LG G5 Modules

[wwhyte92]

Good morning fellow forumers,

I pre-ordered the LG G5 on release day and despite a couple of issues recently with battery life it has generally been a very capable device that has served me well. However, one of the major selling points of the phone was the modular design allowing for add-ons or 'friends' to be added to increase functionality of the phone as required. Yet beyond the 2 modules released initially (DAC and Cam Plus), it seems as though the manufacturer has left us all in the dark with nothing new being announced or released in the (almost) year since. This is despite a public promise by LG upon releasing the handset that future modules would be coming to the phone.

I have 2 questions relating to this issue. Firstly, does anybody know of any extra modules that are in the works and planned for public release? I reached out to LG to ask them the same question and got the expected "we cannot confirm of any future releases of friends modules for the device", but I wondered if anyone else might have any more insight?

And second, where does this leave us as customers who purchased the phone/signed up to a 24 month contract based on the promise of development/continued innovation? Had I have known that I would be stuck with the same functionality a year on as I would have on day one I would have chosen a different handset like a Samsung. With the USP of the phone having dried up what are we to do?

I had put off asking these questions until the G6 was announced at MWC as I wanted to see whether LG would actually come through and fulfil it's promise to faithful G5 owners, however with the G6 being non-modular and no such announcements as to further support for G5 modules, I feel now is the right time to beg the question.

[Nabs]

@wwhyte92 Unless there is an explicit agreement with LG for them to produce additional modules I don't think there is anything customers can do about it. When the phone was released LG did have intentions of getting additional modules developed. They held

When the phone was released LG did have intentions of getting additional modules developed. They held developers conferences and launched a dedicated developer section online for it, however, I guess ultimately none of the 400 attending companies decided to actually produce and launch anything hence we are left with the handful that LG released alongside the device.

It's frustrating but as I mentioned previously I can't actually think of any other modules that I'd actually use... I guess that's the problem the developers had.

[hrym]

The problem with being an early adopter is that you're also a guinea pig.  If the new idea turns out to be a hit, expect it to be extended.  If not, you'll be left holding an expensive bunch of nothing.   Personally, I'm in the "see if it catches on and wait till it matures" camp for that very reason - and that the cost comes down too :smileyhappy:

There's an apparently flourishing market for Bluetooth speakers, so the demand for greater quality/volume is there.  An external speaker is more bulky, but universally compatible, so you don't have to replace it if you get a new phone.