As the LG G5 launched a day before MWC 2016 kicked off, it brought a lot of excitement as it was dubbed the world's first modular smartphone. Here is how it compares to the flagship smartphone released by LG last year that G4.

Design

Last year, the LG G4 concentrated on delivering an ergonomic experience to users and so it comes with a subtle curve that runs from top to bottom. However, the G4 is mostly made of plastic with a front panel in black. As for the rear of the device, it can be customized with colored panels made from leather and these come in black, red and brown, while the default panels are made from polycarbonate in grey, white and gold.

Coming to the LG G5, it has a metal body and GSMArena states that one of its plus points is that it is seamless without any antenna lines. Also, it has a modular design which means that the device can upgraded easily over the years. However, right now, there are only two modules with add-ons. One is a module that adds controls for the camera and also an additional battery, and another adds a Hi Fi audio player. As for colors, the LG G5 comes in gold, pink, silver and titan.

Display

Only the LG G5 has Always-on capabilities in its display, and it is an IPS LCD version measuring 5.3 inches with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels and a density of 554 pixels per inch. On the LG G4 is a slightly bigger IPS LCD display measuring 5.5 inches with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels and a density of 538 pixels per inch.

Hardware

In terms of hardware, the LG G5 is way ahead as it has the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, coupled with a quad-core CPU and an Adreno 530 GPU. On the LG G4 is an older Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset which is coupled with a hexa-core CPU and an Adreno 418 GPU.

Memory

Both these devices have memory slots but the LG G5 supports up to 200 GB while the LG G4 supports up to 128 GB. As for RAM, the G5 has 4 GB onboard and its predecessor has 3 GB.

Camera

There are two cameras on the rear of LG G5: a main 16-megapixel camera and a second 8-megapixel version. The LG G4, on the other hand, has a 16-megapixel camera at its rear.

Price

Comparing prices, the LG G4 is cheaper as it is last year's device and it can be purchased at $462.99 without a contract, while the LG G5 is expected to cost around $550 when it releases.