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Video Overview

Step 1 LG G5 Teardown

We're most interested in the G5's design, but some potent hardware lurks inside as well. Specs include:

• 5.3-inch "Quad HD" IPS multi-touch display with 2,560 x 1,440 resolution (554 ppi)

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with Adreno 530 GPU and 4 GB RAM

• Dual rear cameras (16 MP OIS primary and 8 MP wide-angle) and 8 MP front camera

• 32 GB on-board storage, with expandable microSD card storage up to 2 TB

• USB Type-C + 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac wi-fi + Bluetooth 4.2 + NFC + IR blaster

• Fingerprint sensor + accelerometer + gyro + proximity sensor + barometer

• Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Step 2

• A quick comparison with last year's LG G4 shows off the G5's smoother, rounder, and more metallic exterior.

• When stacked up against (or on top of) its older sibling, the G5 seems a bit chunkier than the G4. The G4 also felt nicer in the hand, and was a bit easier to grip.

• Apparently, LG's move to a modular design and the use of the LM201 aluminum alloy forced them to step back from last year's slightly sleeker form factor. Still, we sense good things in store.

• Is it just us, or does the G5 kinda look like Johnny 5?

Step 3

• We take a second to appreciate LG's little reminder that the G5 comes with a super-removable battery. How cute.

• With the press of handy a button, we slide out the G5's battery module. Yep, removing the battery is even easier than it was on their last flagship phone.

• Replaceable batteries make us happy. They play a huge role in minimizing the amount of e-waste associated with consumer electronics. Not to mention, they add the ability to carry an extra battery, so you don't run out of juice.

• We doubt we'll hear of many G5's getting tossed out due to a dead battery.

Step 4

• We're ready to start pulling things apart, but we'll restrain ourselves just long enough for an X-ray scan. Our ingenious pals at Creative Electron show us what we're up against this round.

• Do our X-ray eyes deceive us, or does this look a lot like an iPhone? Well, except for that snappy removable battery, of course.

• Small metal backing in the center of the phone, logicmotherboard stage right, battery at center left—could it be phone Feng Shui?

• An X-ray lineup confirms the G5 almost perfectly splits the difference between the iPhone 6 (left) and 6 Plus (right).

• Looks like that end-cap module is more than just a battery holder and USB. Time to pop that sucker open.

Step 5

• It takes a pretty serious tug to decouple the G5's battery from its module—probably not something you'll do by accident.

• The 3.85 V, 10.8 Wh, Li-Ion battery in the G5 weighs in at 2800 mAh—just edging out the 2750 mAh cell in the iPhone 6s Plus...

• But, it's a slight capacity decrease from the 3000 mAh whoppers we found in the G5's predecessor and Samsung's recent Galaxy S7.

• Our guess? LG is banking on their customers taking advantage of that replaceable battery to swap on the go if needed, negating the need for a super-huge capacity.

Step 6

• Okay, but what's in the module itself?

• Probably magic.

• And glue. The front and back module covers arevery well glued in place.

• Plasticgate 2016 update: That small front cover is plastic, but the rear one is certainly fancy aluminum.

• Picking apart the module reveals a few screws, some glue, and a surprising amount of goodies awaiting perusal.

• In addition to making USB port replacements easier than ever, the tiny battery module also contains a speaker, some antennas, and a lot of spring contacts.

Step 7

• As it sinks in that we've removed the battery without opening the phone, we turn our attention to the SIM card.

• A single tray houses both the SIM card and microSD card.

• Though the G5 doesn't support Android's adoptable storage, LG holds to their tradition of including external storage in their flagship phones—another win for longevity and, in all likelihood, a net reduction in e-waste.

• Yes, the day will probably come when 2 TB of storage in your smartphone just isn't nearly enough. But right now, that day looks comfortably far off.

Step 8

• After just two screws and some pry-able clips, we pop open the display with ease. No fuss, no adhesive.

• It's a decidedly iPhone-esque display opening, in the best possible way—or at least, it's much like how iPhone display removal used to go, before all that adhesive crashed the party.

• Really though, regardless of the insides, LG has finally figured out the modular unibody. The display is seamlessly mounted in the rear case, making for a luxury feel—while still maintaining battery access. We hope this trend catches on.

Step 9

What's better than a user-removable battery? Why, a user-removable battery with a mechanical shock absorber.

• This springy mechanical doodad helps the G5's battery slide perfectly into its parking space, and gives a satisfying tactile snick as you click it into place.

Step 10

• With the display out and the battery removed right from the get, the chassis has little to hide: vibrator motor, headphone jack, and buttons are all that remain. Time to drain the tub.

• A hefty and very well-adhered metal plate keeps the back button pressed to the case, and probably adds ingress proofing. (It also reminds us a bit of the bi-metal Apple logo.)

• The G5's fingerprint sensor is a little different than the one we found in the LG-made Nexus 5X, but it houses a familiar set of spring contacts.

Step 11

• Out comes one front-facing camera and one (of two) rear-facing cameras—hooray modularity!

• That big shiny one is the primary 16 MP rear camera, with extra girth to accommodate the optical image stabilization mechanism.

• The third and final camera—the auxiliary 8-MP rear shooter with the trick wide-angle lens—is trapped helplessly under the motherboard, so we'll come back to these guys in just a moment.

Step 12

Let's pop that motherboard off and snag the final camera for a family photo! From left to right:

• Like the G of yesteryear, the G5 sports a 16 MP, ƒ/1.8 camera with a 1/2.6" image sensor.

• LG also packed in a 135-degree, wide-angle camera with an ƒ/2.4 aperture and 8 MP image sensor—perfect for your tiger jumping photo shoots.

• Matching last year's selfie shooter, a wee 8 MP front-facing camera rounds out the trio.

Step 13

There’s been a lot of talk about the G5’s new aluminum alloy, but let’s take a look at its silicon:

• Samsung K3RG2G20BM-MGCJ 4 GB LPDDR4 RAM with quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SOC layered beneath

• Samsung KLUBG4G1CE-B0B1 32 GB MLC Universal Flash Storage 2.0

• NXP 54802 NFC Controller

• Qualcomm SMB1350 Quick Charge 3.0 IC

• Analogix SlimPort ANX7816 Ultra-HD Transmitter

• Analogix SlimPort ANX7418 USB-C Switch/Controller

• Qualcomm WSA8815 Audio Codec

Step 14

More chip goodness on the rear of the motherboard:

• Broadcom BCM43455 5G Wi-Fi Combo Chip

• Qualcomm WTR3925 LTE Transceiver

• Avago ACPM-7788 Multiband Multimode Power Amplifier

• Skyworks 77814-11 LTE Power Amplifier Module

• Skyworks SKY13560 RF Switch

• Qualcomm PM8996 Power Management IC

• Qualcomm PMI8996 Power Management IC

Step 15

• As a final treat, we take a closer look at the (unsurprisingly LG-manufactured) display. Its cable has some chips and markings—and we've got a speaker, and a smattering of contacts.

• A closer look at the display cable reveals that this G5 apparently has a name: Alice.

• We're not going any further down this rabbit hole; we have a score to assign!

Step 16

LG G5 Repairability Score: 8 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair)

• The user-removable, slide-out battery is a huge boon to phone lifespan.

• No glue and few screws make for a relatively simple opening procedure.

• Standard Phillips #00 screws means the right tool is probably already in your toolbox.

• Many components are modular, making for easier, cheaper part replacement.

• Module covers are glued on, making repairs a bit sticky—but the module itself greatly simplifies the process of replacing a faulty USB port.

• The fused display assembly will need to be replaced if the LCD or glass breaks, increasing costs.

All info from: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/LG+G5+Teardown/61205

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