LG Electronics on Sunday unveiled its latest flagship smartphone G5, touting it as the industry’s first modular type smartphone with a “Magic Slot” for enhanced camera and sound functions. 

“With the new phone, LG will create its own fandom culture among users,” said LG’s mobile chief Cho Juno during the official debut at World Mobile Congress in Barcelona.

The G5 has an accessory slot at the bottom, which allows users to swap in different modules.

The camera module, called “LG Cam Plus,” includes a 1,200mAh battery and buttons for diverse camera functions such as zoom, flash and shutter release.

Together with the phone’s own battery, the total battery capacity increases to 4,000mAh. The module also features the analogue leather grip of DSLR cameras for better user experience, the company said.

Another module is “LG Hi-Fi Plus,” a digital to analog converter that offers the best sound quality among smartphones. It is a partnership with Danish luxury audio maker Bang & Olufsen.

The phone comes with a 5.3-inch quantum high definition display. It has also been refashioned with metal and curved body. Four colors – silver, titan, gold and pink – are available.

LG, which has focused on improving camera functions on its flagship phones, has added a 135-degree wide angle lens this time, along with an upgraded expert mode and user interface.

On Sunday, the company also unveiled eight “friends” of the G5, including a virtual reality headset and a 360-degree camera that can work with the phone and the accessory modules.

LG plans to release more details such as prices and launch dates soon.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)