Notebookcheck Logo

LG G4 Smartphone Review

Not just a good looker. LG now offers genuine leather back covers for its premium smartphone, and uses a lightly curved design for this model. The manufacturer preserves the old virtues and optimizes the device in important areas. However, it has not quite managed to eliminate all the flaws of the precursor.

For the original German review, see here.

The former LG G3 was already a decent smartphone, although it had a few drawbacks for the user. The extreme heat development under the cover has to be emphasized here. Not only did it  throttle the SoC, but also dimmed the screen. LG's Flex 2 has the same issue. We also found room for improvement in the screen's contrast and system performance.

LG's G4 has adopted many virtues. The battery can still be removed and the storage is still expandable. In addition, the Korean manufacturer does not rely on Qualcomm's latest top SoC, but uses the Snapdragon 808, which was quite impressive in the test. LG has also continued work on the camera, and has now installed one of the best lenses that can be currently found in a smartphone. The prices start at a comparatively low 649 Euros (~$728/RRP). The optional leather back costs 50 Euros (~$56) extra.

Competitors are found throughout the entire premium range. However, only the Moto X can hold a candle to the materials of LG's G4 with an optional leather or wooden back cover.

Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992 6 x 1.8 GHz, Cortex-A53/A57
Graphics adapter
Qualcomm Adreno 418, Core: 600 MHz
Memory
3 GB 
Display
5.50 inch 16:9, 2560 x 1440 pixel, capacitive, 10 multitouch points, Quantum IPS, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, curved, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 21.89 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: combo audio 3.5 mm in/out jack, Card Reader: microSD max. 2 TB (SD, SDHC, SCXC), Sensors: ambient light, proximity, accelerometer and position sensor, barometer, digital compass, GPS, Glonass, BeiDou, Android Beam, Miracast, Infrared, Wifi Direct, DLNA, OTG, FM radio
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1, GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz), LTE Cat. 6 (800, 1800 and 2600 MHz), head-SAR: 0.618 W/kg, body-SAR: 0.460 W/kg, VoLTE
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.8 x 148.9 x 76.1 ( = 0.39 x 5.86 x 3 in)
Battery
12 Wh Lithium-Ion, 3000 mAh, 3.85 V, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 19 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 19 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 360 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 440 h
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Camera
Webcam: front: 8 MP; rear: 16 MP, OIS 2.0, f/1.8
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker, Keyboard: virtual, power supply, data cable, Knock Code, LG Backup, LG Health, Quick Remote, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
155 g ( = 5.47 oz / 0.34 pounds), Power Supply: 72 g ( = 2.54 oz / 0.16 pounds)
Price
700 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

LG's G4 with a plastic back is available in different colors
LG's G4 with a plastic back is available in different colors

With a height of 9.8 millimeters (~0.38 in), LG's G4 is not an ultra-slim smartphone like Samsung's Galaxy S6 (6.9 mm/~0.27 in) or Huawei's P8 (6.4 mm/~0.25 in). However, we have to note that the camera's protruding ring adds approximately 2 millimeters. Its rounded design makes it pleasant to hold. Like its precursor, the G4 is also one of the flagship models that have the largest screens measuring at 5.5 inches. The lateral rims look slightly narrower. On the other hand, the review sample is slightly larger on both the upper and lower edges.

The smartphone proves to be very resilient against pressure and warping, and does not display any distortions on the screen. The leather cover envelops the entire back of our review sample. The build, feel and even the smell are impressive. Unlike the Moto X, the leather backing is not inserted in the bezel, but is mounted on a flexible plastic cover. The leather is pulled and folded over the edge. Only the plastic guide pieces of the ports spoil the otherwise outstanding build impression. Although they are very stable, they look rather cheap. The gaps between the base and the back cover are quite visible due to the folded leather, but the spacing is very even.

The entire back of LG's G4 can be removed to enable accessing the exchangeable battery, Micro-SIM and Micro-SD slot. Both slots are simple trays without an eject mechanism. The NFC chip is also integrated into the back cover.

Although there are many colors to choose from not all are yet available
Although there are many colors to choose from not all are yet available
159 mm / 6.26 inch 83 mm / 3.27 inch 10 mm / 0.3937 inch 184 g0.4057 lbs158.1 mm / 6.22 inch 77.8 mm / 3.06 inch 7.1 mm / 0.2795 inch 172 g0.3792 lbs152.5 mm / 6 inch 77.2 mm / 3.04 inch 10.9 mm / 0.4291 inch 170 g0.3748 lbs152.9 mm / 6.02 inch 75.9 mm / 2.99 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 164 g0.3616 lbs148.9 mm / 5.86 inch 76.1 mm / 3 inch 9.8 mm / 0.3858 inch 155 g0.3417 lbs146.3 mm / 5.76 inch 74.6 mm / 2.94 inch 8.95 mm / 0.3524 inch 149 g0.3285 lbs144.6 mm / 5.69 inch 69.7 mm / 2.74 inch 9.61 mm / 0.3783 inch 157 g0.3461 lbs144.9 mm / 5.7 inch 71.8 mm / 2.83 inch 6.4 mm / 0.252 inch 147 g0.3241 lbs142.1 mm / 5.59 inch 70.1 mm / 2.76 inch 7 mm / 0.2756 inch 132 g0.291 lbs137 mm / 5.39 inch 71 mm / 2.8 inch 9.8 mm / 0.3858 inch 170 g0.3748 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs
LG's G4 has a big QHD screen.
LG's G4 has a big QHD screen.
Ports are only on the lower edge.
An infrared port is also installed.
Not only does it look good, it also has a pleasing feel.
The controls have been submerged slightly on the back.
The back cover is easy to remove.
The battery has to be taken out to access the slots.
The thin leather skin closes flush on the inside.
The slots are stacked.
A mono speaker is integrated.
The battery has 3000 mAh.

Connectivity

Unfortunately, the Micro-USB port in LG's G4 still supports only the 2.0 standard. MHL is not on-board either. However, Slim-Port support, which allows using an HDMI cable via an adapter, is installed. Wireless streaming of media via DLNA and Miracast is also possible. The interface supports OTG, making it possible to connect external input devices and storage devices to the smartphone.

The Micro-SD card slot accepts memory cards with a maximum capacity of 2 TB. However, this theoretical specification reflects the current limits of the SDXC standard. In fact, currently only cards with a maximum size of 200 GB exist. Models with up to 512 GB were presented at the Computex, but they are still far too expensive. App2SD functioned impeccably with the apps we tested.

NFC and the latest Bluetooth 4.1 standard and an infrared transmitter are all present. The latter allows controlling compatible projectors and air conditioners as well as the usual home cinema equipment.

Upper edge: Infrared, microphone
Upper edge: Infrared, microphone
No interfaces on the left
No interfaces on the left
Right: Recess for releasing the cover
Right: Recess for releasing the cover
Lower edge: USB, microphone, audio
Lower edge: USB, microphone, audio

Software

The manufacturer relies on Google's latest Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system, and covers it with its proprietary LG UX 4.0 user interface. It has been adapted to the new Material design, and no longer gives the quite trendy, colorful impression of LG's G3.

The preloaded third-party software is also limited to a minimum, and can be uninstalled when desired. The usual software, such as QuickMemo+ and Quick Remote, LG Backup and LG Health are preloaded. The latter is a simple fitness app that counts the user's paces and where the user can record personal data like weight. Different activities like hiking, walking, jogging, cycling or inline skating can be documented via the so-called Tracker.

Home screen
Quick Remote
Smart Bulletin enables creating a personal home screen
LG Health: Tracker

Communication & GPS 

LG's G4 is equipped with HSPA+ (max. upload: 5.76 Mbps; max. download: 42 Mbps) and LTE Cat. 6 (max. upload: 50 Mbps; max. download: 300 Mbps) for mobile data connections. The frequency bandwidth could be slightly wider. This is particularly important for people who often travel abroad. The G4 presents itself as adapted to the needs of each region. However, there will not be any problems within Europe.

The Wi-Fi module in the smartphone supports the IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards, and thus transmits in the 2.4 and 5.0 GHz frequency bands. The range is good and impressive. Even at a rather far distance from the access point, the device displayed an average connection quality. Although sometimes there were minor lags while streaming HD videos in the 2.4 GHz network, Internet browsing was still fast.

GPS Test: Indoors
GPS Test: Indoors
GPS Test: Outdoors
GPS Test: Outdoors

LG's G4 makes use of the GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou networks to determine positioning. Tracking took a moment outdoors, but was quite accurate. A little more time was needed indoors, but it also tracked our position accurately. The comparatively long localization time indicated poor outcomes in the comparison test.

LG's G4 had to compete with Garmin's Edge 500 bike navigation system. The latter presented a more accurate route tracking than the smartphone. LG's G4 was off-route on a narrow path as well as under difficult conditions in the woods. However, a total discrepancy of approximately four percent is still within a tolerable range.

Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
LG G4
LG G4
LG G4
LG G4
LG G4
LG G4

Telephone & Voice Quality

The voice quality of LG's G4 is only mediocre. We have heard better quality even in considerably lower priced devices. The conversation is accompanied by a quiet crackling on both sides. In addition, short speech interruptions were noticed during several test calls. The speaker is useful in a quiet environment, but it is not good as a hands-free replacement.

Front-camera picture
Front-camera picture

Cameras 

The front-facing camera of LG's G4 has a maximum resolution of 8 MP (2448x2364 pixels; 4:3). However, only 6 MP (1836x2264 pixels) is used in the default setting due to the 16:9 format. The resolution is reduced even more in photos with an edge length of 1:1 (2048x2048 pixels; 4.2 MP). Apart from the gesture control, familiar from LG's G3, there is also a mode that responds to spoken commands. Both can be used together well on a selfie stick. When the shutter release on the screen or on the back (volume down) is kept pressed, four pictures are taken in succession only a few seconds apart. Naturally, some retouching should be allowed and therefore, there is a ten-stage soft-focus effect. The image quality is still quite good even in dim light.

However, the highlight of LG's G4 is the primary camera on the rear. It has a maximum resolution of 15.9 MP (5312x2988 pixels; 16:9). Users who prefer the 4:3 format will have to be satisfied with 11.9 MP (3984x2988 pixels). The lens is supported by a laser autofocus, which has been further developed and is now able to focus even faster. In fact, it functioned quite fast, even in adverse light conditions, and is noticeably faster than the one in LG's G3 though not quite as fast as the one in the Galaxy S6.

The color spectrum sensor is a novelty. It measures the ambient light and optimizes the white point accordingly in order to ensure an ideal color reproduction. The new optical image stabilizer OIS 2.0 is also a progression, and stabilizes the device on three axes rather than only two  that has been the case until now. In addition, it can now compensate a 2% tilt.

A manual mode is also included. It allows the user to set the white point, shutter speed (1/6000 - 30 seconds), light sensitivity (ISO 50 - 2700) and exposure time, and offers a histogram and the option of focusing manually. The latter will be very useful for nighttime shots because the laser autofocus loses accuracy over long distances and needs more time to focus. As in Huawei's P8, LG also touts the option of so-called light trail shots. While the feature is a much-simplified long-time exposure in the P8, it has to be set in the G4's manual mode as in conventional cameras. It is pleasing that the review sample also supports the DNG format, but unfortunately, it is only available in the manual mode.

The image quality of LG's G4 is on a very good. The sensor discloses a comparatively high dynamic range in daylight. Contrasts are depicted clearly, and barely any details are lost even in difficult light conditions. However, the large aperture (f/1.8) of the G4 decreases the focus visibly toward the edges. The colors look very vivid yet not unnatural. The camera had some problems when objects were too close. The autofocus needs a minimum distance of ten centimeters (~4 in) to do its job.

LG's G4 still presents good results in low light, and has the most natural color reproduction among the comparison devices. The focus is quite decent, although some care is needed because the big aperture has a visible impact on the depth of field. It decreases slightly away from the selected autofocus points, but beautiful pictures are nevertheless possible. LG's G4 really shows its prowess here, and achieves superb results in the comparison field (scene 3). While the pictures with the Galaxy S6 already look slightly muddy, those of the Lumia 930 are visibly sharper and even marginally better than those of the G4. On the other hand, the color balance of the review sample is clearly more homogeneous allowing it to take the best-looking low-light photo.

LG's G4 records videos at a maximum of Ultra-HD (4k, 3840x2160 pixels, 30 fps, 30 Mbps). Unfortunately, there is no HFR for Full HD recordings (1920x1080 pixels, 30 fps, 17 Mbps). The quality is slightly better in Full HD. While there are barely any visible differences in daylight, the image noise in Ultra-HD videos increases when the light decreases. However, the video quality can be called good. Sound is recorded in stereo, and is accompanied by a quite audible noise in quiet surroundings. Slow motion videos can also be recorded with up to 120 frames per second, but unfortunately only in the small HD resolution (1280x720 pixels).

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Accessories & Warranty

LG's G4 was shipped to us with only a modular power supply and a USB data cable. Apparently, a headset will be included in the retail version's box, as well as a second plastic cover  for the leather model.

The manufacturer includes a 24-month warranty on its product, which cannot be upgraded.

Input Devices & Handling

The physical buttons are again on the rear
The physical buttons are again on the rear

LG has fine-tuned the input options only marginally compared to the former G3. The capacitive touchscreen has a very sleek surface, which is responsive even in its corners. Inputs are implemented quickly and accurately, from which the virtual keyboard also benefits.

The keyboard layout of LG's G4 is largely unchanged. Although the keys look quite small, they are suitable for typing. Users who hold the smartphone in landscape mode can split the input area by simply pulling them apart. This makes it possible to type quickly with both thumbs. There is a novelty: When the space bar is held down, the word suggestion bar is moved to a separate input row where the cursor can be placed more easily for corrections. Swipe inputs are also supported when desired, but have to be enabled in the settings first. The keyboard includes multiple colored skins. There is also a downsized keyboard for one-handed use.

LG also maintains the rear-key design in the G4, which banishes the volume rocker and power button to the back. LG users will be familiar with this, but newcomers will need time to get used to it. The volume rocker has been mapped with additional features: QuickMemo+ opens when double tapping volume up. Double tapping volume down opens the camera app. It is possible to either take a snapshot directly after opening the latter or do it by tapping the button again. This is quite handy for selfies, but needs a bit of wrist bending when using the primary camera.

Landscape format: default
Landscape format: default
Landscape format: split
Landscape format: split
Portrait mode: default
Portrait mode: default
Correction row
Correction row
One handed use
One handed use
One handed use on black layout
One handed use on black layout
The layout can be adapted
The layout can be adapted

Display

The screen in the G4 (right) looks brighter and higher in contrast than its precursor.
The screen in the G4 (right) looks brighter and higher in contrast than its precursor.

Like the precursor, LG's G4 has a 5.5-inch screen with a generous resolution of 2560x1440 pixels. This equals to an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a pixel density of crisp 534 ppi. A direct comparison between the review sample and LG's G3  makes it obvious that both the brightness and contrast have been improved, which was quite necessary. The screen is slightly curved, but not as acutely as in the Flex 2.

We examined the screen luminosity with the photospectrometer and ascertained a brightness of up to 566 cd/m² in the Quantum IPS panel of the G4. This is a very good value, and the illumination of 90% is very homogeneous. The G3 only managed 417 cd/m², which is an increase of approximately 36%. The Galaxy S6 Edge can even reach over 600 cd/m² when the brightness sensor is enabled. None of the competitors shine as bright as the G4; only Sony's Xperia Z3 (max. 702 cd/m²; 90%) is brighter.

We did not observe any screen bleeding in our review sample.

Top (from left): LG G4 and Nokia Lumia 930; below (from left): LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy S6
Top (from left): LG G4 and Nokia Lumia 930; below (from left): LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy S6
515
cd/m²
544
cd/m²
549
cd/m²
511
cd/m²
566
cd/m²
549
cd/m²
518
cd/m²
541
cd/m²
534
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 566 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 536.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 566 cd/m²
Contrast: 1204:1 (Black: 0.47 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.17 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.26 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98.63% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.48% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
Gamma: 2.48
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Screen
-27%
-17%
1%
15%
-5%
11%
-42%
Brightness middle
566
417
-26%
423
-25%
519
-8%
343
-39%
474
-16%
453
-20%
275
-51%
Brightness
536
395
-26%
408
-24%
496
-7%
338
-37%
458
-15%
439
-18%
278
-48%
Brightness Distribution
90
89
-1%
83
-8%
90
0%
94
4%
85
-6%
91
1%
89
-1%
Black Level *
0.47
0.96
-104%
0.54
-15%
0.62
-32%
0.4
15%
0.28
40%
Contrast
1204
434
-64%
783
-35%
837
-30%
1185
-2%
1618
34%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.17
5.67
8%
5.56
10%
3.67
41%
2.2
64%
6.32
-2%
4.7
24%
10.99
-78%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.26
5.66
10%
7.55
-21%
3.78
40%
2.37
62%
6.36
-2%
5.03
20%
8.29
-32%
Gamma
2.48 89%
2.53 87%
2.33 94%
2.42 91%
2.41 91%
2.43 91%
2.27 97%
2.16 102%
CCT
8171 80%
7741 84%
7624 85%
7327 89%
6425 101%
8218 79%
7439 87%
6731 97%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
65.48
59
-10%
87.77
34%
58.81
-10%
72.04
10%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
98.63

* ... smaller is better

The black level of LG's G4 has also been reduced to 0.47 cd/m². This, combined with the high brightness leads to an outstanding contrast ratio that is only surpassed by devices based on OLED screens and Huawei's P8.

LG's G4 is not quite as supreme in color reproduction. It is even slightly worse than its precursor. Primarily the grayscale levels are its weak point where the smartphone's screen has a DeltaE of up to 10 making a bluish cast visible and giving the image a slightly cool impression. The shifts are not quite as serious in the mixed colors, and do not exceed a DeltaE of 8.3. The colors are also slightly oversaturated. Although this is not distracting in practice, conclusions about the color accuracy of photos should not be made just based on the screen. We would have expected better rates from a premium smartphone.

LG has also taken a big step forward in terms of color space coverage. The manufacturer follows the Digital Cinema Initiatives color space (DCI), which is to be covered by almost 100% and is larger than the sRGB color space. Unfortunately, we could not check this due to the lack of the comparison profile. The sRGB only covers that of the DCI by 80%. The real sRGB color space coverage of over 98% is on a very good level. The G4 is defeated by the Galaxy S6 Edge (88%) and Huawei P8 (72%) only in the larger AdobeRGB. Nevertheless, LG's G4 has one of the best screens that can be currently found in a smartphone.

Grayscale (target color space: sRGB)
Grayscale (target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (target color space: sRGB)
Color Space (target color space: sRGB)
Color Space (target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (target color space: sRGB)
Adobe RGB color space coverage: 65.48%
Adobe RGB color space coverage: 65.48%
sRGB color space coverage: 98.63%
sRGB color space coverage: 98.63%

LG's G4 also makes a good impression in outdoor use. Thanks to the high brightness and superb contrast ratio, content is legible even in bright surroundings. Only the glossy screen might thwart this in some cases. The smartphone cannot quite match the outdoor qualities of the Galaxy S6 or Lumia 930.

A negative aspect is that the smartphone automatically dims its screen in warmer environments and under prolonged use to prevent overheating. This effect is familiar from LG's G3 and Flex 2, but it is not as extreme in the G4. Nevertheless, this is especially aggravating when it happens in the outdoors because the screen's brightness drops to 325 cd/m² (80%). This occurs especially during games, UHD videos and prolonged browsing sessions.

Outdoors (from top to below and left to right): LG G4, Samsung Galaxy S6, Nokia Lumia 930 and LG G3
Outdoors (from top to below and left to right): LG G4, Samsung Galaxy S6, Nokia Lumia 930 and LG G3
The differences are more visible in acute angles
The differences are more visible in acute angles
LG G4 outdoors under light clouds
LG G4 outdoors under light clouds

The viewing angle stability of the Quantum IPS screen in LG's G4 is very good and does not give reason for complaint. The color fidelity remains stable and the brightness decreases slightly even in extremely flat angles. Only reflections on the glass panel might prove annoying here.

Viewing angle stability: LG G4
Viewing angle stability: LG G4

With our Rigol DS1052E oscilloscope we looked at response times of the display. Black to white took 2.7 ms, white to black needed a longer period of 13.5 ms. That leads to a response time of about 16.1 ms in our test. From 50 to 80 & grey, the display needed 18.8 ms (rise) and 17 ms (fall) - resulting in 35.8 ms. PWM modulation was not visible in reduced brightness settings.

white to black (fall)
white to black (fall)
black to white (rise)
black to white (rise)
80% to 50% grey
80% to 50% grey
50% to 80% grey
50% to 80% grey

Performance

As mentioned before, LG does not use the latest top SoC from Qualcomm, but has installed the smaller Snapdragon 808 MSM8992 model instead. It is a 64-bit hexa-core processor that operates in the Big.LITTLE design and, like the Snapdragon 810, has four weaker Cortex A53 cores, but only two of the fast Cortex A57 cores, which can clock at up to 2.0 GHz nominally. However, the clock frequency of the version LG has installed is limited to 1.8 GHz. 3 GB of working memory supports the system.

LG's plan to use the smaller model seems to work because the SoC makes a very good impression in processor performance and outclasses the older flagship models. As expected, the performance is not a match for up-to-date devices. For example, both the HTC One M9 (Snapdragon 810) and the Galaxy S6 Edge (Exynos 7420) present a higher performance in some cases. They are up to 73% faster in LINPAC. This looks similar in the CPU test of PassMark although the difference is slightly smaller.

The overall performance is more significant at this point, and LG's G4 scores quite well and achieves almost 50000 points in AnTuTu v5. The review sample is even faster than the One M9 in PCMark for Android. Although the other flagships are faster, Huawei's P8 (Kirin 930) has proved that a fast SoC is not everything. The subjective system performance of LG's G4 has also improved noticeably, but LG's UI is not completely lag-free.

Linpack Android / IOS
Single Thread (sort by value)
LG G4
361.4 MFLOPS
LG G3
281.3 MFLOPS -22%
OnePlus One
366.1 MFLOPS +1%
Nokia Lumia 930
232.5 MFLOPS -36%
HTC One M9
578 MFLOPS +60%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
626 MFLOPS +73%
Sony Xperia Z3
375 MFLOPS +4%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
766 MFLOPS +112%
Huawei P8
122 MFLOPS -66%
Multi Thread (sort by value)
LG G4
507 MFLOPS
LG G3
609 MFLOPS +20%
OnePlus One
694 MFLOPS +37%
Nokia Lumia 930
930 MFLOPS +83%
HTC One M9
685 MFLOPS +35%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
839 MFLOPS +65%
Sony Xperia Z3
700 MFLOPS +38%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
1441 MFLOPS +184%
Huawei P8
272.5 MFLOPS -46%
Smartbench 2012
Productivity Index (sort by value)
LG G4
8940 points
LG G3
8377 points -6%
OnePlus One
7028 points -21%
HTC One M9
5738 points -36%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
13558 points +52%
Google Nexus 6
7468 points -16%
Huawei P8
5433 points -39%
Gaming Index (sort by value)
LG G4
4118 points
LG G3
3984 points -3%
OnePlus One
4129 points 0%
HTC One M9
4454 points +8%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
4498 points +9%
Google Nexus 6
2108 points -49%
Huawei P8
4340 points +5%
Geekbench 3
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
LG G4
1107 Points
HTC One M9
1275 Points +15%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
1503 Points +36%
Huawei P8
864 Points -22%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
LG G4
3556 Points
HTC One M9
3835 Points +8%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
5619 Points +58%
Huawei P8
3458 Points -3%
ANDEBench PRO
Device Score (sort by value)
LG G4
8741 Points
LG G3
7344 Points -16%
OnePlus One
7169 Points -18%
HTC One M9
7158 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
10328 Points +18%
Huawei P8
6707 Points -23%
CoreMark-PRO/HPC (Base) (sort by value)
LG G4
3046 Points
LG G3
2539 Points -17%
OnePlus One
2464 Points -19%
HTC One M9
2296 Points -25%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
4366 Points +43%
Huawei P8
2311 Points -24%
Memory Bandwidth (sort by value)
LG G4
8773 MB/s
LG G3
5031 MB/s -43%
OnePlus One
5485 MB/s -37%
HTC One M9
7609 MB/s -13%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
10467 MB/s +19%
Huawei P8
5160 MB/s -41%
Memory Latency (sort by value)
LG G4
2479 KOps/s
LG G3
6940 KOps/s +180%
OnePlus One
6738 KOps/s +172%
HTC One M9
2302 KOps/s -7%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
5030 KOps/s +103%
Huawei P8
4550 KOps/s +84%
Platform (sort by value)
LG G4
187.6 Points
LG G3
149.3 Points -20%
OnePlus One
140.6 Points -25%
HTC One M9
154.1 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
191.9 Points +2%
Huawei P8
212.7 Points +13%
3D (sort by value)
LG G4
35.39 fps
LG G3
24.7 fps -30%
OnePlus One
24.6 fps -30%
HTC One M9
32.88 fps -7%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
37.8 fps +7%
Huawei P8
15.73 fps -56%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
LG G4
4579 Points
LG G3
3731 (3662min - 3829max) Points -19%
LG G3
3308 Points -28%
OnePlus One
3571 Points -22%
HTC One M9
4193 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
5050 Points +10%
Huawei P8
4479 Points -2%
AnTuTu v5 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG G4
49941 Points
LG G3
36792 Points -26%
OnePlus One
47123 Points -6%
HTC One M9
55374 Points +11%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
72094 Points +44%
Sony Xperia Z3
42125 Points -16%
Google Nexus 6
51812 Points +4%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
50360 Points +1%
Huawei P8
45927 Points -8%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
LG G4
1596 Points
LG G3
1080 Points -32%
OnePlus One
1131 Points -29%
Nokia Lumia 930
1085 Points -32%
HTC One M9
1410 Points -12%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
1821 Points +14%
Google Nexus 6
995 Points -38%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
1299 Points -19%
Huawei P8
1085 Points -32%
System (sort by value)
LG G4
2368 Points
LG G3
1387 Points -41%
OnePlus One
1768 Points -25%
Nokia Lumia 930
1296 Points -45%
HTC One M9
1672 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
3989 Points +68%
Google Nexus 6
1604 Points -32%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
2038 Points -14%
Huawei P8
1860 Points -21%
Graphics (sort by value)
LG G4
1995 Points
LG G3
2530 Points +27%
OnePlus One
2382 Points +19%
Nokia Lumia 930
1233 Points -38%
HTC One M9
3210 Points +61%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
2489 Points +25%
Google Nexus 6
2130 Points +7%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
2389 Points +20%
Huawei P8
882 Points -56%
PassMark PerformanceTest Mobile V1
System (sort by value)
LG G4
7695 Points
LG G3
4804 Points -38%
HTC One M9
6599 Points -14%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
8438 Points +10%
Sony Xperia Z3
4126 Points -46%
Google Nexus 6
3602 Points -53%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
5622 Points -27%
Huawei P8
5470 Points -29%
CPU Tests (sort by value)
LG G4
103512 Points
LG G3
17052 Points -84%
HTC One M9
112124 Points +8%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
176225 Points +70%
Sony Xperia Z3
18920 Points -82%
Google Nexus 6
13931 Points -87%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
43696 Points -58%
Huawei P8
125047 Points +21%
Memory Tests (sort by value)
LG G4
6223 Points
LG G3
4181 Points -33%
HTC One M9
6248 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
6924 Points +11%
Sony Xperia Z3
4179 Points -33%
Google Nexus 6
3530 Points -43%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
5147 Points -17%
Huawei P8
5442 Points -13%
2D Graphics Tests (sort by value)
LG G4
4850 Points
LG G3
2999 Points -38%
HTC One M9
4643 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
5274 Points +9%
Sony Xperia Z3
3201 Points -34%
Google Nexus 6
2283 Points -53%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
2609 Points -46%
Huawei P8
3475 Points -28%
3D Graphics Tests (sort by value)
LG G4
2179 Points
LG G3
1668 Points -23%
HTC One M9
1703 Points -22%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
2345 Points +8%
Sony Xperia Z3
1177 Points -46%
Google Nexus 6
1129 Points -48%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
1984 Points -9%
Huawei P8
1418 Points -35%

Legend

 
LG G4 Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992, Qualcomm Adreno 418, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG G3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC, Qualcomm Adreno 330, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
OnePlus One Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC, Qualcomm Adreno 330, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Nokia Lumia 930 Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974, Qualcomm Adreno 330, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
HTC One M9 Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994, Qualcomm Adreno 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Samsung Exynos 7420 Octa, ARM Mali-T760 MP8, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
Sony Xperia Z3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC, Qualcomm Adreno 330, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Google Nexus 6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 APQ8084, Qualcomm Adreno 420, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Apple iPhone 6 Plus Apple A8, PowerVR GX6450, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei P8 HiSilicon Kirin 930, ARM Mali-T628 MP4, 16 GB eMMC Flash

The SoC in LG's G4 integrates a Qualcomm Adreno 418 graphics unit. The GPU clocks at up to 600 MHz and supports graphics APIs like OpenGL ES 3.1, OpenCL 1.2 and DirectX 11.2 as well as other hardware tessellations. The graphics unit's performance is positioned between an Adreno 330 and 420, and thus has plenty of power.

The excellence of the Adreno 418 is confirmed in the benchmarks. However, it cannot keep up with current top GPUs.

3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
18821 Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
15911 Points -15%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
16692 Points -11%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
22783 (22783min - 23171max) Points +21%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
22723 Points +21%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
17882 Points -5%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
23368 Points +24%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
17873 Points -5%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
9080 Points -52%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
23390 Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
17029 Points -27%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
18074 Points -23%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
34429 (34429min - 34485max) Points +47%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
23954 Points +2%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
19606 Points -16%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
25480 Points +9%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
23937 Points +2%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
8743 Points -63%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
11178 Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
12939 Points +16%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
13167 Points +18%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
10432 (10432min - 10786max) Points -7%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
19260 Points +72%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
13674 Points +22%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
18113 Points +62%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
9473 Points -15%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
10494 Points -6%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1324 Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1176 Points -11%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1484 Points +12%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
1505 Points +14%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
513 Points
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1094 Points +113%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
1186 Points +131%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
24.9 fps
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
20.2 fps -19%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
29 fps +16%
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
20 fps -20%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
50 fps +101%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
32 fps +29%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
29.4 fps +18%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
28 fps +12%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
52.4 fps +110%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
11 fps -56%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
33.7 fps
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
26.7 fps -21%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
28 fps -17%
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
15 fps -55%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
49 fps +45%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
53 fps +57%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
27.5 fps -18%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
39 fps +16%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
44.8 fps +33%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
10 fps -70%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
9.5 fps
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
7.3 fps -23%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
12 fps +26%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
24 fps +153%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
15 fps +58%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
12.6 fps +33%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
12 fps +26%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
30.6 fps +222%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
5.8 fps -39%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
15 fps
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
11.3 fps -25%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
12 fps -20%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
23 fps +53%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
25 fps +67%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
11.8 fps -21%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
19 fps +27%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
18.8 fps +25%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
5.5 fps -63%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
5.7 fps
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
17 fps +198%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
6.1 fps +7%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
10 fps
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
16 fps +60%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
13 fps +30%
Lightmark - 1920x1080 1080p (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
8.74 fps
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
7.2 fps -18%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
5.33 fps -39%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
11.56 fps +32%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
9.97 fps +14%
Epic Citadel - Ultra High Quality (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
38.7 fps
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
42.6 fps +10%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
50.1 fps +29%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
58.2 fps +50%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
53.8 fps +39%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
53.7 fps +39%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
39.4 fps +2%

Internet browsing is subjectively fast, and LG's G4 can also impress in the benchmarks. The preloaded Stock Android Browser is slightly faster than Google's Chrome. The smartphone is always up front in the comparison field, and is usually only surpassed by the iPhone 6 Plus or Galaxy S6 Edge.

Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7832 (6791min) Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4345 Points -45%
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
3892 Points -50%
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2737 Points -65%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
6493 Points -17%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
8650 Points +10%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
5339 Points -32%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
5271 Points -33%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
7276 Points -7%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4084 Points -48%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
719 ms *
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
900 ms * -25%
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
629 ms * +13%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
2180 ms * -203%
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
534 ms * +26%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
840 ms * -17%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
347.1 ms * +52%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
828 ms * -15%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
784 ms * -9%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
347.4 ms * +52%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1164 ms * -62%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4771 ms *
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
7280 ms * -53%
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
7163 ms * -50%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
7883 ms * -65%
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
11108 ms * -133%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
6508 ms * -36%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
4037 ms * +15%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
6502 ms * -36%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
6124 ms * -28%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
4470 ms * +6%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
11808 ms * -147%
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1659 Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1097 Points -34%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
760 Points -54%
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
526 Points -68%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1043 Points -37%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
1337 Points -19%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
811 Points -51%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
2613 Points +58%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1035 Points -38%
Browsermark - 2.1 (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1931 points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1370 points -29%
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1343 points -30%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1368 points -29%
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
829 points -57%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1729 points -10%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
2731 points +41%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
774 points -60%
Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7818 Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4976 Points -36%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
4681 Points -40%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
6440 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
9334 Points +19%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
6559 Points -16%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
8604 Points +10%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4419 Points -43%
BaseMark OS II - Web (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
881 Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
635 Points -28%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
661 Points -25%
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
579 Points -34%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
789 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
778 Points -12%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
682 Points -23%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1092 Points +24%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
694 Points -21%
Vellamo 3.x - Browser (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4053 (4006min) Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
2945 Points -27%
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
2762 Points -32%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
2683 Points -34%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
3174 Points -22%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
5463 Points +35%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
2871 Points -29%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
3740 Points -8%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
2756 (2248min) Points -32%

* ... smaller is better

LG's G4 has a 32 GB eMMC flash memory, and the user has approximately 22 GB of that available. The storage can be expanded via a Micro-SD card should it be needed. The slot supports all common formats of this standard, which allowed us to expand it to 200 GB at the time of testing.

The internal storage is very fast. The G4 is equipped with the fastest eMMC memory currently available in a smartphone and OnePlus' One outperforms it only in sequential writing of data. The Galaxy S6 that is based on UFS 2.0 storage is currently out of reach.

AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
251 MB/s
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
167.5 MB/s -33%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
223.6 MB/s -11%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
235.1 MB/s -6%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
319.3 MB/s +27%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
149 MB/s -41%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
25.78 MB/s -90%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
139.9 MB/s -44%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
153 MB/s
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
23.83 MB/s -84%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
159.7 MB/s +4%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
123.8 MB/s -19%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
139.1 MB/s -9%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
18 MB/s -88%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
18.46 MB/s -88%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
39.58 MB/s -74%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
31.5 MB/s
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
20.98 MB/s -33%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
18.27 MB/s -42%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
20.66 MB/s -34%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
77.4 MB/s +146%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
15 MB/s -52%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7.85 MB/s -75%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
22.46 MB/s -29%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
15 MB/s
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1.44 MB/s -90%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
10.42 MB/s -31%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
13.91 MB/s -7%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
19.84 MB/s +32%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
2 MB/s -87%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1.49 MB/s -90%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
10.04 MB/s -33%
BaseMark OS II - Memory (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1558 Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
610 Points -61%
OnePlus One
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 64 GB eMMC Flash
587 Points -62%
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1500 Points -4%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
933 Points -40%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
1426 Points -8%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
421 Points -73%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
536 Points -66%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1216 Points -22%
PassMark PerformanceTest Mobile V1
Disk Tests (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
67837 Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
16851 Points -75%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
42249 Points -38%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
68872 Points +2%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
13660 Points -80%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
19076 Points -72%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
23184 Points -66%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
48670 Points -28%
Memory Tests (sort by value)
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
6223 Points
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4181 Points -33%
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
6248 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
6924 Points +11%
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4179 Points -33%
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
3530 Points -43%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
5147 Points -17%
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
5442 Points -13%

Games

Although the integrated Qualcomm Adreno 418 in LG's G4 is not a high-end GPU, it still offers a very high performance and supports all common graphic interfaces. We did not have problems in any of the tested games, regardless of whether they were more graphically demanding ones like “Asphalt 8” or “Anno”. The games ran in their full glory without any annoying lags.

The very good touchscreen and the impeccably working sensors make LG's G4 a compact gaming console on the go.

"Asphalt 8"
"Asphalt 8"
"Anno"
"Anno"

Emissions

Temperature

LG's G4 reached a maximum of 36.2 °C (~97 °F) on its surface while idling, which is already lukewarm. The rates climb up to 44.3 °C (~112 °F) under load. Although this is quite warm, it is not critical. Only the Lumia 930 gets slightly warmer with up to 48.8 °C (~120 °F) in the comparison field.

The SoC in LG's G4 underwent the stress test using the battery test of GFXBench 3.0. The T-Rex test runs thirty times in succession and records the behavior of both CPU and GPU beside the battery status. The review sample was stable for quite some time. The frame rates first dropped slightly after the twentieth run until they dropped more significantly after the 25th time. However, the performance loss of approximately 10% is still within limits.

The automatic dimming should be again mentioned at this point. Since this only applies to smartphones from LG with QHD screens, it is most likely that the screens themselves get too warm, and other components like the SoC are not the reason.

GFXBench 3.0: Frame rates
GFXBench 3.0: Frame rates
GFXBench 3.0: Temperatures
GFXBench 3.0: Temperatures
GFXBench 3.0: Battery status
GFXBench 3.0: Battery status
Max. Load
 42.4 °C
108 F
37.8 °C
100 F
36.5 °C
98 F
 
 43.8 °C
111 F
38.7 °C
102 F
38.6 °C
101 F
 
 42.3 °C
108 F
38.7 °C
102 F
37.3 °C
99 F
 
Maximum: 43.8 °C = 111 F
Average: 39.6 °C = 103 F
36.2 °C
97 F
39.7 °C
103 F
44.3 °C
112 F
35.2 °C
95 F
39.7 °C
103 F
43.8 °C
111 F
35.9 °C
97 F
40 °C
104 F
44 °C
111 F
Maximum: 44.3 °C = 112 F
Average: 39.9 °C = 104 F
Power Supply (max.)  35.2 °C = 95 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-350
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39.6 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.8 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 44.3 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32 °C / 90 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speaker

The mono speaker of LG's G4 is on the rear
The mono speaker of LG's G4 is on the rear

The speaker in LG's G4 is not ideally positioned; it will usually be covered by the hand when held in portrait mode. However, this barely reduces the quality. The smartphone's curved back allows placing it on a table without influencing the sound properties.

Trebles are mostly transmitted clearly and the overall sound is quite decent. However, the sound echoes heavily in music playback when the volume of the G4 is pushed over 50%. This effect is not as prominent during videos or games.

Sound output via the 3.5 mm audio jack is beyond reproach seen purely subjectively, and it leaves an impeccable impression.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The idle power consumption of LG's G4 is quite high. The smartphone still consumes relatively exorbitant 1.1 watts even when using minimum screen brightness (4 cd/m²). The other consumption rates have been improved compared with the former G3. This is noticed particularly during load when the G4 requires only 8.8 watts. Nevertheless, this is still quite high compared with the competition. HTC's One M9 that is equipped with a stronger SoC consumes less power under load.

The included power supply has a nominal power of 9 watts (5 volts, 1.8 ampere), which is rather tight. The smartphone also supports Quick Charge.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.1 / 1.5 / 1.9 Watt
Load midlight 6.6 / 8.8 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

The battery in LG's G4 has an abundant 3000 mAh that, however, does not let us hope for a big advantage considering the consumption rates. This presumption is unfortunately confirmed in the runtime tests. The battery is depleted quite fast, especially under load.

The tests using a brightness set to 150 cd/m² provide the best comparison basis. LG's G4 did not even last for five and a half hours in the Wi-Fi test, which is a below average rate. The review sample is in the midfield in the video runtime test. Only the Reader's test performed with minimum screen brightness delivered convincing results.

Overall, the G4 is better than its precursor, but it is the taillight in the high-end sector. However, the offered battery runtime will be enough for a day in most cases. Anyone who uses the camera a lot and likes to play the occasional game should think about an external backup battery.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
27h 34min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 26min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
8h 21min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 54min
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
LG G3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Google Nexus 6
Adreno 420, 805 APQ8084, 32 GB eMMC Flash
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Battery Runtime
-4%
8%
6%
12%
31%
32%
19%
Reader / Idle
1654
852
-48%
1203
-27%
1153
-30%
805
-51%
1349
-18%
1436
-13%
1387
-16%
H.264
501
273
-46%
682
36%
652
30%
421
-16%
417
-17%
675
35%
WiFi v1.3
326
348
7%
534
64%
Load
114
207
82%
132
16%
135
18%
236
107%
224
96%
199
75%
175
54%
WiFi
452
672
601
573
777
1002

Pros

+ Superb build
+ Optional leather back cover
+ First rate camera
+ Very good, bright screen
+ Expandable storage
+ Removable battery
+ Modern connections standards supported

Cons

- Voice quality
- UI not always smooth
- No wireless charging
- Screen dims automatically when too warm
- High power consumption

Verdict

In review: LG G4. Review sample courtesy of LG Germany.
In review: LG G4. Review sample courtesy of LG Germany.

LG has developed a good premium smartphone with its G4. Opting for the somewhat weaker Snapdragon 808 cannot be criticized. Quite the contrary: The smaller model of the Snapdragon 810 makes a very good impression. The device also convinces with one of the best cameras currently found in a smartphone. We even liked the front-facing camera. In addition, the leather version of the device is simply exquisite, and is compelling in both feel and smell.

Elegant design meets first-rate camera and makes LG's G4 a real eye-catcher in many respects.

We think there is still room for improvement in the smartphone's temperature development. Although the screen does not automatically dim quite as fast as in the G3 to prevent overheating, it is aggravating. Furthermore, LG's UI still does not run absolutely smoothly, which is definitely not due to the SoC's performance seeing that Huawei's P8 does a much better job despite slightly weaker components. We would have also expected a better voice quality from a high-end smartphone. The occasional speech dropouts are especially annoying.

Nevertheless, LG's G4 is one of the best smartphones that can be currently bought. The screen and connectivity are first rate and its storage can be expanded at little cost thanks to the Micro-SD slot.

LG G4 - 04/13/2016 v5(old)
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
92%
Keyboard
70 / 75 → 94%
Pointing Device
95%
Connectivity
51 / 60 → 86%
Weight
92%
Battery
90%
Display
87%
Games Performance
42 / 63 → 66%
Application Performance
50 / 70 → 71%
Temperature
86%
Noise
100%
Audio
56 / 91 → 62%
Camera
88%
Average
77%
88%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 5 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
Daniel Schmidt, 2015-06-13 (Update: 2018-05-15)