10 Jan 2015
LG G4 price, release date, specs and rumors [update: specs leak reveals 5.3-inch QHD display for the LG G4]
We aren't going to see the LG G4 until around the middle of 2015, but we can still get excited, right? One thing that impresses us about LG, more than most smartphone manufacturers, is its innovation, and desire to act on user-feedback. Let's hope it continues this tradition with the LG G4. Here is what we currently expect from this next-gen device. Update: Another supposed specs leak for the LG G4 has surfaced suggesting it will come with a 5.3-inch 2560 x 1440 QHD display rather than the previously speculated 3840 x 2160 UHD screen. Head to the updated specs section to find out the rest of the details.
LG G4: Price
The LG G3 can be picked up on Amazon.com for 599.99 USD for a non-contract carrier version. It seems safe to say that, unless LG brings out multiple versions of the LG G4 (like a lite/mini version), the regular handset will set you back at least 600 USD.
LG G4: Design
Korean site Heraldcorp has it that LG is cutting back on the number of smartphones it produces (a step many manufacturers, including Samsung, have proposed for 2015) and may focus all of its efforts onto the LG G4. Interestingly, Phandroid just reported that LG has also launched a trademark filing for a new stylus known as the G Pen.
If we put these stories together it could mean a couple of things. Firstly, LG could be making a G Pen stylus accessory for its existing or future handsets: if it is reducing the number of handsets it produces it might focus on this as an alternative revenue stream. Secondly, and most interestingly, this could signal a re-brand of the LG G series, with the LG G4 potentially being a serious competitor to the Galaxy Note 5. LG has already experimented in this area with the poorly received LG G3 Stylus, but hopefully another attempt with better hardware will prove more successful.
LG G4: Display
In this field, LG is already at the forefront, submitting one of the first smartphones with a QHD resolution to the market. While the display is certainly very detailed, some contest the ultimate benefit of 3840 x 2160 pixel density on such small screens as on smartphones. The size of the LG G4 screen isn't likely to grow much over its 5.5-inch predecessor, especially if LG wants to maintain the rear-button setup its flagship series has become known for (it will get harder to reach as size increases). However, with Samsung Galaxy S6 rumors suggesting it will come with a 4K display, LG might look to compete, and it may be in the resolution that LG focuses on its display, rather than size, or curves.
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LG G4: Software
The new LG G4 is sure to house some extra features, the obvious choice among these would be a fingerprint scanner like was found on some of the Samsung devices in 2014: the LG G3 design aesthetic is already primed for index finger use on the rear. A more interesting possibility, however, would be the inclusion of an eye/retina scanner, technology we've heard mentioned quite a lot, but have yet to see implemented into smartphones.
In terms of operating system, it seems pretty likely that the LG G4 will arrive running an Optimus UI version of Android 5.0 Lollipop. Android Lollipop won't have arrived on many current flagships until early next year, and if the LG G4 arrives in mid-2015, it certainly won't be in time for the Lollipop successor.
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- Android 5.0 Lollipop update: which phones will get it and when?
The LG G3 offers a fantastic opportunity to eliminate some of the default applications (bloatware) which come pre-installed on Android devices. This is something which is usually only possible to obtain with root permissions. Considering the excellent user feedback LG has received thanks to this addition, LG will hopefully decide to carry this option across to the LG G4, but maybe even taking it a step further. What does this mean? Imagine being able to remove any application from your Android smartphone without complicated procedures or root. This would be a dream come true!
LG G4: Release date
LG's release pattern tends to be a little more sporadic than most other smartphone manufacturers. The LG G Pro arrived on May 10th 2013, with the LG G2 following on September 12th 2013. Then the LG G3 just arrived on the market on May 28th, 2014. What this means is that the LG G4 is unlikely to be presented before May 1st next year, but we may not have to wait a full 12 months until September to see the new LG flagship arrive.
- Get Android 5.0 Lollipop on the LG G3 now
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs LG G3: the Android comparison of the year!
LG G4: Specs
| LG G4 (TO BE CONFIRMED) | LG G3 | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android 5.0 Lollipop / (M Android?), Optimus UI | Android 4.4.2 KitKat, Optimus UI |
| DISPLAY | 5.7-inch, 3840 x 2160 pixels | 5.5-inch LCD, 2560 x 1440 pixels, 534 ppi |
| CPU | Snapdragon 810/808, 3 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, quad-core, 2.5 GHz |
| RAM | 3/4 GB | 2/3 GB |
| INTERNAL MEMORY | 32/64 GB + microSD | 16/32 GB + microSD |
| BATTERY | 3500-4000 mAh | 3000 mAh |
| CAMERA | 16 MP / 5.1 MP | 13 MP, flash, auto-focus laser (rear), 2.1 MP (front) |
| CONNECTIVITY | HSPA, 4G, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi | HSPA, 4G, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi |
| DIMENSIONS | - | 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm |
| WEIGHT | - | 149 g |
Update: A new specs leak from tech site wccftech has given us a glimpse at the supposed specs for the LG G4. Though it doesn't mention a source, the website reports that the new LG flagship will come with a Snapdragon 810 processor, 5.3-inch QHD screen (down .2 inches from the LG G3), 20.7 MP rear-camera, 4 GB of RAM, and 3500 mAh battery. It will also come in 32 GB and 64 GB variants, expandable via micro SD-card.
The Snapdragon 810 processor has been hotly tipped to appear on many of the 2015 flagships and there's every chance it will appear on the LG G4. As for the rest of the specs, we'll hesitate to put them into the specs table until we learn more.
What do you want to see from the LG G4?
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