With the hype that was generated when the semi-modular LG G5 was released, you would think that the Korean manufacturer would follow that up with a device using the same philosophy. But low sales and consumer complaints with the G5 has maybe caused LG to reevaluate that strategy, so the upcoming LG V20 will not be modular. There is a twist to it though, as CNET Korea reveals.
The twist is this: the battery will be removable – accessible via the back where only half of the back cover comes off. The renders here are not official ones, but CNET Korea says that these are renderings coming from an eyewitness account – so it more or less approximates how the new device will work.
Half of the back cover comes off, and there you will be able to access the battery, the SIM card slot, and the microSD slot. LG says that this streamlined design is meant to increase their manufacture-to-market speed and in doing so hopefully boosting sales as well. We understand that the LG G5, with all its thingamajigs, ultimately failed to capture the imagination of the global market. The modular design was cool, but modules would generally malfunction, the battery had serious issues, and the device would be in boot loops from on random times.
The bottom of these renders of the V20 looks like it mimics the removable bottom of the LG G5, but CNET Korea says that this is not the case, and that only the battery will be the removable element for the LG V20.
SOURCE: CNET Korea
The small battery is a huge let down. Sure you can change it which is good but if you HAVE to change it because they made it so small that doesn’t placate many people. Most people don’t want to carry an extra battery because LG made the battery too small. How many people will actually buy the spare battery in the first place. Their only choice to salvage this phone is to include a spare battery and a charger that can charge it outside the phone.