TESTED LG G5

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The device you see on this page is a landmark smartphone. You'll remember it fondly in the future, but that all depends on whether LG'S modular wager pays off and consumers start demanding more options. The G5 carries many of LG'S flagship G-line hallmarks, but introduces an entirely new design language.

First there's the full metal jacket, albeit of the confusing plastic-coated variety. Think of it as similar to the trick the Korean company pulled last year with the leather veneer over plastic, but just with a thin aluminium core smothered in primer. I like it. But I also liked the feel of Samsung's faux leather on my personal Galaxy S5.

Next is the volume button migration back to the more conventional side. The power button is still on the back and it now gains fingerprint-scanning powers. It's in line with Google's placement of Nexus Imprint and LG probably took a page out of the Nexus 5X playbook for that. Fingerprint scanning is a bit slow compared to offerings from Huawei, Apple and Samsung, but you won't notice.

In all LG has crafted a competitive flagship device that is every bit as fast as its competitors in terms of task accomplishment and adds a few twists. The bottom chin is removable and replaceable with modules that LG is calling “Friends”. You plug the friends into the “Magic Slot” and transform your device into a G5 with a high fidelity amplifier from Bang and Olufsen, or into a G5 with hardware zoom and shutter (video and camera are separate) buttons and some extra battery.

Currently the friends are limited to the Cam Plus camera grip and the DAC. LG is lumping the 360 Cam, VR headset and toycum- cat-exercising Rolling Bot together with the friends, but they're separate devices. That leaves just one more point of difference from the 2016 Snapdragon 820equipped flagships: camera.

The G4 had arguably the best camera module on a phone in 2015 and LG has left it virtually as is for 2016. I suspect they neutered the optical image stabilising to a

VITAL INFORMATION

SCREEN: 5,3-inch QHD IPS LCD with backlight zoning for always on display MEMORY: 32 GB storage, 4 GB RAM, microsd support CAMERAS: 16 MP main, 8 MP wide angle, 8 MP selfie SENSORS: Bluetooth, NFC, Wifi, accelerometer, gyro, compass, barometer, colour spectrum, proximity, fingerprint PRICE: R11 800, lg.com