LG's 2015 flagship smartphone, the LG G4, has only been in the market for less than six months, but as early as now, several reports are already pointing toward a solid upgrade for the South Korean device maker's rumored next-generation LG G5 handset.
New information about the supposed 2016 model has been revealed by a tech site called G for Games, citing a source from China. The site had shared a handful of accurate leaks in the past and this time it is reporting that the LG G5 will be powered by Qualcomm' state-of-the-art Snapdragon 820 chipset. LG is also said to receive a helping hand from Sony for its next-gen flagship's camera.
The company has launched the LG G4 in April this year and, unlike other manufacturers, it decided to furnish the model with the slightly less powerful Snapdragon 808 processor. Other device makers like HTC and Sony have used the newer Snapdragon 810 in their flagships. However, the chipset have been reported to cause overheating issues among devices it powers.
Even LG itself used the Snapdragon 810 chip for its curved LG G Flex2 smartphone released earlier this year. Either way, the new report suggests that the company will not be holding back for the LG G5. By the time the model arrives, any issues that plagued the Snapdragon 820's predecessor may already be worked out. The new Qualcomm processor is also expected to power several flagship handsets for next year, including Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S7.
Furthermore, the site's source claims that the LG G5 will have a 20-megapixel main camera integrated with a half-inch wide, custom-built sensor made by Japan-based electronics giant Sony. The current LG G4 model, which is equipped with a 16MP shooter, has been touted as having one of the best smartphone cameras at present.
The 4-megapixel bump will likely make it a better performer in the photography department. However, it is worth noting that more megapixels do not necessarily mean better photos. That being said, users who want to crop their pictures without losing too much detail may welcome this improvement. Some tech observers also pointed out that the G4's IMX234 sensor already performs amazingly and expect that the upgrade will not come at the cost of good color reproduction and low-light performance.
According to earlier reports, the unannounced LG G5 will feature a fingerprint scanner. The abovementioned chipset will be supported by 3GB of RAM. Its 20MP camera from Sony is also said to be capable of capturing 1080p videos at 120fps, and even a 4K video at 60fps. It will also reportedly come with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. If the company sticks to its yearly launch window, the LG G5 can be expected to launch on the second quarter of 2016.
