LG G4 Smartphone Review

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.