First details emerge for LG’s G5 ‘Magic Slot’ accessories

If you can't succeed by yourself, rope in some friends to help. That's the advice LG is apparently following for its flagship G5 smartphone, which will reportedly launch with a mini-ecosystem of hardware add-ons and accessories collectively known as "G5 and Friends." A new report from VentureBeat claims these will include a VR camera, a smartphone-controlled robot, and at least two modular add-ons — for photography and audio — that will plug into a previously-revealed accessory slot on the bottom of the device.

According to prolific leaker Evan Blass, the G5's photography add-on will include a 1100mAh battery and physical buttons for various camera functions — zoom, flash, shutter release, etc. An image that could be the module (obtained by Android Authority, which doesn't conclusively identify it as the photography accessory), shows a large bump sat on the bottom half of the device. The Verge has previously confirmed that the G5's design features an accessory slot at the bottom, which would let users swap in these new modules. LG has also revealed that the device will have an always-on screen.

The audio accessory is supposed to have been made in partnership with Bang & Olufsen, and adds a DAC (digital to analog converter) to the G5 to improve its sounds quality. Blass claims that the audio module is called the LG Hi-Fi Plus, while the camera add-on is known as the LG Cam Plus. In addition to these accessories, LG will also reportedly be launching a spherical camera for capturing 360-degree video footage and photos (the LG 360 VR), and a smartphone-controlled robot named the Rolling Bot. (Which sounds suspiciously similar to Sphero's Star Wars BB-8 toy.)

We'll find out whether these rumors hold up or not at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where LG is scheduled to reveal its new flagship on Sunday. The company's tagline for the event is "Play Begins" — and from the look of these leaks, the company will at least be offering plenty to play with.

 

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