Coming in second, third, or even fourth place in the Android
smartphone space deserves adulation, mainly because
there’s just a vast collection of handset makers eagerly
trying to snag a piece of the pie. However, when you’re
constantly being overshadowed by another company, the
expectations to improve results and rise to the occasion
become higher – almost making any sort of attempt be
regarded as futile, unfortunately. That’s the reality that LG
has been facing for the last several years, as Samsung has
been continuously managing to grab the lion's share of the
Android market.
Already, Sammy has hit gold with its latest flagship line,
which only makes it more difficult for LG to make any
headway in closing the gap between it and the unstoppable
beast. Needless to say, the bar has been set high for
everyone else, but where other phones invoke minimal
attention due to their lackluster specs sheet, boring design,
or terrible performance, the LG G4 is on an aggressive
approach to make a daring statement. Crazy to say, not
every successive phone is a staunch improvement over its
predecessor – either that, or in some rare instances, they’re
worse!
Looking back at LG’s track record, there’s no denying that
the company is all about making long-lasting impressions.
In fact, they did that last year with the LG G3 , one of the first
commercially available smartphones to offer a pixel
crushing resolution of quad-HD (1440 x 2560) with its
screen. It’s back again here with the G4, unsurprisingly, but
don’t be fooled that this successor is just going to sit pretty
and let the competition breeze past it. Everything about this
phone has been retooled and reworked to ensure it’s a
flagship worthy enough for all to “see the great, feel the
great.” So, has LG managed to pull it off?
The package contains:
Design
The genuine leather back of the LG G4 gives it a distinct,
high-quality feel, but the phone's also available in plastic.
Unless you’ve own or used an LG G3, most people would
argue that the LG G4 looks very similar to its predecessor –
and that’s certainly true to an extent. However, there are
subtle differences that make it an undeniably iterative
design, as opposed to a dramatic one that we’ve been
seeing in other recent phones. In particular, it now features
a more hard-lined style, subtle curvature defined by its Slim
Arc design, and a brand spanking new vegetable tanned
genuine leather material (provided you go for the leather
variant, and not the plastic one).
Yes folks, you read that correct, the G4 can be picked up
with a casing that’s comprised out of vegetable tanned
leather, a process that we're told takes approximately 3
months to complete. The result, surprisingly enough, feels
pretty sweet and adds a higher degree of sophistication to
an otherwise ‘more of the same’ phone. Seriously, though,
this leather feels a lot smoother and more durable than the
leather options for the Moto X – it’s not as malleable or
mushy feeling. Throw in the Gütermann Mara style stitching
running straight through the middle, it really delivers an
elegant package that’s both classical and timeless.
Offering more personalization to the consumer, the leather
back covers are removable and available in 6 beautiful
colors. Alternatively, the G4 can be bought with the usual
plastic base material, but with a specific 3D diamond
shaped pattern that disperses light in an interesting manner
at different angles. If it weren’t for the new genuine leather
material option, the LG G4’s design would otherwise be a
boring one lost in a world filled with more premium offerings
– there’s nothing too polarizing about it at that point.
Thankfully, though, they’re able to mix things up.
Normally, successive smartphones tend to achieve a
slightly more compact frame that their predecessors, but in
the case of the G4, that’s not quite the reality. Even though
it retains the same sized screen, the G4’s body is longer,
wider, thicker, and heavier than the G3 before it – so it’s a
handful to say the least, requiring two-handed operation
more than none for most people. Despite that, the curvature
of the phone provides a pretty ergonomic feel in the hand,
since our hand naturally wraps around its back.
A signature design choice for LG, the power button and
volume controls are again found in the rear of the phone,
where our index finger gently rests over them as we’re
holding it. While this placement seems to be a logical one,
especially when our finger naturally falls onto them in a
holding position, it’s almost impossible to adjust the volume
if it’s placed in some sort of cradle – whether it’s the car or
at home, there’s just no easy access to it.
Rounding things out, the top edge of the phone is home to
its IR blaster and noise cancelling mic – while the bottom is
occupied by its microUSB port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and
standard mic. There’s a small slit on the bottom right area
of the phone that allows us to pry off its rear casing,
uncovering the removable 3000 mAh battery, microSIM slot,
and microSD card slot. Although everything appears fine
and dandy, which it is, the additional amenities pale in
comparison to what we see and get in other flagships –
such as a water resistant construction, finger print sensor,
and even wireless charging/rapid charging.
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