LG G4 REVIEW

KEY FEATURES

• 5.5-inch IPS Quantum display
• 16-megapixel OIS-enhanced camera
• 8-megapixel selfie shooter
• Stunning leather-clad design
• 3,000mAh battery
• Manufacturer: LG
• Review Price: £450.00

In the US, all four major carriers and US Cellular carry the device. With a two-year contract, the handset costs $200, though US Cellular offers it for $200. Off-contract, it ranges from $552-$630 depending on the carrier, and prepaid carrier T-Mobile currently sells it for $480.

To entice customers, LG is bundling a promotion: 100GB of Google Drive storage for two years, for free.

WHAT IS THE LG G4?

The LG G4 has a lot to live up to since its predecessor, the LG G3, was crowned TrustedReviews’ Phone of the Year in 2014. It largely succeeds, too. The LG G4 has taken all the best bits from the LG G3 and rolled them into a new and improved package.The LG G4 is to the LG G3 what the iPhone 5S is to the iPhone 5. That’s to say its alterations are more evolutionary than revolutionary.

Don’t let that deceive you, though – it’s brought with it changes that hit nearly all the right notes. This is another all-round excellent flagship from LG and it costs considerably less than the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S6 or iPhone 6, while matching, or surpassing, those competitors in nearly every respect. It provides speedy performance, a great screen and arguably the best smartphone camera around. If you don’t mind the hard plastic that LG seems intent on persisting with, then this could well be the handset for you. Down from £450/ $550 at launch to £355/$500 SIM-free, the LG G4 is now even better value for money.

DISPLAY SPECS

Like its predecessor, the G4 sports a 5.5-inch LCD display. The quad-HD touchscreen is razor-sharp, with graphics, images, text and movies appearing incredibly crisp. It has a 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution and 534 pixels per inch (ppi), which puts it way above the Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (which isn't Apple's current marquee handset, but the 6 Plus does have the same screen size as the G4) and between its Android competitors the Galaxy S6 and the HTC One M9 .

To the naked eye, however, you won't be able to discern each device's relative sharpness from another. When we looked at high resolution images, HD trailers and even text zoomed all the way in and under a magnifying glass, there were no standout differences between the handsets' sharpness. Each one offered an ultra-sharp viewing experience.

LG also claims that the phone's screen, an IPS Quantum Display that it says is the first of its kind anywhere, is 25 percent brighter (500 nits) and has a 20 percent wider color range than its previous QHD screens on mobile devices. Contrast has improved by 50 percent over last year's G3, up to 1,500:1.

Design

MEASUREMENTS

	LG G4	Samsung Galaxy S6	HTC One M9	Apple iPhone 6	Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Dimensions (Imperial)	5.87 x 2.96 x 0.35 inches	5.65 x 2.78 x 0.27 inches	5.69 x 2.74 x 0.37 inches	5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27 inches	6.22 x 3.06 x 0.28 inches
Dimension (Metric)	149.1 x 75.3 x 8.9mm	143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8mm	144.6 x 69.7 x 9.6mm	138.1 x 67.0 x 6.9mm	158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm
Weight	5.4 oz.; 152g	4.8 oz.; 138g	5.5 oz.; 157g	4.55 oz.; 129g	6.07 oz.; 172g

Similar to the LG G Flex 2 , the G4's display is curved. However, the former is arched about four times steeper, whereas the curve on the latter is barely noticeable to the eye. In fact, you can only really see it if you place the phone face down on a flat surface. It also doesn't make a notable impact on comfort. Though it's nice to hold in your hand and up to your face while on a call, that's mostly thanks to the round back that curves from left to right and contours to your palm.