The LG G5 was the LG flagship phone that introduced a modular design and the “Friends” accessory ecosystem. Its lower section could be removed and replaced with compatible modules.
Announced at Mobile World Congress in February 2016, the G5 combined an aluminum chassis with a user-replaceable 2,800 mAh battery. Owners could slide out the phone’s bottom section, detach the battery, and attach accessories such as the LG Cam Plus camera grip or LG Hi-Fi Plus audio module.
LG also marketed a wider range of connected products as “Friends.” These included the LG 360 VR headset, LG 360 Cam, and Rolling Bot. The Friends Manager app helped pair and manage the accessories. Because the battery had to be removed when changing expansion modules, the system did not support true hot-swapping.
The G5’s modular concept was ambitious but short-lived. Reviews praised its removable battery and experimentation, while criticizing the limited number of modules and their cost. LG abandoned the modular expansion approach in the following year’s LG G6.