LG G5 Modular Concept Dares You To Experience VR, Audio and Photos In A New Way

UPDATE: LG said the G5 and Friends will be released in key markets sometime in early April. That means USA, Korea and some parts of Europe will have to wait a little bit over a month.

While some smartphones put their money on water resistance, storage and battery life at this Mobile World Congress,  LG came up with a league of friends to support the main device.

Equipped with Snapdragon 820 processor, the 159 grams,  5.3-inch G5 is a daring flagship phone for the company, reviving the old expansion slot model from the 2000s with Friends, a series of add-ons. Cam Plus and Hi-Fi Plus modules are interchangeable with a swap on the Android 6.0 Marshmallow smartphone. All you need to do is take out the bottom of the phone, where the battery is located and place it on one of the modules, before completing the handset again.

Cam Plus camera grip

If you’re not content with the 16 MP main rear camera and the second, wide-angle one (135 degrees), you can always add the camera grip module. LG says it’s more comfortable to hold and gives you extra battery life to shoot all day long. You will find four physical buttons on the bulky add-on – a two-stage shutter button, one for video recording and one for zoom dial and another one to enable or disable the Cam Plus. The two-stage shutter button has DSLR functionality, helping you to focus or take photos in burst mode.

Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play

The audio module promises increased audio quality through louder speakers and a new 3.5mm headphone jack where you should attach high-end headphones to really notice a difference. LG offers a wireless stereo headset also, if you’d not rather branch out.

360 Cam and VR 

Best module yet for creative users, the handheld 360 Cam has a pair of 13MP sensors with 180-degree lenses that, combined, make up for a 360-degree camera. Click once for photos, click and hold for recording video with audio. An extension of this feature is the 360° Virtual Reality option, the most compact you’ve ever seen. It looks similar to the Google Cardboard, you’ll say, but with built-in screens and measuring 2 inches tall and deep, it’s certainly a much discreet and portable module.

The fun doesn’t end here. LG G5 confirms our suspicions about an always-on display , that shows time, date and important notifications. Moreover, besides taking pride in its Friends, LG ensures a 2800 mAh removable battery on a metal smartphone, nonetheless, and 4 available colors: Silver, Titan, Gold and Pink.