Looks like the LG G5 isn't actually made out of metal on the outside...

[SactoKingsFan]

I'm sorry. I can't live with primer , paint, or what else can coat the phone. lol. I don't want to use a case to hide a flaw in design. Why would one want to coat a phone so it can be scratched up so easily? LMAO

Still have to use a skin or case if you want to prevent scratches on anodized aluminum phone.

 

[cnotes2019]

Still have to use a skin or case if you want to prevent scratches on anodized aluminum phone.

But it's ALOT easier to scratch this one up LMAO

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

Regardless of whether you can feel the metal body or not, a large majority of folks out there will be putting the phone in a case. If you really must have a metal body, just go get metal casing for the phone. LG phones have never been known for form factor, that award goes to apple.

There's no such thing as metal cases for phones - it would interfere with the wireless radio signals.

And irrespective of whether people put cases on their phones or not (I don't), it's disingenuous for LG to promote the phone as a metal body and have it hidden behind a layer of plastic. Not only did they do that, but they painted the plastic in a metallic colour - to try to hide the plastic and give the perception that it's actually metal.

IMO it's a shady tactic. While they're technically right in saying it's a 'metal body', I think the general populace would assume that means you're hands are touching a metal body, not a metal body coated in a solid layer of plastic.

 

[irvine752]

There's no such thing as metal cases for phones - it would interfere with the wireless radio signals.

And irrespective of whether people put cases on their phones or not (I don't), it's disingenuous for LG to promote the phone as a metal body and have it hidden behind a layer of plastic. Not only did they do that, but they painted the plastic in a metallic colour - to try to hide the plastic and give the perception that it's actually metal.

IMO it's a shady tactic. While they're technically right in saying it's a 'metal body', I think the general populace would assume that means you're hands are touching a metal body, not a metal body coated in a solid layer of plastic.

There's quite a few "metal" cases out there. The metal is not completely fleshed out around the casing so there shouldn't be any inteference. I suppose the wording can be a bit misleading, more so like how LG promoted the G5 as having a "metal body" right? Yes, they left the meaning open to intepretation, but so do other manufacturers too. I remember when the first Iphone came out, and Apple was touting it as the best thing ever just like they do with every single version of the phone that comes out. It was terrible, users couldn't even do a basic Copy & Paste command.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I'm sorry. I can't live with primer , paint, or what else can coat the phone. lol. I don't want to use a case to hide a flaw in design. Why would one want to coat a phone so it can be scratched up so easily? LMAO

Some people want to use their phones naked. For those people, the feel in the hand matters a whole lot. As such, the G5 might not be rosy if they were looking for a phone that feels like the HTC One series or other metal phones.

As for me, I slap cases on my phones, usually ones by Spigen, so I'm not overly big on the build quality, though the G5's quality imperfections on the display is my biggest concern.

Take the upcoming Galaxy Note 6 that I'll be upgrading to in the future. Assuming it's made out of the same metal-and-glass construction as the S7, it's going to be really slippery. I slap a case on it to improve grip and protect the phone itself.

 

[Hugo]

Confirmed by an LG rep: the body is not plastic. It is aluminum coated with primer, and then with metallic paint. Really, nothing unusual about that. A similar finish is common on aluminum automotive wheels, and no one is outraged or accuses those wheels of being plastic.

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

There's quite a few "metal" cases out there. The metal is not completely fleshed out around the casing so there shouldn't be any inteference. I suppose the wording can be a bit misleading, more so like how LG promoted the G5 as having a "metal body" right? Yes, they left the meaning open to intepretation, but so do other manufacturers too. I remember when the first Iphone came out, and Apple was touting it as the best thing ever just like they do with every single version of the phone that comes out. It was terrible, users couldn't even do a basic Copy & Paste command.

I believe what LG are doing is deceptive though. When they say metal body, they're trying to position it against phones like the iPhone, HTC One and Huawei phones which are full metal bodies that the user touches. The LG G5 is not that. It's completely coated in a plastic substance that can be scratched off. Your hands are touching plastic, not metal.

It'd be the equivalent of a car being advertised as 'leather seats' but the seats have a layer of leather under some cheap fabric material which is what you actually sit on. It's disingenuous and not right for LG to do imo.

 

[irvine752]

I believe what LG are doing is deceptive though. When they say metal body, they're trying to position it against phones like the iPhone, HTC One and Huawei phones which are full metal bodies that the user touches. The LG G5 is not that. It's completely coated in a plastic substance that can be scratched off. Your hands are touching plastic, not metal.

It'd be the equivalent of a car being advertised as 'leather seats' but the seats have a layer of leather under some cheap fabric material which is what you actually sit on. It's disingenuous and not right for LG to do imo.

I totally agree, but I do find it interesting that Samsung is doing the same with their so called water resistant feature. If you were to take that at face value, you would think it's truly water resistant in every sense of the word....but...It's really water resistant with a few caveats such as the phone has to submerged for less than 30 mins & at most 5 feet from the surface. All in all, It goes to show that it's up to consumer to do some proper homework before commiting to a purchase.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

I totally agree, but I do find it interesting that Samsung is doing the same with their so called water resistant feature. If you were to take that at face value, you would think it's truly water resistant in every sense of the word....but...It's really water resistant with a few caveats such as the phone has to submerged for less than 30 mins & at most 5 feet from the surface. All in all, It goes to show that it's up to consumer to do some proper homework before commiting to a purchase.

The difference is samsung doesn't claim anything more than IP68 allows them to claim.

You seem to be confusing water resistant with water proof.

I still need to go see the G5 in person, but I'm inclined to agree with I Can Be Your Hero. People expect to feel the advertised material when it comes to phones.

Also, using car bodies and wheels as a comparison is a bad analogy since those aren't generally meant to be touched.

 

[Tadrift]

I believe what LG are doing is deceptive though. When they say metal body, they're trying to position it against phones like the iPhone, HTC One and Huawei phones which are full metal bodies that the user touches. The LG G5 is not that. It's completely coated in a plastic substance that can be scratched off. Your hands are touching plastic, not metal.

It'd be the equivalent of a car being advertised as 'leather seats' but the seats have a layer of leather under some cheap fabric material which is what you actually sit on. It's disingenuous and not right for LG to do imo.

I think you got a good point and they should be made to explain and possibly be forced to change their marketing material. But the bigger concern is how they built the phone. It is a bizarre combination of plastics in odd places that makes no sense from a function or engineering stand point.

I like LG for the most part and I really wanted to believe this was mostly people being over dramatic, as I posted earlier in more of a wait and see mode, but I looked into it more and have seen some tear downs of the phone. I work in the Tech industry and know how these devices get built and it is almost like LG took a group of first year engineers and told them to build a modular phone. It is obvious it was rushed. This is not like LG at all. They draw from the same pool of engineers and workers that Samsung does.

WTF LG, this isn't the same people who built the V10

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I like LG for the most part and I really wanted to believe this was mostly people being over dramatic, as I posted earlier in more of a wait and see mode, but I looked into it more and have seen some tear downs of the phone. I work in the Tech industry and know how these devices get built and it is almost like LG took a group of first year engineers and told them to build a modular phone. It is obvious it was rushed. This is not like LG at all. They draw from the same pool of engineers and workers that Samsung does.

WTF LG, this isn't the same people who built the V10

According to a comment by an LG rep who goes by the name of Ken, what you're actually feeling is a layer of primer and paint. They used an aluminum alloy called LM201b, designed primarily for automobiles and aircraft, as it is both light and strong.

Unlike other metal phones, which are anodized and dyed to a specific color, LG did something different and used a new technique called "Microdizing" and painted the aluminum body in a different way, more akin to how one would spray-paint a car.

Net result is a metal phone that doesn't feel like a metal phone as you're really feeling the paint and primer, and it is apparently not as scratch-resistant as anodized + dyed aluminum.

I don't understand why LG hasn't tried this on a lower-volume product before doing so on their higher-volume flagship device. It doesn't feel "premium" to me. Feeling the V10 and the G5 together makes the G5 feel somewhat "cheapskate" by comparison.

And looking at the defective units, it's pretty obvious that it was rushed. Cracking and bubbling paint means that it didn't get enough time to fully dry.

 

[Phil Nickinson]

It is no wonder that AC has held off putting out a review of this phone. They are waiting to see which way the wind blows with majority of their Samsung visitors, or face being lynched in the town square for going against them.

We've had retail versions for less than a week, still. Pretty simple.

 

[Mike Dee]

I actually own one and it feels like metal with a satin finish. They could have polished the metal but instead they chose to coat it. It's not a big deal. Your choices are to buy it or not to buy it.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[returnmyjedi]

I like solid plastic phones. The Lumia 800 was built like a brick and remains one of the nicest handsets I've ever owned, regardless of how borked Windows Phone 7 was.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[DJeremyC]

Yah, but the on screen buttons are much better than the so last decade capacitive ones. Even cars have went away from capacitive buttons to touchscreens. Sammy needs to get with the trend. Get rid of the buttons, gain removable battery ability and lower the price of your overpriced hardware and we can talk.

 

[Mike Dee]

Yah, but the on screen buttons are much better than the so last decade capacitive ones. Even cars have went away from capacitive buttons to touchscreens. Sammy needs to get with the trend. Get rid of the buttons, gain removable battery ability and lower the price of your overpriced hardware and we can talk.

Lol

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[irvine752]

The difference is samsung doesn't claim anything more than IP68 allows them to claim.

You seem to be confusing water resistant with water proof.

I still need to go see the G5 in person, but I'm inclined to agree with I Can Be Your Hero. People expect to feel the advertised material when it comes to phones.

Also, using car bodies and wheels as a comparison is a bad analogy since those aren't generally meant to be touched.

When it comes to electronics, the connotation is still the same. No electronic device is actually waterproof, but just varying in degrees of water resistance. Your average consumer is not going to read the fine print and look it up on the Ingress Protection scale. Either way you spin it, it's still a play on words. If something is rated at IP68, that needs to be to specified somewhere in a disclaimer, otherwise it's regarded as false & misleading advertising. Just so you know, I have seen a few of commecrials from Samsung with none of that specified.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

When it comes to electronics, the connotation is still the same. No electronic device is actually waterproof, but just varying in degrees of water resistance. Your average consumer is not going to read the fine print and look it up on the Ingress Protection scale. Either way you spin it, it's still a play on words. If something is rated at IP68, that needs to be to specified somewhere in a disclaimer, otherwise it's regarded as false & misleading advertising. Just so you know, I have seen a few of commecrials from Samsung with none of that specified.

People aren't going to assume you can go scuba diving with it either.

If we're talking about the "average consumer" than all this dust up about the coating on the G5 is moot and doesn't need to happen.

 

[irvine752]

People aren't going to assume you can go scuba diving with it either.

If we're talking about the "average consumer" than all this dust up about the coating on the G5 is moot and doesn't need to happen.

True, but the general public needs to be educated. That's why we have these open discussions in these forums. I would never wish for anyone to go purchase a phone without gathering all the facts. Scuba diving might be an extreme example to expose the feature. Water proofing is a tricky subject, with such bold claim you always get a few individuals that will go swimming with the phone & drop it in the pool, or even drop it in the bath or toilet. You should keep in mind that the disclaimer should really read that once you drop or bang up the phone, the device is no longer guaranteed to be compliant with IP68. There's also calls to concern about the longjevity of the feature, over time the "water proofing" shield or hydrophobic coating will wear off since it will have reached its limits. Then again if you're looking for a fully fledged water resistant feature, you're much better off by investing money in proper case. The same applies to the so-called need for a metal casing for the G5.

Manufacturers try by all means to cater to everyone's perfect ideal form factor, but they can't make everyone happy in the process. There's a very good reason why we have a pretty extensive phone casing market. I would rather prefer for them to put more focus on the internal components of the device, and leave it up to the consumers to tweak the external appearance.

 

[vansmack]

This entire conversation is an example of why people can't have nice things.

LG's STATEMENT REGARDING MATERIAL USED IN LG G5 UNI-BODY
http://www.lgnewsroom.com/2016/04/statement-regarding-material-used-in-lg-g5-uni-body-2/