Earlier this year, LG had already released the curved LG G Flex 2 handset and its current flagship LG G4 a couple of months later. As early as now, several reports about the latter's successor, the LG G5, have already been making the rounds online.
Perhaps in a bid to better compete with Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, Galaxy Note 5, and Apple's iPhone 6S, LG is planning to boost its 2015 lineup with three premium devices launched within the same year.
A new report by the Korean Herald reveals that the company is planning to equip the handset with a fingerprint scanner; unlike the iris scanner which was previously rumored. The report says that the South Korean electronics giant plans to use the system not only on the purported LG G5 but also on the next Google co-branded Nexus smartphone, as well as another rumored variant, the LG G4 Pro.
The supposed plan to integrate a biometric scanner is seen as LG's move to protect its users' personal information. It can also be because the company is trying to catch up with other device makers in the mobile payments arena.
As of now, Apple has already launched the Apple Pay, Samsung has Samsung Pay, and Google is working on its own Android Pay that is expected to come with devices powered by the upcoming Android M software. However, the report did not indicate where the fingerprint scanner will be mounted, whether it will be embedded on the home button on below the main camera at the back of the device.
Under the hood, the LG G5 is said to be packed with the next-generation Snapdragon 820 chipset from Qualcomm. LG is rumored to couple that with at least 3GB, which is a sensible choice for a 2015 flagship.
In the photography department, the upcoming model reportedly has a 20-megapixel primary camera with f/1.8 aperture, capable of capturing 1080p videos at 120fps, and even a 4K video at 60fps. The front camera, meanwhile, is expected to have an 8-megapixel sensor.
The LG G4 is furnished with a 3,000mAh removable battery. Tech watchers speculate that LG may be preparing to power it with a larger 4,000mAh battery. However, PC Advisor believes that it's an exaggerated prediction as a battery with that capacity will only make the LG G5 thicker and heavier. What we can expect, the site further claims, is that the next flagship will be coming with native wireless charging support.
For those wondering about the unannounced phone's design, a concept creator named Jermain Smit has published photos that will reportedly be the actual look of the LG G5 once it's released. In the renders posted by Phones Review, the LG G5 is shown sporting a fine-looking, polished metal build in red-and-black color scheme.
The LG G5 might also come earlier than expected. Industry sources cited by Business Korea mentioned that LG has abandoned its initial plan to launch its "super premium phone" this October. Instead, the company is now eyeing to unveil the model as soon as possible. The release of this high-end device, widely believed to be the LG G5, is apparently "imminent," according to the sources.
