LG G5 to be unveiled on February 21: Here's what to expect
LG confirmed in a tweet on Wednesday the LG G5 will be unveiled on February 21, the same day as Samsung's Galaxy S7.
The LG G4 (pictured above) has been touted as one of the top Android smartphones on the market, thanks to its sleek style, fantastic camera, and fast speed.
The LG G5 is slated to be the company's big announcement for Mobile World Congress, set to kick off a day later on February 22. As good as the hardware may be, a hit is desperately needed by LG's mobile division to turn a meaningful profit - something it hasn't done in a year.
Will the LG G5 be the smartphone to finally do it?
Design
The LG G5 will be the first premium handset from LG to have a full metal unibody, according to a report out of South Korea. The metal unibody design is similar to what Apple incorporated into the iPhone 6 and later by Samsung in the Galaxy S6.
Not only does a metal unibody look sleeker, it provides better protection than what can be provided by a plastic design. LG released the "Shine" in 2006 which was made out of medal, but hasn't done so since.
Unverified sketches provided by Android Authority show the LG G5 as having measurements of 149 x 73.9 x 8.2mm, with the volume controls moving to the side, rather than the back like past generations of the handset. There's said to be a microSD card reader.
Display
The LG G5 will have a dual displays, according to a report from both CNET Korea and VentureBeat. The main display of the LG G5 is said be a 5.3-inch screen with a 2560 x 1440 resolution. On top will be a second smaller 160 x 1040 display, used primarily for notifications.
LG included a similar dual-display design on its LG V10, a recent "phablet" from LG taking on the iPhone 6s Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 5. On the V10, LG gives the option to fully turn off the second screen or customize what appears -- probably similar to the LG G5. To view the different content that you select, you simply swipe left or right to slide to the next content screen.
Specs and Magic Slot
Inside the LG G5 will feature a Snapdragon 820 CPU with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage, according to VentureBeat. Recent spy shots have hinted the device will feature USB-C for charging and data transfer.
The Verge reports LG will include a "Magic Slot" slated to connect high-end accessories. How it physically looks isn't clear, though it's said to incorporate hardware modules for expansion -- think different cameras or physical keyboards.
Removable battery, camera, and sensors
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VentureBeat reported the LG G5 will include a 2800mAh battery, down from the LG G4's 3000mAh battery. Luckily, the battery will be powering a smaller display and more power efficient processor.
The publication also reports we will see a dual-lens configuration on the rear for the camera, which will give the main 16-megapixel camera a 135-degree wide-angle capability.
There's said to be dual-flash, a laser for assisting with autofocus, and a RGB sensor to further assist with autofocus and other scene-recognition functionality. The front-facing camera will retain the 8-megapixel resolution as the G4.
Like other competitors, LG will include a fingerprint scanner similar to the one found on 2015's Nexus 5X. The finger print scanner adds security functionality and removes the need for a user to key in a pin code.
Pricing and availability
There's no word on when LG will release the LG G5 worldwide. We'll be covering the event on February 21 and will keep you updated on the latest.