LG has launched the metallic avatar of its smartphone G4, that came out earlier this year. The phone is said to be made with a hammer-crafted metal body with a Slim Arc design. The G4 comes with what is touted as the world’s best camera and the world’s first Quantum display. The smartphone comes with 4G LTE and a dual SIM variant.
“We have always believed in offering only those products to our consumers that complement their style in making a statement. The G4’s leather back was a step in that direction and we’ve taken it to the next step with this metallic variant of G4.” – Deepak Jasrotia, Business Head, LG Mobiles India
This new design is said to make the G4 “20 percent more resilient than a flat smartphone in face-down drops and gives the smartphone a more comfortable and secure feel in the hand.” Apart from this, the G4’s camera features a F1.8 aperture lens, a manual mode, Color Spectrum Sensor and OIS 2.0 making it perfect for selfies. It also comes with an 8MP front camera with an IPS Quantum Display.
The LG G4 Metallic variant will be available in India at Rs. 40,000.
Here are the specs:
Features
LG G4
Display
5.5-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display (2560 x 1440, 538ppi)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Processor with X10 LTE
Memory
32GB eMMC ROM with microSD slot
RAM
3GB LPDDR3 RAM
Rear Camera
16MP with F1.8 Aperture / OIS 2.0
Front Camera
8MP with F2.0 Aperture
OS
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Network
4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps (3G)
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / Bluetooth 4.1LE / NFC / USB 2.0
After announcing the LG G Pad 2 8.0 in South Korea, exclusively, fans were left disappointed with the below average specs like the Snapdragon 210 processor and 1.5GB of RAM. However, LG hasn’t given up and has now come up with a tablet with meatier hardware; The G Pad II 10.1.
It has a 1920×1200 screen which is a dampener but the rest of the specs are commendable. The Snapdragon 800 albeit slightly old, is powerful and 2GB of RAM for Android 5.1.1 is sufficient. It also has 16 GB of storage and a microSD card. The tablet comes in two colours; Brilliant Bronze (you can decide how brilliant it is for yourselves) and a Purple. It is powered by a 7400mAh battery with a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. The extras from the 8.0 version don’t seem to have been retained.
The G Pad II 10.1 will also come with Microsoft Office pre-loaded and 100GB of free storage on Microsoft’s OneDrive system. It also has a feature called the ‘reader mode’ that dims the blue light of the screen, along with a multi-window mode.
The company did not mention the price of the Wi-Fi and LTE models but did state that the table will be available in North America, Europe, and Asia. LG will show us the tablet at IFA Berlin that takes place in the first week of September so stay tuned for more updates.
According to rumoured reports, LG might have a smartphone to challenge the S6 Edge+. These reports have been fuelled by the kind of technology that LG has today for turning such a device into reality.
LG already has a bunch of smartphones that have the flexible display feature along with LCD and OLED panel types. The OLED technology has been used by Samsung to create its curved active-matrix OLED (AMOLED) display in its Edge products.
However, if we look at LG’s G Flex, it is based on LG’s P-OLED technology which is said to be far more flexible than Samsung’s OLED technology. If LG really wants to compete with Samsung it might have to create a more mainstream mobile product that is based on their OLED technology.
Further reports suggest that LG Display has confirmed to invest 8.5 billion dollars into the development of the next-gen OLED displays, for products ranging from a TV set to mobile electronics.
When it comes to display quality, resolution and cost of production, we see Samsung with its AMOLED display and LG with its P-OLED display. The latest G Flex 2 comes with a 1080p resolution which is much lesser than the QHD panel found in Samsung’s latest phones.
However, LG had just recently unveiled a selection of “wallpaper” TVs which are said to be as thin as a credit card and as is also easily bendable. These TVs also come with a selection of concave and convex designs, which can be adapted for a mobile phone if necessary. There are no reports though, about whether LG is planning to use this technology and expand it towards its mobile phones too.
This plastic-OLED is said to offer a cost advantage over other typical glass OLED displays. The company has not made any official announcement about any of their plans, but, if the G Edge appears, it is said to be LG’s first flagship to make use of the company’s advanced OLED panels.
In conclusion, we can say that LG is perhaps looking to fall within the mainstream smartphone market with its new OLED technology. Perhaps we can expect some new devices with global launches soon.
New reports suggest, that LG is working on a new Android Wear watch codenamed “Nemo”. And this could be the first Nexus smartwatch. What is known about the smartwatch is that it will have the highest resolution display any Android Wear watch has ever had at 480 x 480 resolution.
The connection that has been made is the due to the codename used. In the past, Nexus devices have used a similar nomenclature. Nexus 6 was codenamed ‘Shamu’, and Nexus 9 was ‘Hammerhead.’
Other rumours suggest that the watch will have a circular 1.3-inch display size with a pixel density of around 340 to 400 ppi. The importance of this pixel density is that it should ideally be able to eliminate readability issues.
With LG catching up in the smartwatch race with the anticipation of its new smartwatch, you can watch this space for more details about this new device.
LG in an official press statement revealed, that the LG G4 will now be available at a cheaper price. The smartphone which was only made available in India by the end of June, is already facing a price cut. LG’s flagship for 2015 which was initially launched with a price tag of Rs. 51,500, is now available for Rs. 45,000 for the Leather back cover variant and Rs. 40,000 for the ceramic white variant. The company also stated that the LG G4 Stylus is now available for Rs. 21,000 (down from Rs. 24,990).
The company says that the promotion is for the upcoming festive season, with no mention if the price cut is temporary or permanent. It looks like LG is following in the footsteps of Samsung, which is notorious for slashing prices of their devices soon after the launch. This is one of the reasons we wouldn’t recommend anyone to pick up the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 at its launch price.
Coming back to the G4, it features a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS LCD display (2560x1440p resolution) that uses quantum dot technology. The screen is protected by a Gorilla Glass 3. The processor fitted on the device is a 1.8GHz Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with an Adreno 418 GPU. The device also come with a 3GB RAM, an internal storage space of 32GB, which can be expanded via a MicroSD card up to 2TB. The smartphone runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop.
It boasts a 16MP camera with f/1.8 aperture (widest aperture on any smartphone camera) equipped with Optical Image Stabilization 2.0, color spectrum sensor, and Laser Auto Focus functionality.
The camera on the phone offers a manual operation mode which brings in a variety of options like exposure, white balance, color temperature, ISO, aperture, RAW mode and many other features. The front facing camera with 8MP also with f/1.8 aperture. The handset is powered by a removable 3,000 mAh battery.
With a 10k price cut, now would be the right time to pick up the LG G4. Its main competitors at the moment, Samsung Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6 are available for a price of Rs 41,900 (32GB variant) and Rs. 45,830 (16GB variant), respectively.
We already know that the Nexus 5 is Google’s best product. The device was released in 2013 and had a Full HD display with a 2.3GHz processor. Later on, reports flowed in about the company working on the next Nexus 5 ,2015. But, there was a slight catch. Sources stated that the device would be released in two variants, an LG and a Huawei variant, codenamed as ‘LG Bullhead’ and ‘Huawei Angler,’ respectively.
But, why is Google launching two handsets in the same year? One of the possible reasons is that both the companies have their recognition in different markets. LG has a good success rate in North America and Europe while Huawei has got a loyal customer base in Asia, particularly in China.
Google’s Nexus device will be launched along with the Android Pay rollout, but since Android Pay won’t likely be used in China, LG Nexus devices will not be sold there.
Another possible reason is that Google is trying to reach a settlement with all the Android partners in the Nexus program. But, this raises another question. Why has LG agreed on making its third Nexus device? According to Business Korea, Google wanted to speed up the adoption rate of the Android Pay, hence they pitched to LG, due to their broad audience base, back in America and Europe.
The speculated specifications of the LG Nexus 2015 include a 5.2-inch with 1920 x 1080 display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4 GB RAM. Integrated with Android M, the battery will be of 2,860mAh. Supported by a 16-megapixel dual camera at the back and 5-megapixel in the front, it is also observed that LG Nexus 5 will feature a 3D camera.
The back cover of the upcoming LG Nexus will have three openings, one for the camera module, one for the fingerprint scanner and a square-shaped opening that operates the LED flash.
The devices are slated to release on October 20th.
Google’s Nexus smartphones have been getting a lot of hype recently, and naturally there are rumours surrounding its features, specs and the best kept secret; its price. However, these aspects are no longer a secret as the latest leak out of China, revealed these three aspects that the world was waiting to know.
For starters, the LG-made Nexus (2015) is supposed to be relatively cheaper than the Huawei-made Nexus (2015). It will be priced around $300-400 which is approximately Rs.25,600. Other than that, the LG smartphone will have a matte plastic black cover with chamfered edges, giving it a suave look.
Specifications wise, LG’s Nexus smartphone will flaunt a 5.2-inch full HD P-OLED display, and will be powered by a Snapdragon 620 (MSM8976) processor paired with 4GB of RAM. It will also feature 64GB internal storage, but there is no information about a microSD slot, yet.
Talking about the camera, it sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, and dual-tone LED flash, 4-megapixel selfie camera with Iris Detection, and a 3,180mAh battery with wireless charging capabilities.
Surprisingly, it is said to have a fingerprint scanner that is embedded within the power button and in addition to this it has front stereo speakers, and connectivity options like Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, and more importantly an USB Type-C port, for faster charging.
We hope to hear from LG themselves, soon, confirming the specs and prices. Till then, stay tuned to iGyaan for updates about the LG Nexus and more.
We mentioned earlier that LG may come out with a smartphone that caters to that sect of customers that still appreciate the good old flip phones. Well, now it’s official. LG has launched a flip phone called the Wine Smart that will cater to a global audience.
“Our goal with LG Wine Smart was to create a smartphone that fans of flip phones could embrace. Consumers shouldn’t have to miss out on the smartphone revolution because they prefer a particular phone design over another. With LG Wine Smart, they won’t have to.”
This phone will not just release in its home market, South Korea, but also in select nations like France, Italy, Poland, Spain and Japan, followed by other regions. The pricing and availability of this phone is yet to be announced by the company and will be done at the time of launch.
LG Wine Smart has the same features as the LG Gentle as shown in the picture above
The Wine Smart is a sort of upgrade to the previous LG Gentle and it is also better compared to the phone that the Korean company released last year, under the same name. The company stated:
“Thanks to the positive response to the original Wine Smart introduced in Korea last year, LG optimised the latest model with more advanced multimedia features to make the transition from feature phone to smartphone as seamless as possible.”
Specifications wise, the new LG Wine Smart has the same features and specs as that of the LG Gentle that had released last month. The LG Wine Smart smartphone features a single 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 320×480 pixels. This means it doesn’t have the front half screen that most flip phones are spotted with. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and the flip phone is powered by a 1.1GHz quad-core processor alongside 1GB of RAM. It also has 4GB of inbuilt storage along with an expandable storage via microSD card.
The phone sports a 3-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, while also including a 0.3-megapixel front camera. It has a removable battery of 1700mAh. Apart from 4G LTE, the LG Wine Smart includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Micro-USB, and 3G connectivity options. It measures 117.7×58.7×16.6mm and weighs 143 grams.
What one can look forward to is the fact that the Wine Smart will come in two colours; Wine (Burgundy) and Navy Blue. The second thing that might either strike you or put you off, in an era of touch screens is that the flip phone features a T9 keyboard that will bring back good memories or perhaps frustrating ones. Lastly, the phone sports a leather-like finish on the rear panel.
The LG Nexus for 2015 has been talked about, ever since since rumours suggested that it would look as stylish as the Nexus 5 and would be priced lower than the Nexus 6.
Amidst many leaks, the most recent one is that of an LG Nexus 2015 case cover, that shows what the phone could look like from different angles, while also showcasing the thickness as well as the orientation of the buttons. These pictures suggest that the new Nexus might feature a single-sided array of buttons along the right edge of the device. Some of the ports seems to include a headphone jack along the bottom and a charging port also at the bottom, that seems to look like a USB Type- C.
The case also features a cutout for a rear facing camera and a flash module. However, it is also rumoured, that the lower circle cutout could be a fingerprint reader.
With these promising leaks, the LG Nexus 2015 is looking to be another winner Nexus smartphone. Let us know what you think of the device so far.
LG has released a new mid-range phone aimed at selfie enthusiasts, the LG Max, in India at a price of Rs. 10,990. Successor to last year’s LG L Bello smartphone, the LG Max features a larger display and a more powerful selfie camera than its predecessor. LG has launched the Max in India ahead of Europe and the CIS. However, judging by the specs, it doesn’t look like a winner.
The LG Max boasts of a 5.0-inch FWVGA display with 854 x 480 resolution. The phone uses a 1.3GHz Quad-Core chipset with 1GB RAM. The phone has a storage capacity of 8GB with MicroSD support. It runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and is powered by a 2,540mAh removable battery. It supports 3G and is a dual-SIM phone.
The LG Max comes with features like Gesture Shot and Selfie Flash that makes it easy to click selfies. Gesture Shot enables users to take selfies without pressing any buttons by simply opening and closing the palm in front of the camera and Selfie Flash turns the phone’s display into a soft flash for portraits.
At this range, LG Max can be easily beaten by Yu Yureka and Lenovo K3 Note, which possess better specs than it. If LG says that the phone is specially manufactured for selfie enthusiasts, then the phone has to prove that its image processing software is good.
This week was loaded with new product releases and announcements from around the world. We have compiled a list of news that made the rounds.
Here are the top highlights of the week:
LG hints at Google Nexus Handset
According to rumors, Google has teamed up with LG to produce the next Google Nexus handset. The device will reportedly sport a 5.2-inch screen display, six-core Snapdragon 808 processor by Qualcomm, and 2700mAh battery pack. It seems Google wants to recreate the success of Nexus 5, which was manufactured by LG.
Instagram Now Allows 1080x1080p Squares
What’s the point of clicking photographs in HD if you can’t view it in Instagram? Instagram users can now rejoice as they can store images in HD resolution. The app has upgraded the resolution from 640 x 640 pixels to 1080×1080 pixels.
Truecaller Launches Messaging App to Keep Your Inbox Spam Free
Truecaller has launched its messaging app, Truemessenger, which basically serves the same function as its parent app – filter out spam and messages from unknown numbers.
OnePlus Two Details
With just two weeks left for the OnePlus 2 launch, here are some of the key details that have been revealed about the upcoming phone –
The phone will not be priced more than Rs. 28,500, OnePlus confirmed on Twitter.
OnePlus 2 will arrive with a 4GB RAM and may sport a metal body.
LG G4 Review
Check out our review of the LG G4 and find out if it is worth a hole in your pocket.
LG launches two new G4 variants
LG has released two new variants in its G4 lineup, the LG G4 Stylus and the G4 Beat.
Xolo Launches Black
Xolo has launched “Black” through Flipkart priced at Rs. 12,999. The company hopes the phone will be able beat to rivals Motorola and Xiaomi.
iOS 9 beta released for public
Apple has released the beta version of iOS 9 for the public. The company has introduced some new features such as separate folder for selfies and screenshots and Apple News.
GoPro Is Back With the New Tinier GoPro Hero4 Session
GoPro, the company well known for making incredible cameras for adventure and sports terrain, has unleashed their newest and the smallest beast yet, the GoPro Hero4 Session. The new camera is the first significant redesign of the company’s omnipresent camera in nine years.
The smartphone train keeps on moving forward as time passes by. With almost half of the year gone by, we’ve seen many new devices like Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and HTC One M9. But the year is far from ending, and many companies have given out hints of their new unnamed devices. Let us check them out below
Apple iPhone 6s
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were released in September, and in the months leading up to that, the gossip mill went mental. Be ready for more of the same with the iPhone 6S, which will launch in September 2015 running iOS 9. As always, we’re presuming a faster processor and some upgraded specs, but little change to the design. According to rumours, the new devices will have a faster A9 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel camera, an additional microphone to enhance voice quality, and a new interior mechanical design to address some bending issues users experienced with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
OnePlus Two
OnePlus One was one of the most successful Chinese electronic startup stories of 2014. This handset captured an enormous chunk of the mid-segment smartphone market. OnePlus announced a new device on June, which is expected to be the next OnePlus handset. According to OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, the OnePlus 2 will surprise us, and is likely to focus on flagship-rivalling design rather than specs. The OnePlus 2 launches on 27 July, and will be the first product ever to do so in virtual reality. We already know it will feature OxygenOS, an upgraded Snapdragon 810 processor, USB Type-C and a fingerprint scanner; also expect 4GB of RAM, a 3300mAh battery and a 5.5in 2K screen.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Everyone always brags on about Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup, but it’s the Note series that really impresses. The Note 4 was unveiled at a Samsung Unpacked event prior to September’s IFA trade show (3 September 2014), and right now sits at the top of our fastest smartphone and best phablet charts. Traditionally Samsung’s Note launches are held at IFA in September, but rumours suggest we might see the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 as early as July to give it a headstart on the new iPhones.
Mi5 and Mi5 Plus
Reports from Gizmochina claim two more devices will be joining Xiaomi’s line-up later in June 2015. These devices are larger copies of the Mi 4, expected to be named Mi 5 and Mi 5 Plus. The claimed specs of the devices were leaked on the Chinese social media site, Weibo. The Mi 5 is touted to have a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 1440×2560 pixels. It is believed to be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset with either 3GB or 4GB RAM and will be juiced by a 3,000mAh battery. Its camera specification includes a 16MP primary camera.The device will also be infused with fingerprint technology. Its larger cousin, named as Mi 5 Plus, will feature a 6-inch screen with 4GB RAM, 32GB internal memory and a 16MP primary camera. While nothing has been mentioned about the price, some rumors claim that Mi5 is slated to be priced around Rs. 23,900. Should the rumor turn out to be true, Mi5 will become one of the strongest performing phones in the market. We hope Xiaomi announces Mi5 as early as possible.
LG G5
Rumours say that LG is now working on the successor of the G4, and will be bringing iris recognition system into play. Reports from Korean publications state that LG has teamed up with local biometrics specialist Irience to implement this feature in its next smartphone. Reports also indicate that the phone will be released in the last quarter of 2015. For now, this is the only information we have found out.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini and Galaxy S6 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini
It seems like Samsung is on the move to expand its range of Galaxy lineups. The Korean company is reportedly working on a smaller version and a larger version of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, namely, Galaxy S6 Mini and Galaxy S6 Plus respectively. Both the rumours emerged this week.
According to GSMArena, the smaller version, Galaxy S6 Mini, or ‘SM-G9198′, the device will be an iPhone 6 competitor. It will have a 4.6-inch HD display and run on Snapdragon 808 chip with 2GB of RAM. It will be equipped with a 15MP primary camera and a 4.7MP front camera.
Galaxy S6 Plus
Meanwhile, Italy’s HDBlog revealed that the company is working on a bigger version, possibly a phablet, on the Galaxy S6 line. For now, the device has been codenamed as ‘Project Zero 2?. Interestingly, the S6 and S6 Edge were codenamed ‘Project Zero’. According to the rumours, the device will just be like the Galaxy S6, only bigger and with a more powerful battery.
Microsoft Lumia 940XL
Microsoft had launched the Lumia 930 almost a year ago, and now, the company is back with its newest smartphone, the Microsoft Lumia 940XL. According to NokiaPowerUser, the device is a larger version of the Lumia 940. The device is expected to have a bigger 5.7-inch display with a slim design and a metal frame. The processor will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot for expandable storage, a 5MP front-facing camera, a 20MP main PureView camera for photos and videos, and will feature native pen support as well.Further, it will also support USB C-Type and an Iris Scanner too. The specs sound very exciting, but the company has not officially confirmed the existence of such a device.
Motorola Moto X (third-gen)
Motorola may launch the third generation of its flagship Moto X smartphones in the coming few months. According to STJS Gadgets, the third-generation Moto X is leaked by a Motorola insider, who claims to have a hold of details about the next Moto X. The upcoming smartphone on the Moto X series will sport a 5.2-inch QHD AMOLED display, used on the Droid Turbo. Under the hood will be a Snapdragon 808 chipset bundled with a massive 4GB RAM. The device will come pre-installed with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.The front camera will be 5MP while the back will house a 16MP snapper with Clear Pixel Technology. The battery powering the device will also be mammoth at 3280mAh. The device will come in two storage variants – 32GB and 64GB.
Bonus
Nexus 5 2015
New reports have emerged that after months of speculation about with whom will Google team up with for its next Nexus device, it seems that LG could be the one to build the next, temporarily named, Nexus 5 2015. According to Android Pit, rather than basing the Nexus 5 2015 on the LG G4, LG will be creating the new handset from the scratch. The device would sport a 5.2-inch screen display, six-core Snapdragon 808 processor by Qualcomm, and 2,700 mAh battery pack, according to the rumours. It may also come in 64 GB and 128 GB variants and have a 16-megapixel rear camera and a five-megapixel wide-angle camera in front.
However, for now, neither Google nor LG has confirmed the news. Also, Google’s next mobile OS, Android M is set for an August release date. Hence, details regarding how many Nexus devices are going to be released and who would be building them will be out really soon.
Keep on checking iGyaan for more updates regarding these future devices!
LG in the past years has emerged as a true Android champion. A South Korean counter brand to the kingship of Samsung, especially in the Android smartphone market.
LG came into light after their partnership with Google on building the Nexus 4 and then the Nexus 5 along with LG’s own iterations of the handsets for the global consumer markets. All four of the devices by LG led them into a high stake position in the Android rat race.
Last year however, LG fell off the map with the LG G3, it also had a fall out with Google, who then decided to go with Motorola to manufacture the Nexus 6.
This year LG is back and they want vengeance, pitting up points in almost all areas, LG tried to reach the top of the ladder with their new flagship, the LG G4. But, just as the relevance of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, on the stage at the time of launch, LG didn’t seem to think this through.
Hardware
The LG G4 is an iconic design from LG, while many companies have attempted to make leather looking handsets (Note 3 and Galaxy S5), LG actually made a smartphone with a genuine leather back panel.
LG also one upped Samsung with their interesting fast aperture camera and lens, with 16 MP and a f1.8 lens setup vs the f1.9 on the Galaxy S6 and Edge.
The LG G4 also has dual sim (certain regions) and a removable and replaceable battery along with micro-SD expansion all of which is lacking in the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
Hardware Specs
LG G4
Display
5.5-inch Quad HD LCD
Resolution
2560 x 1440 PX
Chipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 with X10 LTE
Processor
1.8GHz Hexa-core
GPU
Adreno 418
RAM
3GB
Primary Camera
16MP f/1.8 aperture
Front Camera
8MP f/1.8 aperture
Storage
32GB
Expandable Up to
2 TB
Battery
3,000 mAh
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0
Bluetooth
4.1 LE (APT-x)
Design, Build and Aesthetics
The LG G4 is designed in a new way, the introduction of a genuine leather back panel may have mixed reactions in certain religious countries. For example in India, LG has refrained from mentioning that the leather back panel is made from cow hide, which may prevent some people from buying the handset. The use of leather however is done in a brilliant way. The back panel takes 12 weeks to manufacture and uses a new technology for a process which normally takes a few days.
Leather Back Panel
Made from only the top layer (epidermis) of high quality cow leather, the back features tiny 0.001 micrometer pores for breathability. The end result is a smooth, soft touch back that should feel unlike any other smartphone on the market, while still allowing heat to dissipate.
Although some have mixed opinions about the design and use of leather, LG has done it rather tastefully and not only does is look impressive, but also feels great in the hand. There is also a Ceramic white which might become the preferred option, also because it is about 100$ cheaper (Rs. 6000 approx)
The front houses a LG G3-esque minimal bezel design from LG which is highly applauded on their previous smartphones, and the LG G4 is expected to have the same outlook.
The construction, however seems a lot less sturdy compared to previous generation G phones from LG. Gorilla Glass 3 has been used in place of Gorilla Glass 4 found on the Galaxy S6 and Edge.
The back panel is removable and replaceable, which means that it can be swapped out if damaged. Also reports of the leather weathering faster than ever, however we faced no such nuisance.
The buttons remain on the back, volume rockers and the main power button, which can also be used as a selfie mirror, sort of.
The phone also lacks premium materials, made mostly from plastics. In an age where Samsung’s flagship is a premium metal and glass device the LG G4 is sub-standard, and less premium.
Performance, Gaming and Display
Here is where the leather laden phone from LG, faces the first from the competition. The underpowered Hexa Core Snapdragon 808 is far inferior than expected. LG’s optimizations to improve battery have further reduced the performance output of this chipset.
In our Benchmark test the G4 stood last with the poorest score. when compared to HTC’s devices and Samsung devices.
The GPU works overtime to deliver high resolution to the 2K display, therefore reducing the graphics quality displayed during gaming.
Although the affect is minimum, but if have been playing on other devices like the HTC M9+ and the S6 you will notice the considerable amount of difference.
The UI is fast and snappy, transitions are quicker and lag is virtually non existent. We still find LG’s UI a little cluttered, and non easy to navigate.
Phone and Battery
The LG G4 in India comes with Dual Sim LTE, which means that both cards can run LTE networks. Networks speeds are weak, due to network strength issues, but we got 14 Mbps downloads in health network areas.
The dual sim setup is handy for a lot of people and on the LG G4 works well. However battery life is adversely affected by the G4 SIM usage, mostly from network searches.
LG is offering a spare battery with an external charger in many countries, this is justified thanks to the poor battery performance. The battery will barely last you a day, and the drain is massive due to the display and the network searches.
Talk Time : 3 Hours
Standby : 24 Hours
Internet : 3.5 Hours
Music : 9 Hours
Gaming : 2 Hours.
Honestly, the battery is a big let down for us. You cannot have a flagship, running lower spec hardware, with a poorly performing battery.
16MP f/1.8 aperture
Camera
The highlight of LG’s new-gen smartphones, and especially the G series smartphones has been the camera and optics. With the new G4, LG continues to use laser autofocus, but improves the camera considerably. Low light performance is excellent, thanks to a f1.8 lens, whereas the Galaxy S6 only manages a f1.9. The front camera however is not as wide on the G4 as on the S6/edge, but seems to have great capture capability.
Dynamic range is much improved, however we feel that indoor image quality needs to be better. The way the software is processing the images, they feel a lot more digital. Outdoor images are high in detail and contrast.
Images will almost always be in focus and sharp, thanks to the laser sensor, which is accurate and super fast.
Video is captured at 4k but to limits of 5 minutes to prevent the chipset from overheating. Finding the 4k option is slightly difficult for the first time around, as the phone records 1080p out the box.
4k Video Option
The front camera has a brilliant image quality and works well for “selfies” in low light conditions. The gesture shot allows you to click a picture by making a fist in front of the camera. This allows for a better image, which is less shaky.
Android and UI
With a lot of things built in as smart features, the usability of the LG G4 as a daily driver is easy. Android 5.1 comes out of the box and the UI is highly customizable.
Lg also allows you to customize individual icons, using inbuilt set of icons or your own images can be converted into an icon for any App.
Smart features also allow you to auto-magically enable or disable features as per your usage requirements. For eg. “When at Home turn on Wi-Fi” will automatically enable Wi-Fi on the G4 when you arrive at your’s home’s geolocation. While these features can be really handy, they are an added drain on the battery.
There is still a lot of clutter on the UI as LG is trying to do a lot. Qslide Apps sit in the notification panel, along with quick toggles. There is just so much happening on the G4, that you really want to simplify the usage.
LG’s included apps are also handy, like LG Health for fitness enthusiasts and LG Backup for security of data. Qremote lets you use the inbuilt IR blaster on the top of the phone to control your electronics and appliances, like a TV, Dish box, Air-Con etc. The Qremote turns out to be more useful than mentioned.
Conclusion
Just like each year before this, LG has maintained high quality and managed to make the phone good looking. However, the leather back restricts buyers and the phone may be too any for the female audience.There is a pink leather back cover as well as a red one, which also are more easily handled by men than women. The ceramic white drops the leather for a more LG plastic (they call it polycarbonate) approach.
It is distinctively a man phone, with features which are slightly lower than the competition. A price tag which is higher than the competition and a not so impressive performance and battery life. It does excel in the camera department, only if you are an outdoorsy kind of person. The UI is much more refined than seen in the past and the array of customizations is extensive. But, our money is well spent elsewhere.
After launching the LG G4 Stylus yesterday, LG has released another variant called the LG G4 Beat. The new phone is the latest in the G4 line-up after the G4 Stylus and G4c. With this phone, it seems LG is trying to imitate Samsung’s successful Galaxy series, which offers a wide range of affordable and premium phones.
Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics said
Too often, mid-tier phones sacrifice overall usability in order to include that one killer feature. Our goal with the LG G4 Beat was to create a phone that was not only well- balanced in terms of display, camera, performance and design but delivered terrific value and satisfaction.
The G4 Beat sports a 5.2-inch full HD IPS LCD display with 423 ppi. The phone is powered by a 1.5GHz Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM. The internal storage of 8GB can be expanded, allowing you to store more images, music and videos. The G4 Beat will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0.
The phone will sport an 8MP rear camera and a 5 MP front camera. For some reasons, LG has decided to include a 13 MP rear camera in the G4 Beat for select Latin America countries. A 2,300mAh removable battery will power the phone. As far as connectivity is concerned, the phone supports LTE, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC.
LG has not disclosed any pricing for the G4 Beat, which is expected to be launched first in countries like France, Germany and Brazil followed by Canada, India, Russia, Singapore, South Africa and Turkey, among others.
Specification
LG G4 Beat
Display
5.2-inch full HD IPS LCD display
Resolution
1920 x 1080 pixels, 423 ppi
Chipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset
Processor
1.5GHz octa-core processor
RAM
1.5 GB
Storage
8GB
Rear Camera
8 MP Laser Autofocus, LED Flash, 13 MP in select Latin America countries
Soon after LG announced the global roll-out of LG G4 in May, the Korea-based firm immediately came up with yet another announcement that tempted LG fans. The consumer electronics manufacturer made official two new smartphones, G4 Stylus and G4c, increasing the G4 line-up with low-budget devices. Today, South Korean manufacturer LG has released its G4 Stylus phablet in the Indian market at Rs 24,990.
Talking about the G4 Stylus, the device Stylus features a 5.7-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) IPS display offering a pixel density of 258ppi; 1GB of RAM; 8GB of built-in storage; expandable storage support via microSD card up to 128 GB; 3000mAh battery (removable); Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.1; NFC; A-GPS; Glonass; Micro-USB; 5-megapixel front camera; 154.3×79.2×9.6mm, and 163 grams.
The G4 Stylus on the LG India site is listed to support 4G LTE, and features the 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. The LTE model sports a 13-megapixel rear camera and packs a 5-megapixel front camera as well.
In India, the G4 Stylus will be offered in Metallic Silver or Floral White color options.
