LG’s new G5, featuring a metal unibody design with removable battery, will go on sale next month alongside a collection of accessories known as LG Friends. The G5 will be available from Optus stores and retail partner Harvey Norman from May 2, and from Telstra Stores the next day on May 3.
The LG G5 will be $1,099 at launch, a bit lower than Samsung’s Galaxy S7 range, and it will be available on a variety of carrier plans as well.
Speaking at the launch event in Sydney, LG’s Gino Casha said:
We are delighted to bring the LG G5 to Australia. This is a standout device in the smartphone world with a unique design, removable battery, innovative camera set-up and collection of compatible companion devices. Everything about the LG G5 has been designed to enable users to have more fun with their phone and give them a new experience; we think Australian consumers will love the G5.
What else is coming?
Most of LG’s Friends will be coming to Australia too, with pricing also confirmed today. The details are as follows:
- LG 360 CAM, which features two 13MP wide-angle cameras and its own 1,200 mAh battery. Available from $399 at launch.
- Rolling Bot will be available from $399, with availability in June.
- LG CAM Plus, a camera grip which also adds a 1,200 mAh battery to the G5’s 2,800 mAh battery, will be available for $129 from Optus stores.
- The Bang & Olufsen Hi-Fi Plus module will retail for $229 from Telstra and Optus stores.
On top of this, LG has announced a spare battery / charging kit combo that will be available from $69.95 at Telstra stores in mid May. This kit comes with the spare battery, and a portable battery-bank style charger/carrying case; not only can you take the battery out and pop it in the LG G5, but you can use the carrying case to charge your other accessories if they get a bit low on juice too. It’s a great idea.
What special offers are coming?
While the carriers will no doubt come up with their own incentives and offers to launch the handset, what we know at this stage is that LG will be doing a special offer for early customers. Users who accidentally break their screen in the first six months will be entitled to one free repair courtesy of LG, as a way of making sure that customers are happy and stay so.
We’re also aware of a launch offer from Harvey Norman, which will include an LG CAM Plus module with pre-ordered devices which will be open tomorrow (21st April). We’re waiting for more detail on this, including dates or limitations on the offer, which we’ll report when we can.
