Here’s The First Look At The Swappable Battery In LG’s Next Smartphone

Remember when high-end smartphones had swappable batteries? It looks like LG is about to bring that feature back in its upcoming G5 smartphone.

The feature was rumored for weeks, but Android Authority managed to snag a product packaging showing the hot swappable action. If this image is correct — and all signs say it is — the bottom of the phone pops off, allowing the user to plug in another battery.

LG-G5-battery

This feature is supposedly called the Magic Slot and LG is said to be announcing several expansion packs next week at Mobile World Congress including a pack that Android Authority speculates adds manual camera controls to the smartphone.

LG is fighting a battle for relevancy. The Korean smartphone maker doesn’t even register as a top five smartphone maker according to an industry report released today. Will expansion ports help it leapfrog a competitor? Probably not, but it’s a good way to stand apart from the rest of the pack.