5 Android phones that were defined by their weird and innovative accessories

Source Domain: www.howtogeek.com

For most Android phones, accessories are a boring afterthought. Cases, chargers, maybe a kickstand if you’re lucky. However, some Android phones have made accessories a core part of the experience. The ideas didn’t always work, but they were always interesting.

LG G5 (2016)

Credit: LG

The LG G5 kicked off a short-lived period of time when Android phone makers were tinkering around with modular designs. The bottom of the phone slid out like a magazine in a gun. The idea was that you could slide in various modules called “Friends,” or simply swap out the battery—a feature that was slowly becoming extinct.

LG released two “Friends” modules at launch: a camera grip and the Bang & Olufsen Hi-Fi Plus. The camera grip had a pressure-sensitive shutter button, zoom wheel, and video recording key. The Hi-Fi module featured a 32-bit, 384 kHz DAC with its own separate headphone jack. The camera grip cost $70, and the Hi-Fi was priced at over $150.

The LG G5 was a solid phone that received generally positive reviews. However, the modules were not well-received, and they didn’t help the phone’s sales. A year later, LG completely ditched the modular design for the G6 and never tried it again.