When it comes to departing with the past, LG definitely has the right idea. Meet the LG G5. You've probably heard of it. It's this new device with a radical departure from the past and a new way forward. Let's figure out what the fuss is about on the LG G5.

So the G5 looks nothing like the G4 it replaces. Physically, it's smaller but structurally, it's an entirely different ballpark. Its display now spans 5.3 inches though it still houses the same amount of pixels as the G4, which means pixel density is up. But it also means an entirely new panel. It may be IPS still but the brightness of this thing is unbelievable.

We've also noticed the metal build construction. The last of the big three has finally joined the all-metal club; now coming in with an aluminum case which is completely unibody. You might be asking, where's the departure other than the completely brand new look? Well, this is the first “modular” mainstream phone you can buy. I use this term very sparingly because to be completely honest, it's not truly a modular device but the fact that you can push down a button and slide out the bottom is a pretty cool idea. So this is how LG's keeping their removable battery solution but they're also going to be making completely new pieces to attach to the G5 to give you new functionalities such as a camera grip with a battery extender built in. It's definitely an interesting concept and we're excited to try out all the different modules they'll make in the future.

Hardware-wise, the G5 is rocking a Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. MicroSD card expansion is found on the SIM tray which will keep everyone pleased in the storage battle. The LG G5 also features USB Type-C and Quick Charge 2.0 which charges at 83% in half an hour.

Camera-wise, there's two of them and before you think back to the HTC One M8, don't worry, it's not that. The 16MP main camera has an f/1.8 aperture next to its 8MP secondary camera with an f/2.4 aperture. When these two are combined, it brings you a field of view with over 130 degrees. The quality is a little strange, especially when two NOM-like sensors are mixed together, you're definitely going to get a bit of distortion thanks to this ultra wide field of view. However, when you use the 16MP main camera on its own. It definitely looks like a big improvement over the G4's camera last year.

Other notable changes on the G5 include the fingerprint sensor on the back and the relocation of the volume rockers to the left side. There's also a new feature called Always-On display, which could be useful; and the G5 is now running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Before I dive into the software, it's worth to mention that this is a pre-production build of both the hardware and software of the G5 so things may not look and run the same when you get your own personal G5. The software has been changed immensely from the G4. For example, there's not an app drawer. That's sort of a big deal for a lot of people including myself. Though aesthetically, it looks ten times better than the previous skin on the LG G4, which was filled with a lot of different colors. It also runs a bit smoother as well just from first glance. Though I definitely need to spend a whole lot more time with the software to judge it fairly.

So that's my first look and experience with the LG G5. Again, it's an early build of the phone and a lot can change between now and the launch date which is sometime in the next few weeks.