LG G5 release date, rumours and everything you need to know

The LG G5 is the smartphone to follow-up from LG's excellent G4. It should help continue the company's push for the top of the mobile market.

The LG G4 sported a premium leather finish and stunning f/1.8 16-megapixel camera. The G5 has a lot to live up to.

The last LG handset was only released in April 2015 and rumours are now rife about its follow-up in the G5. A better processor, battery, metal build and added iris scanner are just some of the expected upgrades.

We've rounded up everything there is to know about the LG G5 in this feature and will keep it updated as new developments happen.

LG G5 release date

Since most companies release smartphones on a yearly cycle a good way to estimate the release date of the G5 is to look at the previous releases.

The LG G4 arrived on 29 April 2015 and before that was the G3 on 28 May 2014. Based on those dates we'd expect the G5 to land before the summer in 2016. That said the G2 arrived in September so there's always a chance LG could revert back to that end of the year instead.

To support all that, one report from Korea suggests the LG G5 will launch in the first quarter of 2016. Most likely around late February when Mobile World Congress 2016 will be held.

LG G5 price

It was claimed that the LG G4 was sold with a few small profit margin. It was sold for £500 which covered the basic model, or £520 for the stitched leather back version.

LG profits and smartphone sales specifically weren't as good as expected with a $66.2 million loss in the third quarter of 2015. Also LG has increased phone prices each year, so expect the G5 to be more pricey. The G3, for example was £480 when that launched.

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LG G5 design

Following on from the eye-catching stitched leather of the G4, LG is expected to go full premium for the G5. This follows Samsung's move to a premium metal and glass unibody for the Galaxy S6 range.

A report out of Korea suggests the LG G5 will come with full metal unibody design. A source that claims to have seen the G5 said the design has "taken a major step forward".

The above render shows what that unibody could look like with rounded edges on the rear and a sharp finish on the front into the slightly raised glass of the display.

We don't expect LG to continue to offer the stitched leather back option on the unibody design since that would be difficult to create.

LG G5 display

Large appears to be the fashion and with the LG G4 standing at 5.5-inches, a growth spurt could see the G5 at Nexus 6 levels at the 6-inch mark.

The G4 sported a QHD resolution so expect that in the G5 at least. There is a chance LG may go the way of Sony and cram in a 4K display but we're not holding our breath. While the display is available it's likely expensive and LG will likely be trying to make more of a profit on the G5 than it did on the G4.

LG G5 hardware specs

While no leaks have revealed processor, RAM or storage yet there are very few options to narrow it down to, planned for next year.

If LG sticks with Qualcomm the next processor is the Snapdragon 820. A few features this brings include improved 4G of up to 600Mbits/s, faster Wi-fi with 4X4 MIMO support plus a 14nm build for better efficiency and battery life.

Since RAM seems to be capped at the 4GB level right now, which is plenty, we'd expect that.

Storage may be larger than previous model options as the unibody design likely means there's no option for expansion via microSD.

LG G5 camera

The LG G4 set the bar very high with its f/1.8 16-megapixel camera. With Samsung showing off its low-light specialist Britecell camera, LG is going to have to innovate again.

Although murmurings suggest LG may opt to use Sony's 20-megapixel sensor, we expect plenty of adaptation form LG to give it a unique sell.

LG also used an 8-megapixel front-facing selfie camera in the G4, so expect that to be at least as high in resolution for the G5.

LG G5 iris scanner

According to Korean reports the LG G5 may feature an iris scanner for security authentication.

The company developing the tech is called Irience. The algorithm is still being worked on but the hardware is ready and able to recognise an individual iris up to 50cm away.

The iris security feature is expected to be good enough for use with banking apps as it is, apparently, superior to fingerprint recognition.

LG G5 battery

Nothing has leaked on the battery yet. But it's likely, given the state of the market, that LG will include wireless charging as well as fast charging on the G5.

The Qualcomm chip will support fast charging and if the manufacturer opts for USB Type-C that should mean speedy data and power transfer.

Wireless charging that supports both types would also be likely to make sure the G5 is widely compatible, making it more attractive.

The LG G4 has a 3,000mAh battery. If the screen size remains, the same on the G5 and the chip improves that battery should remain the same or even shrink to offer the same or longer life.