LG invited me to their launch event of the LG G5 on 23 Mar 2016 at Universal Studios Singapore. Available from 16 April at S$988 with pink, gold and titan (black), it is the first modular smartphone that you can insert add-ons to the phone. There are also other companion devices which LG terms as “LG Friends”. The vision is an ecosystem which LG calls it “LG Playground”.
Specifically, what LG has done for this launch event is to further accentuate on PLAY. LG felt that the smartphone industry has become less fun and conforming, and we are not playing enough with the technology around us. LG decides to take the leap and drive user innovation by commercialising products that have been growing in the market.
Coincidentally, the latest LG G5 and Friends’ products make up my blog name:
Music – LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O PLAY, LG TONE Platinum
Photo – LG CAM Plus Module, LG 360 CAM
Life – LG Rolling Bot, LG 360 VR
After the de-facto presentation speech and hands-on session, LG led us in groups to go around USS, the largest playground in Singapore. We took photos with the Minions dressed in Easter headgear, the Madagascar Crate Adventure, the Transformers Ride and “Lights Camera Action” attractions. It was definitely one of the most fun-filling launch event I have attended in recent memory and I think LG PR agency has done a fantastic job in delivering the “Play” element.
First Impressions
Here’s how I feel about my first impressions of the products.
LG G5 – lightweight aluminium body that does not feel too cold to the touch. The dual camera is a great feature, which allows me to shoot 135-degree wider angle scenes in 8MP and normal 78-degree view in 16MP. Removable battery via the bottom panel is something new, which does not sacrifice overall build. The Always-On feature displays notification count from all other apps, unlike Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.
LG CAM Plus Module – an accessory with dedicated shutter buttons, zoom rotary dial, and 1600mAh battery. The buttons do not work as short-cut to start up the camera.
LG Hi-Fi Plus Module – the module can support 32-bit 384KHz hi-resolution audio with its built-in DAC (digital-to-analogue converter).
LG 360 VR – the goggle plugs to the USB 3.1 port of the LG G5 to let you watch VR content, instead of inserting the phone onto the goggle. The result is a very lightweight VR experience. It has a proximity sensor to detect whether you are wearing the goggle.
LG 360 CAM – it records 360-degree video and stills in one go. No longer do you need to manually stitch photos. Runs on 1200 mAh, 4GB internal memory, with external microSD card support. Thanks to the integration to LG G5 and LG 360 VR, you can watch the footages immediately.
Uploading to YouTube is straightforward and doesn’t require any pre-processing. The video stitching is not seamless compared to Ricoh Theta S, hopefully that can be rectified with firmware updates.
Still images are stitched a lot better.
Price and Availability
The G5 & Friends’ prices and availability are as follows:
– LG G5 at S$988 (available from 16 April)
– Battery kit (battery and charger at S$168 (free during launch)
– Module Bundle (CAM Plus & Hi-Fi Plus) at S$274 when purchased with LG G5 (available from April)
– 360 Bundle (360 CAM & 360 VR) S$590 when purchased with LG G5 (available from May)
– Rolling Bot S$398 when purchased with LG G5 (available from June)
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A photo posted by Chester Tan (@musicdiary) on