LG G5 Unboxing Video

Some people will tell you that the smartphone industry has reached a certain level of stagnation. I’d know. I’m one of those people. The changes and improvements have become largely incremental in nature. The processor is a little faster. The body is a little slimmer. The display is a little (a lot?) bigger. And then you’ve got devices like the LG G5 that are trying to do something totally different.

On paper, the LG G5 isn’t going to appear all that different from the massive deluge of other flagship Android smartphones at the most premium end of the pricing scale. Yes, the $800 smartphone ($600 US on Amazon) has a super fast chip, a very pixel-dense screen and USB-C connectivity with Quick Charge capabilities. That’s all great. What’s different, though, is its modularity.

The idea is that you can pop the bottom off the phone, with the 2800 mAh lithium-ion battery attached, and replace it with any number of modules for enhanced functionality. There are modules — LG calls them “friends” — for better music-listening or picture-taking experiences, for example.

Is this a gimmick? Without a doubt!

Is it useful? That, I’m not too sure about.

In the video below, I unbox the little metal beast to uncover what else is included in the package. Even the packaging itself is pretty clever. I also provide a quick demonstration of how you go about removing the bottom to swap in those modular bits.

The video was recorded with my new Canon point-and-shoot, mostly to attach a purpose to shooting some test footage. Check it out below in full HD 1080p and expect a more comprehensive written review of the LG G5 on MEGATechNews in the coming weeks.