Earlier this year, LG launched the G4, their follow-up to last year’s G3 and while much of the design was the same, LG improved one area massively; the camera. The camera inside of the G4 has proven to be one of the best available this year, and that’s mostly down to a mix of innovations on the hardware and the software side. With optical image stabilisation, a color spectrum sensor and the familiar laser autofocus LG have packed their 14-megapixel sensor with oodles of features. On the software side of things, there’s nearly full manual support and some seriously neat autofocus areas made the G4 a great camera device.
Now, rumors are swirling that LG has already started working on the G5 for next year, and that all areas of the device will be improved, but the camera is getting yet another big shot in the arm. A Snapdragon 820 is rumored for next year’s device, which is hardly surprising, but the rumored inclusion of a custom 1/2-inch sensor from Sony is very interesting, indeed. Sony have not been shy about the fact that one way to stem the building from their mobile area is to sell their imaging sensors to other parties. Last year we saw devices from the likes of Motorola and others ship with 20-megapixel sensors from Sony, and the G5 is said to use a custom sensor based on hardware from Sony. If this turns out to be true, we could have a new device in town for one of the best cameras out there on a smartphone next year.
It’s a little early to be talking about devices like the G5, but we’re sure LG is already working on which parts and components to use in their next flagship. Plus, with little else going on for LG, apart from the mysterious V10 launch looming, it doesn’t look like LG is looking to release more than one flagship a year these days. So, getting the G5 right next year would certainly be a smart move on their part. Sony’s cameras in the Xperia Z5 have been improved this year and already exhibit some great shots, imagining what they’d be capable of with LG’s OIS and laser autofocus excites the inner photographer in us.