt only by the thin rim around it. The scanner integrated into the pad clearly recognizes fingertips; you can place your finger at any angle.

The module with a dual camera, laser rangefinder and flash, located right next to it, also does not protrude beyond the surface. Thus, you can work quite comfortably with your smartphone lying on a hard surface: it does not wobble when you touch the screen.

The front panel, with the exception of the lower removable segment, is almost completely covered with tinted protective glass, slightly curved at the upper end. At the top above the screen, proximity and light sensors, a front camera window, and an LED event indicator are usually placed. The operation of the indicator is configured in the corresponding section of the menu.

There are no touch buttons at the bottom, they are virtual here, their order and number can be changed at your discretion in the settings section. This is a rather important point, since the rightmost button in LG smartphones is responsible for quickly changing the master SIM card from which the call will be made. You can click on it accidentally, changing the order of using SIM cards and without even noticing it, so it’s very good that in this case it is possible to change the position of this button in a row and even hide it completely. In total, up to five different buttons can be displayed simultaneously in the bottom row; this block can be hidden and called back by swiping gestures across the screen.

SIM cards are installed in the side slot on flexible plastic slides; you can put two Nano-SIM cards in them or replace one of them with a memory card. The slides are interesting: they are made of elastic plastic, so the cards are held tightly in them, there is no need to hold them with your fingers when sliding them into the housing slot. To remove the slide, a metal key-clip is used as standard. Cards cannot be changed without rebooting the device; hot swapping is not supported.

The speaker is located at the lower end of the removable part. A USB Type C connector and a speaking microphone are also installed there. The Micro-USB connector here supports not only connecting third-party devices in USB OTG mode, but also charging them using the appropriate OTG adapter. That is, you can charge, for example, another smartphone from the LG G5 se.

There are no fewer elements at the top end: there is a 3.5 mm audio jack for headphone output, a second auxiliary microphone for noise reduction, and an infrared transmitter for emulating a remote control. Using the pre-installed familiar QuickRemote program, you can control home appliances from your smartphone: for example, the program coped with an old Philips TV without any problems.

There are no plugs on the connectors, and there are no strap mounts on the case either. The device did not receive protection from moisture and dust. As for the colors of the case, here the buyer is given a choice of three options: dark gray (“titanium”), pink, and gold.

Screen

The smartphone is equipped with an IPS touch screen with a protective glass curved at one edge. This is the same type of display, called by LG itself - IPS Quantum. The developers have dubbed the display glass “3D Arc glass,” but in reality it is mostly completely flat. The glass does not look convex, just one of its ends is slightly curved in accordance with the shape of the body itself.

The physical dimensions of the display are 66x117 mm, diagonal - 5.3 inches. The screen resolution is 2560×1440, the pixel density is 554 ppi. The frame around the screen is quite standard, and certainly not narrow: just under 4 mm on the sides and 16 mm on the top and bottom.

The display brightness is automatically adjusted based on the light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to process 10 simultaneous touches. You can activate the screen by double tapping the glass. There is also an Always-on Display function, which allows you to stay up to date with the latest notifications, check the time, date and other information without activating the smartphone display. In standby mode, the backlight illuminates only a small part of the screen, saving battery power: it consumes only 0.8% of battery power per hour. Also, a special daylight mode, Daylight Mode, automatically detects lighting parameters and independently increases or decreases the brightness of the display.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - LG G5 se, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the LG G5 se is noticeably darker (brightness according to photographs is 100 versus 115 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the LG G5 se screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, even better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.

With manual brightness control and when the white field was displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was 430 cd/m², the minimum was 4.1 cd/m². The maximum brightness is quite high, which means, given the excellent anti-glare properties of the screen, readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at a good level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider, with which the user can try to set the desired brightness level in the current conditions. If you do not interfere, then in complete darkness the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 4.1 cd/m² (too dark), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) it sets it to 100 cd/m² (normal), in very bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to 430 cd/m² (sufficient). For conditions of complete darkness, we adjusted the brightness to a comfortable level, and obtained the following values ​​for the three lighting conditions indicated above: 11, 180-240 (depending on whether the brightness of the environment increases or decreases) and 430 cd/m². This option of automatic adjustment suits us. But that's not all, the device has a special mode Daylight Mode. Its function is that in very, very bright light (in fact, in direct sunlight), the screen brightness increases to a fantastic 835 cd/m², which will certainly ensure good perception of information even in such conditions. True, we have not checked how long a smartphone can work with such screen brightness and what will happen first: the device will overheat, the battery will run out, or LG G5 se will prudently reduce the brightness to a normal level. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.

This smartphone uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs (if you look closely) show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the LG G5 se and Nexus 7, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K. There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:

Saturation in the case of LG G5 se is clearly too high. As additional tests have shown, this overestimation is achieved both due to wide coverage and due to a slight increase in color contrast. We also note that the red color has a slightly unnatural tint (visually this is noticeably better than in the photograph). In addition, the images show that contour sharpness also increases to some extent. Apparently, such image processing is performed programmatically at a very low level, since its result is visible in all tested programs that output raster images. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens; the contrast on the LG G5 se screen remained at a good level. And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (at least five times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the LG G5 se the brightness decreased more. When deviated diagonally, the black field is lightened weakly and acquires a slight bluish tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is approximately the same for the screens!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is average, since the brightness of black in some places increases noticeably (in the photo below, we further increased the backlight brightness of the LG G5 se):

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 1370:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 16 ms (8 ms on + 8 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 31 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.26, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve noticeably deviates from the power-law dependence:

This smartphone has a non-disabled dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image. Therefore, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates with a constant average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in the entire screen. Let us show the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time when switching from a black field to a white field in half of the screen alternately, while the average brightness does not change and dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness does not work (graph 50%/50% ). And the same dependence, but with alternate display of fields in full screen (graph 100% ), while the average brightness is already changing and dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness does its job:

In general, such non-switchable brightness correction does nothing but harm, since constantly changing the screen brightness can at least cause some discomfort, reduce the visibility of gradations in shadows in the case of dark images and reduce the readability of the screen in bright light.

The color gamut is noticeably wider than sRGB:

Let's look at the spectra:

They are atypical, but we have already seen them in the case of Sony Xperia Z2, the previous G series smartphone and other devices. The manufacturer indicates that this screen uses quantum dot technology to expand the color gamut, presenting this fact as an undeniable advantage. This is a marketing ploy aimed at the average person who believes that more is always better. In fact, it’s not better, since as a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and the vast majority of them) have an unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. The result is shown in the photo above.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is average, since the color temperature is noticeably higher than 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is more than 10, which is considered a bad indicator even for a consumer device. It’s good at least that the color temperature and ΔE change little from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Due to the wide coverage, the colors are unnatural, this is exacerbated by a slight increase in color contrast, distorted color balance, non-disabled edge sharpening and dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness. As a result, not much remains of the original image - but it is bright, clear and colorful.

To summarize: the screen has a fairly high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. The automatic brightness adjustment function works more or less adequately and allows the user to adjust its operation, while in direct sunlight the screen brightness increases to a very high value, which ensures good readability even in such conditions. The advantages of the screen include the presence of an effective oleophobic coating, high contrast, the absence of air gaps in the layers of the screen and flicker, as well as high black stability to deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen plane. Among the significant disadvantages we consider the low uniformity of the black field, average color rendering quality, as well as the non-disabled dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the quality of the screen can be considered high.

Sound

The sound of the LG G5 se is generally not bad, but this is not a solution for music lovers. At least in terms of speaker sound: it is quite clear and loud, but the high frequencies still dominate. You can't expect any wider range, the backgrounds blend together, the sound is bright, but the same type and too high, and not so crystal clear. In high-quality headphones, everything is better: bass appears, much can be adjusted with manual settings. Dolby Digital Plus (DD+) is supported, an advanced audio compression format that provides high quality sound for 7.1 channels. The sound is generally clear, with enough volume reserve for any environment. There are no complaints about the sensitivity of the voice recorder and the operation of the noise reduction system. The smartphone can record telephone conversations from the line using standard means, which can be convenient.

There are also no special complaints about the conversational speaker and microphone: the intonation and timbre of a familiar voice remain recognizable, there is practically no extraneous noise, and light, barely noticeable background noise can always be attributed to the quality of the communication line itself. There is an FM radio in the smartphone and it works as usual, only with headphones connected as an antenna.

And finally, it’s worth noting that for lovers of high-quality sound, there is an option to expand the musical capabilities of the device by connecting an additional module with a dedicated DAC, but that’s a completely different story. In addition, additional modules have not yet arrived on the Russian market, so we are still talking about them.

Camera

The new LG flagship is equipped not with two in the usual sense, but with three cameras: two rear and one front. The front camera has an 8-megapixel sensor and a lens with an f/2.0 aperture without autofocus and its own flash. The flash here is replaced by the screen illumination function around the viewfinder window, which is familiar to LG smartphones, which actually slightly illuminates the face of the shooter.

The front camera produces good quality images, bright, light and sharp. The color rendition is a little embellished, but overall, for the selfie level, everything here is quite high quality. Shooting can be done by pressing the volume button, as well as using gestures and voice commands. There is a smile detection function. The user also has the opportunity to choose between direct and mirror image of the resulting selfie photo (sometimes it is more important that the captions on the photo remain readable).

The main camera is equipped with two modules: one has a resolution of 16 megapixels and a lens with an f/1.8 aperture, the other has an 8 megapixel and a wide-angle lens with a shooting angle of 135° and an aperture of f/2.4. There is a laser rangefinder for autofocus and a very bright LED flash. Autofocus is quite fast, works accurately, does not make mistakes, and has optical stabilization. Shooting can be done in several ways, from voice commands and gestures to using the hardware volume key on the side of the case. By double pressing this button, by the way, you can activate the camera and then take pictures even from a sleeping state.

A separate wide-angle lens, as conceived by the creators, should help photograph panoramic landscapes, tall buildings or groups of people without the need to move a long distance from the subject. Also, the combination of standard and wide-format cameras allows you not only to quickly switch shooting modes, but also to scale the image. Additional possibilities for using two cameras have also been invented - for example, combining pictures taken with a standard lens and a wide-angle lens to create the “Framed Photo” effect.

Quick switching between the two modes is carried out by selecting from two icons with Christmas trees that are constantly present on the screen (one or three).

The camera control menu hasn't changed much compared to the LG G4. It still folds out into several translucent strips with icons right on top of the viewfinder image. There are three shooting modes: simple, basic and manual. In simple mode there are no settings at all; in manual mode you can independently control focus, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation and white balance. It is possible, using the Camera2 API, to transfer camera control to third-party applications without restrictions, as well as save pictures in RAW.

The camera can shoot video with a resolution of up to 3840×2160 (4K UHD), and it is possible to record slo-mo slow motion in 720p resolution at a speed of 120 frames per second. There is an optical stabilization (OIS) function, its work is clearly noticeable when shooting on the go, the image really becomes smooth. The camera generally copes well with video shooting: the image is sharp, bright, without noticeable artifacts, with good color rendition, albeit a little unnatural. The sound is also recorded with high quality, and the noise reduction system copes adequately with wind noise.

• Video No. 1 (77 MB, 3840×2160 @30 fps)
• Video No. 2 (30 MB, 1920×1080 @30 fps)
• Video No. 3 (53 MB, 1280×720 @120 fps, slo-mo)

It is possible to record the same thing using a second, wide-angle lens, then you get a panoramic video like this:

• Video No. 4 (74 MB, 3840×2160 @30 fps)

	Good attention to detail, but noticeable noise reduction work.
	Slight distortion at the right edge of the frame, but otherwise the field sharpness is good.
	Good detail in mid-grounds. There is barely noticeable sharpening on the wires.
	Good sharpness across the frame.
	The camera does HDR well. At the same time, the sharpness drops quite smoothly with the removal of the plan.
	The text is well done.
	Excellent detail even in distant shots.
	Although the noise reduction is noticeable, it practically does not harm the details.
	The camera does macro photography well.

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method.

Standard angle	Wide Angle
Lighting ≈3200 lux.
Lighting ≈1400 lux.
Lighting ≈130 lux.
Lighting ≈130 lux, flash.
Lighting<1 люкс, вспышка.

LG continues to delight us with interesting cameras. Perhaps the camera can be called a flagship with almost no reservations. Although, to be stricter, we can note small areas of blur that appear from time to time at the right edge of the frame. And also not always accurate noise reduction and strange exposure metering. And if everything is quite clear with the first two points (sloppy shooting, test sample and other possible excuses), then with exposure metering everything is not very clear. However, we can hope that it will work better in the final firmware. In the meantime, the camera chooses critically long shutter speeds for shooting in not very dark times, which even the native stabilizer can’t cope with well. This inevitably entails a considerable percentage of defects: for a flagship, this is one blurry photo out of three. Let's say, in comparison with the iPhone 6, the LG G5 se, having a higher aperture, for some reason sets longer shutter speeds in the same conditions.

LG G5 se	Apple iPhone 6

Despite minor shortcomings, the camera provides very high resolution, and in both modes - standard and wide-angle. Perhaps she will do an excellent job with both artistic and documentary photography.

The presence of a second camera is a controversial point, since its purpose is not fully understood. However, past attempts to “cram” several cameras into a smartphone looked even more strange. Here the user is offered only a second camera as a wide-angle one. How much of a pleasant bonus this is, everyone will decide for themselves. The resolution of a wide-angle camera is half that of a normal camera, and its angle of view is almost twice as wide.

Standard angle	Wide Angle

One of the scenarios for using two cameras is collage, when we embed “a photo with a higher resolution into a photo with a lower one.” The frame around the perimeter can be decorated with one of the following effects: vignette, blur, fisheye, b/w, or all at once. It looks, of course, funny, but in most cases it is tasteless. However, we will not argue about this.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone can operate as standard in most 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA network bands, and also has support for fourth generation LTE FDD networks. The Snapdragon 652 SoC used here has a built-in X8 LTE modem that supports download speeds of up to 300 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 100 Mbps. The smartphone supports all three of the most common LTE FDD bands among domestic operators (B3, B7 and B20), but can also operate in LTE TDD Band 38/40. In general, I liked both the connection speed in 4G networks and the work with cellular networks in general on the LG G5 se: the smartphone instantly reconnects after a break, does not lose connection in areas of poor reception, and delivers the highest 4G speeds in test areas where competitors show much worse results. In terms of communication capabilities, the hero of the review is at his best.

The device also supports Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, supports two Wi-Fi bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels . The USB Type C connector supports the USB 2.0 specification and connecting external devices in USB OTG mode. The NFC module demonstrates compatibility with the Mifare Classic protocol, which is necessary for the successful operation of the “” application with the Troika transport card.

The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts; there is also support for continuous input such as Swype. It is possible to reduce the size of the working area of ​​the virtual keyboard for ease of control with the fingers of one hand.

The smartphone supports two SIM cards using the Dual SIM Dual Standby standard. Everything is familiar here: apart from a special button for quickly changing the priority SIM card, the implementation of working with two SIM cards is generally standard for this platform. There is only one radio module, so there can only be one active conversation. A SIM card in any slot can work with 3G/4G networks, but only one of the cards can work in this mode at the same time (the second will only work in 2G). The choice between two SIM cards for making calls, sending SMS, etc. is traditionally carried out for LG devices using a separate button for quickly switching the priority card, located in a row of virtual control buttons.

OS and software

Earlier, in spring press releases, LG announced that the release of the LG G5 smartphone to world markets was accompanied by the simultaneous premiere of a new version of the mobile interface - UX 5.0. This advanced interface in the case of LG G5 se is based on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow platform.

One of the main innovations is the appearance of the universal application LG Friends Manager, which allows you to manage additional modules and accessories of LG smartphones, automatically detecting nearby devices: connects them to the smartphone, helps download and install the applications necessary for their operation from the Google Play Store. As for the replacement modules and LG Friends accessories themselves, they will gradually appear in Russia; the availability of each device for sale will be announced additionally.

Performance

The LG G5 se hardware platform is based on the new 8-core SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (previously called Snapdragon 620). This SoC is made using not the most advanced 28-nanometer technology. It includes four powerful 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 cores with a frequency of up to 1.8 GHz, which are complemented by four simpler 64-bit Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of up to 1.4 GHz. The Adreno 510 video accelerator with an operating frequency of up to 600 MHz is responsible for processing graphics in the SoC.

The smartphone's RAM capacity is 3 GB, the built-in flash memory is 32 GB (the user has about 23 GB of free space). This volume can be increased using microSD cards, but then you will have to remove one of the SIM cards. It is also possible to connect external flash drives to the USB port in OTG mode and even charge USB-connected devices. MicroSD cards are supported up to 2TB in capacity, and in practice our 128GB Transcend Premium microSDXC UHS-1 test card was reliably recognized by the device.

The results of testing the new platform in comprehensive tests turned out to be very impressive, approximately at the level of top solutions from last season, such as Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 or Mediatek MT6795T. The new SoC can even be compared in this sense with the Exynos 7420, although in terms of graphics the new product is still far from the Samsung platform. At the same time, the Snapdragon 652, in general, is not positioned as a flagship - rather, it is Qualcomm’s response to the very successful MT6752 of competing MediaTek, although in terms of performance the new Snapdragon 652 platform has even caught up with the flagship MT6795T. However, all these comparisons are being made with the top platforms of previous years; in the new season, new flagships will show themselves, and then the Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 will confidently take its place in the mid-upper segment.

In any case, the capabilities of this SoC at the moment should be more than enough to perform all tasks without exception, including demanding games. You can comfortably play World of Tanks at 40-45 fps. Other games also show no noticeable lag. The platform is new and clearly has some headroom for future updates.

Testing in the latest versions of comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	LG G5 se (Qualcomm Snapdragon 652)	Moto X Force (Qualcomm Snapdragon 810)	Meizu Pro 5 (Exynos 7420)	Huawei Mate S (HiSilicon Kirin 935)	LeTV 1s (Mediatek MT6795T)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	8847	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	6292	10162
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	15108	23849	25770	12553	16574
3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot (more is better)	738	1098	1340	—	542
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	19 fps	40 fps	52 fps	16 fps	26 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	25 fps	53 fps	57 fps	12 fps	27 fps
Bonsai Benchmark	3515 (50 fps)	3810 (54 fps)	4130 (59 fps)	3396 (48 fps)	3785 (54 fps)

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Thermal photographs

Below is a thermal image of the rear surface, obtained after 10 minutes of running the battery test in the GFXBenchmark program (the lighter, the higher the temperature):

It can be seen that the heating is localized slightly above the center and closer to the right edge, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 37 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is not very much.

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the test results, the test subject was equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed to fully play most of the most common multimedia files on the network, including audio files (AC3 codec). To successfully play them, you don’t even need to resort to the help of a third-party player - the standard one easily coped with all the test files. But even in MX Player you don’t have to change settings and manually install additional custom codecs; the AC3 audio format is also automatically supported here.

Further testing of video playback was performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We were unable to test support for SlimPort (or Mobility DisplayPort) adapters due to the lack of an adapter option that connects to the USB Type C port. Using a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing playback devices and video signal display. Version 1 (for mobile devices) "we checked how video is displayed on the smartphone screen. Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied: 1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels and frame rates of 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps. In this test, we used the MX Player video player in Hardware mode. The results of this test are summarized in the table:

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with playback of the corresponding files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, but on test worlds it can be seen that the clarity is slightly reduced due to interpolation to the screen resolution. However, for the sake of experimentation, you can switch to the one-to-one pixel mode; there will be no interpolation, but the image will be smaller than the working area of ​​the screen. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - all gradations of shades are displayed in shadows and highlights.

Battery life

The capacity of the removable battery installed in the LG G5 se is 2800 mAh. This is far from a record volume for modern flagships, but still not so small. Thanks to the many years of experience of LG Chem's own division in creating high-quality batteries, this decent volume was able to fit into a battery of rather modest dimensions. It would probably be possible to install a larger battery in the smartphone, but, obviously, the decision was made taking into account the unusual modular structure of the new product’s body. Be that as it may, the LG G5 se does not impress with its battery life, but the level of autonomy cannot be called a failure. Everything is at a decent average level, the device quite confidently survives until evening charging, but does not break any records. Most of the most notable modern models show better battery life results.

Testing, as usual, was carried out without using any energy-saving modes, although, of course, the device has them.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D Game Mode
LG G5 se	2800 mAh	13:20	8:30 a.m.	4 hours 20 minutes
Alcatel Idol 4s	3000 mAh	12:00 pm	8:00 am	4:00 am
Moto X Force	3760 mAh	16:30	10:00 am	4 hours 40 minutes
Huawei Nexus 6P	3450 mAh	15:00	8:30 a.m.	4 hours 30 minutes
LG Nexus 5X	2700 mAh	14:30	6:00 am	4:00 am
LG G4	3000 mAh	17:00	9:00 a.m.	3:00 am
OnePlus 2	3300 mAh	14:00	11:20 am	4 hours 30 minutes
Google Nexus 6	3220 mAh	18:00	10:30 a.m.	3 hours 40 minutes
Meizu Pro 5	3050 mAh	17:30	12:30 pm	3 hours 15 minutes

Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme, with auto-scrolling) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted less than 13.5 hours to complete discharge. When continuously watching videos from Youtube in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network, the device lasted 8.5 hours, which is not so much. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone operates reliably for more than 4 hours.

Unfortunately, the test unit arrived for testing without the included charger, and this is sad, since it should charge the smartphone extremely quickly. LG G5 se is one of the first flagships to support Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology. From a conventional charger with a maximum output current of 2 A (at 5 V), the device charges in approximately 2 hours 40 minutes with a current of 1 A. The device does not support wireless charging.

Bottom line

The LG G5 se smartphone, although formally not considered a flagship, is a top-end device in most respects: it has a high-quality screen, excellent cameras, a good sound system and very decent communication equipment. As for the hardware platform, it really is not a flagship one, and moreover, its performance in all tests without exception turned out to be lower than that of the previously tested Alcatel Idol 4s on exactly the same SoC. Apparently, the manufacturer did carry out some optimization, perhaps in order to avoid overheating the system. But if we ignore the dry test numbers, then the platform as a whole is quite decent, although it is, of course, far from the level of flagships.

And finally, the most important thing: with all this, the LG G5 se will cost like a real flagship; its official price in Russian retail is set at 50 thousand rubles. It’s scary to even think how much LG will value its flagship G5. In general, the Koreans turned out to be a decent device, but the price was disappointing. At this price, many competitors are able to offer real flagship products even in current conditions. Moreover, it was the top LG smartphones of the G family that until recently were distinguished by their affordable prices, but now, apparently, LG is losing this trump card.

LG faced a giant challenge in 2016; its new smartphones will have to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S7. To counter Samsung and the ubiquitous iPhone, LG decided to innovate and reimagine the way we use smartphones with the release of the LG G5.

Modular LG G5 - Reviews

The LG G5 is truly different. This is a phone that has a detachable bottom and battery, a better camera than its predecessors and higher quality sound. It's a small change, but damn exciting because of what it represents and what it could mean for the future.

For the LG G5 to be successful, people must not only see the potential, but also love the phone. Eclipsing the glories of Samsung and Apple is a mammoth task for LG. Does the G5 have something that will make people buy it and dive into the world of modular smartphones?

The magic is hidden in the LG G5 slot

The magic of the LG G5 lies inside the slot, the phone's modular port. It is located at the base of the device, where the battery is located. On the right side of the phone there is a small button for hidden mounting. It pops out the bottom of the phone and disconnects the battery, allowing you to remove the entire module. It's all well designed, and wisely done. It’s not easy to unhook the module and let it crash onto the floor. You have to put in some effort if you want to pull it out. It takes a steady hand to remove the battery and a firm final push to secure it into place. None of these steps will happen by accident, so G5 won't figure itself out on its own.

However, it all feels alien because we are used to treating our phones as thin and fragile devices. But, with regards to the G5, rough handling is necessary here, unless of course you want to swap modules. The first few times you do this, you will be surprised, because everything is on the verge of breaking.

The amount of work, thought, effort and commitment that went into creating the LG G5 is amazing.

The first time we swapped modules, we were very afraid of breaking the phone, so we asked another colleague who already had practice and did it. It took several rounds of changing modules to learn how to smoothly and harshly tug and pull on the module.

We would like to have an easier way to replace modules, or for each module to have its own battery and not have to yank it every time you move it from place to place. Alternatively, the battery could be hidden in the rear so that changing modules would not require relocating the battery. Of course, this will be annoying for those who don't want a removable battery.

The amazing G5 camera that steals the show

The LG G4 and V10 are two of the best camera phones ever made, and LG hasn't sacrificed any of the photography features in the G5. The G5 is absolutely fantastic and we can't stop shooting with it. The sensor is almost identical to the V10, with 16 MP and an F/1.8 aperture, as well as laser autofocus and optical image stabilization. There is also a dual lens here, but not for selfies - on the front, like the v10, but on the back.

The first camera provides a regular view of the world, while the second provides an expanded 135-degree field of view, providing ample opportunities for creativity. They are used independently of each other, unless you activate a special mode in which two points are meshed with each other to create strange photo hybrids. This is a feature you won't use often, but it can produce fun collages.

The wide-angle lens is addictive. It changes the look of the camera completely, and changes the way and type of focal points. The results look great, especially when shooting perspectives and wide-open spaces. There is a slight fisheye effect on the G5's wide-angle shots, but again, as long as you put some thought into the final image, it's not distracting.

LG has included its incredibly easy-to-use Manual mode for the G5, where ISO, shutter speed, focus and white balance can be adjusted. This manual mode is the most convenient for users. You'll find it very easy to use for adjusting images due to its simplicity.

The front-facing 8MP selfie camera also has a wider angle than other phones like the iPhone 6S Plus and comes with an effective mode for smoothing tones.

The LG G5 camera is a pleasure to use; This is a huge plus for phone sales. The wide-angle lens sets the phone apart from its competitors - and is an improvement over the G4 and V10.

Using the CamPlus module

Considering how well the LG G5's camera performs, you might be wondering what the CamPlus module is for. However, after using CamPlus, we can honestly say that it enhances the G5's camera, producing even higher quality images.

The module is not very big, but it has an extra battery to keep your phone charged. There is a dedicated photo button, a button for recording video, and a zoom wheel. We compared it to the standard zoom of the Galaxy S7 Edge and iPhone 6S Plus, and the results with both phones were grainier.

The CamPlus module sees things that other smartphone cameras can't, and it's truly impressive. If you take the LG G5 and CamPlus on vacation, you won't need to pack any other camera to take great photos. The addition of a camera button and zoom wheel will also be useful when you're shooting with gloves in the winter. This eliminates the need for your phone's touch screen to get the best quality images, making your G5 feel like a real camera.

For LG G5 there is also a special module for improving audio.

OS Android 6.0

The LG G5 is equipped with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OS with some modifications; it differs from previous LG smartphones, primarily due to controversial decisions that are similar to Apple firmware.

Now all your apps are spread across multiple home screens. The list of pre-installed apps isn't that long, it includes the usual apps for email, contacts, weather, plus tools like a voice recorder, calculator, task manager and FM radio.

The LG G5 is a powerful device with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 and 4GB of RAM on board, which allows the smartphone to not get as hot when processing large amounts of data as the 810 version.

Battery life needs improvement

Let's start with the positive. It's completely replaceable, so if you're carrying a spare battery, it only takes a few seconds to swap out a dead one for a charged one. Try this on any other flagship phone in 2016?

Recharging will have to be done every day, and possibly more than once. If you got into GPS coverage for two hours, took a few photos, and generally used your phone for email, messages, and apps; the battery will “die” at the end of the working day. It's not much different from the Galaxy S7 or iPhone 6S Plus. At least if you have a second LG G5 battery, it's not a disaster.

Charging also features QuickCharge 3.0, which is a step up from the Galaxy S7's standard QuickCharge 2.0.

And finally we come to the sophisticated design of the G5. At first glance it looks boring, but not ugly. Over time, we've come to love the subtle design details of the LG G5.

There are curves in the most unexpected places - the screen slopes back at the top, and there are no nasty sharp edges to make it awkward to hold. The metal is smooth and without seams.

In any case, the design of the LG G5 should not be judged right away. You have to live with it for a while, and you will be grateful to the developers for their well-thought-out design and shape.

LG should also be congratulated because the implementation of the modular system is almost invisible on the G5. There are no buttons of unusual shape or size, or stupid drawn arrows on the body, everything is done aesthetically and in the same style.

Although the LG G5 is not much smaller than the LG G4, its streamlined shape makes the smartphone very compact. It's slightly larger than the Galaxy S7 and weighs 159 grams. The display is 5.3 inches diagonally, smaller than the G4 and slightly larger than the Galaxy S7, but it has the same 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. The fingerprint sensor, as is standard for LG, is located on the rear panel, although the volume control on the G5 has been moved to the rear side.

Need more updates

LG usually updates its phones at least once a month, but it's not much better than Samsung or any other Android phone maker. It's a shame, and we'd like to see phone makers take more initiative in getting Android updates. Because Android phones that don't receive regular updates are vulnerable to hackers, viruses, and are generally less secure than iPhones. They also don't get new software features often. LG and others need to work to fix this epic problem.

G5 Warranty and Durability

LG offers a one-year warranty with the G5, so if there are problems, you'll have to send it back to the company for repairs.

It is not known how strong and durable the modules are, if they are replaced over and over again, will this cause problems? But this will be determined over time of use. The LG G5 is not waterproof, which works against it compared to the Galaxy S7. However, when it comes to drops and shock, the G5 will likely win the Galaxy S7's drop tests.

Bottom line

The amount of work, thought, effort and commitment that went into creating the new LG G5 is amazing. While other brands are accused of copying technology, LG has come up with something that will lead to new types of smartphones. It's bold, exciting and full of glorious potential.

However, at the moment, the potential of a modular phone has not yet been fully realized, and there are only a couple of replaceable modules.

However, the LG G5 is undoubtedly one of the best flagship phones of 2016, and you won't be disappointed with it, whether you have the modules or not.

The LG G5 is one of the most interesting phones on the market today, but at the same time it is one of the most underrated. The characteristics of the LG G5 are in no way inferior to the flagships of 2016, these are:

• Snapdragon 820 clocked at 2.2 GHz
• Adreno 530 GPU
• 32 GB internal, 4 GB RAM
• Supports memory cards up to 2 TB
• Screen 5.3 inches with a resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels
• Three cameras: frontal – 8MP, main – 16MP, secondary – 8MP (expands viewing angle to 135 degrees)
• Newfangled USB type C
• Fingerprint scanner
• 2800 mAh battery

It's also the first modular phone! You can customize the LG G5 with some body kits that will help you use the phone with even greater comfort. But for some reason it is predicted to have the same fate as last year’s G4, or, to be precise, failure.

What's wrong with the LG G5?

As I said before, the LG G5 is destined to fail or sell very little. What's the problem?

LG G5 has everything that is trendy today: a fingerprint scanner, an always-on display, the newfangled USB type C, two cameras, powerful hardware and in general it is the world's first modular phone! It would seem that the phone has every chance of success, but for some reason people are ordering the Samsung Galaxy S7 and not the LG G5.

Performance and filling

Maybe it's the filling? In terms of hardware, today's flagships are twin brothers, as one of my colleagues put it. In 2016, the difference in the technical characteristics of phones is leveled out even more and they all provide the user with plus or minus the same power. Let's take the same Samsung Galaxy S7 and the subject of today's conversation - LG G5. Undoubtedly, in the battle LG G5 vs S7, according to Antutu rules, the latter will win. The Samsung Galaxy S7 scores just over 101 thousand virtual parrots, while the LG G5 scores 80K in Antutu. But if you throw away the synthetics of the benchmark and look at reality, then this difference in everyday life is absolutely not noticeable. And to be honest, you will only go to Antutu or Geek Bench a few times during the entire use of the phone.

LG G5 wide-angle camera and excellent photo quality

The LG G5's camera beats the Galaxy S7 and even the iPhone 6s Plus in many aspects. The Krystal Key channel has an excellent comparison of the cameras of these phones and their capabilities in different conditions. So, for example, the LG G5 camera takes more accurate photos and conveys colors at night more naturally than its rivals. The iPhone is better than others for shooting video, since its camera has an excellent stabilizer and the video comes out very smooth and pleasing to the eye. The Galaxy S7, in turn, is the best choice for selfies because its front camera has the widest viewing angles of the three.

But when it comes to viewing angles, the main camera of the LG G5 is unrivaled. The G5 isn't the first phone to use dual cameras, but it's the first to get them right. Instead of useless post-focus, the LG G5 does one great thing - it starts shooting wide-angle photos. When the cameras work in pairs, the smartphone can observe a picture of 135 degrees (like Go Pro, for example). And all this works automatically, and you won't even always notice how your G5 will turn off the additional camera when zooming.

In wide-angle mode, the LG G5 takes truly stunning photos. I especially like the photo mode, where the LG G5 takes a “photo within a photo”, creating a kind of frame, which looks very interesting and unusual. In addition, the phone has a very passable photo editing mode right out of the box, which will be good news for Instagram users.

About design, ergonomics and modularity

Leaked photos of the LG G5 phone said that the smartphone would have a terrible appearance, and the hate towards the design of the Korean phone was colossal from the first days. But, at the presentation in Barcelona, ​​the world saw a slightly different LG G5: attractive and with a unique design. This is really a plus for this phone, since Apple’s blind copying has already tired more than one hundred people.

The phone comes in a standard set of colors for today: pink, gold, silver and black, which are the most popular among consumers.

Traditionally for LG, the power button (also a fingerprint scanner) is located on the back cover of the phone, and the volume keys have been moved to the side. The phone sits very confidently and comfortably in your hand.

The body is made of metal using unibody technology, but at the same time, thanks to its modularity, you can remove and replace the battery or install one of the LG Friends modules. Namely Hi-Fi plus and LG Cam. The latter is a kind of booster with a built-in 1200 mAh battery and has a camera shutter and zoom button. And the second is a DAC and amplifier co-developed with B&O that plays music at up to 32-bit resolution without using the smartphone's built-in 24-bit DAC.

Operating system

LG G5 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow in LG's proprietary shell. Personally, for my taste, the shell came out decent and looks beautiful and not intrusive. And yes, there is no menu with applications familiar to Android. Everything is immediately on the desktop.

Of course, you shouldn’t expect TouchWiz 2016 functionality from it. You won’t get such nice perks as Wi-Fi sharing from your connection or the single-screen philosophy. LG is guilty of duplicating standard services and having pre-installed software that cannot be removed.

And the Always-on Display function consumes 20% of the charge per day and the phone does not survive until the next charge in the evening. The same cannot be said about the Samsung Galaxy S7, which can last 1.5 days with a similar function. In general, TouchWiz 2016 is head and shoulders above LG shells in terms of energy saving.

Actually, in the LG G5 vs S7 software, Samsung will win for functionality, thoughtfulness and innovation. As for appearance, this is a matter of your taste.

Disadvantages of LG G5 and comparison with Samsung Galaxy S7

It's worth noting that the idea behind the LG G5 really deserves respect. It's really cool when you can install the module you need yourself or simply replace the battery. But the issue of implementing this idea leaves much to be desired. Below are the main disadvantages of the LG G5 in comparison with its direct competitor in the premium Android segment -.

Hull and painting

The first thing that bloggers from overseas noticed was that the body of the LG G5 is not entirely made of iron. It has an iron frame, on top of which there is plastic with a metallized coating. Actually, it is a plastic case with metallized putty, which breaks off very quickly. The LG G5 is not painted very well and most likely after a year of use without a case the paint will peel off and you will end up with a retro smartphone. And don’t even doubt that the paint will come off from the fingerprint scanner first. This element of the phone is used most often. And if you consider that on the back panel it takes the lion's share of attention, then the prospect is not very good at all.

But in addition to such unpleasant things, there is also this: this is an intermittent chrome line (supposedly for antennas). Few people here can understand this idea, because why make this line at all if you cannot connect the antennas properly? It doesn't look very good: out of the box, your LG G5 already looks like a phone that has been used a lot. Although if you take into account the fact that it will quickly get chipped and scratched, then it will be very organic.

Now let's compare the LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7. The smartphone is made on a metal frame, to which Corning Gorilla Glass 4 is attached to the front and back. The sides of the phone are made of strong aluminum and hardly suffer from falls. But there are some complaints regarding the painting of these panels: with prolonged use, the paint near the speakers can wear off. And if in the golden version this is not so noticeable, then in the black Onyx it is quite noticeable. But this is most likely the only drawback in the body and painting of this device.

The antennas here are located under pleasant plastic lines and look organic, the fingerprint scanner is not painted and will have a neat appearance for many years to come. And unlike the LG G5, the Samsung Galaxy S7 does not have the slightest hint of play, while the modular part of the G5 acquires it after some time.

To summarize: the only drawback of the Samsung Galaxy S7 is the coloring of the speakers. The paint near them may rub off, but this is not so noticeable in gold and gray colors. While the LG G5 has a lot of shortcomings. Starting from poor-quality painting, easily chipped “putty”, ending with a painted fingerprint scanner, which will be the first to lose its appearance, and an interrupted chrome line along the contour.

Modularity

The very idea of ​​a modular phone really appeals to me. It’s so convenient: if you want more from your phone, install this or that module. Google even has a concept of a similar phone, where you choose the hardware for the phone yourself... But for now these are only concepts and only the LG G5 is a real implementation.

The modularity of the LG G5 is generally a strange thing. It seems convenient, but it seems not. I won’t go into high gear and say that the phone is losing its aesthetic appearance. I'll keep it simple: it turns off when you change the module. And only after you have inserted the battery into another module, installed it and are ready to use it, you need to start the phone and wait for it to boot. There is no smell of “replacement on the fly”, tell me?

As for the modules themselves, they are still “raw”. Let's take the same Hi-Fi plus module. By installing it, you not only get stereo sound, but also a second headphone jack at the bottom, in addition to the standard one at the top. For what? Only the engineers of the Korean company know. In addition, the Hi-Fi plus module significantly lengthens the phone, and sits absolutely unsteadily in its connector, and I wouldn’t risk sitting with it in my front jeans pocket.

In short, the modularity in the LG G5 is an interesting idea, but not very well implemented. And frankly, more of a good marketing item than something functional.

Screen

As mentioned above, the LG G5 screen has a resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels and a diagonal of 5.3 inches. It is protected by Gorilla Glass 4, the same glass is installed on the Samsung Galaxy S7, but what is noteworthy: the glass of the LG G5 bends under strong pressure and unpleasant stains appear on the screen.

Actually, this is another reason to look towards buying the Galaxy S7, and not LG.

Summarize

LG G5 turned out to be a truly original and unusual phone. The LG G5 camera is one of the best I've seen in a smartphone. But various kinds of shortcomings simply discourage any desire to purchase a phone, including

• Poorly painted body, which, among other things, easily chips
• Screen that bends when pressed
• Unfinished concept of modularity
• Weak battery

This is all you will have to face when buying an LG G5. And also the price...

With a price tag of 640 forever green, it is logical to ask the question: “What is there to pay for?” and this will be the right question! After all, they didn’t present normal modularity, it was clearly not assembled with one’s own money, and the battery does not last until the end of the day with active use...

If you want to buy a flagship smartphone on Android, then it’s better to shell out money and buy the Galaxy S7, which will be two heads taller than its Korean competitor. In addition, it will also have IP-68 water resistance and a decent design.

Therefore, if I were choosing between the LG G5 and the Galaxy S7, I would definitely choose the latter and would be glad and happy with such a purchase.

The company has recently become famous for its experiments in smartphone design. Moreover, the manufacturer takes risks and uses even flagship devices for these purposes.

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Let's remember the smartphone with a curved screen LG G Flex 2, a gadget with an additional display LG V10 and last year's flagship with replaceable leather panels LG G4. Even if these experiments do not always end in success, it is more interesting to watch the efforts of the developers of “something like that.”

We received a “light” version of the flagship for review – LG G5 SE. It is this modification that will be officially sold in the Russian Federation. At least for now, anyway. And, as you might have guessed, in this case there were some experiments. Now we are waiting for a modular design, which, according to the manufacturer, can significantly expand the functionality of the device.

It sounds tempting, but first let's look at the improvements in terms of technical characteristics.

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Specifications LG G5 SE

Model	LG G5 SE	LG G4
Device type	Smartphone	Smartphone
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 652, 4 x 1800 MHz (Cortex-A72) + 4 x 1200 MHz (Cortex-A53)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, 2 x 1800 MHz (Cortex-A57) + 4 x 1440 MHz (Cortex-A53)
Video processor	Adreno 510	Adreno 418
operating system	Android 6.0 + LG UX	Android 5.1 (6.0) + LG UX
RAM, GB	3	3
Internal memory, GB	32	32
Screen	5.3"" IPS, 1440 x 2560	5.5"" QD-LED IPS, 1440 x 2560
Cameras, Mpix	16.0 + 8.0 + 8.0	16.0 + 8.0
Net	GSM 850/900/1800/1900	GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Number of SIM cards, pcs.	2	1 / 2
MicroSD support	Yes (combined slot)	Eat
Data transfer		Wi-Fi, WAP, GPRS, EDGE, NFC, HSDPA, 3G, LTE
aGPS/GPS/GLONASS/Beidou	Is/Is/Is/Is	Is/Is/Is/Is
Battery, mAh	2 800	3 000
Dimensions, mm	149.4 x 73.9 x 7.3	149.0 x 76.0 x 10.0
Weight, g	156	155
price, rub.	~39 000 / ~43 000	~20 000 / ~30 000

Of course, it would be worth comparing the LG G4 with the more powerful LG G5, and not its younger brother, but, on the other hand, it’s fairer, because the Snapdragon 808 was not the top solution in the Snapdragon line.

The first thing that catches your eye is the smaller display. Now it is 5.3" with the same resolution. To be fair, it is worth saying that the width of the device has also decreased slightly, although the ratio of screen area to smartphone area has become less attractive. The new single-chip system looks very good against the background of the not very successful chip of its predecessor. In any case The Snapdragon 650, which we recently tested as part of the Xiaomi Mi Max, left a warm impression... A little surprising is the same 3 GB of RAM, which already seemed insufficient on the LG G4 due to the heavy shell.

We should also mention the additional wide-angle camera, equipped with a lens with a viewing angle of about 135 degrees. We will test it in detail in the corresponding section.

Packaging and equipment LG G5 SE

Alas, the smartphone arrived to us without packaging or delivery kit. Recently, flagship devices supplied to the Russian Federation have not been distinguished by the richness of their equipment, so you shouldn’t expect any revelations here either. The only thing that is of interest is the charger, which should support proprietary fast charging technology (the predecessor did not have it).

Since we didn’t have the opportunity to examine the included accessories and packaging, let’s look at the new product in more detail.

Appearance and design of LG G5 SE

LG G5 SE is a device with a classic monoblock design with plug-in modules. Yes, a “modular smartphone” is not exactly what our guest is.

In this case, this is a “smartphone with a connector for connecting modules,” such a wording will be much more accurate. This is important to note in order to immediately understand that there is no trace of any competition with the future Project Ara.

The design of the new model is radically different from its predecessor. It can be assumed that LG is working ahead of the curve, trying to release a device similar to the future Apple iPhone 7 (which is quite true, if you believe the spy photos).

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Note that now the smartphone does not have continuity with the relatively recognizable proportions of all previous flagships. Whether this is good or bad is debatable, but there is a clear change in direction in terms of appearance.

In addition to the gray variant, users can choose from gold, pink and white.

The LG G5 SE also violates established canons in terms of placement of hardware keys and connectors. The ringing speaker is now located at the bottom end next to the USB Type-C connector, and on top there is a place for an AUX output, an infrared port and a microphone.

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The main difference concerns the volume keys, they are now on the left, while the screen lock key remains at the back under the fingerprint scanner.

It is worth noting that, according to iFixit, our test subject can be repaired quite easily, which does not imply a “cosmic” price tag for the repair itself.

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The device body is dismountable by removing its lower part. But with the case material, things are unclear. Most users expected an aluminum body with a matte finish from the LG G5 SE. What's the reality? Let's turn to the manufacturer's official website:

Metallized? How is that? It remains to be assumed that there is metal in the structure. No more. Foreign sites add even more confusion:

Here we are talking specifically about the metal case, however, we are talking about the “full-fledged” LG G5. And in all advertising campaigns in Russian the term “metalized” appears. Well, let's see how things work in practice:

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It can be seen that the design uses two panels, one is located under the screen, and the second is the back cover with the sides. I'm pleased with the thickness of these elements.

This is where we get the opportunity to look at the plastic section of the body. The material bends relatively easily if you press on the body of the smartphone without the battery inserted.

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Let's look at the 3.5 mm jack. I could be wrong, but it doesn't look like a plastic insert.

And here is a cut of the plug itself. Here it is disguised as chromed metal, but the mass and temperature of the material make us understand that this is ordinary plastic. Could it be that the LG G5 is metal and the LG G5 SE is plastic? Hardly. Otherwise, the latter would have received noticeably less mass, but in fact it is only three grams lighter.

In order to disconnect the module, you need to hold down the button, which is located on the left side of the device at the bottom. It does not extend beyond the body, so pressing it by accident is unlikely. In the same photo you can see a small paint chip. It doesn't look like there's any exposed metal underneath.