LG G5 review: Evening the odds

22 March, 2016
Someone at LG must have thought: “Leather is so last-year, let’s do something nobody has done – or long quit trying.” And here we have the LG G5. It has the looks of a brand new flagship, the heart of a dragon and an adventurous dual camera setup suited for every occasion. But there’s more than meets the eye, the Magic Slot. The LG G5 is a modular smartphone, which lets you plug a handful of external add-ons: a semi-pro camera grip with shutter buttons and a bigger battery, or an external sound amplifier by B&O.

Sort by:

  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • mik
  • 31 May 2016

Chrjns, 24 May 2016I am confused, where in the review is written that the brig... moreCheck Anand's review. 400 nits in manual is for a short time after which the software will adjust it and bring it down to around 330 nits. There is no way around it, if you want the screen to be bright indoors - the software won't allow it. 330 nits is very dim by its own and certainly too dim if compared to the competition.
Conclusion: don't get G5 if you need your screen to be bright enough indoors.

    • C
    • Chrjns
    • vfj
    • 24 May 2016

    vrvly, 11 May 2016400nits manual mode, 800nits in auto(with sensor). Source: ... moreI am confused, where in the review is written that the brightness level is 800? It is only 300- 380....

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • nY%
      • 21 May 2016

      Bought LG G5 and returned it after few hours. The display is super dim, nowhere close to the claimed 800 or 900 nits. I guess it's about 300/350 nits max at full manual brightness. Couldn't find a way to configure the brightness higher. Automatic won't give you more indoors so the phone is useless. Got Galaxy S7 instead and the screen is amazing.
      Too bad of course, because except the display G5 looks great and there is a replaceable battery which was one of the main factors to buy it in the first place.
      LG - stop using these crap IPS displays and move to AMOLED or try to use something similar to Sony's IPS, I've got Xperia Z5 Premium and it's IPS is much brighter than the crap in LG G5 (Max brightness on manual again).
      Before you start screaming that the light burn your eyes - remember that we are all different and each got his own needs, I need an bright screen - yes, even indoors.

        400nits manual mode, 800nits in auto(with sensor). Source: notebookcheck. So its confirmed, but of course its quite dim - you have to calibrate brightness in auto(I think G5 allow to set it somehow / you can use some app).

          • m
          • mathian
          • UQ@
          • 11 May 2016

          where can i find the multi-user feature?

            • D
            • AnonD-116547
            • YQC
            • 01 May 2016

            Anonymous, 08 Apr 2016GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen) xiaomi mi 5 scored 30 lg g5 ... moreConsider the screen resolution. LG G5 is a 2k display and Mi5 a 1080p display. The Adreno 530 has to support more pixels. So do the math.

              • D
              • DAC sucks
              • Sf{
              • 20 Apr 2016

              With the addition of B&O DAC module, I was expecting 100dB dynamic range with low THD and high audio output signal (at least 1V). However, the test results only disappoint. Look at Mate 8 & Pro 5 results which are perfect.

                • D
                • AnonD-260862
                • Aq0
                • 18 Apr 2016

                Again no option to adjust in what size camera pictures are stored? What if you don't want all those big files and 4k is plenty resolution?

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • 7uE
                  • 17 Apr 2016

                  No burn-in is a good display...

                    G5 has some pros and cons.
                    It has the worst battery endurance amongst flagships.
                    The worst screen to body ratio amonst flagships.
                    The worst built quality amongst flagships (the lower chin doesnt always slot symmetrically, the back cover easily peals off and feels more plastic than metal, etc)
                    Due to 2k, it wont have the best performance in comparison with the 1080p ones.
                    Bellow average display quality amongst flagships. (although it has superb contrast values this time, but fails due to low brightness)
                    Overall , one of the best cameras, ( mostly due to selfie cam) amongst flagships.
                    The most innovative flagship for this year.
                    Chances are that it will reduce its price faster and deeper than most flagships, but not mi 5 like.

                    So, apart from the selfie addicts girls, to whom is this flagship adresses??
                    Not the power users, not the casual users, not the adventurous ones, not the conservative ones, the practical ones, what part of the market segment selfie girls hold?

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • krW
                      • 17 Apr 2016

                      Anonymous, 17 Apr 2016Agreed. Off all the phones i have owned (about 2 dozen acr... moreYou obviously only owned low end amoled

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • tSv
                        • 17 Apr 2016

                        Anonymous, 27 Mar 2016It's a reply also for Grey1213. There are too many Samsu... moreAgreed. Off all the phones i have owned (about 2 dozen across 7 or 8 manufacterers) the phones that had the easiest to read in bright sunlight, had the darkest blacks and best colors had IPS screens.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • tSv
                          • 17 Apr 2016

                          Lead2XL, 27 Mar 2016Absolutely loved the G3, only let down by mediocre battery,... moreThen get the big battery for the magic slot and you will have them all beat..

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • tSv
                            • 17 Apr 2016

                            Aspros, 28 Mar 2016 1. You are either a troll, or got trolled to believe that... moreThen get the module with the bigger battery.

                              • T
                              • TraverS
                              • uGU
                              • 13 Apr 2016

                              MioandUs, 06 Apr 2016In order not to forget the REAL Truth about LG G5!!! LG G5... moreOn Burn-in, I think it is not really burn-in. More like nonuniform pixel dimming due to different usage of individual region, the more you use that pixel, the faster it will dim.

                              I have Note4 and notification bar is the brightest region compared to the rest which white turn a bit yellow. This is due to frequently use of Chrome which make notification bar black (which turn of those pixels).
                              While LED LCDs also dim throughout their life, they won't be noticeable like OLED. It will instead be shown as poorer uniformity as the LED won't turn off when it needs to be black.

                                • D
                                • AnonD-195762
                                • Xre
                                • 11 Apr 2016

                                I do appreciate the fact they tried to differentiate themselves from the competition, but why not make the DAC hardwired into the phone like the Z5? This very thing used to piss me off about Nokia, different features for different model's,keep the modularity if you want for say camera grip, but unless a dev makes something like a control grip for it then there is no point. By the way the battery on my G4 stinks, hoped they would've sorted it out here.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • 7Jv
                                  • 09 Apr 2016

                                  Anonymous, 08 Apr 2016why is the lg g5 onscreen graphics lower than galaxy . Adr... moreThrottling

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • YUf
                                    • 08 Apr 2016

                                    GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
                                    xiaomi mi 5 scored 30
                                    lg g5 scored 15
                                    this is not minor throttling its half the performance with same graphics on both phones

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • YUf
                                      • 08 Apr 2016

                                      why is the lg g5 onscreen graphics lower than galaxy . Adreno 530 is more powerful than mali T880MP12. it should be on par with xiaomi mi 5 which has the same Graphics.

                                        • D
                                        • AnonD-440191
                                        • Bw@
                                        • 06 Apr 2016

                                        Well the revoew doesn't tell us if we can record radio as on the G4 and V10 where the quality is very good. I haveheard too the V10 even has a TV tuner and it records in at least hd, but is this so?