LG G5 Quick Review by mark2410

LG G5 Quick Review bymark2410

Thanks to Clove for the loaner.

Brief:  LG and its modular bottom.

Price:  £480 which is about US$700

Specifications:  Go see GSMarena, LG’s own website includes bugger all information.

Build Quality:  For a top tier, and thus top priced phone it’s not quite perfect.  The join of the modular bottom and the rest of the body isn’t absolutely seamless and while I do understand why that is the case it’s going to bother some even if I barely noticed it.  It’s all rather nice, just not perfect.

Aesthetics:  Well like the fit, it’s all fine really but not quite, you know.  Its fine, it really is but it’s just not anything special to look at.

As a phone:  Really good.  Great CPU, GPU, tons of RAM so it can run whatever and make phone calls too.  Actually given how it benchmarked it’s a right beast of a thing, sure it gets toasty warm but this thing I’d bet will be able to handle even the most demanding games for a good few years to come.  I don’t love the power / fingerprint scanner being on the back but hey, I know some love it there.

Sound:  As the stock phone, so without the optional B&O module the audio quality was pretty good.  I couldn’t fault it.  Well not in terms of tonality or flavour, there is was a hint on the natural sounding side but just a bit.  The deepest lows and the highs were somewhat tamed but they could be down to a deliberate lack of power.  The output seemed unusually weak.  Both in terms of power and in terms of volume, and I wonder if LG did that deliberately to make the optional B&O module comparatively “pop” when tested?  It’s all supposition, maybe just LG really prioritised a black background and it’s so quiet because the bundled buds are relatively sensitive?  Speaking of which, the bundled buds, oh my god how unexpected where they???  Bundled buds are supposed to be total rubbish, you bin them soon as look at but these, oh no.  These are genuinely not at all bad.  They pair up really well with the phone too, of course too bass heavy but not ridiculously so.  It’s actually a bit of a shame that the only way to get them is to buy a G5 it would seem.  Otherwise try to stick to easy to drive stuff and don’t expect a rip roaring and dynamic filled ride.  Things a little plain, a little muted and you’ll be just fine.  Smooth, sweepingly gentle stuff works great on them.  For a phone its nice stuff.

Value:  It’s a flagship phone for flagship money.

Pro’s:  Very powerful computationally.  Pleasantly controlled audio.  Potential for modular enhancement.

Con’s:  Bland looks.  Fly out of your hand rear coating.  Wallet ouch.