LG’s next-generation G5 smartphone could arrive as early as February next year, and one tipster claims it will be one of the most exciting G series smartphones so far.

This year’s G4 has certainly been an impressive smartphone, thanks mostly to its incredible camera, but it isn’t exactly one of the most impressive of 2015. Its plastic and leather design pales in comparison to Samsung’s latest Galaxy series, and even the OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X.

LG also shipped the G4 with the midrange Snapdragon 808 processor, thanks to the heat issues surrounding the high-end Snapdragon 810. This gave lots of rival devices that did adopt the more powerful option — and those with competing chips — a leg up in performance.

But LG looks to be gearing up to rectify these complaints in 2015.

According to one tipster on Chinese micro-blogging network Weibo, the South Korean company’s new G5 will boast Qualcomm’s brand new Snapdragon 820 chip, a secondary display like the new V10, dual front-facing cameras, and a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera.

“Zealer” also claims the G5 will boast iris scanning technology, allowing users to unlock the device with their eyes. This is technology we’ve been hearing a lot about over the past year or so, but we’re yet to actually see it hit the market.

Zealer adds that LG could introduce the G5 early next year — in February as opposed to April — so that it can compete with Samsung’s new Galaxy S7, which is rumored to get its official unveiling at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

We cannot verify the accuracy of these claims, so we recommend taking them with a pinch of salt for now. However, Zealer has been reliable in the past, and apart from the iris scanner, these sound like plausible upgrades for next year’s G5.

• ViaTechGrapple