LG Launches LG G5 and Friends in the Philippines

The long wait is finally over. 2 months after the worldwide reveal of the LG G5 at the Mobile World Congress, LG Mobile Philippines finally launches it along with the full range of its accessories in the Philippines. The grandeur event happened in the Shangri La The Fort, and was attended by LG officials, brand ambassadors, dealers and media.

The new LG G5 features a radical design from its predecessor. It sports a unibody build with removable 2800mAh battery. As we earlier report in February, what sets this new smartphone from its previous iterations and the current phones from other brands is its unique modular design. The device isn’t just a slab of metal with removable battery. This is the first commercially available smartphone with the earliest implementation of modular technology.

What LG did was to design a hot-swappable based, which opens it to a wide variety of accessories, which LG aptly calls “friends”. Forget about “Lotlot and friends” for now, please. These so-called “friends” widen end-users’ opportunity to play and be productive. Its accessories expand the universe of users without having to break the bank. You can check out the video below to see how everything works.

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During the event, comedia vlogger Wil Dasovich showcased all the accessories and features of the LG G5 during a special event he co-conducted with LG at Philippine Children Medicasl Center (PCMC). The event set the tone and reiforced the product message, “Life’s Good When You Play more”. Notice that its message obviously carry with it 2 relevant contexts: “Life’s Good” – LG’s brand premise; and “Play More” to highlight the rewarding features of the new phone.

Each accessory was later discussed by LG’s product ambassadors. Lifestyle-travel blogger, Chuckie Dreyfus talked and showed sample photos he snapped using the LG G5’s built-in standard 78-degree and 135-degree lens, and the LG 360 Cam. Music DJ Jessica Milner shared her experience with the LG Hi-Fi Plus with Bang & Olufsen Play. Doug and Cheska Cramer showed a video of their family playing with the LG Rolling Bot.

If you want to see a description of all the accessories that are available for the LG G5, you may check out everything below.

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• LG CAM Plus – This is a versatile camera module that can be attached through the battery slot to deliver a comfortable grip and convenient control of a standalone camera. The LG CAM Plus provides physical buttons for power, shutter, record, zoom and LED indicator. It also offers intuitive auto focus and exposure lock, features usually found in standalone digital cameras. When attached to the LG G5, it provides an additional battery capacity of 1,200mAh to allow for longer shooting

• LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O PLAY – This is an innovative portable Hi-Fi DAC audio player developed in collaboration with B&O PLAY to meet the needs of those who enjoy top-notch sounds that are traditionally available in high-end audio devices. LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O PLAY stands out for its simple yet elegant Scandinavian design and premium sound technology. In addition to the 32-bit Hi-Fi DAC up-sampling technology first introduced in the LG V10, it also supports 32-bit 384KHz high-definition audio playback. It can be used either as a module with the LG G5 or as a separate Hi-Fi DAC by connecting to any smartphone or PC.

• LG 360 VR – This is a VR goggle that can connect to the G5 via a dedicated cable and simulate a 130-inch TV viewed from two meters away. It has a stylish and foldable design so that users can easily carry and watch VR content anytime, anywhere. Unlike other VR devices that require smartphones to be inserted in the device, the LG 360 VR weighs only 134g and is less than half as heavy as competing VR goggles while delivering a resolution of 639 ppi. The device is compatible with 360-degree images and videos captured with LG 360 CAM as well as all Google Cardboard content.

• LG 360 CAM – This is a compact 360-degree angle camera equipped with two 13-megapixel 200-degree wide angle cameras, 1,200mAh battery and 4GB internal memory, which can be supplemented by a microSD card. It can easily connect to the LG G5 and provides 2K video and 5.1 surround channel recording on three microphones, letting users effortlessly create high-quality 360-degree contents. Thanks to the partnership with Google, images taken with the 360 CAM can be uploaded to Google Street View and YouTube360, adding the fun of sharing creative contents with others. The images will also be available to view on the LG 360 VR or other devices that are capable of 360-degree content.

• LG Rolling Bot – This is a companion device that rolls like a ball while capturing images and videos with its embedded 8-megapixel camera. It can be used as a monitoring system for the home, pet care companion as well as a remote control for compatible home appliances. With an IP camera connectable via Wi-Fi, users can remotely monitor the interior of their homes with the LG G5 via live streaming.

• LG Tone Platinum^TM – The LG TONE Platinum^TM (model HBS-1100), the latest in the LG TONE Series, is a Bluetooth headset that has earned the Harman Kardon^® Platinum grade for its superior sound quality. With a Balanced Armature design for minimum distortion, LG Tone Platinum^TM delivers exceptionally sharp and clean sound. It is also the world’s first Bluetooth headset equipped with aptX™ HDcodec, delivering lossless 24-bit audio for sound that is unrivalled in a wireless device.

• H3 by B&O PLAY – This is a set of high-end earphones that are compatible with the high-quality sound of the LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Designed for audiophiles, H3 by B&O PLAY works with all Android smartphones.

• LG Friends Manager – This is the hub application that allows the G5 to connect with LG Friends with minimal fuss and effort. LG Friends Manager automatically detects nearby LG Friends and connects quickly and easily in three simple steps, eliminating much of the hassle of pairing devices.

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Apart from the LG G5’s radical design, the new device is home to tons of new hardware and software features. The LG G5 offers faster processing power and memory capacity with Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor and 4GB RAM respectively.

Its display is definitely one of the best available in the market today. It has a 5.3-inch Quad HD IPS display, and offers an Always-On feature, which we saw in the LG V10. According to Faith Mijares, Product Marketing Manager of LG Electronics, this feature only spends about .8% of the battery per hour.

The device can also deliver high quality and fidelity audio over Bluetooth via its 24-bit Hi-Fi Wireless Audio. This basically helps users appreciate thei high fidelity music using the LG G5.

During the event, LG Electronics Mobile Communications, VP Jay Won, expressed his excitement over the launch of the LG G5. He said that the new smartphone sorts the issue of users not seeing new innovations from other smartphone brands, and having a phone with functional design. “We are so excited to bring this highly anticipated and out-of-the-box flagship to the Philippines. LG G5 and Friends play a game-changing role in the smartphone industry, providing devices and opportunities that would help make the most of a consumer’s mobile lifestyle,” he added.

If you’re out in the market for a new smartphone that has a very bright future, the LG G5 should definitely be part of the list. We promise to give you a full review once a review unit reaches our HQ this May 2016.

Giancarlo Viterbo

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Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.