LG Electronics (LG) unveils its eagerly anticipated LG G4 smartphone today, at launch events in New York, London, Paris, Singapore, Istanbul and Seoul. With the G4, LG is shifting focus on delivering “a human-centric user experience.” The LG G4 camera features a F1.8 aperture lens which allows 80 percent more light to hit the image sensor than LG G3. The camera module is paired with the new IPS Quantum Display, a noticeable upgrade from the Quad HD display in the LG G3.
“We are living up to our promise of Innovation for a Better Life with a fashionable, premium smartphone that is more focused on delivering a balanced user experience that can compete with the best of the best. We wanted to give consumers a truly human-centric device that combined the analog sensibilities with technologies that delivered real world performance. From the design to the camera to the display to the UX, this is the most ambitious phone we’ve ever created.”
Juno Cho, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.
Design
The LG G4 will be available in full grain leather in six colors. Other material options for the G4 rear cover include pure Ceramic White with 3D patterns, artisan-forged Metallic Gray as well lustrous, Shiny Gold. The LG G4’s design is defined by the Slim Arc, which runs along its entire body, highlighted by a display with a subtle curvature which takes the cue from the LG G Flex 2 The Slim Arc supposedly offers 20 percent better durability than a flat smartphone in face-down drops.
Display
With most of the marketing targeting how good this screen is, LG mentioned how their display blows iPhone 6 right out of the water. The new 5.5-inch IPS Quantum Display offers 20 percent greater color reproduction, 25 percent improvement in brightness and 50 percent greater contrast. It’s notably the first Quad HD display to employ Advanced In-Cell Touch technology, which combines the LCD and touch sensor into a single layer to provide better color reproduction and touch sensitivity.
On the UI side of the LG G4, the icon colors and shapes are consistent with the Slim Arc design. The Smart Notice widget automatically changes its background and text color based on the home screen image selected by the user. With the G3 already having a pretty interface, the G4 along with Android’s material design sees this going further.
The Camera
LG designed the 16MP camera in the LG G4 to capture under low light settings. The camera module features a wide F1.8 aperture and this is enhanced further with OIS 2.0. For more experienced photographers which I’m also looking forward to is the camera’s Manual Mode which allows youdirectly control the focus, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation and white balance for every shot. Advanced photographers can also save their photos in RAW format, in addition to JPEG. For selfies, LG included a 8MP front-facing camera aiming to take detailed portraits and group shots.
The Spec Sheet
The LG G4 has a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display with a 1440 x 2560 resolution and 538ppi. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor and not the latest 810, and it’s got more o do with efficiency since the 810 has been known to have overheating issues. It also has a Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage.
But here’s the clincher that puts the G4 on the front running of the best android device so far, a 16MP rear-facing camera with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS 2.0, an 8MP front-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture means that this is probably the best camera on paper you’re going to get right now and we’ll be sure to put it to the test. To add to that, it comes with a removable 3000mAh battery, MicroSD expansion up to 128GB, and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop.
Key Specifications:*
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 808 Processor with X10 LTE
Display: 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display (2560 x 1440, 538ppi)
Memory: 32GB eMMC ROM, 3GB LPDDR3 RAM / microSD slot
Camera: Rear 16MP with F1.8 Aperture / OIS 2.0 / Front 8MP
Battery: 3,000mAh (removable)
Operating System: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Size: 148.9 x 76.1 x 6.3 – 9.8 mm
Weight: 155g
Network: 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps (3G)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / Bluetooth 4.1LE / NFC / USB 2.0
Colors: [Ceramic] Metallic Gray / Ceramic White / Shiny Gold / [Genuine Leather] Black / Brown / Red / Sky Blue / Beige / Yellow
Other: Manual Mode / Gesture Interval Shot / Quick Shot
* Specifications may vary depending on the market.
The LG G4 will start its global roll-out on April 29 in Korea and will eventually be available worldwide. Prices and carrier availability will be announced locally in each market.
