Press Release

As the first smartphone to successfully implement a modular design, the LG G5 opens up new possibilities in mobile phones

Sydney, April 20, 2016 – LG Electronics Australia (LG) today launched the highly anticipated LG G5 smartphone, bringing its eye-catching modular design, sleek metal body, and the dual rear cameras one which can capture 135 degree images, to Australian customers. The 2016 LG flagship device also has a number of optional accessories called ‘LG Friends’ - which is a collection of companion devices including a camera module, HiFi audio module, and a 360 degree camera.

The LG G5 will be priced at RRP $1,099 will be available from Telstra (May 3) and at Optus stores (May 2), as well as with retail partner Harvey Norman (May 2). For LG Friends pricing availability please see below.

Gino Casha, General Manager Mobile Communications at LG for Australia and New Zealand commented:
“We are delighted to bring the LG G5 to Australia. This is a standout device in the smartphone world with a unique design, removable battery, innovative camera set up and collection of compatible companion devices. Everything about the LG G5 has been designed to enable users to have more fun with their phone and give them a new experience; we think Australian consumers will love the G5.”

The LG G5 is already one of the most talked about phones of 2016. At MWC, LG Electronics walked away with a record 33 awards including Best New Smartphone at MWC 2016 from the GSMA’s Glomo Awards, the mobile industry’s longest established awards platform for innovation, excellence and achievement.

INNOVATIVE DESIGN

World’s first modular design

As the world’s first smartphone to marry a removable battery with a metal modular design, there have been noticeable changes compared to previous G series devices. The new Modular Type design gives the LG G5 the ability to transform and adapt to customer’s needs. The metal construction of the LG G5 not only offers a premium look and feel in the hand, but importantly it also provides strength for the handset’s novel modular capabilities. It now has a removable battery allowing quick change and power whilst on the go. The LG G5 is the only premium flagship smartphone available with a full metal uni-body and removable battery.

CUTTING EDGE CAMERAS

See the bigger picture

The LG G5 offers consumers a whole new view of mobile photography with two cameras on the back of the device. The primary rear camera has a 16MP 78-degree lens, with Optical Image Stabilisation for low light shots, and a second 135-degree rear wide angle camera. No longer will users struggle to capture the whole scene they see with their eyes – the 135 degree field of view on the LG G5 camera is wider than that of the naked eye, allowing users to get the bigger picture every time.

Richard Hirst, Sydney landscape photographer had this to say:

“The wide angle lens allows for dramatic leading lines and lets you really create depth and dynamism in any image. The LG G5 is perfect for anyone that appreciates a good picture. There are lots of great features, but for me it is a powerful and portable camera, and I know I will always be ready to shoot and capture an unfolding scene with confidence.”

This is the widest available lens in any smartphone. The 135-degree lens offers a viewing angle that is approximately 1.7 times wider than those of any existing smartphone cameras. The wide angle lens makes it easier to capture beautiful landscapes, taller buildings in the city or that huge group photo, meaning you don’t have to position yourself far away.

The LG G5 also lets you take advantage of the powerful photo effects including Pop-out Picture, Film Effect and Auto Shot. Pop-out Picture combines images taken by the standard and wide angle lens to create a picture-in-a-frame effect.

Film Effect can apply nine different film emulators to an image while Auto Shot is an enhanced camera user experience that automatically captures the perfect selfie shot when a face is recognised.

BENEFITS OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER INDUSTRY LEADERS

The Bang & Olufsen (B&O) partnership, part of the LG Friends collection, is a new and exciting development.

Julian Kipping, General Manager B&O ANZ comments:

“The LG G5 is a true testament to innovation in form, function and style. The LG G5 combines sleek, modern design with B&O’s signature acoustics – giving users the ability to have a taste of our high-end audio products right in their pocket.”

“The B&O team are really excited about this partnership with LG. Not only have we worked together on the G5, we’re also working to combine our sensory design, acoustics and smart home integration on further technology partnerships with LG in the future,” he added.

The LG G5 also features the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 820 processor which offers powerful performance and long battery life.

Mike Finley, President North America and Australia, Qualcomm commented: “Qualcomm is very pleased to work with LG on their latest flagship device, the LG G5, featuring one of the most cutting-edge premium tier processors, the Snapdragon 820 processor.

“LG and Qualcomm have worked closely together for many years, to deliver upon a shared vision of bringing new and truly compelling user experiences for consumers. We look forward to seeing the LG G5 launch in Australia.”

LG FRIENDS AND THE NEW POSSIBILITIES

Additional features that have captured attention, creating a fun consumer experience are the LG Friends. These include the 360 CAM, Rolling Bot, CAM PLUS, Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play, and a battery charging kit.

WELCOME TO THE LG PLAYGROUND

As part of the new LG G5 ecosystem, LG has introduced a wide range of companion devices for the G5, to deliver fun and a new mobile experience far beyond traditional smartphone boundaries.

FRIENDS MANAGER

Only available on the LG G5, Friends Manager is an app that allows you to connect with all the LG Friends with minimal fuss and effort. Friends Manager automatically detects nearby Friends and connects them quickly and easily in three simple steps, eliminating much of the hassle of pairing devices. This comes loaded on the LG G5 and is available for download on the LG G4.

360 CAM   The LG 360 CAM allows users to capture a 360 degree image of their surroundings so that they can relive the whole visual experience when they choose. It is equipped with two 13MP wide angle cameras, 1,200mAh battery and 4GB internal memory. The LG 360 CAM offers a manual mode, Full HD video and a 5.1 surround channel recording on three microphones to help users effortlessly create high-quality 360-degree contents.   The 360 CAM will be priced at RRP $399 and will be available at selected Telstra stores from May 3 and selected Optus stores from May 2. Other channels will be announced at a later date.

CAM PLUS   The LG CAM Plus has been created to help keep your hand steady when attempting to take that picture-perfect image. It is a versatile camera module that attaches through the battery slot to deliver a comfortable grip and convenient control of the LG G5 camera, helping to reduce those blurry pictures.   The LG CAM Plus provides physical buttons for power, shutter, record, zoom and LED battery indicator. It also offers intuitive auto focus and exposure lock, features that are usually found on standalone digital cameras. When attached to the LG G5, the camera grip contains an additional battery capacity of 1,200mAh, allowing longer shooting time for more fun and enjoyment. The CAM PLUS will be priced at RRP $129. Available from selected Optus stores from May 2. Other channels will be announced at a later date.

HI-FI PLUS   LG Hi-Fi Plus is an innovative portable Hi-Fi DAC (digital to analog converter) audio player to enjoy sounds that have traditionally only been available through high-end audio devices. LG Hi-Fi Plus has a stand-out design, alongside cutting-edge sound technology.   The LG Hi-Fi Plus supports 32-bit, 384KHz high-resolution audio playback. LG Hi-Fi Plus can be used either with the LG G5 or as a separate Hi-Fi DAC by USB connection to other smartphones or PCs. HI-FI PLUS will be available for RRP $229 at selected Telstra stores from May 3 and selected Optus stores from May 2. Other distribution channels will be announced at a later date.

STAY FULLY CHARGED WITH THE LG CHARGING KIT   The LG G5 lets you swap out your battery to power up in seconds. With the advanced dual function battery charging kit, you can charge your LG G5 battery or use it as a power source to charge USB compatible devices including tablets and smart phones.   The LG G5 Battery Charging Kit will be available for RRP $69.95 at selected Telstra stores from mid-May. Other distribution channels will be announced at a later date.

OTHER FEATURES

QUALCOMM® SNAPDRAGON™ 820 PROCESSOR

The LG G5 is equipped with the powerful yet energy-efficient Snapdragon 820 processor that offers advanced features such as 64-bit performance, Qualcomm® Adreno™ 530 graphics and lower-power Qualcomm® Hexagon™ DSP as well as Qualcomm Spectra™ 14-bit dual image signal processors (ISPs) designed to deliver quality high resolution images and additional power savings. The Snapdragon 820 processor integrates the X12LTE modem which supports 4G LTE download speeds of up to 600 Mbps.

Perfect for the gaming enthusiast – the Snapdragon 820 processor offers advanced CPU architecture, with up to double the speed and power efficiency compared to previous generation Adreno 430 GPU.

The Adreno 530 graphics demonstrate up to 40 per cent faster graphics performance and up to 40 per cent more power efficiency also compared to previous generation Adreno 430 GPU.

When watching a video on the LG G5, the Snapdragon 820 processor will provide 4K capture and playback at twice the resolution of 1080p, enabling users to watch and capture daily moments in stunningdetail and clarity.

ALWAYS ON

With the LG G5 you always know the time, date and battery life 24/7 by simply looking at the always-on display.
To minimise power consumption, LG redesigned the display driver IC memory and power management function so that the display’s backlight only illuminates one small part of the overall display, similar to the technology used on LCD TVs. Thanks to this technology, the Always-on Display requires only 0.8 percent of the battery’s power every hour to operate.

Key Specifications of LG G5:

● Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 820 Processor
● Display: 5.3-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display (2560 x 1440 / 554ppi)
● Memory: 4GB LPDDR4 RAM / 32GB UFS ROM / microSD (up to 2TB)
● Camera: Rear: Standard 16MP, Wide 8MP / Front: 8MP
● Battery: 2,800mAh (removable)
● OS: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
● Size: 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7~8.6mm
● Weight: 159g
● Network: 4G LTE / 3G / 2G
● Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / USB Type-C 2.0 (3.0 compatible) / NFC / Bluetooth 4.2
● Colour: Titan

About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company

LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a global leader and trend setter in the mobile and wearable industry with breakthrough technologies and innovative designs. By continually developing highly competitive core technologies in the areas of display, battery, camera optics and LTE technology, LG creates handsets and wearables that fit the lifestyles of a wide range of people all over the world. While helping to enhance the mobile user experience by incorporating unique, sophisticated designs and intuitive UX features, LG is also committed to guiding consumers into the era of convergence and Internet of Things, maximizing inter-device connectivity between a wide range of smartphones, tablets, wearables, home and portable electronics products. For more information, please visit www.LG.com.

About LG Electronics Australia

G Electronics Australia is based in Sydney and is a subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc, a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In Australia, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions, all under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme.

For more information, please visit www.lg.com.au or facebook.com/LGaustralia

Media Contacts:

LG Mobile Communications Australia
Jayne Ellis
Account Manager
+61479 101 268
Jayne.Ellis@lg-one.com