LG is promoting the flagship G4 (unboxing) with a focus on materials and camera. If everything is clear with the first one (genuine leather with a seam-stitching is unusual and cool), then the camera deserves special, close attention. In general, before, photo and video capabilities were not important criteria when choosing a particular model, but with the development of technology, as well as immersion in social networks, more and more people are repelled precisely by the quality of photos and videos. LG engineers, having experimented with laser focus in the G3 (by the way, it became the world's first smartphone with a laser rangefinder), decided to delve deeper into this direction, which resulted in the G4.
"Video Shopper"!
The novelty can rightfully be considered one of the most advanced camera phones on the market. The hardware component did not disappoint, and a lot of attention was paid to the software. The main module includes a 16-megapixel Sony IMX234 sensor with a size of 1 / 2.6 "and with pixels of 1.12 microns (aspect ratio at maximum resolution is 16: 9), a single LED flash, wide-angle 6-lens optics, aperture f / 1.8 , advanced optical stabilization OIS 2.0, which has stabilization in three axes (stabilization along the Z axis is added) and compensates for a deflection angle of 2%, the already mentioned laser autofocus, as well as an infrared light spectrum sensor that analyzes and measures color shades for correct white balance and realistic colors. The last two elements are still very rarely used by manufacturers (I remember the RGB sensor of the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro (review) and the laser focus of the Meizu MX5), but I would like to see them as a standard in all modern flagships. Using a laser, the camera focuses very quickly, even in the dark, and the light spectrum sensor ensures correct color reproduction even in difficult natural lighting conditions.
The G4 camera app provides three shooting modes: Easy, Basic, and Manual. In most cases, you can get by with the basic mode with the choice of the maximum resolution, HDR Auto on and auto-selection of the exposure by tapping into the bright area, but if you are good at shooting and love photography, you will be delighted with the manual mode, with which the results can be displayed on a qualitatively different level. In manual mode, the viewfinder takes on a very informative look. The upper area displays the histogram, color temperature, focus mode, as well as exposure values, ISO, shutter speed. The image format selection key (JPG or JPG + DNG (RAW)) appears on the left. The bottom row contains buttons for adjusting the white balance (from 2400K to 7400K in 200K steps), focus, exposure (+ -2 in 0.166 steps), ISO (50 to 2700), shutter speed (from 1/6000 to 30 s) and auto exposure lock (AE-L). Changing the parameters is very smart, although the option to save presets for certain scenarios would come in handy (it's good that when you restart the camera, the settings do not go astray).
A good hardware base and advanced modes can easily be spoiled by bugs in software or mediocre processing algorithms. But I did not find anything similar to this in the LG G4. Automation pleases, manual mode is convenient. The smartphone produces a consistently high-quality result in all conditions, which cannot but please both amateurs and professionals. The only thing I didn't like was the aggressive color noise when shooting at night on early firmware. In general, in terms of capabilities, potential and level of implementation, the G4 camera bypasses not only the iPhone 6/6 Plus, but also the Sony Xperia Z3 +, Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9. I have all of these models and in the aggregate none of them reach the G4. In the upcoming materials I will demonstrate clearly, but for now, a few comparisons:
LG G4 and Sony Xperia Z3 +
LG G4 and Samsung Galaxy S6
LG G4 and HTC One M9
LG G4 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus
The mobile camera is required to work out the composition as well as possible in the auto mode, but the optional RAW shooting is not superfluous. The DNG file can be processed later on the computer, correcting the errors of the manually set parameters or achieving a more interesting result than the one shot in JPG. The main thing is to take care of a large microSD card, since DNGs weigh about 3 times more (about 19 MB).
JPG without processing and JPG from DNG after processing
The front camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels and an aperture of f / 2.0. In real time, you can apply the effects of "face enhancement", and in the settings you can enable HDR Auto, select the resolution, activate the shutter release by voice. You can start shooting with a timer by raising your palm up and squeezing it into a fist - make a double squeeze and the camera will take 4 pictures in a row, giving you time to change your expression. In terms of color and detail, selfies look good even in indoor lighting. The angle is wide - multiple faces will fit easily.
no HDR and no effects, HDR no effects, HDR with "face enhancement"
The LG G4 records videos in 4K, 1080p and 720p resolutions at 30fps. Alas, popular [email protected] fps is not provided in the G4, although there is a hack that includes it in nature (you need a root). In slow motion mode, the resolution by interpolation reaches 720p (real is more like 480p), and the speed is 120 fps. If you drop a slow-mo file onto your computer, it will play at normal speed, and to slow down you will need to use a video editor. Slow-motion viewing is possible on the phone itself through the stock gallery at x1, x1 / 2, x1 / 4 and x1 / 8 speeds.
With the improved optical stabilization system OIS 2.0, the picture when turning and changing the plan is very smooth, but when walking, slight twitching appears. In 4K, the video sequence is striking in quality, and with the stabilization system implemented in this resolution, you can shoot handheld without worrying about shaking. Unlike Meizu MX5 (review), which is not just recommended, but necessary. At Full HD, the clarity of the picture decreases, but the quality still remains at a high level - no compression artifacts were noticed. Exposure adjusts smoothly, autofocus is focused quickly enough (not instantaneously, like the iPhone 6 Plus) and smoothly. I was pleasantly surprised by the audio sequence. I didn’t like the G3's aggressive noise control, which kept muffling the sound ( example in 4K), but the G4 is a different matter entirely. Stereo is clear, all ambient sounds are picked up by the microphones and the presence is good.
It's nice to see that LG, creating the G4, thought not only about the image component of the device, about the skin, but also the camera. So if you are looking for a smartphone for taking photos and videos, then check out the LG G4. He also has a high-quality screen and powerful hardware, but I'll tell you about this in a detailed review.
For the provided sample LG G4, we express our gratitude to the online store
Lg g4- on the other hand, this is a new flagship, and on the other hand, an experiment. Moreover, we are not talking about a manufacturer's experiment within its line, but, perhaps, about a global formulation of the question for the entire market: what to do next?
The new Korean smartphone is one of the most stylish products of 2015, but it lags behind the competition in technical terms. This is noticeable with the naked eye, both when studying its specifications and in the results of its work. However, do not rush to label the device as unsuccessful. In fact, everything is much more interesting than it seems.
Design
The most important and important component of a smartphone is its appearance. G4 looks very good, fits perfectly in the hand, pleases with genuine leather on the back cover and delivers extremely positive emotions from its operation.
The software shell, coupled with the ergonomics of the case, make the smartphone a family after just a couple of hours of use.
You take a novelty out of your pocket, and you feel like you have been using it for several months. However, I in no way want to say that the design of the device quickly becomes boring. It's just the opposite.
The front side is slightly curved and this is a feature that is characteristic of all new smartphones of the company: from Leon to the hero of today's review.
A protective glass on the front panel perfectly protects the screen from accumulation of fingerprints and dust. A must have for any modern device.
The downside is a separate conversation. First, let's talk about trim levels. In our country, the device will be sold in five variations. First, there are three leather-trimmed models available: light brown, black and red.
Initially, at the pre-order stage, it will be possible to choose from only two options: with light brown or black leather on the back. The most interesting thing is, of course, the bright colors of the skin. However, the black lid also looks pretty good. The red shade will appeal to the female half of humanity. The texture of the leather differs from model to model, but it is slightly dry to the touch - the surface, so to speak, is far from glossy. I'm not an expert in this area, so I say what I see and feel.
Later, two more models will be available: with a white or dark gray plastic back cover.
The first creates the lasting feeling that the lid is made of ceramic. The protruding edges play interestingly in the light and even convey the coolness that is characteristic of real ceramics.
The latest modification is a dark gray model with an imitation of a specially processed metal. An analogue of what we have already seen in. It does not bring any positive experience, just a cover, just plastic - in general, this one looks boring against the background of other modifications.
Personally, I would choose between the light brown or the black leather model. The first option looks stylish and bright, the second is restrained and noble. In any case, the presence of skin pleasantly warms the soul and gives the feeling that 40,000 rubles were given for a reason. By the way, the rest of the leather colors (turquoise, bright yellow, light gray), as well as the additional gold color of the plastic cover, will not be on sale with us, and in general they will appear on sale around the world a little later.
If you are in Europe or South Korea, take a device with such a cover there. Of the modifications not available on our market, I liked the most, as I said, the turquoise color. Not a boy option, but the girls will love it.
The dimensions of the device can be estimated in comparison with its competitors from the table below.
| Length | Width | Thickness | Weight | |
| LG G4 (5.5 '') | 148,9 | 76,2 | ||
| LG G3 (5.5 '') | 146,3 | 74,6 | ||
| Apple iPhone 6 Plus (5.5 '') | 158,1 | 77,8 | ||
| Xiaomi Mi Note Pro (5.7 '') | 155,1 | 77,6 | ||
| Samsung GALAXY Note 4 (5.7 '') | 153,5 | 78,6 |
As before, the new items will have their own covers with the familiar round window on the front. Many applications can be used without opening the case: listening to music, filming, answering calls, and so on.
The back cover of the case fits very tightly to the body of the smartphone, so the accessory does not make the device much thicker. This is definitely a plus.
The control buttons, as has already happened within the company's product line, are moved back. Their design, of course, has undergone changes, but this has not negatively affected the convenience. As before, it is convenient to operate your smartphone.
Carefully separating the battery compartment cover from the case, you can study in detail how this leather insert is glued, which takes about 12 weeks to create. It's simple. A layer of leather is glued directly onto the plastic cover, and the protruding edges are neatly trimmed. With a strong desire, the glued layer can be pryed off and probably even torn off the plastic. It is unlikely that this can happen naturally during normal use of the device.
But the skin can easily rub over over time, and maybe in a few months you will receive a smartphone with a scratched cover.
In the photo above, I tried to reflect one of the scratches that appeared on the back cover. It is not striking, but if you look closely, the wear is noticeable. I wonder how LG is going to deal with users who will make claims about the quality of the leather cover and is it going to do it at all? In general, time will tell and perhaps an interesting precedent will be created.
Display
The smartphone has a 5.5-inch screen with a QuadHD resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels). The density of dots is all the same 538 ppi familiar to us from the G3. The difference lies in technology. In its latest device, the manufacturer used a display built on Quantumm IPS (In-Cell touch) technology, which led to an improvement in color reproduction by 20%, an increase in brightness by 25%, and contrast by 50%.
In practice, the display is good in almost every way. It behaves perfectly in the sun even in direct sunlight.
The viewing angles are excellent, but the blacks are still not as deep as in the same (right or top in the photo). The difference is noticeable only in direct comparison, in reality, it is not worth attaching importance to it. At least for most users.
Full Technical LG G4 specifications
All this material was written based on the results of testing the LG-F500L model with one SIM card (version for South Korea). We will sell the LG G4 H818P model with support for two SIM cards at the same time. Accordingly, the camera test, the performance results are relevant for a smartphone, which in fact may not have the final version of the firmware, and therefore indicators that are not objective enough for the end user. Nevertheless, let's start by comparing the characteristics of these two models from the table below (changes are highlighted in green):
| LG G3 (D855) | LG G4 (H818P) | |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.5 GHz (4 core Krait 400) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 1.8 GHz (6 cores, 64 bit, Cortex-A53 and Cortex-A57) |
| Video accelerator | Adreno 330 | Adreno 418 |
| RAM | 2 GB (there are versions with 3 GB) | 3 GB |
| Built-in memory | 16 (there are versions with 32 GB) | 32 GB |
| Memory card support | Yes (Micro SD up to 128GB) | Yes (Micro SD up to 128GB) |
| Display | 5.5 '', IPS +, 2560 x 1440 pixels (538 ppi) | 5,5’’, Quantumm IPS, 2560 x 1440 pixels (538 ppi) |
| Main camera | 13 MP (f / 2.4, sensor size 1 / 3.06 '') | 16 MP (f / 1.8, sensor size 1 / 2.6 '') |
| Front-camera | 2.1 megapixels | 8 MP (f / 2.0) |
| Battery | 3000 mAh | 3000 mAh |
| OS | Android 4.4.2 OS (5.0 available for download) | Android 5.1 Lollipop OS |
| cellular | 2G, 3G, 4G | 2G, 3G, 4G ( Cat 6) |
| Wireless interfaces | Wi-Fi (802.11 a / b / g / n / ac), Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, IrDA | Wi-Fi (802.11 a / b / g / n / ac), Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, infrared |
| Connectors | USB 2.0 (OTG), 3.5mm audio out | |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, digital compass, light sensor and distance sensor | Accelerometer, gyroscope, digital compass, light sensor, distance sensor |
| SIM card form factor | Micro | Micro ( 2x) |
| Water and dust resistant | Not | Not |
It is good news that the company has allocated a two-SIM option for us.
In Russia, people are practical: work on one SIM card, work for another house, or calls and the Internet are an option for economical, practical citizens who, nevertheless, have an extra 43 thousand for a smartphone. Honored +1.
Performance
Everything is fine with this parameter. Or rather, everything will be fine with the release of more stable and debugged firmware. Now on the test device (see the model above), the animation of desktops, menus and everything else slowed down from time to time. Problems of a clearly programmatic nature, which, most likely, will be eliminated in the very near future. Again, LG understands everything, tries, works to improve their products. The stability and speed of the G3 is another confirmation of this.
There are no problems in games. Dead Trigger 2 and Real Racing 3 did not sag even in dynamic scenes. As for the system tests, the results are as follows.
We see that this year's Korean flagship is ahead of most of the top devices from the past 2014, but some of them (or Meizu MX4) were still too tough for it. The very moment to ask the question - what's the matter? Especially if you remember the test result in AnTuTu at - more than 65 thousand points in a non-64-bit test.
Firstly, LG clearly does not cheat anything in tests, unlike their Korean counterparts, and the device is tested in exactly the same mode that can be available to the user. No additional accelerators are clearly provided. Secondly, we see that the company is shifting its focus from the side of maximum performance characteristics and gives the user something different, perhaps even more important - design and user experience. The absolute leaders in the latter are, of course, the guys from Apple. The company creates a product that is far from being a top-end product in terms of technical characteristics, but makes it (at least tries) as convenient as possible in communicating with the user.
And besides, the iPhone is fashionable, it is a status, and smartphones from Samsung or LG cannot yet boast of the same charge. Nevertheless, LG is still trying to do something similar and offer the user a comfortable device, and not the maximum hardware, which most users did not ask for.
The manufacturer is following its own path, although it is parallel to the game that Apple is playing. Where and when these manufacturers will meet is a big question, the answer to which we will get in the coming years, but not in the current time period and, unfortunately, not by the example of the competition between LG G4 and iPhone 6S. However, a start has been made, and that's great.
Camera
The front-facing photomodule has grown to 8 megapixels and acquired a fairly large aperture at f / 2.0. As before, various gestures are available for remotely controlling a picture (releasing the shutter by squeezing the palm into a fist), but now the arsenal of seasoned selfies has been replenished with the ability to take up to 4 frames in a row with different faces.Later, you can choose the best one or leave all the pictures at once.
What has changed now? Yes, in general, nothing. The capabilities of the camera improved, the algorithms were optimized - but something radically new was not shown. Let's talk in detail about the capabilities of the camera in full Review LG G4, in the meantime, here's what was announced by the manufacturer.
The matrix has increased and now its dimensions are 1 / 2.6 ''. The installed lens received a constant aperture value of f / 1.8. The stabilization function (OIS 2.0) has also been improved: now the image is aligned along all three axes (X, Y, Z). The focusing speed has not changed compared to the G3 and is still the same 0.27 seconds, and the infrared light spectrum sensor specially installed next to the camera is responsible for the correct color rendering. Yes, as it turned out, this is not a dual LED flash.
The G4 shoots better than most of last year's flagships, but it can't be compared to the camera in. The latter is good on all fronts and it will not be easy to compete with it, even its not yet announced future competitors of this year.
Examples of shots taken on the G4 compared to the Meizu MX4 Pro (right) below.
Battery life
The short time during which I was able to test the device is certainly not enough for a full conclusion regarding the autonomy of the device. However, some results can be summed up now.
LG G4 will work for a day at best.
With active use, the device is unlikely to survive until dark (we are talking about summer). You will have to charge the device every day; most likely, you shouldn't expect something else.
As soon as it becomes possible to test the smartphone for a longer period of time, I will report more detailed results, but for now let's dwell on this. It's summer now, sunshine, warm bathing water and green parks here and there. Why not put your smartphone (let it be a G4 or something else) for a while and go, for example, for a walk in the fresh air, leaving all your electronic gizmos at home? This will clearly be more useful than the accumulated extra hundreds of likes on Instagram and the burned milliamperes per hour of your smartphone. Manufacturers unwittingly hint at this to us.
Outcome
For the first time any of the manufacturers, besides, of course, Apple focused not on the technical component of their most anticipated product, but focused on design and user experience. It is not known for certain: maybe this year the Korean manufacturer simply failed to create a truly modern, technically sophisticated flagship that can compete with the same Samsung Galaxy S6. Or maybe LG just changed course and realized earlier than others that you won't go far with the very, most characteristics. Indeed! HTC, for example, produces some of the most technologically advanced devices, but is steadily losing the market. The situation with Sony is similar, close to their Taiwanese competitor. Samsung, on the other hand, creates the very best devices and also, year after year, do not show any amazing sales figures for their flagship solutions.
LG is actively experimenting with form, design, software and is not afraid to do it. For this alone, the company is worth praising. The new LG G4 came out very interesting. I didn’t see any breakthrough from the technical point of view, nevertheless, considering the design, leather materials and user experience in general, the smartphone came out very successful. All this should be considered only together.
Price for models with leather trim at the moment is 39,990 rubles. The largest domestic retailers have already managed to slightly drop prices to a psychologically important level. Of course, this is still a lot and the demand for the device will be very limited. The manufacturer is now faced with the task of conveying to as many people as possible who are able to give so much money for a phone that the Koreans have got a decent device, and it's time to try something new, not to get hung up on the image created by Apple. The task is extremely difficult without the use of an aggressive advertising campaign and, most likely, it will not be 100% completed, but I want to believe that LG will succeed.
Release date: early June 2015 Price: 39,990 rubles
Outstanding specs - processor performance, camera megapixels, storage capacity - are less and less decisive when choosing a smartphone. When the majority of the tasks, manufacturers have to work more and more actively on the appearance and convenience of flagship devices. Especially for those manufacturers who, like Apple or Samsung, cannot rely on a big name and hundreds of millions of dollars in marketing budgets.
Wherein for a smartphone with a 5.5-inch screen LG G4 is very compact(not counting the thickness) - for example, it is almost 2 mm narrower and 9 mm shorter than the iPhone 6 Plus. In terms of ease of operation with one hand and the overall impression of the gadget, these 2 mm are quite important. Although, of course, if you don't like big phones in principle, then the LG G4 is not for you, and the original arrangement of the mechanical control keys on the rear panel will not save you. The Nexus 5 is noticeably more comfortable in the hand.
The display of the G4 is the same resolution as its predecessor - 2560 x 1440 pixels, that is, Quad HD. But the quality has grown noticeably over the year - at maximum brightness the screen no longer looks dull, the color rendition has improved, power consumption has been optimized. LG (as well as other manufacturers) still fails to convince me that Quad HD resolution is somehow better in practice than Full HD - at least on such a relatively modest diagonal, I don't see any difference. But, apparently, the trend cannot be reversed, obscurantists have already done their dirty work and “just Full HD” will soon become the lot of mid-range smartphones. It's a pity - just a high-quality FullHD screen would certainly allow the device to work longer... But then, in comparison of specifications, the G4 would be inferior to the Galaxy S6 from its sworn rival, Samsung, and this could not be allowed in LG.
The camera in the LG G4 is one of the best and most likely won't disappoint even those who are used to shooting with an iPhone or Galaxy S6. Firstly, the record f / 1.8 aperture allows maximum light to pass through to the 16-megapixel sensor, so even at dusk or indoors it is not a problem to take a high-quality picture. Secondly, a sore point for most smartphone cameras, the issue of white balance has been resolved completely and irrevocably with the help of a special sensor that detects the “correct” tones in the frame, and the system really works flawlessly. Thirdly, it is easy to call the camera on a locked smartphone by pressing the “volume down” key twice. Finally, all this together “just works”, the automatic mode is quite enough for high-quality photos, selfies from the 8-megapixel front camera are excellent. When shooting video in UltraHD resolution, the device does not overheat.
For those with more creative ambitions than usual, LG has implemented what is arguably the smartest manual mode to date (compared to other smartphone camera apps) with the G4. If desired, you can adjust everything with your “hands” - white balance, shutter speed (up to 30 seconds!), Sensitivity, focusing, shoot in RAW for further processing on a computer (it will just be possible not to bend the stick with sharpness). In general, those versed in the subject are given a huge scope for creativity.
Some examples of photos:
You can see the rest of the pictures taken by the LG G4 camera during the preparation of the review by this link (Google Photos).
There are, of course, some drawbacks. To my sophisticated taste sharpening filter working too hard, and focusing, although laser, copes with its main task - to provide a clearly focused frame on the desired object - not as often as we would like. Last year, LG said it had borrowed the core of its laser autofocus system from colleagues who developed robotic vacuum cleaners. Probably, it was worth leaving the vacuum cleaners to the vacuum cleaner, and the traditional solution would have handled better focusing in the end. There is hope, however, that this flaw concerns only the test sample, and in smartphones that will go to store shelves, autofocus will work as it should.
The LG G4 runs on a processor with “only” six cores, Qualcomm Snapdragon 808. Eight cores of the “sister” Snapdragon 810, as we remember, can get very hot, so LG's six-core modesty can only be welcomed... In the end, complete with 3 GB of RAM, the smartphone does not slow down in any of the tasks assigned to it, the interface works smoothly, any games start and run without slowdowns.
However, an attempt to run the Epic Citadel benchmark in “native” resolution and at maximum quality settings led to a drop in the frame rate to almost 30 per second. For comparison, Galaxy S6 in the same conditions produces 47 fps, however, desperately warming up at the same time. But in the more traditional FullHD, under which most games are sharpened, everything just flies on the G4.
The 3000 mAh battery does not set any records, given the chubby body, one could even expect more capacity. But in practice, even with the most active use, I never needed to connect my smartphone to the charger until late at night. As a rule, by this time there was still 20-30% of the charge. Less active users can easily use the LG G4 without recharging for one and a half, or even two days.... The smartphone played video in an MKV container with HD resolution at 70% brightness and disabled wireless interfaces on one full charge for a little less than 6 hours, this is an average result.
LG decided to dispense with fast charging technology, wireless charging is also not supported, but the battery can be easily replaced manually, which is important for many active users who are forced to work a lot with a smartphone away from outlets. The second plus that favorably distinguishes the LG G4 from the flagship Samsung () is the presence of a microSD card slot, complementing the built-in 32 GB of memory. There is another feature that other manufacturers are increasingly abandoning - FM radio. In addition, by default, the Dual-SIM version is supplied to Russia, however, the device has only one radio module (unlike, for example, or).
LG G4 had no problems with calls, the interlocutors heard me clearly and clearly, calls were never interrupted even in rural areas outside the Moscow region. Unfortunately (I emphasize - it may be in the non-final software on the device), with data transfer everything is not so perfect - at the same point where the iPhone 6 Plus confidently worked in the MTS LTE network with a low signal level (1-2 divisions) , LG G4, not seeing the fourth generation network, unsuccessfully tried to reach Internet resources via GPRS. Although, where the signal was stronger, there were no problems with “catching” 4G and data transfer.
LG G4 interface - LG UX 4.0 - is a slightly modified and improved version of the G3 interface.
The device runs on Android 5.1, the latest version of Google's operating system, notifications are made in its style, the home screen also looks as expected, quite minimalistic. But going into the settings menu, dialer or any other creation of LG's UI designers, you start to desperately nostalgia for the pure Nexus version of the platform. Searching for the desired item in the settings menu, divided “for convenience” into four tabs, takes on average one and a half times more time than usual. Even to turn off the annoying tinkling with each tap on the screen (does it help someone to work with a smartphone? Please respond, if there are any), we had to go a rather long and winding path. Fortunately, after a while I found that it was possible to switch the display of settings items to a single list mode.
Truly I tell you - keep an eye on the purity of the Android interface on your smartphones, and you will find sales growth, at least in the CIS, Europe and the USA.? Not Samsung, no, but Nexus 5, also, by the way, made by LG. That is, people who use a smartphone for its intended purpose - including reading interesting sites - have made their choice.
What might the LG G4 look like? To many, especially if you are a classic Android fan. If you know exactly why smartphones need replacement batteries, microSD expansion slots and support for flash drives via USB-OTG. If you are sure that the device should lie securely and comfortably in your hand, and not slip out of it, scattering on the asphalt with all its glass-metal splendor, leaving you alone with an underpaid consumer loan. The leather back covers of the LG G4 really not only look nice and solid, helping to stand out, but also provide excellent grip, just like soft touch plastic.
Yes, the price of the G4 at the start of sales is not easy - 39,990 rubles. This is even 3-4,000 higher than that of the Samsung flagship (there is a price war on it now, so it may rise in price back), for the all-metal HTC One M9, the “officials” want the same amount, for the Sony Xperia Z3 - more than ten thousand less, for very worthy "flagships" from China - and even half of this amount. There is a suspicion that with a stable ruble exchange rate, the price will quickly fall to more sane values. In the end, people must have a beautiful and original alternative to the flagships made of glass and metal that are inaccessible to most. Albeit with a number of disadvantages, such as a confused interface with wild blue color accents or the inability to catch the LTE network where the signal is weak.
So, let's summarize
Pros:
- Outstanding design of the back cover made of genuine leather
- Excellent screen with redundantly high resolution
- High quality camera
- Replaceable battery and memory card slot
Minuses:
- LG engineers did not have enough fuse for the design of the front of the device
- LG UX 4.0 interface knocks out a tear for a person accustomed to pure Android
- Not a flagship processor, although performance lag can only be seen in benchmarks
- Problems connecting to LTE networks in weak signal conditions
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Specifications
- Class: company flagship
- Form factor: candy bar
- Body materials: plastic, glass, replaceable covers made of genuine leather or plastic
- Operating system: Android 5.1 Lollipop, LG UX 4.0
- Network: GSM / EDGE, WCDMA, LTE Cat 9 (microSIM)
- Platform: Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (MSM8992)
- Processor: Quad-core 1.44 GHz (Cortex-A53) and dual-core 1.8 GHz (Cortex-A57)
- Graphics system: Adreno 418
- RAM: 3 GB
- Memory for data storage: 32 GB, slot for memory card microSD (cards up to 2 TB are supported)
- Interfaces: Wi-Fi (a / b / g / n / ac), Bluetooth 4.1 (A2DP, LE), microUSB (USB 2.0) connector for charge / synchronization, 3.5 mm for a headset, NFC, IrDA
- Screen: IPS LCD (IPS Quantum), 5.5 ", capacitive, 2560x1440 pixels (QuadHD), 538 ppi, automatic backlight adjustment, Gorilla Glass 3
- Main camera: 16 MP, f / 1.8, sensor size 1 / 2.6 ", laser focusing, optical image stabilization on three axes (OIS), color spectrum sensor, LED flash
- Front camera: 8 MP, f / 2.0
- Navigation: GPS / Glonass (A-GPS support)
- Optional: FM radio
- Sensors: accelerometer, position sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, barometer
- Battery: removable, Li-Ion, 3000 mAh
- Dimensions: 148.9 x 76.1 x 9.8 mm
- Weight: 155 grams
For several years now, LG has been producing excellent smartphones in the upper price segment. Naturally, the release of the next successful expensive device does not at all mean an automatic increase in sales all over the world, because the middle and budget segments play no less, and often even a large role in sales. But when it comes to flagships, the South Korean company has shown steady progress in recent years, and the LG G4 is no exception. Released in 2013, the G2 was just an interesting smartphone with potential, in 2014 the company presented the G3 with an excellent camera, performance and a comfortable shell, that device lacked integrity in general, and there were problems with the display quality in particular (“sharpness” effect). The new flagship of 2015, the LG G4, is free of these shortcomings. Before us is competent work on errors with the introduction of not only corrections, but also new ideas. Why is the company's next top smartphone attractive and does it have any drawbacks?
Design, body materials
Looking at the front of the LG G4, it can easily be confused with last year's G3. While there is certainly a difference in detail between them, on the whole, the devices are similar in front. Further differences begin, and significant ones.
The main innovation in the design of the LG G4 is related to the materials used in the case, and here, it seems to me, it was not without the desire to catch up and overtake Samsung. When the latter introduced smartphones with leather-like plastic covers, LG probably began to consider similar solutions. Perhaps it was in this way that they came to the lid made of real leather, and not an imitation of it, perhaps in some other way, this is not so important. The important thing is that in the LG G4 you have the opportunity to choose those body materials that you like and will be comfortable. There are three versions of LG G4 - with a plastic cover, with a cover made of natural soft leather or natural rough leather. The first version for Russia includes models of white and dark-silver colors: "white ceramic" and "titanium", in which the lid is made of plastic. The second option is soft natural leather of light brown or burgundy color: "brown" and "red" according to the official LG naming system. The third one is black, the cover is also made of leather, but coarser and, accordingly, more reliable and wear-resistant.
Personally, I liked the phone with the yellow lid the most, it is bright, but at the same time, it uses rough leather, which is safer, in my opinion. In Russia, alas, this color is not yet available. I liked two of the available ones: black and brown. The first is more practical and reliable, the second looks very bright and beautiful, but the skin begins to wear off with prolonged use of such a smartphone. I have been using the LG G4 with a brown cover for about three weeks, and I started to get scuffs on the corners of the smartphone, and if you put it in your pocket with keys or scratch it somehow, the consequences can be more dire. If you decide to take the G4 with a soft leather cover, you need to carry and use your smartphone carefully. There is no such problem with models in black and with plastic covers. Now I have a black LG G4, I sometimes carry it in my backpack pocket with various small things and I don't notice any damage or scratches on the case.
With a strong desire, with the LG G4 with a soft leather cover, you can do this, I have a G4 in brown in three weeks wiping a little on the corners, but no more
Another feature of the LG G4 is the curved body shape. The lid is curved up and down, if you can call it that, due to which the smartphone is more or less comfortable in the hand with its rather large dimensions. The screen is curved along the body, here the bend is minimal and barely noticeable, you can see it convincingly by placing the G4 display on a flat surface. The slight bending of the screen, as noted by LG, is not only decorative, but also practical. If the glass falls on the asphalt or other hard surface, the chances of breaking the screen are slightly lower on the LG G4 than on a flat-screen smartphone.
Let me summarize a little on design and materials. I love the direction LG is taking. Yes, I still cannot call the G4 an ideal in terms of design, body shape and materials, I personally lack metal in the visible areas here (the body is, in fact, completely plastic on the outside, with the exception of the lid), but progress in comparison with the previous ones smartphones is obvious. LG is not afraid to experiment, in G3 it was an attempt to make plastic with a metal effect, and it was quite successful, in G4 these are leather covers. It is not known how the skin will behave during long-term use of the devices, but the very fact and LG's desire to try something new are commendable.
Assembly
Despite the collapsible design (removable cover, removable battery), the LG G4 is well assembled. The lid "sits" on the case with the help of fifteen grooves, does not wobble or wobble at all. At the same time, the cover can be removed in just a couple of seconds, and this does not require additional devices. The block with three keys on the "back" is also excellent. Separately, I would like to note the complete absence of gaps between the protective glass of the screen and the edges of the smartphone. Some flagships have such a gap between these elements, and dust gets clogged there, LG G4 is devoid of this drawback.
Dimensions (edit)
In the LG G2, the company demonstrated its ability to make a smartphone with very thin bezels around the screen, but then moved away from this practice - unfortunately, it seems to me. In the LG G3, the bezels have become thicker, and in the G4 the situation is repeated, the thickness of the side bezels to the left and right of the screen in the smartphone is about 4.5 mm. The indents above and below are not too large, but not minimal either, something in between. As a result, in terms of dimensions, the LG G4 is a typical representative of models with a 5.5-inch screen, not too huge, but also far from compact.
To estimate the dimensions of the LG G4, I suggest you take a look at the list with the dimensions of the current flagships:
- Apple iPhone 6 Plus(5.5 "") - 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm, 172 grams
- Lg g3(5.5 "") - 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm, 149 grams
- Lg g4(5.5 "") - 148.9 x 76.1 x 9.8 mm, 155 grams
- Meizu MX4 Pro(5.5 ") - 150.1 x 77 x 9 mm, 158 grams
- Samsung Galaxy S6(5.1 ”) - 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm, 138 grams
- HTC One M9(5 "") - 144.6 x 69.7 x 9.6 mm, 157 grams
As you can see, against the background of the LG G3 with a screen of the same diagonal, the dimensions of the G4 have even increased slightly, this is probably due to the bends and the general shape of the case.
Of course, I cannot call the new G4 very comfortable in terms of grip and use with one hand, for me personally almost all devices with a diagonal above 5.2 "are too large, and it takes time to get used to them. LG G4 is no exception, and the problem here is not in a specific device, but in the form-factor of "shovels" with huge screens in general. To the credit of the manufacturer, it should be noted that almost everything has been done in the smartphone to somehow smooth out the dimensions. You can change the location or even the set of keys on the touchpad at the bottom so that you don't have to reach for frequently used buttons. For example, I most often need the "Back" button, and it is more convenient when it is on the right, and not on the left, as originally conceived in Android. You can add a button for calling up the notification curtain on the panel, for example, so as not to reach with your finger to the top area of the screen (which is difficult to do on a 5.5-inch device). In addition to rearranging and adding keys to the touchpad, you can change the appearance of the touchpad by choosing a color and opacity.
Compared to Meizu MX4 Pro
Compared to Huawei P8
Control elements
Like LG G2 and G3, the company's next flagship does not have hardware keys on the front panel, as well as on the ends. Three buttons of the smartphone are located on the back of the device in the upper area, near the main camera. I’m already used to this key layout and I find it very convenient, but if this is your first time switching to an LG smartphone with buttons on the lid, it will take some getting used to.
You can unlock your smartphone (turn on the screen) in two ways - by pressing the power key on the back of the device or by double tapping on the display surface. At the same time, the system works perfectly. Situations when the first two touches on the screen would not be recognized by the smartphone and I had to do two repeated taps, I have never had.
The proprietary KnockCode unlocking system also remained. In a square of four fields, you need to touch each field in a certain order; to unlock the device, you need to perform this procedure twice in any area of the display. This method is convenient in that it does not require you to enter numbers (they can be seen by someone else besides you during the input process), but it also protects the device from random people.
The volume keys in the LG G4, like in the G3, are assigned actions for the standby mode. If you quickly press the volume down button twice in the state when the screen is off and the smartphone is locked, the camera will start, and if the volume up button is in handwritten notes. Unfortunately, it is still impossible to assign other actions to pressing these keys in standby mode, although I personally expected this feature to be added in recent firmwares back on the G3.
The gesture system that LG introduced in the G3 smartphone is also in the new flagship, of course. The device has the following gestures:
- Automatically answer a call when you bring your smartphone to your ear (even if a Bluetooth headset is connected to the device)
- Muting the ringtone volume when you lift the smartphone from the surface of a table, shelf or something else
- Switch to silent mode during an incoming call when you flip your smartphone
- Stop the alarm or turn it back on when you flip your smartphone
- Pause video playback when you flip your smartphone
Now about the location of the elements and connectors. At the top there is an infrared port and an additional microphone. At the bottom there is a microUSB connector, a 3.5 mm mini-jack for headphones and a main microphone. The speaker, camera, as well as the volume and power keys are located on the "back" of the device. The side ends are free of elements.
On the front side, in the upper part, there is an earpiece, light and proximity sensors, as well as a light indicator and an 8 MP front camera peephole. The indicator light in the G4 can be turned on or off for several types of events: incoming calls, missed calls and messages, charging, and notifications from third-party programs. Small feature: the indicator often blinks when you seemingly have no missed events. In this case, you need to go to the Wi-Fi settings and uncheck the "Wi-Fi network notification" item.
The smartphone has a removable cover and a removable battery, slots for two microSIM cards and a memory card are located above the battery, to the left and right of the main camera module.
Screen
The LG G4 has a 5.5 "" screen based on an IPS-matrix (IPS Quantum). Display resolution - 2560x1440 pixels (534 ppi). That is, the diagonal and resolution of the display in the new flagship are exactly the same as in last year's G3, but the screens are still seriously different in terms of characteristics. The fact is that the display of the LG G3 had one unpleasant feature - when you read text on a light, especially white background, you might notice the "sharpness" effect, as if the system was trying to programmatically make the letters clearer, adding ghosting around them. At that time, personally, I practically did not notice this effect, because, firstly, for the first time I saw a smartphone with a display of such a high resolution and tried to pay attention to other things: the clarity of the picture, the smoothness of the image, and so on. And, secondly, I rarely read texts from my smartphone, and it's not so easy to see this effect just in the menu.
In LG G4 this feature was removed, so that in the end we get in this smartphone just a very high-quality display based on IPS-matrix. There is a good margin of brightness, the viewing angles are maximum, even if you tilt the screen diagonally, there will be absolutely no picture distortion in color or brightness. The automatic screen backlight sometimes works to save battery power, that is, it sets the backlight level below the one you want to see, but during the day its work is quite correct. The color temperature is adjusted well, in my opinion, and of the shortcomings, I will only note the impossibility to change it.
The screen is covered with Gorilla Glass 3 protective glass and has an oleophobic coating, so that few prints and traces that appear on the display can be easily removed.
Camera
The main camera of LG G4 is a module with a resolution of 16 MP, a new optical stabilization system on three axes (OIS 2.0), a laser focusing system, a flash, an f / 1.8 aperture and a color spectrum sensor. This sensor is used to more accurately determine the correct color rendition in the frame and is used to expose the correct white balance and tone of the flash when it fires.
However, one of the main features of the new camera, as in the G3, is laser focusing. This type of focusing refers to the so-called. active, here are ultrasonic and infrared, for example. The sensor near the camera module for a short period of time sends many beams to the focusing object, then they are reflected and returned back, then the system counts the time it takes for the beams to travel the path, and based on this data, it makes accurate focusing. The advantage of this system is that it works at a very high speed - the LG G4 focuses on the scene literally in a matter of moments, even if it is a complex scene with many objects at different distances. In some situations, laser focusing does not work as accurately or correctly as you want, so the G4 also has an additional contrast focusing system.
In addition to taking photos, the smartphone allows you to record video in maximum quality, close to 4k (3840x2160 pixels), as well as video with an increased frame rate, up to 120 fps.
Briefly about the interface. The LG G4 has three shooting modes: Easy, Basic and Manual. The first one is simple, there are no elements and information on the screen at all, you just touch the screen at any point, and the smartphone takes a photo.
The second is basic, with all settings displayed. In this case, you need to press a key to take a picture, here you can also change various parameters, from the resolution of the picture to the shooting mode.
Finally, the third and most important mode is manual, it appears in LG smartphones for the first time, it was not previously available. In this mode, you can shoot with automatic settings, but with the creation of two files at once: RAW (DNG extension) and JPEG, as well as in a completely manual mode. In the second case, you can adjust the white balance, exposure value (from +2 to -2), shutter speed (from 1/6000 to 30 seconds), ISO (from 50 to 2700) and adjust the focal length. In a word, this is a full-fledged manual mode, as detailed as it may be required now in a smartphone camera. At the same time, the presence of such shutter speeds as 30 minutes and 1/6000 of a second is not even available in all digital cameras.
Now about the quality of the pictures.
Auto... In the "Auto" mode, it is optimal to shoot in the morning and afternoon, when the electronics intelligently set all the camera values and allows you to get a decent result. The smartphone takes pictures perfectly on a sunny day outside, even with a slight lack of light, somewhere in the shade, and so on, you can get simply gorgeous shots in some situations.
If desired and skillful (my skill is not too developed, but sometimes I was just lucky) on the LG G4, you can take pictures with a quite noticeable "bokeh" effect. Yes, the blurring of the background here will not be as artistic as when shooting with a good "portrait", but it is there and is quite felt, giving the frames depth and richness.
Sometimes depth and excellent detail can be obtained even on a seemingly completely simple and uninteresting scene, as here, for example:
In difficult situations, in the evening or at night, ideally you need to take pictures in manual mode, or even better with a tripod, but in Auto you can get quite acceptable results, especially if you take several frames of each scene.
Shooting at night... For example, shooting at night in Auto mode, there is a lot of noise, but overall, the pictures are very good, for my taste.
Manual mode... This mode allows you to get very cool shots on your smartphone if several conditions are met. Firstly, you understand that you will be shooting in RAW and then pulling up the frames in "Photoshop" or somewhere else. Secondly, you at least have a basic understanding of which settings are responsible for what, and are ready to set all the parameters for almost every new photo. Third, and most importantly, you are in no rush. The manual mode is, of course, superfluous for most, and if you use it without understanding the possibilities, then you are more likely to ruin the photos. However, if you have understanding and desire, you can take smartphone photography to a new level using this mode, knowledge and sometimes a tripod.
Below are examples of handheld images in manual mode. Left - photos in JPEG, right - original RAW-files converted to PNG, without any intervention or correction. If you would like to download the original DNGs, they are available.
The smartphone has a panorama and dual shooting mode, when in one frame there is an image from two cameras at once - the main one and the front one. Burst shooting is activated if you hold down the shutter button. The shooting speed is high, up to 99 frames can be taken at a time in burst continuous shooting mode.
Examples of pictures in different conditions
When comparing the camera in the LG G4 to the camera in the G3, the main difference comes down to the G4's manual mode and the ability to capture RAW photos. The slight differences in auto mode don't mean that the camera in the G4 hasn't improved, but rather that it was very good already in the G3. In general, the camera in the LG G4 is versatile - it allows you to take cool, high-quality photos in good weather outdoors and more than acceptable in difficult conditions. And if you're willing to take the time to shoot RAW using manual mode, the results will be even more impressive.
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Video... The maximum recording quality is UltraHD (3840x2160 pixels), standard is FullHD (1920x1080), in addition to recording at 30 or 60 frames per second, there is recording at up to 120 fps. In the video recording mode, tracking autofocus works. The quality of the recorded video is good, however, you can evaluate the sample videos yourself.
Front-camera... The front camera with a resolution of 8 MP and aperture of f / 2.0 allows you to take good shots, but nothing more. To be honest, I expected much more from the front camera in the LG G4, probably projecting the quality of pictures from the main camera onto it, but, alas, the front camera is completely ordinary here. During the day on a sunny day, the quality can be called acceptable; when conditions deteriorate or in the dark, photos turn more and more into "soap" with very noticeable post-processing.
Autonomous work
The LG G4 has a 3,000mAh removable Li-Ion battery, exactly the same as the LG G3.
My LG G4 sample ran a full day on average, through the evening or late into the night. The load was as follows: an hour and a half of conversations, 10-20 text messages, Gmail, 3-4 hours of listening to music and about 1-2 hours of active use of the mobile Internet (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, browser). The difference in operating time under normal conditions between the LG G4 and last year's LG G3 is within the margin of error, with active use both smartphones sit down in the evening, with moderate work a full day.
I can't say that everything is fine, I personally expected progress from the new flagship just in terms of battery life, but LG, like other manufacturers, are still in no hurry to move in this direction, unfortunately. As a result, the LG G4, like the Samsung Galaxy S6, Apple iPhone 6, HTC One M9 and other smartphones, lasts one day under normal load, but no more.
In the power settings, you can turn on the "power saving" mode when the charge level drops below 5 or below 15 percent. In this mode, the brightness is reduced, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned off, vibration, auto-sync services and a light indicator.
Platform, memory
The smartphone is built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (MSM 8992) platform with a quad-core 1.44 GHz (Cortex-A53) and dual-core 1.8 GHz (Cortex-A57), graphics subsystem (GPU) - Adreno 418. The device has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB built-in, as well as a slot for a microSD memory card.
On the one hand, the choice of a non-top platform may seem strange, because we are talking about a flagship. On the other hand, problems with the top-end 810 chipset from Qualcomm are no longer a secret, and just in light of this, LG's choice of a junior solution looks justified. The Qualcomm 808 platform provides a good level of performance, but at the same time it lacks the main disadvantage of the 810 - excessive heat under load.
Performance, tests
As far as the overall performance of the LG G4 is concerned, everything is fine here. Despite the use of a non-top platform, the smartphone works smoothly, without delays and slowdowns. Of course, if you set yourself the goal of finding microlags in the process of flipping through screens or menu pages, you can do this by simply starting frantically scrolling the screens back and forth with maximum speed, but this scenario has nothing to do with real life.
Below are the results of testing the LG G4 in various benchmarks.
Interfaces
The smartphone works in GSM, HSDPA and LTE networks. For LTE, there is support for all common bands and frequencies; in Russian fourth-generation networks, the device works without problems. The smartphone has one radio module and two slots for SIM-cards, I will tell you about the implementation of work with two SIM cards below.
USB... For synchronization with a PC and data transfer, a complete microUSB cable is used. USB 2.0 interface. The standards USB-OTG and USB-Host are supported - you can connect to a smartphone via an adapter of a flash drive and other storage devices, for example, a camera to transfer pictures from it to the device's memory.
Bluetooth... Built-in Bluetooth 4.1 module with support for A2DP, LE (low energy) and Apt-X profiles.
Wi-Fi (802.11а / ac / b / g / n)... The LG G4 uses a dual-band Wi-Fi module, this interface works flawlessly. Like any other modern Android smartphone, G4 supports the function of sharing mobile Internet via Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi router), as well as DLNA and Wi-Fi Direct standards.
NFC... The LG G4 has a standard interface for any Android flagship since 2013. It can be turned on and off in the settings, in the "Sharing and connection" menu.
Working with two SIM-cards
In Russia, the LG G4 version H818 is being sold, this is a variant of a smartphone with two SIM cards and a slot for a memory card. There is only one radio module in the smartphone, so when talking on the first "SIM" the second one is unavailable, both SIM-cards work in standby mode.
Both SIM-cards can work for data transmission, the active one is selected through the settings. Also, “SIM cards” can be named and for each one of two color profiles can be selected, the bar of the notification curtain will be painted in it for an outgoing or incoming call from this SIM card.
Separately, I would like to note the “smart forwarding” mode, with its help you can set up forwarding from each SIM-card to another, so that if one is unavailable, the call goes to the second, if it is available.
Navigation
The smartphone supports GPS / A-GPS and Glonass; it takes a minimum amount of time to search for satellites. There is no special navigation software in Android smartphones for a long time, and manufacturers usually limit themselves to the pre-installed Google Maps, LG G4 is no exception in this sense.
Software features and software
The smartphone runs Android 5.1 system with LG UX 4.0 proprietary interface. Most of the settings and the shell as a whole have hardly changed compared to the UI in the LG G3. Of course, outwardly, the new interface is styled after Material Design, but in general, it's still the same familiar from the previous UI model.
Now I will briefly talk about the most interesting features of the interface.
Phone, address book... The smartphone has a convenient dialer with the SmartDial function, you can find a contact without switching to the address book, but simply entering the first letters of the person's first or last name. However, there is also an address book here, with search and sorting.
During an incoming or outgoing call, the caller's picture is displayed in the center of the screen in a round window. In my opinion, the image of the subscriber could have been made larger.
Posts... The standard message window is represented by a list of contacts with whom you are in correspondence. Inside, everything is as usual - messages in chat format. For correspondence with individuals, you can choose the theme of the chat - a background image and graphics of "clouds" of correspondence. An interesting feature of messages is the ability to configure the sending of an already written message at a specific time of a specific day.
Desktop... A grid of icons on desktop screens, 5x5, also up to six icons can be placed in the bottom panel. Various effects of flipping screens on the desktop are available. You can also change the appearance of application icons and their size.
Lock screen... The lock screen displays new notifications and the time in one line, while a number of shortcuts are available in the lower area for quick access to applications. The set of shortcuts can be changed in the settings, and it will not necessarily be the same as the shortcuts in the lower panel on the desktop.
What saddened me most about the LG G3 was the strange and illogical system of switching from notifications on the lock screen to the apps that generated them. For example, I receive a notification about a new message in WhatsApp, I click on it to open the program, but before I get into the program, I need to swipe again to unlock the screen. In the LG G4, this system is back in place! And this despite the fact that in Android 5.1, to switch from the notification card on the lock screen to the notification itself, you just need to tap the card twice, and that's it. To be honest, I never got used to this stupid system, and it annoys me all the time.
The smartphone has a dual window mode, when one program is displayed at the top of the screen and the other at the bottom.
Preinstalled software... The smartphone has a convenient file manager with the ability to view files by category or in a shared storage, search and sort by criteria. A weather app with animated graphics if not launched as a widget. Calculator, voice recorder, radio - all these programs are made in the same graphic style as the rest of the interface.
QuickMemo + lets you create text or handwritten notes.
Like the LG G3, it has a clock and weather widget with a Smart Notice notification bar attached to it. The idea is simple - in the form of short notifications to remind the user of important things: changing weather, calendar events, missed notifications, and so on. True, the Smart Notice functionality is still limited to literally several types of notifications: weather and new events, as well as tips.
The LG G4 has a service called LG Health, which calculates the distance traveled, the number of steps and the calories burned.
Conclusion
For almost a month of using the LG G4, I had no complaints about the quality of signal reception. The volume of the ringing loudspeaker is slightly above average, despite the fact that one loudspeaker is used. In most situations, you can hear it well if you set the volume to maximum. The volume of the earpiece is also at a good level, there is a small volume margin for conversations in noisy rooms. The vibration alert is average in strength.
The official cost of the LG G4 in Russia is 40,000 rubles (39,990), and here, of course, the company found itself hostage to the situation on the Russian smartphone market and the price wars of retail chains. At the time of the announcement of the cost of the LG G4, its competitors were rated higher, the same Samsung Galaxy S6 cost more than 50,000 rubles, and today it is sold for an average of 35,000 rubles due to the price war waged by the networks. As a result, LG's flagship, which was supposed to be cheaper with similar competitors' characteristics, costs on average exactly the same as the HTC One M9 at the start and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Duos after the price cut. However, it is possible to compare LG G4 with these smartphones only indirectly, after all, there is a big difference between the 5 "" and 5.5 "diagonals, and, as my experience shows, they usually choose either among the five-inch models, or among the so-called" phablets ", where LG G4 with a 5.5 "" screen would be more logical.
Yes, perhaps LG was expected to take a bolder step after the release of the successful, but in some points controversial LG G3. However, the company chose a different path - to figure out what objective flaws were in the previous model, and first of all to eliminate them. Something worked, some didn't, but overall, the company's new flagship was a success. Perhaps some people will not like the idea of genuine leather covers due to possible wear and tear, but no one bothers to opt for the G4 version with a plastic cover. The new smartphone has a high-quality display, unlike what was in the G3, the camera has also become better, and given that in the LG G3 this was one of the strongest aspects of the device, in the G4, as you know, the module is also one of the highest quality by the totality of characteristics and capabilities. From truly working image stabilization to a handy and practical manual RAW mode. Personally, I am confused by LG UX, in terms of the possibilities and the number of settings and options, this interface is simply excellent, but its appearance raises many questions. The feeling that the developers had a desire to translate UI into Material Design, but somewhere in the middle of the process, inspiration or strength ran out, and as a result, we have a strange mixture of MD and the stylistics of previous versions of Android, plus pieces of the style of past versions of LG UX. The result is something strange, I can’t say that the interface looks scary or ugly, but it doesn’t seem harmonious and coherent, it’s just a set of different graphic solutions that they tried to bring together, but, alas, to no avail. There are also questions about the unlocking system, and I wrote about this above.
However, despite these disadvantages, I liked the new LG G4. Suffice it to say that now this is my main smartphone, while I hardly get used to devices with screens larger than 5.2 "", but for the sake of a cool camera in the G4, a convenient body with a genuine leather lid, lack of heating and acceptable operating time, I am ready to forgive the device some disadvantages.
Information about the brand, model and alternative names of a specific device, if any.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, offered colors, certificates.
| Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 76.1 mm (millimeters) 7.61 cm (centimeters) 0.25 ft (feet) 3 in (inches) |
| Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 148.9 mm (millimeters) 14.89 cm (centimeters) 0.49 ft (feet) 5.86 in (inches) |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 6.3 mm (millimeters) 0.63 cm (centimeters) 0.02 ft (feet) 0.25 in (inches) |
| Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 155 g (grams) 0.34 lbs (pounds) 5.47 oz (ounces) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with a rectangular parallelepiped shape. | 71.39 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 4.34 in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | White Grey Black Golden Red Brown |
| Materials for the manufacture of the case Materials used for the manufacture of the device body. | Leather Plastic |
SIM card
A SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
| Gsm GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analog mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often referred to as a 2G mobile network. It is enhanced by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies. | GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz |
| UMTS UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and refers to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is to provide more speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology. | UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz |
| LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM / EDGE and UMTS / HSPA with the aim of increasing the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent development of technologies is called LTE Advanced. | LTE 800 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz |
Mobile technology and data rates
Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
An operating system is the system software that controls and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.
SoC (System on Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) integrates all the major hardware components of a mobile device into a single chip.
| SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software required for their operation. | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992 |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. The value in nanometers is half the distance between the elements in the processor. | 20 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | 2x 1.8 GHz ARM Cortex-A57, 4x 1.44 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 |
| Processor size The capacity (bits) of the processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses and buses for data. 64-bit processors offer better performance than 32-bit processors, which in turn are more efficient than 16-bit processors. | 64 bit |
| Instruction set architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets / controls the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv8-A |
| Level 0 cache (L0) Some processors have L0 (level 0) cache memory, which can be accessed faster than L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such memory is not only higher performance, but also lower power consumption. | 4KB + 4KB (kilobytes) |
| Level 1 cache (L1) The cache memory is used by the processor to reduce the time it takes to access more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small and much faster than both system memory and other levels of cache. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 16 KB + 16 KB (kilobytes) |
| L2 cache L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but instead has a larger capacity to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for them in L3 cache memory (if available) or in RAM memory. | 2048 KB (kilobytes) 2 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to execute in parallel. | 6 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 1800 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics processing unit (GPU) A graphics processing unit (GPU) handles computation for a variety of 2D / 3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most commonly used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, and more. | Qualcomm Adreno 418 |
| GPU clock speed Speed is the clock speed of the GPU and is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 600 MHz (megahertz) |
| The amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. The data that is saved in the RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 3 GB (gigabytes) |
| Memory type (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR3 |
| Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels which are integrated into the SoC. More channels means higher data rates. | Two-channel |
| RAM frequency The frequency of the RAM determines its speed of operation, more specifically, the speed of reading / writing data. | 933 MHz (megahertz) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) fixed memory.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage space for data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type / technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends. | IPS |
| Diagonal On mobile devices, screen size is expressed in terms of the length of its diagonal, measured in inches. | 5.5 in (inches) 139.7 mm (millimeters) 13.97 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 2.7 in (inches) 68.49 mm (millimeters) 6.85 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate screen height | 4.79 in (inches) 121.76 mm (millimeters) 12.18 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail. | 1440 x 2560 pixels |
| Pixel density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail. | 534 ppi (pixels per inch) 209 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen footprint The approximate percentage of the display area on the front of the device. | 73.83% (percent) |
| Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen. | Capacitive Multitouch Scratch resistant |
| Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Quantum display 1500: 1 contrast ratio |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical metrics into signals that can be recognized by the mobile device.
Main camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for photo and video shooting.
| Sensor model | Sony IMX234 Exmor RS |
| Sensor type | |
| Sensor size | 5.95 x 3.35 mm (millimeters) 0.27 in (inches) |
| Pixel size | 1.12 μm (micrometers) 0.00112 mm (millimeters) |
| Crop factor | 6.34 |
| ISO (light sensitivity) ISO values determine the level of light sensitivity of the photosensor. A lower value means weaker light sensitivity, and vice versa - a higher value means a higher light sensitivity, i.e. better ability of the sensor to work in low light conditions. | 50 - 2700 |
| Diaphragm | f / 1.8 |
| Excerpt Shutter speed (exposure time) indicates how long the camera shutter is open during shooting. The longer it is open, the more light reaches the photosensor. Shutter speed is measured in seconds (for example 5, 2, 1) or in fractions of a second (for example 1/2, 1/8, 1/8000). | 30 - 1/5999 |
| Focal length Focal length is the distance in millimeters from the photosensor to the optical center of the lens. Equivalent focal lengths are also indicated, providing the same field of view with a full frame camera. | 4.42 mm (millimeters) 28.01 mm (millimeters) * (35 mm / full frame) |
| Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile cameras are LED and Xenon flashes. LED-flashes give softer light and, unlike brighter xenon ones, are also used for video filming. | LED |
| Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of cameras on mobile devices is their resolution, which shows the number of pixels horizontally and vertically in an image. | 5312 x 2988 pixels 15.87 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution for video recording by the device. | 3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP (megapixels) |
Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video capture and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p. | 30 frames / sec (frames per second) |
| Specifications Information about other software and hardware features associated with the main camera to improve its functionality. | Autofocus Burst shooting Digital zoom Optical image stabilization Geographic tags Panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance ISO setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene selection mode Macro mode RAW |
| Laser autofocus Manual focus OIS 2.0 720p @ 120fps |
Additional camera
Additional cameras are usually mounted above the screen of the device and are used mainly for video calls, gesture recognition, etc.
| Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the photocell used in the camera of the device. | Toshiba T4KA3 |
| Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as the optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device. | CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) |
| Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with a larger sensor and lower pixel density offer higher image quality despite lower resolution. | 3.7 x 2.7 mm (millimeters) 0.18 in (inches) |
| Pixel size The smaller pixel size of the photosensor allows more pixels per unit area to be used, thus increasing the resolution. On the other hand, a smaller pixel size can have a negative impact on image quality at high ISO sensitivity levels. | 1.134 μm (micrometers) 0.001134 mm (millimeters) |
| Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the size of a full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the size of the device's photo sensor. The number shown is the ratio of the diagonals of a full-frame sensor (43.3mm) to that of a specific device. | 9.45 |
| Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means a larger aperture opening. | f / 2 |
| Image Resolution Information about the maximum resolution of the secondary camera when shooting. In most cases, the resolution of the secondary camera is lower than that of the main camera. | 3264 x 2448 pixels 7.99 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when filming with an additional camera. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video - frame rate / frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the secondary camera when shooting video at maximum resolution. | 30 frames / sec (frames per second) |
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technology supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Locating
Information about the navigation and positioning technologies supported by the device.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a technology that enables wireless communication for transferring data over short distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless transfer of data between different types of devices over short distances.
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
HDMI
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio / video interface that replaces older analog audio / video standards.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
| Browser Information about some of the main features and standards supported by the device browser. | Html HTML5 CSS 3 |
Audio file formats / codecs
Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital audio data.
Video file formats / codecs
Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital video data.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge required for their function.
| Capacity Battery capacity indicates the maximum charge it can store, measured in milliampere-hours. | 3000 mAh (milliampere-hours) |
| A type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, by the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with the most common mobile devices using lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| Talk time 3G Talk time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network. | 10 h (hours) 600 min (minutes) 0.4 days |
| 3G standby time Standby time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network. | 375 h (hours) 22500 min (minutes) 15.6 days |
| Fast charging technology Fast charging technologies differ from each other in terms of energy efficiency, supported output power, control over the charging process, temperature, etc. The device, battery and charger must be compatible with fast charging technology. | Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 |
| Specifications Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery. | Wireless charger Fast charging Removable |
| Qi wireless charging |
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
SAR levels refer to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body when using a mobile device.
| Head SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed if you hold a mobile device near your ear in a talking position. In Europe, the maximum SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard was established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with the IEC standards, following the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998. | 0.578 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
| Body SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that a person's body is exposed to when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard was established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with ICNIRP guidelines from 1998 and IEC standards. | 0.392 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
| Head SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that a person's body is exposed to if a mobile device is held close to the ear. The maximum value used in the United States is 1.6 W / kg per gram of human tissue. US mobile devices are controlled by CTIA and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values. | 0.921 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
| Body SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that a person's body is exposed to when holding a mobile device at hip level. The highest SAR value in the United States is 1.6 W / kg per gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC and CTIA monitors mobile devices for compliance with this standard. | 0.517 W / kg (Watts per kilogram) |
additional characteristics
Some devices have characteristics that do not fall into the above categories, but it is important to point out them.
| additional characteristics Information about other characteristics of the device. | Curved body and display Thickness - 6.3-9.8 mm - depends on the point of the curve 3000 mm radius curve LG-H815 - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) EU: head - 0.621 W / kg LG-H815T - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) EU: head - 0.621 W / kg; body - 0.436 W / kg LGLS991 - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) US: head - 1.190 W / kg; body - 0.980 W / kg LG-VS986 - SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) US: head - 0.990 W / kg; body - 1.070 W / kg |
Latest comparisons including LG G4
List of the latest comparisons made by the website visitors, which include LG G4
Dimensions (edit): 253 x 185 x 9.5 mm
Weight: 665 g
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 MSM8909 v2
CPU: ARM Cortex-A7, 1260 MHz, Number of Cores: 4
GPU: Qualcomm Adreno 304, 456 MHz
RAM: 1 GB, 2 GB
Built-in memory: 16 GB, 32 GB
Screen: 10.1 in, IPS, 1280 x 800 pixels, 24 bit
Battery: 8400 mAh, Li-polymer
Operating system: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Camera: 3264 x 2448 pixels, 1280 x 720 pixels, 30 fps
Dimensions (edit): 69.9 x 134.4 x 8.9 mm
Weight: 130 g
SoC: Nvidia Tegra 3 T30
CPU: ARM Cortex-A9, 1500 MHz, Number of Cores: 4
GPU: ULP GeForce, 520 MHz
RAM: 1 GB, 533 MHz
Built-in memory: 16 GB, 32 GB
Screen: 4.7 in, Super IPS LCD 2, 720 x 1280 pixels, 24 bit
Battery: 1800 mAh, Li-polymer
Operating system: Android 4.0.x Ice Cream Sandwich
Camera: 3264 x 2448 pixels, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 24 fps
Dimensions (edit): 69 x 140 x 6.5 mm
Weight: 140 g
SoC: MediaTek MT6580
CPU: ARM Cortex-A7, 1300 MHz, Number of Cores: 4
GPU: ARM Mali-400 MP2
RAM: 1 GB, 533 MHz
Built-in memory: 8 GB
Screen: 5 in, IPS, 720 x 1280 pixels, 24 bit
Battery: 2000 mAh, Li-Ion (Lithium-ion)
Operating system: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Camera: 1600 x 1200 pixels, 1280 x 720 pixels, 30 fps
