(UPDATE, May 28: The LG G4 is now official in PH. Price starts at P31,990; ships beginning June 3.)
After weeks of teasing and countless leaks leading to its launch, it’s finally official: The LG G4, the company’s new deluxe smartphone for 2015, has been announced today here in Singapore and in other parts of the world.
Earlier leaks have suggested a big-screen phone that has more in common with the G Flex 2 than the G3, but we didn’t expect to see a slightly curved display, which LG claims improves one-handed usage and screen durability. The rear-facing buttons, as well as the choice between plastic and leather back covers didn’t surprise us, either, though we couldn’t have predicted how much effort it takes to make the high-quality leather found on the G4’s reverse side. (In case you were wondering, a laborious, 12-week process is involved in manufacturing the leather cover.)
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TvoQRnpzu4″ width=”560″ height=”315″]
LG G4 preview (raw video), taken during the phone’s launch in Singapore
Just like its predecessor, one thing that really pops off of the screen — almost literally and figuratively — is the LG G4’s 5.5-inch Quad HD LCD panel, which has four times the resolution of 720p displays. The resulting pixel density is 534 dots per inch — more than the naked eye can handle. If you find that ludicrous, that’s because it is. Yet LG found ways to make the panel even more ludicrous this year, featuring the same quantum-dot tech found in its TVs for enhanced color reproduction and contrast without compromising on battery life.
In terms of processing power and multitasking capabilities, the G4 shouldn’t disappoint. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. And though it remains a mystery to us why the Korean electronics maker skipped the top-shelf Snapdragon 810 (throttling and thermal issues, we think) — the same chip inside the second G Flex — our gut tells us that the upcoming G flagship should be able to handle any processor-intensive application we throw at it.
Finally, let’s talk about the G4’s much-talked-about imaging prowess. The phone packs 16- and 8-megapixel main and secondary cameras, with wide apertures of f/1.8 and f/2.0, respectively. The former is stuffed with all the tech necessary for decent shots, such as optical image stabilization, laser autofocus, plus a color-spectrum sensor next to the flash module that adjusts white balance and flash, allowing for more accurate colors. The latter sees a major spec bump from last year’s 2.1-megapixel front-facer. The native camera app uses a new interface that includes manual controls and a RAW shooting mode.
There’s no exact release date to share at the moment, but LG says the G4 will be available globally beginning June. Sources say it may be in the Philippines after a little over a month as well. Prices start at $649 — but can go as high as $699 for the luxury edition with a leather back. (RL)
Specs of the LG G4 (Price: starts at $649 or roughly P29,000):
* LTE
* Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 CPU
* Adreno 418 GPU
* 3GB RAM
* 32GB internal storage
* microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
* 5.5-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (1,440 x 2,560 resolution)
* 16-megapixel rear camera with laser autofocus, color-spectrum sensor, and F/1.8 aperture, LED flash
* 8-megapixel front camera
* 3,000mAh removable battery
* Android Lollipop 5.1
If the photos we took with LG G4 are any indication, Samsung may just have found the phone that can beat its Galaxy S6 in the imaging department.
ALORA UY GUERRERO’S TAKE: It looks elegant. Check. The screen’s superb. Check. It’s a fast performer. Check. But what really grabs us by our imaginary balls is the LG G4’s imaging prowess. If the photos we took with the Korean giant’s latest flagship are any indication, Samsung may just have found the phone that can beat its Galaxy S6 camera-wise. And that’s saying a lot, considering that we gave the latter high marks in this article.
Anyhow, stand by for a comparison of images taken with the LG G4, the Samsung Galaxy S6, and the Apple iPhone 6. We’d like to know if your opinion will be the same as ours. (Unfortunately, we accidentally deleted the sample pictures we took with the LG G4, but suffice to say, they were better than ones we took with the Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6.)
LG is looking to steal the thunder from a certain Korean neighbor, and the G4 may be the device to pull it off.
RAMON LOPEZ’S TAKE: LG is looking to steal the thunder from a certain Korean neighbor, and the G4 may be the device to pull it off. The version wrapped in leather certainly looks premium enough. If it can outperform the Samsung Galaxy S6 (and S6 Edge) in the imaging department, even slightly, without falling short in other metrics, we might have to reconsider our pick for 2015’s best smartphone.
Learn About This Author
