eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
LG will be releasing its latest improvement-filled UX 5.0 user interface software with its new LG G5 modular smartphone, which will launch on April 1.
The UX 5.0 user interface is built to provide users with a “more playful and innovative mobile experience,” according to LG, that will also bring new capabilities to the company’s smartphones beyond the G5.
The UX 5.0 interface is based on the Android Marshmallow 6.0 operating system and is designed to help users get the most out of the latest features in the G5 smartphone, including its range of modular plug-in accessories, according to the company.
“We analyzed the lifestyle of smartphone users to provide a superior mobile experience and greatly expanded the usability with LG UX 5.0,” Juno Cho, the president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Co., said in a statement. “LG UX 5.0 and G5 were designed to provide an innovative user experience that reflects the needs of our most demanding customers.”
The latest UX is built around the LG Friends Manager app, which enables users to connect with and control the modules and accessories that are being released to work with the phone. The modules collectively are being called “LG Friends.” By using the Friends Manager app, G5 smartphones will be able to automatically detect nearby Friends accessories for easy pairing with an LG G5 handset, according to LG. The app will also enable the installation of all necessary downloads and apps that are required by the modular accessories. Each LG Friend accessory will be given a different display interface on the G5, according to LG.
The new UX adds support for the much improved camera in the G5, including the ability to easily switch between the standard 78-degree lens and its 135-degree wide-angle lens by simply pinching the screen; an Auto Shot feature that triggers the shutter as soon as the user’s face is recognized; and a Multi View feature that captures different angles of images at the same exact moment using the front and rear cameras of the G5 and the accessory LG 360 CAM.
Other new camera features include 360 Wallpaper, which lets users take images with the LG 360 CAM and display them as a 360-degree panorama that shifts in sync with movements of the G5; a Pop-out Picture feature that lets the user combine two images that are taken simultaneously with the standard and wide-angle lens to create a picture-in-a-frame effect; and a Film Effect feature that allows users to improve their photo special effects with a set of filters that deliver an “analog” feel to their photos, according to LG.
The latest UX 5.0 also adds smart features such as combining the device’s Home Screen with the App Drawer in LG UX 5.0 to improve usability; LG Health upgrades to provide a Beginner as well as Advanced mode matched to the user’s profile to encourage better health progress; an always-on display for frequently accessed information such as the date, notifications and SMS messages; integrated LG backup; and a file manager to help users find the information they are seeking on their devices.
The latest flagship LG G5 32GB modular smartphone can be preordered from the four major U.S. mobile carriers and is slated to go on sale on April 1.
The LG features an all-metal body, a 5.3-inch quad HD IPS display and a line of LG Friends accessories that bring virtual reality capabilities and more to users. The G5 features a Qualcomm 820 octa-core processor, 4GB of memory, 32GB of on-board storage, a microSD slot for expanded storage of up to 200GB and the Android Marshmallow 6.0 operating system.
The G5 continues the G4’s tradition of having a removable and replaceable battery. The G5 also has one SIM card slot, dual rear cameras—a 16-megapixel camera with a 78-degree field of view and an 8MP wide-angle camera with a 135-degree field of view—and an 8MP front-facing camera.
The phone’s attachable modular accessories include an LG 360 camera module that features two 180-degree cameras that can create 360-degree images, an audio Hi-Fi Plus attachment for improved sound capabilities for music and video audio, and an LG Cam Plus grip, which includes shutter and video camera buttons, a jog dial for video zoom and an embedded battery with another 1,100mAh of power for extended use.
Also available is a 360-degree, full HD 1080p virtual reality headset that connects to the smartphone with a USB-C cord and an LG Rolling Bot, which is a remote controlled rolling “robot” that has a built-in microphone, a speaker and a laser with a “pet mode” that flickers a laser that pets can chase for entertainment. The Rolling Bot can be navigated remotely to move from room to room.