The LG G4 went on sale-only a few months ago, and while it represents the pinnacle of LG’s Android smartphone range for 2015, what’s the plan for 2016? Will we see the LG G5, or whatever it’ll end up being called, released early next year? The rumors are already saying yes, so here’s everything we think we know about the LG G5 so far. Updated on 11-17-2015 by Robert Nazarian:- Added in news that the LG G5 might have an all-metal design and could be released earlier than normal. An upgraded design ET News is reporting that the G5 will sport a metal unibody, which would be dramatically different than the plastic body found on the G4. LG did introduce the use of metal on the V10, but only on the frame. This would be the first time for-LG to adopt an all-metal approach, and given that the G4 isn’t setting the world on fire, it won’t be a surprise if this rumor comes true. Related: Read our review of the LG V10 While the G5 might be more attractive with a metal unibody design, the downside is that it means that it probably won’t have a removable battery and a MicroSD slot could also be in jeopardy. Retina scanning A-report from Korea-in May 2015 said the G5’s big new feature could be retina scanning technology. Apparently in an effort to differentiate itself from Samsung and Apple — both of which currently use fingerprint scanning as an extra level of security — LG is working with a company named Irience to develop a cutting-edge iris scanner for the phone. LG’s apparently concentrating on refining the software algorithms, so it can increase the operational range from 30cm to 50cm, and the report states this could take up to three months before it’s achieved. Like other biometric security systems, the iris scanner may be used to authenticate mobile payments. Interestingly, Irience took part in a tech event in Korea at the end of May, at which it demonstrated a smartphone retina scanner. The system on show used the smartphone’s front camera to scan the owner’s eye, and then matched the image against biometric data stored in a database maintained by Irience. The demo was successful enough that the Industrial Bank of Korea signed a partnership agreement with the company to develop the tech further. Retina scanning technology was also on display at this year’s CES tech show in Las Vegas, where ZTE and Fujitsu both demonstrated examples of how they planned to use iris scanning to secure mobile devices. Related: Read our review of the excellent LG G4 Availability ET News reported in mid November that the LG G5 would be released during the first quarter of 2016, which is about three months earlier than normal. Traditionally, LG allowed Samsung and HTC to release their respective flagships before introducing the G series. That plan might have hurt overall sales with less buyers around by the time the G series launched. By releasing the G5 earlier in the year, LG has a better chance at stealing market share from its competitors. A report out of Korea in May 2015 stated the G5 will be revealed during the first six months of 2016, which is in-line with LG’s current release schedule for its flagship phones. This is sure to be the first of many rumours concerning the LG G5, and we’ll continue to update this article as they emerge. Also watch: LG 65EF9500 OLED TV | Review, Specs, Price, and More Please enable Javascript to watch this video



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