LG might finally be ditching plastic for an all-metal flagship next year

When releasing a high-end smartphone that’s supposed to compete with the newest Galaxy S and iPhone, it’s imperative that the device not only be powerful, but premium. This is something that’s taken LG a long time to learn, as it’s one of the only companies out there that still releases all-plastic flagship smartphones, but that might change next year. According to a report out of South Korea, the company wants to have an all-metal design for next year’s LG G5. 

According to a report out of Korea, LG may look to ditch its plastic past, opting for an all-metal design in 2016 for the G5 smartphone. With many competitors choosing “premium” materials to build phones, such as metal, glass, and wood, LG is still one of the only companies to offer an all-plastic flagship device. However, LG’s new V10 features a metal trim on its siding, and the G4 had custom backsides that featured leather. According to a source who has seen LG’s G5 prototype, they state that, “the design takes a major step forward than previous smartphones.” Whether this means LG is designing a unique shape or we can expect to see the same rear-facing button arrangement is yet to be seen. In addition to metal being used on the G5, it is reported that LG wants to be more aggressive in making the device available as soon as it is announced. Many times, a company will announce a smartphone, then consumers must wait weeks or sometimes even months to get their hands on the device. By this time, hype has worn off and something newer comes along. LG likely wants to avoid this, so having supply ready in time for the announcement will be crucial.