LG’s new leather phone tries to outshine the Galaxy S6
Now that Samsung has dropped removable batteries and SD card slots from its flagship Galaxy S range of phones – starting with its latest model the S6 – you’ll have to look elsewhere if these are important to you. The LG G4 is one of the few Android phones that still has both features, as well as the latest technology.
Like the G Flex 2, the G4 has a curved screen, but this is a more subtle design than on its stablemate. Unlike the G Flex 2, the G4 is available in a variety of leather finishes on its rear cover. We don’t think they’re as classy as those for the Motorola Moto X, for example, but they’re not as naff as the fake leather found on older Samsung Galaxy phones. In any case, you can choose from a choice of sturdy, attractive plastic-backed options.
The G4 otherwise looks and feels very similar to its predecessor the G3. This means the volume and power buttons are located on the back of the phone, rather than the sides, but pressing them inadvertently was never a problem during our tests because they’re slightly recessed in the casing.
Disappointingly, the battery only lasted 19 hours 16 minutes when connected to O2’s 3G network in London and used for calls, taking photos, web browsing and GPS. This is less than almost all other Android phones we’ve tested around this price. At least call quality was very high. Callers reported that we came through loud and clear, with the racket from a nearby building site effectively minimised.
Unlike the G Flex 2 (and an increasing number of Android phones), the G4 doesn’t use an eight-core processor. Instead, it’s the first mobile device we’ve tested that uses a six-core processor – the Snapdragon 808. While, unsurprisingly, this made it a little slower in our benchmark tests than its eight-core counterparts, the difference is pretty negligible. Combined with 3GB of memory, it can easily handle the latest, most demanding apps.
It’s a shame the touchscreen occasionally struggled to keep up with our finger swipes and taps, which is a rare deficiency in an Android phone at this price. The screen’s image quality was superb though – we simply couldn’t fault its contrast, colour accuracy, viewing angles or sharpness. The 5.5in screen is too big to use comfortably with one hand, however, particularly if you have smaller hands.
The camera was something of a mixed bag. While it took no time to focus and reproduced colours faithfully (even in dimly lit conditions), it sometimes struggled to produce a sharp focus. As if to compensate for this softer focus, LG’s camera app tended to over-sharpen images, which in turn made finer textures and skin tones look unrealistic and unflattering.
The LG G4 is a disappointing phone. While it has things going for it (screen quality, performance and looks), these are undermined by the sub-standard battery life, camera and touchscreen. Unless a removable battery and a SD card slot are absolute must-haves, we suggest a Sony Xperia Z3 or a Galaxy S6.
VERDICT
Not a bad Android phone, but you’ll have to really want a removable battery and SD card slot to overlook its shortcomings.
SPECIFICATIONS
5.5in 2560x1440 pixel touchscreen • 1.8 + 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 six-core processor • Adreno 418 graphics chip • 3GB memory • 32GB storage • 4G • Micro SIM • Android 5.0 Lollipop • 155g • 149x76x10mm (HxWxD) • One-year warranty