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LG G5's modularity
LG G5's modularity is the highlight of the company's G5 flagship but is actually more to it. The LG G5 has a few accessories, called LG Friends, which will make your experience complete. They were announced alongside the G5 in Barcelona and were meant to really complete the user experience.
With mid-range smartphones offering more and more polished experience, many companies have turned to accessories to serve as a differentiator of their top dogs and LG hopes to deliver the most interesting lineup there. It offers an entire series of exclusive gadgets, dubbed Friends, which we've listed below.
LG G5 Friends:
- LG Cam Plus - an official G5 module designed for better grip, and with additional camera controls. It also adds extra battery juice to increase the total to 4,000 mAh.
- LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play - the second official G5 extension that adds a 32-bit Hi-Fi DAC and Amp. It could also work as a standalone DAC and Amp with other devices.
- LG 360 Cam - a 360-degree portable camera with dual 13MP 200-degree sensors and 1280p video recording.
- LG 360 VR - a VR headset with integrated display. It requires a compatible device for streaming content.
- LG Rolling Bot - it's a 20cm in diameter round robot, with a camera, speaker, mic, some LEDs that moves around your house.
- LG Tone Platinum - next generation wireless headset with 24-bit Hi-Fi Sound
There are a few nice options that you may want to connect to the LG G5 right from the beginning, while third-party G5 modules should be coming later this year as well. That said the success of the whole thing largely depends on how successful LG is in committing 3rd party makers to the concept, which in turn will certainly depend on the initial market success of the G5.
LG was kind enough to send us some of the Friends, while we saw others at the MWC expo so we have the full picture for you. We'll start dissecting the lineup of modules
LG Cam Plus module for LG G5
The first extension is the LG Cam Plus camera grip. It adds extra 1,200mAh of battery capacity, and hardware camera controls: shutter key, a camcorder button, camera on/off button and a zoom dial.
Snapping the the module is very easy, but you have to detach and reattach your original battery, which requires a restart of the phone. Luckily the G5 is one of the fastest booting phones around so at least it doesn't take too much time.
The module, being a replacement for the bottom of your phone, also houses a USB Type-C port, a microphone, a loudspeaker, and some antennas.
It works as expected - the slider at the bottom fires up the camera, while the two-step camera shutter focuses and takes pictures. The small key next to the shutter starts up video recording immediately. The added grip at the back is great and helps you feel the LG G5 secure in hand when shooting.
Using the zoom dial while in photo mode is quite a unique experience. Thanks to its dual camera setup the LG G5 offers a unique hybrid zoom - starting with digital zoom from the wide camera and switching to the normal one when you reach that point. After that you are again left with regular digital zoom, and you should better steer clear of that..
The zoom dial is quite loose, doesn't provide any tactile feedback, which isn't working in its favor. We've seen better and we hoped LG will fix this in the retail units, but unfortunately it didn't.
LG Cam Plus
While you are using the LG Cam Plus, the Quick Charge option is disabled as the charge goes through the module's integrated battery. The charging is the opposite of quick - it can pass 5V/0.5A or 9V/0.5A current towards the G5's own battery.
The good news is the LG Cam Plus charges your battery for about 5 minutes upon clicking any of its button. It doesn't act as a power bank; it just sends a small charge to your main battery in order to restore what was taken while you were shooting images/videos.
The bad news is - if you don't have enough battery for shooting, the extra 1,200 mAh will barely help you keep the phone alive, let alone take more than few shots.
The LG Cam Plus wasn't designed to stay long in your LG G5 and we recommend using it only when needed. It extends your power autonomy and boosts the grip, but compromises charging and the design.
The keen photographers will appreciate the extra grip and controls, but we have to disappoint those of you hoping to use it as a power bank - it doesn't work that way and has a rather damaging effect on pocketability.
LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play for LG G5
The second module initially available for the LG G5 Magic Slot is the LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play. It's a 32-bit Hi-Fi DAC and Amp designed to enhance your audio experience.
The audio module has a Sabre ES9028C2M DAC and a Sabre 9602c amp - a combo quite similar to LG V10's audio hardware. The software and the module's design are B&O work, and you can notice the piece is slightly larger than the original G5 cap.
Just like the LG Cam Plus, the Hi-Fi Plus needs your original battery in order to work with the LG G5 and it has an integrated mic, loudspeaker, and an embedded antenna. The Hi-Fi Plus module comes with its own 3.5mm audio Hi-Fi port, and an USB Type-C port to be used for charging the LG G5.
The B&O module is universal for all LG G5 paintjobs - it's made of matte black plastic, so it goes equally well with any G5 flavor (but doesn't exactly match any of them). There is a small brushed B&O logo at the center.
The Hi-Fi Plus can work as a standalone DAC and AMP, too. Just place the cap on the top, and you have a complete external audio device with a secondary USB Type-C port used for connection to other devices such as phones, slates, and PCs. LG has bundled a proper USB Type-C to microUSB OTG cable, so you are ready to use it right out of the box.
Finally, there is a small black leather B&O pouch, so you can carry the gadget safely. It's a nice touch and kudos to LG and B&O for walking the extra mile.
So, what this thing can do? No matter if you use it on another device or inserted in the LG G5, the Hi-Fi Plus module does two things - plays your 24/32-bit Hi-Fi content via its dedicated 3.5mm audio port (over speakers or headphones), or it can upscale and upsample lower quality audio so it can play close to its originally intended sound. It's a software enhancement though so don't expect great results - your low-quality tracks will still sound pretty badly.
And if you do have high-quality audio you will need some proper speakers or headphones to enjoy the excellent sound.
We tried the Hi-Fi Plus on the Galaxy S7 edge and the Huawei P9 and it worked hassle-free. Connecting it to PC is a fairly simple affair too even if it requires some extra time - Windows will automatically install the driver, or you'll have to get it manually from lg.com.
As expected the LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play delivers top marks for audio clarity no matter if you are plugging an active external amp or a pair of headphones. The stereo crosstalk is kept low, while the loudness is above the average.
If we are to compare it with the LG G5 output - the extension delivers louder sound, with deeper bass levels, and quite expectedly - wider dynamic range. It isn't the best DAC you can buy though, and considering the high price, you should opt for this only if you will be using it on the LG G5 and with a proper pair of headphones. For any other case, we suggest you shop around first.
By the way, using it on a PC requires for you to install a special driver (navigate to the fifth tab and scroll down). Then you will get a control panel for the upsampling options.
It does improve the quality over the LG G5 and most of the audiophiles will be able to tell it even with cheaper headphones, but we are not sure if its high price tag serves it right.
review By Ahmed Hossny , mogha.review
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