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The LG G4 has been officially announced

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LG G4 CEO

After many weeks of leaks, rumors, and even official announcements from LG themselves, the LG G4 is finally official. After the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 were released the G4 is the last major flagship phone for 2015. Many people have been waiting to see what LG has to offer, and now we can finally put the official stamp on it.

Check out the full specs

Display

LG G4 display

The G4 has a 5.5-inch Quad HD display (2560×1440) with a very slight curve. LG says the IPS Quantum Display is very energy efficient and easily visible in sunlight. The Quantum Display combines colors to make more accurate colors. The display lets more light through, which increases brightness 25-percent from the LG G3, which is how they get the great outdoor visibility.

Camera

G4 camera sample

One of the best features of the LG G3 was the camera. LG has set out to improve upon that already great sensor for the G4. It has a 16MP camera with f/1.8 aperture, laser auto focus, and optical image stabilization 2.0. What does that mean? You’ll get higher resolution shots which capture 80-percent more light.

The LG G4 is the first smartphone with a color spectrum sensor, which recognizes ambient light and object recognition. You can launch the camera and take a photo in 0.6 seconds. In manual mode you can even save images in RAW format, which is great for people who edit photos with desktop applications. They’ve also improved the front-facing camera to 8MP and improved the gesture shot for better selfies.

Battery & Storage

LG G4 battery

LG and Samsung are bitter rivals. So when Samsung decided to go with a non-removable battery and eliminate expandable storage you could guess what LG would do. The G4 has a removable 3,000 mAh battery and a microSD card slot (internal storage is 32GB). Disgruntled Samsung fans may be interested in the G4. It also has wireless charging, but not for both standards like the Galaxy S6.

Processor

The G4 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 with 3GB of RAM. Some may wonder why LG hasn’t gone with the newer Snapdragon 810, but the decision is likely due to battery life. The 808 is still a very capable processor.

Design

LG G4 leather

Last, but not least, is the new design of the G4. LG has introduced six leather options along with three traditional plastic back covers. The leather covers are “high grade” that take 12 weeks to manufacture. The plastic covers come in three colors: black, white, and gold. The leather and the slight curved display make for an elegant and beautiful device.

***

What do you think about the LG G4? Will you be getting one?

Joe Fedewa
Ever since I flipped open my first phone I've been obsessed with the devices. I've dabbled in other platforms, but Android is where I feel most at home.

We’re here at the LG G4 event in New York!

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148 Comments

  1. This will make a fine upgrade to my still-beloved G2!

    1. Natty Boh

    2. Duffman

      1. ATL in the house!

  2. This is better than the S6 how?

    1. For me, 1. No Knox Bullmolarky that I didn’t ask them to put on my 700 phone in the first place. 2. Removable storage. 3. Removable battery…

      To each his own, those are just three features “I” like to have. ;)

      1. I agree on 2 and 3….but 1 is an easy fix…..root and remove…just saying…..

        1. I am not so sure you can totally “Remove” Knox. You can work around it, yes.

          1. Your better be able to. Knox can get mugged, in any event.

    2. Bigger battery, removable battery, expandable storage…The camera may or may not be better. Samsung turned in a really top-shelf camera on the S6, but the LG G3 was no slouch in that department last year, and this one looks to be a strong upgrade.

      Ultimately, I’d want to be able to trade out a dying battery without sending it in for service, so a removable battery (that happens to be bigger) is a huge plus. Also, the expandable storage is a great way to get an extra 128gigs for less than $100’s, and which won’t be wiped when doing a factory reset. I always put my photos and videos on the external card for that very reason.

      1. Samsung batteries just suck, which is why they need to be replaced. Hopefully they’ve amped up their battery technology, because right now, it’s no surprise that people’s batteries are being replaced even though that very person is using two batteries. You mean to tell me you’re swapping batteries and within a year one goes out!? Okay. So how long would one battery have lasted you?

        I’m done with Samsung and their batteries. LoL!!

        1. I do not have a second battery for my phone currently. I’m not sure if you thought that I was saying that I did. I want to be able to remove a battery that is weakening in the future, as all batteries do. Most batteries don’t survive after about 500 charges. so, within a year to a year and a half, the battery is being seriously affected. That was my point.

          1. I’m sorry. I just started ranting. Every time I see “removable battery” I think about how my 2 batteries went out in year. I bought the M7 because I thought removable batteries dies faster, which is why people buy multiple ones.

            I’ve been tainted.

  3. looks sweet!

  4. Looks like a scar, not sure how they thought that seam looked nice

    1. I like it. It adds a little style.

      1. So would a Bedazzler Edition. :D

  5. Nice.. Finally leaving Sammy after 4 years.. The seam on the leather, no big deal it will be cased…

    1. problem is, will cases fit with that seam

    2. If you’re going to case it, why not just get a plastic back instead of the leather?

      1. For the same reason people buy fancy underwear and designer internal hard drives. You don’t look at it often, but when you do, it’ll make the moment all the more greater.

        1. I can honestly say that nothing that you could put on a cell phone would be nearly as interesting to me as nice lingerie (um, fancy underwear to you) on a hot babe.

          But whatever floats your boat ok. :D

          1. I need an excuse for buying cases to put on my M8 even though I’ve also argued that the phone has a great design. LoL!!
            #ContradictingArguments

      2. Can do that to.. I like options..

      3. Probably for added value if he decides to sell it down the road, reason I picked up a bamboo back on my OPO.

      4. Hopefully someone will make a case that replaces the back to keep things thin while adding protection.

  6. As a Motorola fan, I’ve been impressed by both my G2 and current G3. Was lined up to move to the G4 until I heard about the rumored LG G4 Note. I’ll wait to see what comes of that. And of course if Moto offers some sort of Note phablet this year.

  7. I didn’t see anything on the fps, anyone confirm whether or not the power button has it built in?

    1. The more important thing about that article is the notion of a Huawei made Nexus phone that works on Project Fi ;)

  8. So S6 is still the best phone. this is between the S6 and M9

    1. S6 is nice, to be sure, but the battery life is too bitter of a pill for me to swallow. Also, I like having storage that is protected from factory resets. So, no, I can’t go with the Samsung THIS time around. I’ll be picking up this bad boy, which loses NO points when placed next to the S6, and picks up a few with the expandable storage and bigger, replaceable battery.

      1. NO points you say? Humm… i bet you it doesnt have the S6 processing power and graphic performance. I bet yku the S6 display is better cause how dim and bright it can get, not to mention the pixel density.

        1. What do you plan on doing with that magnificent processing power that you speak of? I really can’t imagine what else you could accomplish on a smartphone here.

          1. Thats what ppl say when they cant rebut a strong point. I have no use for a removavble battery and micro sd card. What advantages are left on the G4?

          2. “TLDR G4 vs S6: Display is better and larger (don’t even mention PPI like a noob please), the ois on LG’s is better, LG is less fragile, battery is larger, battery is removable, has a micro sd card slot. I mean, there really is no argument at this point showing that the S6 really has any dirt on the G4.”

            Also, “ppl”. really.

          3. No home button! Yes subjective, but still..

          4. Agreed, because that lame ass 808 is just horrendous!

        2. PPI is inconsequential when individual pixels can no longer be differentiated by the naked eye at 4 inches. With the improvements to the display, they’re going to be on par with each other. And I’ll take you up on that bet on processing power when it comes to real world use. Let the application opening speed tests begin!

          1. You think the 808 can compete with the exynos? Let us see how LG handles gaming

          2. the 808 is a 64-bit quad-core beast. It’s no slouch.

          3. Well its not quadcore, it has 6 cores but ok. … and doesnt match the exynos. Its good but exynos is much better. Also the 808 has a weaker gpu than the one found in the 805 that the Note 4 uses.

          4. Again, wait for the real world comparisons. You’re going to see neck-and-neck for opening and closing apps, and the 808 won’t have as much difficulty with thermal throttling…

          5. We’ll see

        3. Processing power doesn’t come into the equation because you’re still stuck on Touchwiz. TW may be more slim, but it’s still a damn hog. Screen is always subjective, but I always give size the +, especially on a small form factor

      2. Bigger battery? Bigger than what, Samsung? Uhhhh don’t set your standards too high.
        They could have put a larger battery in this thing- look at the thickness compared to the older G Pro with a 3140mah battery. The G3 was plagued with battery issues as well and it had a 3000mah. I hope they worked of preserving the battery life, they will need it.

        1. I feel Samsung is using the same batteries that went in their Galaxy Epic devices: just larger.

        2. Well, with the battery savings on the screen, that helps. I have the G3, and routinely get 2 hours screen on time with 17 hrs total and over 120 apps installed. I call that completely acceptable.

          1. i have a g3 and i get 4 hours SOT, 17 hours total, I think 5+ should be average though, for my uses. It’s what my old EVo LTE used to get.

          2. Well, I have the pedometer constantly going, GPS always on, several widgets, Tasker running, Trigger running, and (as I mentioned earlier) a TON of apps. I’ve never had more than a 3-hour screen on time across my G1, SGS Vibrant, SGS III, or now my LG G3

          3. yeah i assumed you did more things than i did, that’s why i tried to caveat with “for my uses.” I casually gchat/text, with a little music, and an hour and a half -2 hours of local video watching.

    2. What are you basing that on? This g4 looks like the easy choice for my upgrade to me.

      1. Basing it on the fact that the S6 is a more powerful device, supports both wireless chargjng standards, has super fast charge, has the best display on the market (and i dont think the G4 is better), the design and size of the s6….that is subjective but you get it.

        1. Last time I checked, G4 has super fast charge. -> http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g4-6901.php Secondly, I got a wireless charging matt for my GS4 last Christmas and I haven’t used it in over 3 months. Wireless charging potentially overheats a bit, it’s dramatically slower, and the slightest bump off of the matt will stop the charging. So no matter how you sell it, wireless charging sounds cool, and it works for some people, but for the general population, plugging in with a cable is sufficient and it should not be a pro for the GS6.

          1. I guess whatever points the S6 has over the G4 you will find a way to make it look like a flaw. Youre the first person i hear bashing wireless charging. Put the S6 next to the G4 and its clear that the S6 offers more.on the other hand There are gazillion iphone users who never had the privilege of a removable battery nor sd card and they are still alive and well, now that is an actual fact so i wont count it as an advantage. Does that work?

          2. It’s called living without. If you don’t know what you don’t have, it won’t bother you and you won’t miss it or desire it. And please, legitimize your argument and list clear and concise reasoning for each pro the GS6 has over G4.

          3. So why bring the argument of sd cards and removable batteries then? That doesnt make any sense…

          4. Is there any actual reason that you want to argue so much about personal choices in devices? We get it, you jack off to your own reflection in the S6 screen constantly, may even be doing it right now for all I know. Your love for that phone is clear, you don’t have to continue to go on and on about it. You sound like an idiot. Who cares what the “best” is lol. This has been the most ridiculous argument in the smartphone scene period. WHO CARES?

          5. If i was praising the G4, like the others are as much as i am praising the S6, you would jack off to my comments. If yku dont have anything to contribute just keep it shut. No one used indults until the least intelligent person, you, decided to show up.

          6. “yku”, “indults”. Bro, I don’t think your S6 has auto correct… Luckily the G4 has it!

          7. Funny, I don’t want a G4. I was just commenting on your over the top rants about how lustworthy the S6 is. Clearly it is a good phone, zero denial in that at all. Many phones today are solid, it’s a great day we live in to have options that are ALL of comparable quality. Does it have to go beyond that into a pissing match about what your tiny brain considers to be “best?”

          8. It’s a comment section where ppl give their opinions. Obviously when I say the S6 is better than the G4, does it means it is the absolute best for everyone here? No but I didn’t think k that I had to explain that to your tiny brain. You keep confirming that you’re the least intelligent person here. You really think k you’re going to stop me from posting my opinion here? Good luck lol

          9. I haven’t had a phone that users Wireless Charging, so I don’t “know” what I’m missing. My Motorola 360 has wireless charging and it’s pretty convenient. I don’t feel any need to want wireless charging right now though.

            The thingss you originally mentioned in your original post *does* make the S6 better, but that’s based on specs alone. For someone who wants the latest and don’t care about anything else, yea, I’d say the S6.

            But me and you both know there’s more to it than that.

          10. Likewise, moto360 user here.

          11. Alive but missing out. It’s not our fault they can’t see what’s better about Android.

        2. I dont know. Based on what I just saw the g4 looks to be better in just about every way. I guess you’re right about the wireless charging standard but IDGAF about that.

          1. So youre basing it on your opinion. Just like idgaf about a removable battery or sd card when i got 128 GB of storage and fast charge.

          2. You have 128 GB of storage because you decided to spend $200 extra. Fast charge like I’ve mentioned to you already exists on the LG G4. SD cards exist because they’re removable, they can plug into almost any electronic and they’re cheaper. Why should anyone pay $200 to quadruple their storage when they can buy an SD card for $50 that does that. Then when you upgrade your phone in 2 years, you still got that massive SD card and you don’t have to spend another $200. It’s quite a resilient idea that you and Apple folk seem to miss.

          3. You talk about sd cards as if they are a must. There is something called usb otg, works as good as an sd card and is portable. As far as buying more storage on a phone, again you can transfer things to your usb otg and more storage equals better resale value. Maybe you need a phone with 1 GB of storage and a 100 gb micro sd card which is much slower than nand memory by the way. Mullions of ppl could care less about sd cards and there are ways around them. Not a pro to say the least.

          4. I think I just lost all respect for your opinion after you misspelled Millions as “Mullions” and people as “ppl”. I’m not saying SD cards a necessity.. I’m saying they are a pro for the G4 and a con for GS6.

          5. Amen!!

        3. Nope g4 easy pick!

    3. TLDR G4 vs S6: Display is better and larger (don’t even mention PPI like a noob please), the ois on LG’s is better, LG is less fragile, battery is larger, battery is removable, has a micro sd card slot. I mean, there really is no argument at this point showing that the S6 really has any dirt on the G4.

      1. So larger makes it better….according to who? What facts? OIS on the G4 is better? Prove it. Where are your hands on with the device. And who walks around with a spare battery in their wallet? I have owned every galaxy s devices and notes and never bothered having an extra battery. Who does? Its things that people like to have but they dont use, the majority. Then you got the exynos that slaughters the G4 808 SoC. I mean come on bro u cannot be serious…

        1. “I mean come on bro u cannot be serious…”

          That’s EXACTLY what I was thinking about your original comment lol

          1. Loolllll…..ok.

        2. Didn’t see this until now. I carry an extra battery around on my wallet thank you very much. You have no idea how many times I’ve just swapped and carried on with my life. Secondly, I wouldn’t call it slaughter. You’re comparing a Bugatti with a Lambo. Both are really really nice cars. Ones got a higher top speed, but you’ll never actually hit that speed unless you’re driving on a 50 mile straight away test track. Get over yourself. Both can run any app thrown at it, watch any format video, play any game, download the same material. Next year Samsung is going to release another version of exynos and same with Qualcomm. But the fact of the matter is, the use of the high end mobile processing power has plateaued. A phone 2 years ago can still perform just as well as most flagship phones today on any app in the play store. So stop riding the Samsung bandwagon, it’s not impressing anyone.

          1. Show me a 2 year old phone that performs as well as the iPhone 6 or S6 in overall performance and gaming. See the thing is you keep making claims without backing up anything you say. You carry a spare battery in your wallet? That sucks. I wonder how many ppl do that.

            You wouldn’t call it a slaughter? The 808 has a weaker GPU than the 805 found in the note 4, there are not on the same level thank you very much. Know your facts before you speak. The funny part is that you give your opinion and wanna present it as fact and a generality (like cause you carry a spare battery therefore everyone else does and it’s convenient). But when I give my opinion you get emotional. In my opinion, put the S6 side by side with the G4 and I honestly see no reason to pick the latter. The G4 has a worse design than the G3, it’s more blocky and doesn’t have those nice rounded edges the G3 has. It’s a little wider too. You get over yourself instead of not accepting someone else’s opinion and try to present yours as a fact.

          2. The irony here is I’m being 100% factual without any emotion. I’m not quite sure where I called you names, expressed any emotion, or used all caps, and exclamation marks. So needless to say, I’m really confused what you’re accusing me of. Secondly, I know my facts. I know that the 808 is a fantastic processor, just like the 810 without the heating issues. Thirdly, the design is much better in my opinion, and I have a friend who owns a G3 so it’s not like I’ve never had my hands on one. Fourthly, I never claimed that everyone carries a spare battery. I claimed I carry a spare battery, so I’m sure other people do as well. You’re putting words into my mouth. My GS4 runs all games and apps just as well as most flagship phones. The difference is my camera app opens a little slower than current flagships. That’s about all the difference you can tell, and I’m talking ASOP here, not touchwiz. According to GeekBench, the snapdragon 801 is 1.2x faster than the 600 ( which is found in my S4). The 805 is actually slightly lower on that benchmark application than the 801. Finding actual real life performance without actually having the the devices in hand is hard, but that’s besides the point because the point of my argument should be fairly obvious. I can still play any game on my phone, the CPU’s aren’t like 5x faster than the previous generation like you seem to think. Fact of the matter is, Moore’s law no longer really applies to desktop CPU’s or especially mobile CPU’s. GPU’s are more or less the same. You’ll find that from generation to generation of hardware, performance maybe increases 20% at most.

    4. No!

  9. My Note 3 still has legs, esp with Android 5.1, so no itch to upgrade, but if I *HAD* to, this’d be the device I’d get (even though… it’s not OLED *gasp*)

    I really want the new USB Type-C connector on my next phone, though.

    EDIT: What’s the bootloader / ROM situation like with the G3/4?

    1. That sounds great unless you’re like me and realize that all 20+ of your micro USB cables won’t work anymore. lol

      1. I’ve got about a dozen microUSB cables left from monoprice. I’ve been using the same cable for over two years, but my wife and kid break ’em like crazy. Type-C should be more resilient.

      2. I’ve lost all 20+ of my USB’s. =.[

        I’m actually getting ready to do my monthly 5 bundle purchase from eBay.

    2. For the G3 (vs985), thebootloader is locked, but you can still flash a recovery. I have CM12.1 running on mine, and haven’t had to deal with LG’s terrible UX since October of last year.

      1. Good to know. I won’t buy a device that I can’t plop TWRP + CM on.

        1. Amen brotha.

  10. Ok LG..i must admit…this is nice

  11. Ehhh the leather look too tacky….Lol the LG fans are hard pressed saying this phone is better than the S6…After this phone gets reviewed the S6 is still gonna have the better design,camera,display,processor. My battery has been actually impressive with the S6 its been 13 1/2 hours off battery and its on 82%…..

    1. ” After this phone gets reviewed ” = I don’t know sh!t and I’m just speculating.

      1. Lol speculating well looks like even camera experts say the s6 has the best smart phone camera EVER..sick on that

        1. Pretty sure these experts you speak of havent tested the g4 yet. Samsung enthusiast really are the new sheep. I liked Android better when we were the underdogs lol

    2. It sounds like you don’t use your phone much… like at all… I’ve gotten results like that, but that has been more of my busier days at work when I’m not on social networks.

      How about we turn on Google Location services and use Google Now, social media, Final Fantasy: Record Keeper.

      You’ll be out with a new single that rivals Eminem, “Snap back to reality, oh there goes battery…”

      1. exactly what is happening there. he is basically doing nothing with it. Any phone will get that kind of battery life if you hardly touch it. Heck, I work 12 hr shifts and have my phone in airplane mode most the time. By the end of shift, I have about 90% battery on my M9 because I barely use it while at work.

        Just a proud S6 owner trash talking another phone for not being an S6.

    3. I have an S6… how in the world do you have 82% with 13 1/2 hours of off charger time? Do you keep it in airplane mode or something?

      1. He doesn’t. Just a fan boy dreaming…

      2. Right I want to know the same thing… I’ve been hit with the cell standby bug…

        1. I have ATT so I don’t have that, but I do NOT get that kind of time and see no way in hell he can unless he keeps it in airplane mode. And if so that makes a phone pretty worthless IMO.

    4. Get the other back then..

    5. My G2 can go 24 hours with only a dip from 100% – 99%*. My G2 is obviously the better phone.

      *In airplane mode without turning on the display.

  12. *patiently waiting on the HTC G3*

  13. For those interested, here are the dimensions listed on GSM Arena 148.9 x 76.1 x 9.8 mm (5.86 x 3.00 x 0.39 in), so size has increased slightly from the G3 (146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm (5.76 x 2.94 x 0.35 in))

    1. And for more comparison here are the G2 dimensions: 138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9 mm (5.45 x 2.79 x 0.35 in)

    2. I’m disappointed that they increased the size of it. The G3 was great because they crammed a 5.5 inch display into a relatively small package. It was almost the exact same length as my M8 (albeit a little wider) while having a 1/2 inch larger screen. I know the size increase of the G4 isn’t huge, but when a phone is already this big every little bit counts. They also made it 1mm thicker too, which pisses me off. Nevertheless, I still like it.

      1. Totally with you there. I really felt the g3 hit the perfect size mark, combined with a big screen. For those with large hands, it might have been too small, but for medium to smaller hands, the g3 was so comfortable to hold. That said, by comparison, the Note 2’s overall size was still bigger than the g4 and it’s the same size screen. We’ll see. LG supposedly was going to unveil a “newer” higher end phone than the G4 sometime later this year.

  14. Who cares?? We’ve known this for a long time… I wanna know: WHEN CAN I BUY ONE?!?

  15. interesting, nice to see a removable battery, and sd slot, one thought though: how does wireless charging work when it seems like the stitching on the back would prevent it from laying flat?

    1. not very well? lol

    2. How would that block a wireless charge signal? It’s more porous, physically, than plastic or glass. I’d say this is a non issue.

      1. not quite what i meant. i know the back won’t block the signal, I mean in terms of the amount of surface area in direct contact which the changing pad. Though of course that depends on where the receiver is of course. I would think if the stitching is raised up at all on the back it would increase the distance between the pad and the receiver (considering mm matter in this case)

  16. RAW format for photos? Color me somewhat interested.

  17. It’s the perfect phone for me but I might keep my nexus 5 for another 6 months.. Congratulations LG.

  18. I’ve had Samsung last 3 phones and not happy with lack of removable battery and SD slot with latest phones. LG4 looks like the phone to switch to but what about rooting and custom ROMs on LG phones? How does it compare to Samsung?

  19. Just a beautiful device. Well done LG. Practicality over design. Substance over style. I love how they’re going to make a big deal about the Micro SD support and especially the user-replaceable battery. When you get rid of a user-replaceable battery, you give a phone a shorter expiration date.

  20. Looks great and I definitely like the UI over Touchwiz, but a 5.5″ phone is too big for me.

  21. Looks good. UX is still ehhh. Waiting on Moto, probably will be disappointed.

    1. And I thought I’d never forgo the Moto X series. Have the original ’13 X and since reactivating my LG Optimus G, I’m enjoying the clear whites (instead of murky yellowish whites on AMOLED), sharper text, “larger” screen (although they’re both 4.7″), and all-around better device spec-wise. Only thing missing is the “OK Google Now” with the screen off but that’s not a big deal to me. On another note, LG’s UI has gotten a lot worse over the past few years, though: went from a mild, minimalist skin to a goofy, TouchWiz knockoff. I’ll be awaiting — hopefully — a Nexus 5 refresh for 2015.

  22. Ugh… USA looks like most not carrying until JUne? Wow. SO much can change in 30 days. Bad move to announcement 30 days out before they actually USA deliver. This is the only bad news of the day for the G4 for me. People that were on the fence may now not actually wait. And 30 days gives time for Z4 to get official.

    1. Remember when phones wouldn’t come out until months after the initial announcement? They’re slowly making progress….

  23. OKay…I’m not impressed. What are the must have features that set this apart from the G3? Why should G3 owners upgrade? Looks like LG is taking a page out of HTC’s play book here.

    1. It’s not necessarily marketed toward G3 upgraders. Not saying it is not, not saying it is. I know for me, it is pulling me away from years of Samsung use. Their market capture is focused new users as well.

    2. U read my mind

    3. Still an awesome phone. What made me want to upgrade from the G2 to the G3? Nothing. The G3 was almost a downgrade to me, but I’m more interested in the G4. Funny how that works right? What you see, I see in a different way. How I see it, someone else will disagree entirely.

    4. I WANT THAT CAMERA! My biggest three complaints with the LG G3 are about the coolness of the colors, the quickness with which the ISO’s become unusable, and the lack of camera control options. This phone solves all of that.

  24. Front facing speakers?

    1. Nope, but I’m not chuffed about that at all. My G3 has been plenty loud during my movie watching…and too loud on more than one occasion!

  25. leather is so 2013..

    1. Then go with polycarbonate. I prefer that anyway. Doesn’t break and it doesn’t interfere with phone signals.

  26. Excellent that the camera can take photos in RAW. Now just need some of the better manufacturers to follow suit.

    1. I thought the camera on this was a great move all the way around. Let’s hope that it can live up to the hype!

  27. I would have loved this last year. I’ve really refined my smartphone tastes though and I’ve settled in on key interests. Besides basics like fluid, non buggy interactions and good battery life. I need premium metal, compact sub 5 inch design, great camera, and icing on the cake is waterproof. Samsung has gone backwards on that last one. Hopefully other OEMs don’t follow suit. Right now my “daily driver” is the iPhone 6, though it lacks waterproofing. I’m hoping for a new Xperia compact this year. Preferably 4.5 inches. I worry though based on Sony dropping out of the biz, and I’m really not a fan of glass backs these days. I’m just over it.

  28. Like lasts year’s G3, it seems the G4 doesn’t have one major flaw… at least in my opinion. I guess I’ll be owning 2 LG’s in a row. Wouldn’t have predicted that one. Good job LG.

  29. I like having my entire CD collection with me at all times. The SD card option is a definite selling point for me because My collection is crrently at 40GB and climbing. The removable battery would come in very handy for long boring trips or if I should forget to plugin to charge some night.

    1. I got around 400++gb, so never put everything in ny phone :P

  30. Nice phone BUT, they crapped out on the processor in the name of battery life. FAIL.

    1. That’s a good thing?

      1. That’s a TERRIBLE thing— with each advancement in technology, you are supposed to accelerate forward, not go backwards—what a joke…

        1. 808 is a better processor than the 801. They’ve advanced the hardware from the G3 to G4 just fine. Your argument—what a joke…

          1. ALEC:

            Who cares.

          2. I do and apparently you do too since you had the audacity to whine about it in the first place.

        2. It’s got 6 cores instead of the 4 found in the G3, the architecture of the cores is better, it has a better GPU, it has better heat and energy management, it has 64bit processing…what’s worse? It’s missing two cores, which were leading to thermal throttling on other devices. Let’s be clear for a second, all processors on mobile devices suffer from thermal throttling. However, the 810 was extremely bad about it. This was a good move, all the way around.

          1. Big deal.

          2. You’re right, it is.

  31. I have been receiving mixed information, does the G4 have wireless charging capability? If so, is it qi compatible?

    1. It’s an option…using the Qi standard.

  32. LG has a strong contender, but it’s not good enough compared to the S6/S6 Edge.

    Here’s my comparison based on the specs, experience with the G3, and S6 Edge:

    Display, Samsung. I feel like the brightness on Amoled can’t be beaten. Higher PPI too, but that’s because the display difference is off by about .4 inches.

    RAM: Samsung, DDR4 RAM is what Samsung uses, but no word yet on the G4. I noticed the G3 lagged a bit at times, but who knows with the 808 processor.

    Processor: Samsung, octa-core Exynos is just unmatched so far. The benchmarks are insane. The 808 is probably good, but not better than the Exynos.

    SD Slot: LG, this is a gimmie since the S6 doesn’t have one.

    Camera: Toughest thing to gauge. I need to see the full reviews once the G4 is released, but with an apeture difference between the S6 and G4, the G4 might have a smidge benefit to it. As of now,I have to stick with the S6 since the G4 doesn’t have its final software update that devices gets upon release day.

    Build quality: Samsung, the glass in the front and the back, plus with the edges makes the S6 Edge one sleek looking device.

    Software: Hit or miss with most people. Both UIs are layered with features. The TW UI is finally slimmed down to the point of people not complaining constantly. The UI on the G4 looks horrendous, as did the UI with the G3. A Google Now launcher, Nova Launcher, etc can clean up the LG UI. I give it to Samsung because of Power Saving mode, Download Boosting (when available), and faster software updates. LG is really slow with their updates.

    Battery Life: G4, no question. The S6/S6E has mediocre battery life with enough optimization to use it as a daily driver. If it were a tiny company with no reputation or resources, it would be a lot worse.

    Wireless charging: S6E has more since it covers both different types of wireless charging capabilities.

    Overall Winner: S6E since it focuses more on the user experience. Samsung’s device is hard to beat outside of piling on its few weaknesses, like battery life. Samsung aims to think longer term with the S6E with the dual curved display, Samsung Pay function, and fingerprint scanner. If you want the best device experience, the S6E wins hands down. If you want more value out of your phone, the LG G4 wins. Can’t go wrong with either device.

    1. Brightness on the AMOLED can be beaten…it’s actually only with the S5 that the brightness wasn’t half that of LCD standards. It made up for it with higher contrast ratios. Today, brightness is about the same with both technologies, the 400-500nits range. It’s important to note that everyone is making a big fuss over the improvements to the G4 screen…so expect them to be in the same league.

      RAM is unknown as you pointed out.

      Processors are a funny thing…much is dependent on the optimization of the software they’re running on. Go to YouTube and search “Nexus 6 Note 4 6 Plus Speed Test” and watch the Phone Buff review to see what I mean. I can’t wait for a real world speed test to pit these two beasts against each other.

      Agreed on the camera, expandable storage, and battery fronts.

      Build quality on both seems superb…I just refuse to buy something that is glass on both sides. One is enough unless there is a screen on the reverse.

      You have to be one of only five people on the planet who doesn’t like the look of LG’s skin.

      Wireless charging with Qi and…what’s the name of the other technology? It’s basically irrelevant. I’ll prove it…go to Amazon.com and search Wireless charger. The entire first page is all Qi.

      Overall, the improvements to an already great phone make the G4 a phone to at least keep on your short list. I feel like Samsung let me down with the S6. Sure, it has a better camera and processor, with a marginally better screen and a slim design, but…the battery alone is too bitter a pill to swallow. Couple that with my desire to save all my media to an external SD Card that won’t get wiped by a factory reset, and you have a phone that I won’t even consider. Especially when it’s covered in glass and has a model with a near-useless curvature on the sides that distorts colors and reduces effective screen real estate.

    2. modding samsung will be pain In the ass. I might get LG this year

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