LG G5 Sales Reportedly Fall Short Of Expectations

The LG G5 may have been a bit of a flop, despite innovative modular design

Despite being one of the more compelling handsets launched so far this year, the LG G5, it seems, has not generated the kind of sales LG was hoping for, according to reports. The word comes via the Korea Times LG has recently reshuffled its executives and, in a statement, said that this was in response to the LG G5's performance.

LG said that the "latest flagship G5 smartphone failed to generate sales," but didn't comment any further than that, leaving us to wonder what kind of figures it has generated and how they measure up against what LG was expecting. The LG G5 broke cover on the very same day asSamsung's Galaxy S7 series, on February 21, a day ahead of Mobile World Congress 2016. LG's flagship didn't hit the market until April, however. Both the Samsung Galaxy S7 series and LG G5 do have rather a lot in common in terms of processing power, onboard hardware, display quality (though the Samsung AMOLED being slightly better). BUT, they also have some key differences; with the LG G5 packing a unique removable battery compartment and the ability to use bespoke modular accessories, some pundits believed it had the makings of a Galaxy S7 killer. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S7, while lacking a removable battery cell, had some of the best display technology on the market, and a waterproof design.

While LG's sales may not have hit the right mark, Samsung has enjoyed something of a renaissance. Q1 shipments and sales put the firm back on track following a two-year slump on flagship sales, surprising analysts and prompting a mad scramble to recalculate predictions for the year ahead. Samsung has gone on to generate $6.8 billion in Q2, the best performing quarter the company has experienced in two years.

Some pundits believe that consumers have not been so excited by the LG G5's modular design, suspecting that the need to buy expensive bolt-on bespoke modules only compatible with this particular model may have been off-putting for many. Analysts predict LG's shipments for Q2 may hit 2.2 million falling short of earlier 3 million unit estimates. LG's only other statement regarding this news is to assert that a leadership reshuffle may give the firm "new momentum".