When LG officially took the wraps off the G5 during this year’s Mobile World Congress, the South Korean company surprised us with a modular smartphone. The G5 represents a significant shift in LG’s smartphone philosophy and a big play for the modular smartphone market. LG created a handful of modules for the G5, and is calling on third parties to help develop more fun modules.
There will be plenty of ways to get your hands on LG’s modular 2016 flagship smartphone and the modules themselves, so here’s our complete guide to G5 pre-orders.
Updated on 03-24-2016 by Julian Chokkattu: Added details for Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint.
LG offers free battery and charging cradle promotion
It appears the LG G5 will be available on April 1 based on carrier announcements and an advertisement for the smartphone that says, “Get ready to play April 1.” All major networks are listed as partners, along with retailers including Best Buy and B&H.
The company’s emphasizing the G5’s modular capability with a great promotion. For a limited time, it’ll give you an extra battery and a cool little cradle to charge it up when you order the phone. Remember, the battery inside the G5 is easily removed and replaced, a feature not seen on any other metal flagship smartphone this year.
There are no firm details on how to claim this great offer yet, but LG has a dedicated G5 launch page here, where the promotion details will probably show when everything is finalized.
As far as purchasing Friends modules separately, we finally have a better idea on the costs. The Cam Plus module has been listed on B&H for $70, and is ready for pre-order now. Pricing for the other modules were released in Korea and are as follows:
- Spare battery pack — 39,000 (Korea) / $35 U.S
- Audio module — 189,000 (Korea) / $160 U.S.
Although this pricing is only for Korea, these conversions give us a clue as to how much they could cost here in the U.S. and elsewhere. Given that the conversion for the Cam Plus was higher than what it turned out to be, it’s safe to assume the cost of the other modules could possibly be a little lower than what’s listed above.
T-Mobile
The LG G5 will be available at T-Mobile on April 1, and you can pre-order it starting March 29. T-Mobile has fantastic freebies as well. On top of the free battery bundle ($80 value) that’s available everywhere, the carrier is also throwing in a 360 Cam virtual reality camera ($200 value) if you purchase the phone by April 5.
The phone will cost $630 outright or $26.25 per month for 24 months.
Verizon
If you opt for Big Red, the G5 will cost $624, or $26 a month for 24 months. Pre-orders are available now, and if you do so before launch day on April 1, you can get a free LG 360 Cam, an extra battery, and a charging cradle if you opt for the monthly installment plan.
You’ll be able to get it in Silver and Titan and you’ll be able to purchase certain modules and accessories, though details are scarce on which modules will be available.
AT&T
AT&T started the pre-order process early on March 21 for the G5, and it also opened pre-orders for the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE at the same time. AT&T is offering a buy-one-get-one-free deal on the G5, but you have to add a second line and purchase the device through AT&T Next, which is the carrier’s installment purchase plan. You also have to add both devices to a qualified plan, and you’ll get back the cost of one phone in the form of bill credits over 30 months, after three bill cycles.
AT&T did confirm it will also sell some of the G5’s so-called amigos, such as the 360 Cam, LG 360 VR, and the LG 360 Sound Bluetooth speaker. Pricing for these accessories was not announced, though their availability should coincide with the G5’s eventual release.
Sprint
Finally, in terms of major carrier support, Sprint announced that the G5 will be available to pre-order online on March 24, and in stores on March 25. The carrier is offering $150 trade-in credit and a free accessory bundle whether you purchase the phone through 24 monthly payments or via a full payment of $576. The accessory bundle includes an extra battery, a battery-charging cradle, and a USB Type-C to Micro USB adapter.
Sprint is letting customers purchase the phone on an installment basis, under which “qualified customers” can get the phone with $0 down, and $24 per month for 24 months. You can also get the phone for $150 after getting a $50 American Express mail-in-rebate reward card, but you need to get a new two-year service agreement for that deal.
The carrier announced that it will also sell the 360 Cam, 360 Cam Plus, and the LG Tone Platinum.
US Cellular
US Cellular hasn’t said anything officially, but Droid-Life is reporting the carrier will make the LG G5 available on April 1, with pre-orders starting March 28. The phone will supposedly cost $636 or $26.50 per month for 24 months off contract, or you can sign up for a two-year contract and pay $200.
Best Buy
Best Buy is already accepting pre-orders for the LG G5 on AT&T and Sprint, and the Verizon version will begin on March 24. The phone is expected to launch April 1 on all carriers. On top of the free battery bundle ($80 value) available everywhere, Best Buy will also throw in a free USB-C to Micro USB adapter valued at $10.
Sprint customers can get the LG G5 on a two-year contract for $100, which is a $100 discount. You can also go contract free and pay $24 per month for 24 months, which comes to $576. If you want to pay for the phone outright, you’ll have to cough up $800.
AT&T customers can purchase the LG G5 for $689 or sign up for AT&T Next and pay $22.97 per month for 30 months. Those who sign up for AT&T Next will also receive a $100 Best Buy gift card, which is above and beyond the free accessories you’ll get.
Pricing for the Verizon LG G5 hasn’t been announced yet.
If you plan to forgo directly going to a national carrier and, instead, want to pick up the G5 through national retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Target, you’re in luck. Unfortunately, there’s no information regarding the other retailers, but we will update this post as soon as more information gets released.
Previous updates:
Updated on 03-18-2016 by Robert Nazarian: Added in pre-order information for Best Buy and T-Mobile, as well as rumored pre-order start dates for AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and US Cellular. Also added in pricing for Friends modules.
Updated on 03-10-2016 by Andy Boxall: Added in LG’s statement on the G5’s upcoming U.S. release, and news of a free battery promotion.
