LG G5 launching on March 31, will come with extra battery in the US, Cam Plus in some markets

LG has confirmed that its new G5 flagship will become available globally starting March 31.

The G5 was released at MWC 2016 to mixed reactions – its design is divisive, even though the G5 is the first phone in the series to feature a metallic body, without sacrificing either the microSD card slot or the removable battery.

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The experimental nature of the G5 poses some risks for LG, but the company hopes that customers will appreciate the modular design and the ability to add so-called Friends to the mix – specialized modules that tuck into the bottom of the G5, including a camera grip and a dedicated audio module co-branded with Bang & Olufsen.

Depending on the market, LG will bundle the G5 with either a CAM Plus camera module or an extra battery and battery charging dock worth around $100. LG will also offer a 38% discount on the Hi-Fi Plus audio module, but its price hasn’t been revealed yet.

In the United States, the LG G5 launch bundle will include the extra battery and battery charging dock, as well as a microUSB adapter that allows the Type C-equipped G5 to work with older USB cables.

According to a credible leak on Reddit the official Best Buy promo page, the LG G5 will go on pre-order today on AT&T and Sprint and from March 24 on Verizon, with in-store availability from April 1. At Best Buy, the un-activated price of the LG G5 will be $799, while subscribers who get a two-year activation will be able to get it for $99.

For more on the LG G5, make sure to check out our hands-on impressions from MWC 2016, as well as our comparison with the Galaxy S7.

Thoughts on the LG G5? Were you hoping to get a different launch bundle? Will you get the LG G5 on April 1?