Like in 2015, LG has confirmed that it will issue two Android flagship smartphones this 2016. The first, rumored as the LG G5, is expected to see the light day this coming February via the 2016 MWC and the second, likely the follow up to the phablet LG V10, should come later in the year.
As part of its latest quarterly earnings report, LG indicated that it intends to release not only two flagship phones in the whole stretch of 2016 but also "a more cost-competitive value chain," of products. The South Korean device maker, according to 9to5Google, hopes to improve on the Q4 2015 losses incurred by its mobile division business.
Bannered by the LG G4, the LG V10 and Nexus 5X, LG reported that it sold 15.3 million smartphones in last quarter of 2015, leading to overall sales of nearly 60 million units by the end of the year. However, the company still registered a quarterly loss of $39 million for its mobile business, which LG is looking to arrest by rolling out premium devices with unique features and functionalities to attract more buyers.
And it appears LG is off to a good start with the LG G5 that 9to5Google said will surely generate good amount of attention with persistent rumors saying that the device will unbox boasting of unique features and functionalities. Among the most the loudly mentioned features is the reintroduction of removable or replaceable battery.
The LG G5, however, will not return to the device model in which the back plate can be easily peeled off by users. Instead, the rumored flagship will use a metallic build with unibody design. But the G5 engineering will involve a detachable bottom portion of the case. When pulled out, the G5 will reveal the battery that makes it easier for users to slide out and slide in battery packs.
The G5 is nearly confirmed to sport a dual-camera set up, GSM Arena reported, pointing to a recently leaked set of cases purportedly for the 2016 Android flagship. With the feature add-on, the LG G5 is anticipated to draw in buyers looking to wield smartphone shooters that can produce images with DSLR quality.
Rumors suggest as well that LG will again be part of Google's Nexus 2016 project, somehow indicating that the LG G5, following its March 2016 release date, will be repurposed as one of the pure Android smartphones in the months ahead.