Review of the smartphone LG G4: stylish, but not the maximum. Smartphone G4 LG in leather sheathing

The LG G4 is the world's first Quad HD IPS Quantum smartphone powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 808 64-bit 6-core processor. However, the list of advantages does not end there. This is both a leather design and a camera capable of recording 4K video. Let's talk further about its features.

Appearance LG G4

The original design is striking. The Korean smartphone received a genuine leather finish, which allows it to look very impressive. However, on sale you can also find plastic options that are traditional.

At a cursory examination of the smartphone, the resemblance to the curved LG G Flex 2 model is more noticeable than to the previous representative, which is called the G3. The general style has been preserved, sharp corners and end faces, slightly rounded. The case has a slight bend, almost imperceptible, the width of which is 1 mm. In a similar way, an increase in the reliability of the gadget is achieved when it falls by 20%, if we compare it with a flat device. The bend of the front surface is less prominent than the bend located on the opposite side.

The back side is sloping, like a paperweight, which allows the smartphone to wobble, so when working with the G4 lying on a hard surface, there will be inconvenience. But it is more comfortable to hold it in your hand.

Despite the large screen, the bezels around it are narrow, making the G4 smaller than the iPhone 6 Plus, which has a similarly sized display, aside from the thickness of smartphones. The flagship from LG reaches 1 cm at its thickest point, but the side edges are very narrowed.

Metal was not used in the manufacture of the gadget. Plastic was used with leather lining of the lid in some modifications. Leather trim is available in 6 different colors: black, brown, yellow, red, beige, blue. In addition, there are other variations back cover: snow white ceramic, metallic gray, glossy gold. The assembly is of high quality, there are no extraneous cracks, and there is no creaking.

Under the cover of the G4, which is easily removed, there is a dual slot designed for SIM cards and a memory card. Implemented support for 2 SIM-cards that have the Micro-SIM format. To install Nano-SIM, you will have to get an adapter. The battery is removable.

The camera window is located on the back side, on the sides there is a flash and a laser rangefinder to measure the distance to the subject. Control buttons are also located here. There is a flash function as a flashlight.

The central key is responsible for turning on and blocking the LG G4, the top and bottom keys are for the volume. To activate the camera, the bottom volume button is pressed twice. Thanks to the textured surface of the buttons, they can be found blindly. Accidental pressing of the keys is excluded, as they are recessed into the case.

Protective glass covers the front side of the smartphone, under it there is a laser engraving, which creates the effect of design complexity. The speaker grill is visible through a slot located at the bottom, there are no stereo speakers. Above is a slot for the conversational speaker, near which there are eyes front camera, there is also an event indicator.

There are no touch buttons. To control the gadget, use the virtual buttons located on the screen. This block is displayed by applying the appropriate applications. At the top there is an infrared port that can be used as a remote control, at the bottom there is an audio output required for headphones and a Micro-USB 2.0 output.

The kit includes the LG G4 smartphone itself and a minimum set of accessories, which include a power adapter, instructions and a microUSB-USB cable.

• Dimensions - 148.9 x 76.1 x 8.9 mm;
• Weight - 155 g;
• SIM card support - 2 Micro-SIM cards;
• Operating system - Android 5.1, shell LG UX 4.0;
• Processor - 6-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (1.8 GHz);
• Display - 5.5" IPS, touch capacitive, Multi-touch;
• Graphics - Adreno 418;
• Screen resolution - QHD (2560x1440);
• Pixel density - 538 ppi;
• Call signals - polyphonic melodies, MP3 call, vibrating alert;
• Main camera - 16 MP;
• Front camera - 8 MP;
• RAM - 3 GB;
• Built-in - 32 GB;
• Memory cards - microSD (up to 128 GB);
• Internet - GPRS, EDGE, HSPA+ 21 Mbps, HSPA+ 42 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps, LTE;
• Wireless technologies - Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, A-GPS, GLONASS;
• Power - removable battery 3000 mAh;
• Warranty - 12 months.

LG G4 screen properties

The screen measures 68×121 mm, the diagonal reaches 5.5 inches. Its resolution is 2560×1440 pixels. At the same time, the huge display is inscribed in the dimensions of the case, which can be called acceptable.

LG G4 received an IPS sensor matrix that does not have an air gap. The display is called LG IPS Quantum and is able to provide 20% better color reproduction, brightness - 25%, contrast - 50%. The display settings allow you to enable brightness adjustment depending on the ambient light.

Advanced In Cell Touch technology allows you to combine the LCD panel and sensor into one layer, which is more sensitive to touch, and multi-touch technology can handle 10 touches at the same time. By double tapping on the screen, it wakes up.

The front surface is a glass plate that is scratch resistant. There is a special oleophobic coating that acts as a grease repellent. Fingerprints appear to a lesser extent.

Thanks to the anti-reflective properties, readability is high, even if you are outside on a sunny day, and in the dark, the brightness can be reduced. Viewing angles are good, colors do not shift if the view is far from the perpendicular.

The sound of the LG G4 smartphone

The gadget from LG sounds better compared to the G Flex 2 and G3. Regardless of the fact that the main speaker is one, the sound is loud and clear, low frequencies no. The voice of the interlocutor and his timbre in a telephone conversation remain recognizable, no distortion is observed.

Musical compositions are played by using a proprietary player that supports the functions of adjusting the sound quality and changing the equalizer values. There is no FM radio.

Image quality and LG G4 camera

The front camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels, which allows you to compare the quality of self-portraits with photos taken by other flagship smartphones. I am pleased with the wide functionality: retouching, burst shooting, voice control, so it is not necessary to touch the screen, and a timer is also provided. The gesture shooting function allows you to take 4 shots, the interval between which is 2 seconds, and the shutter is released by repeating the opening and closing of the palm in front of the camera 2 times.

The main 16-megapixel camera, which can be called the flagship without exaggeration, has an improved system responsible for optical image stabilization, LED flash and laser autofocus, which works very quickly. Thanks to the color spectrum sensor, color accuracy is increased. The pictures are really high quality and detailed, even if the shooting takes place in poor lighting, it's hard to find fault.

The settings menu is the same as in previous models, and concise. Pictograms are presented in two bands. New feature for LG G4 - manual mode to control focus, shutter speed, ISO, white balance. Photos can be saved to JPEG format and RAW. There are no useless shooting modes such as "magic focus".

Video is recorded by the front camera in Full HD 720p extension, and using the main camera (16MP) you can record 4K videos.

Thanks to the hardware platform known as Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, the gadget has advanced capabilities. There is an LG LTE X10 modem and Bluetooth 4.1, support for NFC and all data transfer standards, which is carried out via cellular networks, hotspot via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

The navigation module is able to work with GPS, domestic Glonass and Chinese Beidou. There is a magnetic field sensor, thanks to which it works digital compass. When dialing a number, a contact is immediately searched for by the first letters, continuous input is supported. If desired, you can reduce the size of the virtual keyboard.

The platform is used as the OS in the device. Google Android 5.1s proprietary shell UX 4.0. The package of applications that are preinstalled on the G4 includes standard utilities from Google, as well as proprietary LG Backup, responsible for backup, voice assistant, electronic notepad.

It is possible to work in a 2-window mode, create ringtones designed separately for each subscriber, the Smart Settings function to automate the inclusion of applications, which is carried out on the basis of the owner's daily routine. At the first meeting, the user will receive a lot of tips from the smartphone, and messages, reminders and notes will constantly pop up on the screen.

You can view the date, time and SMS very quickly by simply sliding down, there is no need to turn on the screen. The infrared port has been supplemented with a special program that allows you to remotely control household appliances. There is a Knock Code lock and a guest mode.

Video playback on LG G4

The smartphone from LG is equipped with decoders that are needed to play most file formats: DVDRi, Web-DL SD, Web-DL HD, BDRip 720p, BDRip 1080p. You can use a regular video player and any third-party player, say, MX Player.

If we analyze the frame output, then the playback quality is good, the frames are displayed without gaps. The exception is files with 50 and 60 fps, when 1-3 frames are skipped. When playing files with Full HD resolution, the image is displayed exactly on the borders that the screen has, while the aspect ratio is maintained.

Smartphone performance LG G4

The hardware filling is considered sufficient to meet the requirements of programs and 3D games. As a platform for the gadget, a 64-bit 6-core processor is used, the name of which is Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992, the frequency is 1.8 GHz.

The amount of internal memory for storing user files is 32 GB, in addition, it is possible to use cards microSD memory, the volume of which reaches 128 GB, and to USB port connect flash drives. A 3 GB random access memory enough to run all the games on Google Play, setting the graphics settings to the maximum, and the most resource-intensive applications.

The battery is quite capacious - 3000 mAh. One full charge is enough for 3 hours of 3D gaming and 9-10 hours of video playback with an active Wi-Fi connection. Continuous reading with FBReader possibly for more than 17 hours. It will take 2 hours to charge the battery. There are 2 power saving modes. Keep in mind that under load, the case heats up noticeably, especially from above under the front camera - at the location of the SoC chip.

Price and video review of LG G4

As for the cost, it is approximately 30490-53734 rubles, depending on outlet.

A video review of the LG G4 smartphone is presented below:

Thus, LG G4 is a smartphone without cons. At the highest level of assembly, display, sound, photo quality, performance and especially design.

LG G4 is equipped with a 5.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels. The image density is 538 ppi - this is a very cool indicator, which guarantees an incredible picture clarity.

The Koreans ascribe to the matrix a beautiful epithet Quantum, although in reality we are talking only about a comprehensively improved IPS “on steroids” of LG technologies. As is customary in new smartphones, the matrix and touchscreen are merged into one for better color reproduction and screen sensitivity - this is a logical development of a design called OGS, which LG calls Advanced In Cell Touch. The manufacturer promises a 20% improvement in color reproduction, a 25% increase in brightness and a 50% increase in brightness compared to the previous flagship, the G3.

Another mysterious marketing detail was the display calibration in conjunction with DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) - this is such an association of leading film studios to standardize digital cinema. True, these guys came together only to agree among themselves on the resolution of films in theaters, file formats, codecs and copy protection when showing films in theaters. Despite the fact that this association has an approved cinema palette standard, the likelihood that an ordinary smartphone will repeat the characteristics of professional equipment from cinemas is not too high.

This item, in general, resembles a picture when each toothpaste advertisement has its own association of dentists - and each of them nods at the tube and says "we recommend only the specified brand!".

Viewing angles are excellent, the contrast when viewed from the side is reduced slightly. The display has enough potential for comfortable use in sunny weather, especially since the tempered glass above the matrix is ​​equipped with a high-quality anti-reflective layer.

According to the colorimeter, the brightness level of the display varies from 2 to 420 cd / m2 - Galaxy screen S6 edge is 16% brighter. However, in pursuit of formal color rendering characteristics, LG specialists overdid it a little - the sRGB palette coverage came close to ideal, but, thanks to the efforts of Korean engineers, it was expanded even beyond necessity. The numbers came out beautiful, but as a result, the matrix began to display colors as richly as the Super AMOLED displays in Samsung smartphones. Moreover, if the S6 edge allows for the correction of color reproduction and richness of the picture, then in the G4 “powerful” colors are offered at an uncontested level.

As a result, the display turned out to be very clear, bright and extraordinarily saturated - the only drawbacks are excessively intense colors (partly a matter of taste) and a relatively high Delta E deviation due to the expanded color gamut.

Sound

G4 surprises with speaker potential speakerphone- in terms of volume and sound quality, our LG leaves behind not only most smartphones, but at the same time many large tablets. Among modern flagships, he is able to compete on equal terms with HTC One M9 which is equipped with two BoomSound speakers. In a face-to-face fight, HTC will most likely show a better stereo base and slightly superior sound clarity, but will definitely lose in terms of the number of mids (and the bass spectrum). In LG G4, it is enough to activate the "bass boost" mode in standard player to get a convincing sound without a hint of "squeaky", which is not expected from a mobile phone with a thickness of less than 10 mm.

Unexpected changes and unfulfilled expectations

Starting to review another representative of the top line of LG smartphones, it is worth noting right away that the model, which received the name with the fourth ordinal index, can only be called the flagship for its own line, but not for the entire family of smartphones from the Korean company. Still, the true flagship of the Korean flotilla, both in terms of most of the fundamental characteristics and the number of innovative ideas and finds, is the most powerful device with a curved screen called LG G Flex 2, released at the very beginning of the year. This notable smartphone has a more powerful, the most productive Snapdragon 810 hardware platform of the entire Qualcomm family, it boasts an innovative screen curve that follows the curved shape of the case, and the case itself is provided with a completely unusual surface self-tightening technology in case of damage. In general, there are more than enough innovations, there is something to pay attention to, there is something to be surprised at. Against this background, the merits of the hero of today's review, the LG G4 smartphone, are not that pale, but in his case you have to look much more closely at long lists of official specifications, looking for differences from the previous version and wondering about the legality of awarding the next model a new ordinal numbers.

The first to catch the eye, of course, are the changes that have taken place in the design of the new representative of the line of top Korean smartphones. Most readers, of course, have already heard a lot about the fact that the LG G4 received genuine leather trim, many have seen promotional images of new items. I must say that this is the case when, upon a personal acquaintance, expectations do not collapse at all - the smartphone really looks just as impressive in real life as it does in advertising pictures. But it is worth noting that not all modifications of the novelty received leather upholstery; along with leather variants, more familiar glossy plastic ones coexist on sale, which immediately raises a logical question: is it possible that someone will choose a model with a glossy plastic case at the same cost with a rich variety of leather finishes before your eyes?

Be that as it may, the true flagship is not red by design alone. The maximum characteristics and advanced technologies for the top products of the IT market are of no lesser, and perhaps even greater importance, and in this regard, the hero of the review is not so simple. At least, there are much less striking differences from the previous model than one might expect, looking at the efforts of competitors, especially in the camp of first-rate manufacturers. Although the developers themselves from LG have a different opinion on this matter: the official press release is replete with numbers, by how many percent the screen has become brighter and more contrast, the camera is more sensitive, the platform is faster. They even calculated how much more reliable the curved case type is in relation to the flat one. The company is so confident in the success of its new product that a few weeks before the official launch of the product, 4,000 smartphones were given away for a test drive as part of a study of the opinions of ordinary independent users from 15 countries around the world, including Korea itself, as well as the United States, China , Turkey, India, France, Germany and the UK. Russia was not included in this list.

Video review

To get started, we suggest watching our video review of the LG G4 smartphone:

Now let's look at the characteristics of new items.

Key Features of LG G4 (LG-F500L)

	LG G4	HTC One M9	Nexus 6	samsung galaxy S6	Meizu MX4
Screen	5.5" IPS	5″ S-LCD 3	5.96" AMOLED	5.1″ Super AMOLED	5.36" IPS
Permission	2560×1440, 538 ppi	1920×1080, 441ppi	2560×1440, 493 ppi	2560×1440, 577 ppi	1920×1152, 418 ppi
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (2x Cortex-A57 @1.8GHz + 4x [email protected].5 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.0GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 (4x Krait 450 @2.7GHz)	Exynos 7420 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.1GHz & 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5GHz)	Mediatek MT6595 Octa-core (4x Cortex-A17 @2.2GHz & 4x Cortex-A7 @1.7GHz)
GPU	Adreno 418	Adreno 430	Adreno 420	Mali-T760	PowerVR G6200
RAM	3 GB	3 GB	3 GB	3 GB	2 GB
Flash memory	32 GB	32 GB	32/64 GB	32/64/128 GB	16/32/64 GB
Memory card support	microSD	microSD	—	—	—
Operating system	Google Android 5.1	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 4.4
Battery	removable, 3000 mAh	non-removable, 2840 mAh	non-removable, 3220 mAh	non-removable, 2550 mAh	non-removable, 3100 mAh
cameras	main (16 MP; video 4K), front (8 MP)	main (20.7 MP; video 4K), front (4 MP)	main (13 MP; video 4K), front (2 MP)	main (16 MP; video 4K), front (5 MP)	rear (20.7 MP; 4K video), front (2 MP)
Dimensions and weight	149×76×9.8mm, 155g	145×70×9.6mm, 157g	159×83×10.1mm, 184g	143×70×6.8mm, 138g	144×75×8.9mm, 147g
average price	N/A	T-12259334	T-11153512	T-12259333	T-11036319

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, 6 cores: 2×1.8 GHz (ARM Cortex-A57) + 4×1.5 (ARM Cortex-A53)
• GPU Adreno 418 @600 MHz
• Operating system Android 5.1, Lollipop
• Touch display IPS 5.5″, 2560 × 1440, 538 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB, inner memory 32 GB
• SIM cards: Micro-SIM (1 pc.)
• Support for microSD memory cards up to 2 TB
• Data transmission 4G X10 LTE (Cat 9 up to 450 Mbps)
• Wi-Fi Qualcomm VIVE 2-stream 802.11n/ac MU-MIMO (2.4/5GHz) hotspot WiFi access, WiFi Direct
• Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, Infrared
• GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
• USB 2.0, OTG, SlimPort
• Camera 16 MP, autofocus, optical stabilization
• Camera 8 MP, front
• Gyroscope, proximity sensor, lighting, accelerometer, electronic compass
• Battery 3000 mAh, removable
• Dimensions 149×76×9.8 mm
• Weight 155 g

Appearance and usability

The most notable difference between the LG G4 and its predecessor is, of course, the design. While retaining the overall style and some features such as sharp corners and slightly rounded end faces, the body of the novelty, however, is quite different in appearance. Even at a cursory glance, the shape of the new product is much more similar to the curved LG G Flex 2 mentioned above than to the previous representative of the line, the LG G3 smartphone.

In fact, the body of the LG G4, like the display itself, has a slight bend, but it is much less noticeable than that of the LG G Flex 2. And yet, if you put the smartphone on a hard surface with the screen down, you will clearly see a small gap about a millimeter wide. According to the developers, this solution is not only a design element, but also provides 20% more reliability compared to flat smartphones in case the screen falls down. The anterior surface has a much less pronounced curve than the posterior. The back side is so sloping and rounded in the manner of a paperweight that because of it the smartphone sways on the table. Working with the LG G4 lying on a hard surface is decidedly inconvenient, with any touch on the screen, the body sways.

However, this very sloping back allows you to hold the smartphone in your hand with great comfort, especially considering its not so large dimensions. The screen of the LG G4, of course, is quite large, but at the same time, for its display size, the case has the smallest possible size with narrow bezels around the screen. For example, for the same screen size, the LG G4 is significantly smaller than the iPhone 6 Plus. True, this does not apply to such a characteristic of a smartphone as thickness: according to this parameter, the Korean device even sets a kind of anti-record. Its thickness reaches almost a centimeter at its thickest point, but due to the strongly tapered side edges, the feeling of excess thickness is significantly leveled.

As for the materials of manufacture, apart from the use of genuine leather in some modifications, otherwise there are no surprises: there was no metal, the case is entirely plastic, the wide sidewalls are very slippery, because they are made of glossy and very branded plastic.

Surely, the noble gleam of a matte bezel made of real metal would add more solidity and high cost to the product, especially in combination with natural leather trim, but Asian designers have different tastes: a shiny gloss attracts them with irresistible force, and nothing can be done about it. However, Samsung managed to make an effort on themselves, and they succeeded. The assembly itself does not cause any complaints, all the details are tightly fitted, there are no squeaks and cracks.

The basis of the lid is flexible plastic with a layer of handmade leather stretched over it. Vegetable-tanned leather is environmentally friendly and easily recycled. Promised that it does not contain harmful chemicals.

In total, 6 different colors of leather trim are used: black, brown, red, beige, yellow, and even, according to the official description, sky blue. In addition to the leather trim, other variants of the back cover will also be on sale with even more beautiful names: Patterned snow white ceramic, hand-forged metallic gray, and high-gloss shiny gold.

The cover can be removed quite easily, hiding under it the only dual slot for a SIM card and a memory card, there are no other slots. The battery, unlike the G Flex 2, is removable here. In this case, only one SIM card is supported, but a modification with support for two SIM cards will also be released. The format is used not Nano-, but Micro-SIM, which can be considered a minus, since thanks to Apple and most global brands, all modern flagship novelties are already designed for Nano-SIM, and an adapter may be needed here.

On the back of the smartphone is a large camera window, framed by a thin ring. On the sides of it are an LED flash and a laser rangefinder to measure the distance to the subject of photography. The camera module is combined with the control buttons located here, on the back side. It should be noted that unlike the latest Apple and Samsung products, the LG G4 does not have a camera module protruding beyond the surface, but here we should not forget about the excess thickness of the LG model case. The LED flash can function as a flashlight, for this the smartphone has an appropriate application.

The purpose of the buttons remains the same: the central key fulfills the inclusion and blocking of the smartphone, and the other two, top and bottom, are responsible for volume control. The advanced features of the hardware button block have changed somewhat: now double-clicking the lower volume button activates the camera and initiates shooting. The buttons themselves are made under the metal, have a textured surface, are easy to find blindly. The keys have a moderately springy stroke and a distinct response, they are slightly recessed into the body, so accidental and unintentional pressing them is excluded.

At the bottom of the rear panel there is a slot for sound output from the speaker, a shiny chrome grille of a single speaker is visible through it, there are no stereo speakers. The speaker hole is not blocked by the table surface, since it falls on the bend of the case.

The front side of the smartphone is completely covered protective glass, the surface of the panel below it is laser engraved, creating a textured effect, this gives the design complexity and high cost. In the upper part above the screen in the glass there is a slot for the speaker grille. Nearby are the eyes of the front camera and sensors. Also located here is led indicator events that can shine different colors- its functions are regulated in the settings section dedicated to sound notifications.

There are no touch buttons in the lower part below the screen, control is carried out using virtual buttons on the screen. The block of these buttons can be hidden or displayed when using applications, and individual settings can be made for each individual program. The combination of displayed buttons can be changed by rearranging in the appropriate settings section.

There are no connectors on the top end, it is given over to an infrared port intended for use as a remote control using an appropriate program called smart remote.

Both connectors are located on the bottom end: an audio output for headphones (minijack) and a universal Micro-USB 2.0 that supports connecting devices in OTG mode. The connectors are not covered with covers and plugs, since the smartphone is not protected from water. There is no strap attachment on the case either. Wireless charging, unlike its predecessor LG G3, the device does not support.

Screen

LG G4 is equipped with an IPS sensor matrix without an air gap, combined with a protective glass. It uses a new type of display called LG IPS Quantum, which provides 20% improved color reproduction, 25% more brightness and 50% more contrast. It's also the first Quad HD display to feature Advanced In Cell Touch, which combines the LCD panel and touch sensor into a single layer for better color reproduction and touch sensitivity. The new display has been calibrated to DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) color standards pioneered by Hollywood's leading studios.

The screen dimensions are 68 × 121 mm, the diagonal is 5.5 inches, the resolution is 2560 × 1440 pixels. Accordingly, the dot density here is very high and amounts to 538 ppi. The width of the frame from the edge of the screen to the edge of the case is about 4 mm on the sides, 12 mm on the top, and 16 mm on the bottom. The dimensions of the frame on the sides have become, to our surprise, wider compared to the LG G3 and G Flex 2 models, and this is noticeable even at first glance. However, we can still say that a huge display with a diagonal size of 5.5 inches is inscribed in a fairly acceptable body size, when compared with most competitors.

In the display settings, you can enable automatic brightness adjustment depending on the ambient light. The multi-touch technology here allows you to handle 10 simultaneous touches. When you bring the smartphone to your ear, the screen is locked using the proximity sensor. By double tapping on the glass, the screen can be awakened and also put back to sleep.

Detailed examination using measuring instruments held the editor of the sections "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is LG G4, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen on the LG G4 is noticeably darker (brightness in photos is 96 versus 112 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the LG G4 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the screen layers (more specifically, between the outer glass and the LCD matrix surface) (OGS type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of borders (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. There is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating on the outer surface of the screen (effective, but maybe a little worse than Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control and with a white field displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was 465-480 cd / m² (depending on the heating of the device), the minimum was 3.8 cd / m². The maximum brightness is high, which means that, given the excellent anti-glare properties of the screen, readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at a high level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is an automatic brightness control according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). AT automatic mode as the ambient light conditions change, the brightness of the screen both increases and decreases. This function depends on the position of the brightness slider. If it is at 100%, then in complete darkness, the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 3.8 cd / m² (too dark), in an artificially lit office (about 400 lux) it sets it to 205 cd / m² (normal), in in a very bright environment (corresponding to a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to a maximum of 470 cd / m² (which is what you need). Brightness slider at 50% - the following values: 3.8, 160 and 470 cd / m², at 0% - 3.8, 30 and 470 cd / m² (the logic can be traced). In general, the automatic brightness adjustment function works adequately, but in total darkness, the brightness may need to be manually increased slightly. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.

AT this smartphone IPS type matrix is ​​used. Micrographs (if you look closely) show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even at large deviations of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photos in which the same images are displayed on the screens of LG G4 and Nexus 7, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m², and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. A white field is perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:

Saturation in the case of the LG G4 is clearly too high. As additional tests have shown, this overestimation is achieved due to both wide coverage and a slight increase in color contrast. Also note that the red color has a slightly unnatural hue (visually it is noticeably better than in the photo). In addition, the images show that the contour sharpness is also increased to some extent. Apparently, this image processing is performed at a very low level programmatically, since its result is visible in all tested programs that display bitmap images.

Now at an angle of about 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, but the contrast on the LG G4 screen has noticeably decreased due to a significant increase in the black level. And the white box:

The brightness at an angle at the screens decreased (at least five times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the LG G4, the brightness decreased slightly. The black field, when deviated diagonally, is highlighted strongly, but remains conditionally neutral gray in hue. The photos below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same for the screens!):

And from another angle:

With a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is not ideal, since the brightness of black in places noticeably increases:

Contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 1150:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 21 ms (11.5 ms on + 9.5 ms off). The transition between grayscale 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 35 ms. The gamma curve constructed from 32 points with an equal interval according to the numerical value of the shade of gray did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows. The exponent of the fitted power function is 2.30, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve slightly deviates from the power dependence:

This smartphone has a non-switchable dynamic adjustment of the brightness of the backlight in accordance with the nature of the displayed image. Therefore, a number of tests - determining the contrast and response time, comparing black flare at angles - we carried out when displaying special patterns with a constant average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in full screen. Let us show the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time when switching from a black field to a white field in half of the screen alternately, while the average brightness does not change and dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness does not work (graph 50%/50% ). And the same dependence, but with alternate display of fields in full screen (chart 100% ), while the average brightness is already changing, and dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness does its job:

In general, such a non-switchable brightness correction does nothing but harm, since a constant change in screen brightness can at least cause some discomfort, reduce the visibility of gradations in the shadows in the case of dark images and readability of the screen in bright light.

The color gamut is noticeably wider than sRGB:

Let's look at the spectra:

They are not typical, but we have already seen them in the case of the Sony Xperia Z2 and other devices. The manufacturer indicates that this screen uses quantum dot technology to expand the color gamut, presenting this fact as an indisputable advantage. This is a marketing gimmick aimed at the layman who thinks that bigger is always better. In fact, it’s not better, because as a result, the colors of images (drawings, photos and films) oriented to the sRGB space (and the vast majority of them) have unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. The result is shown in the photo above.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is average, since the color temperature is noticeably higher than 6500 K, and the deviation from the black body spectrum (ΔE) is more than 10, which is considered a bad indicator even for a consumer device. It’s good that at the same time the color temperature and ΔE change little from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance does not matter much there, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Due to the wide gamut, the colors are unnatural, this is exacerbated by a slight increase in color contrast, distorted color balance, unswitchable peaking and dynamic backlight brightness adjustment. As a result, not so much remains of the original image - but it is bright, clear and colorful.

To summarize: the screen has a high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. The automatic brightness adjustment function works more or less adequately, except that in complete darkness the brightness is too low. The advantages of the screen include the presence of an effective oleophobic coating, high contrast, the absence of flicker and the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen. Among the significant shortcomings, we rank the low stability of black to the deviation of the gaze from the perpendicular to the plane of the screen, the average color quality, as well as the non-switchable dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of the characteristics for this particular class of devices, the screen quality can be considered high.

Sound

In terms of sound, LG smartphones have traditionally been nothing special, but the LG G4 sounds arguably better than its predecessors, the G Flex 2 and G3. There is also only one main speaker here, but it sounds extremely loud, quite clear, not without the presence of low frequencies, the maximum volume level does not cause complaints. Although the sound is not as thick, rich and saturated with shades as the leaders of HTC and Oppo, it is still very good. There are also no complaints about the sound in the headphones. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, no distortion was noticed, telephone conversations are more than comfortable.

To play music compositions, a proprietary player is used. In the settings of the standard audio player, it is possible to influence the sound quality using preset equalizer values ​​and additional controls. FM-radio did not appear, at least in the European version of the device.

Camera

The front camera in the LG G4 is equipped with a solid 8-megapixel module, has a lens with an aperture of f / 2.0 and takes pictures of very decent quality. You can use gestures and voice commands to control shooting, so you don't have to touch the screen. In addition, the shutter can be released with a button on the rear panel. The Gesture Interval Shot feature is an enhancement of the original Hand Gesture Shot feature that allows you to take four shots at two-second intervals, which increases your chances of getting a better photo in difficult conditions. The shutter is triggered by twice repeated opening and closing of the palm in front of the camera.

The main 16-megapixel camera is equipped with a completely new module, first used in the LG G4. The camera module has an f/1.8 aperture lens and a 1/2.6" sensor, an advanced OIS 2.0 3-axis optical image stabilization system, dual multi-color LED flash, and laser autofocus with very fast time triggering. In addition, the advanced camera LG G4 is complemented by a color spectrum sensor: this sensor is designed to improve color accuracy by correctly reading the red, green and blue values, as well as the ultraviolet reflected by objects. Sensor uses this information to correct white balance and flash color.

The settings menu looks exactly the same as in previous models. It is very simple and concise: there are only two stripes with pictograms, which are drawn too small and are not very well distinguishable in the bright sun. new feature for the LG G4 is a manual mode that gives experienced photographers more freedom to express themselves and allows them to independently control the focus, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation and white balance from frame to frame. In addition to JPEG, you can now save your photos in RAW format.

The camera can shoot video in maximum 4K resolution, as well as shoot videos at 120 fps in 720p resolution. Sample test videos are shown below.

• Video #1 (33 MB, 3840× [email protected] fps)
• Video #2 (16 MB, 1280× [email protected] fps)

	Sharpness is good throughout the field of the frame, only in the left upper corner some blurring is noticeable, which was not observed later when shooting.
	Good sharpness even in shadows.
	The colors of the sky and buildings are quite even.
	The camera works well with shadows.
	The numbers of almost all the cars in the picture are distinguishable.
	Good sharpness with almost no sharpening.

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench according to our methodology.

It should be noted that LG left the development of useless "chips", like "magic focus" and other dubious shooting modes, and focused on the quality of the pictures. And this concentration has borne fruit: the camera shots are really some of the best among smartphones on the market. this moment. Of course, we will definitely find something to complain about: a slight drop in sharpness in the corners of the frame, small residual noise in the shadows. However, to find fault, you have to study the pictures in great detail. In general, the sharpness is good (and in some places even very good) and quite natural, which is important. The sensor and optics perfectly work out small details, and the program carefully hides obvious flaws, which are mainly noise. The grain from the noise reduction is quite small, which allows you to work out fine details in the shadows.

The camera can rightly be called a flagship, which is fully confirmed by the laboratory test. Wishing for even better results from a smartphone camera is already perfectionism. But we, of course, wish: there is no limit to perfection. And you can wish for even finer work with noises, shades and details. Although in this form, the camera is perfect for various scenarios.

The camera has optical image stabilization, and its work can be seen both from the outside (the camera lens remains in place with a slight swaying of the smartphone) and from the inside (the image on the display with such a swaying moves much more smoothly than the smartphone sways). Similar work stabilizer we have seen from Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung Galaxy Alpha, but there its results were almost imperceptible. But for the Samsung Galaxy S6, stabilization works no less clearly than for the LG G4.

Telephone part and communications

The modern Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hardware platform on which the LG G4 is based boasts all the most advanced network and communication capabilities: here is an integrated LG LTE X10 modem with a theoretical TD-LTE / FDD-LTE speed of up to 450 Mbps with integrated LTE 3 × 20 MHz link aggregation technology, and Qualcomm VIVE dual-band dual-stream 2-stream Wi-Fi 802.11n / ac with MU-MIMO, and Bluetooth 4.1, which supports all possible profiles. There is also NFC support. As a standard, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. All supported international standards data transmission over cellular networks, including LTE FDD, LTE TDD, WCDMA (DC-HSPA+, DC-HSUPA), CDMA1x, EV-DO Rev. B, TD-SCDMA and GSM/EDGE. With a SIM card of the domestic operator MTS, the smartphone is confidently registered and works in LTE networks.

The navigation module works not only with GPS (with A-GPS), but also with the domestic Glonass, as well as the Chinese Beidou system (BDS). There are no complaints about the operation of the navigation module, the first GPS and Glonass satellites are detected literally in a matter of seconds. Among the smartphone's sensors is a magnetic field sensor (Hall sensor), on the basis of which the much-needed digital compass in navigation programs works.

The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts, there is also support for continuous input such as Swype. For those who find it inconvenient to work with such a large screen, there is an opportunity to reduce virtual keyboard in sizes. By the way, within the framework of the proprietary QSlide technology, you can reduce in size and move any of the standard applications closer to the edge of the screen, but placing no more than two on one screen at a time.

OS and software

The device uses the latest version of the Google Android 5.1 Lollipop software platform as a system. Also here for the first time appeared the latest version of LG's proprietary user interface, called UX 4.0. In appearance, the new version of the shell looks almost the same as before. At first glance, there were no major changes, but the developers themselves claim that the new version has many detailed improvements. For example, the enhanced Smart Notice feature with built-in quick help Quick Help in LG UX 4.0 makes notifications about the weather, travel and more even more personalized by analyzing the owner's daily routine and travel schedule. At the first meeting, the smartphone literally throws the user with a variety of tips. Along with the interactive information tiles that appeared with the advent of the fifth version of the Android OS, the screen is constantly full of some kind of pop-up messages, reminders, tips and notes. What's more, the Smart Notice widget automatically changes the background and text colors depending on which type of desktop is selected by the user.

In addition, there are less visible improvements, such as an improved calendar, an improved gallery, and an intelligent Ringtone ID function that automatically creates a unique ringtone for each caller in the user's list of favorite contacts.

All previous developments embodied in previous versions of the proprietary interface are also presented in latest version shells. So, on the spot the ability to quickly view the date, time, incoming messages with a simple swipe down gesture without having to turn on the screen (Glance View). The leftmost screen of the desktop is given over to widgets with information individually configured for user preferences - LG Health, Smart Tips, Smart Notice, united by the common name Smart Bulletin (can be disabled in the settings if desired). It is possible to work in two-window mode, reduce in size and move windows with applications in QSlide mode on the desktop, infrared port complemented by a special program for remote control household appliances Smart Remote. The proprietary Knock Code lock modes and the guest mode have not disappeared anywhere, although unlocking with a fingerprint scanner would be more convenient than Knock Code, which has set its teeth on edge. The combination of virtual control buttons at the bottom of the screen can be changed and adjusted to your taste, support for gestures is implemented.

Performance

The hardware foundation of the LG G4 is a powerful 6-core platform from Qualcomm's new generation of SoCs, the Snapdragon 808. This 64-bit SoC, made using a 20 nm process technology, was introduced simultaneously with the flagship Snapdragon 810, which is currently the most powerful of the entire family SoC Qualcomm. In contrast, Snapdragon 808 has reduced the number of ARM Cortex-A57 cores to two, and four Cortex-A53 cores, like the older model. The same as the Snapdragon 810, there are also image processors (two), but they are 12-bit (the Adreno 430 GPU in the Snapdragon 810 has 14-bit). The Snapdragon 808 integrates an Adreno 418 GPU that supports OpenGL ES 3.1 and is estimated to be 20% faster than the Adreno 330 GPU. The memory controller supports LPDDR3 memory, and the LG G4 has a respectable 3GB of RAM. For the needs of the user in the device is available about 22 GB of flash memory out of 32 nominal. Memory can be expanded by installing microSD cards. The device also supports connecting external flash drives, keyboards and mice to the Micro-USB port in OTG mode.

The LG G4 is the first smartphone based on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 platform. Again, with the Snapdragon 810, they are the highest performing single-chip systems in Qualcomm's portfolio. Earlier we already got acquainted with the capabilities of Snapdragon 810 on the example of LG G Flex 2 and HTC One M9, and it should be noted that in comparison with them, the results of Snapdragon 808 turned out to be almost the same. In the 64-bit version of AnTuTu, the figures reached 48K, but in standard test the resulting figure reached only 45K points. According to the test results, the owners of the latest Qualcomm platforms did not prove to be the undisputed leaders - the latest SoCs of the Samsung Exynos (7420) family installed in smartphones new series Samsung Galaxy S6 turned out to be clearly more productive. Be that as it may, the hardware filling of the LG G4 smartphone is in any case powerful enough to cope with any tasks set by demanding programs and heavy 3D games. On the other hand, the fact that even the most powerful solutions from the Qualcomm Snapdragon family are inferior to the top MediaTek and Samsung Exynos platforms in the new season is an alarming fact.

Testing in latest versions complex tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

For convenience, we have summarized all the results obtained by us when testing a smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks in tables. Several other devices from various segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, therefore, many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in 3DMark gaming tests, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (due to which the speed can rise above 60 fps). As for GFXBenchmark, the table below tests Offscreen - this is rendering an image in 1080p, regardless of the actual screen resolution. And tests without Offscreen are rendering images exactly to the screen resolution of the device. That is, Offscreen tests are indicative in terms of the abstract performance of the SoC, and real tests are indicative of the comfort of the game on a specific device.

	LG G4 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 808)	HTC One M9 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 810)	Meizu MX4 (Mediatek MT6595)	Nexus 6 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 805)	Samsung Galaxy S6 (Exynos 7420)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	18372	20538	16691	23234	21204
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	25 fps	37 fps	21.7 fps	23 fps	30 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	35 fps	36fps	23.2 fps	29 fps	46 fps
Bonsai Benchmark	3340 (48fps)	4092 (58 fps)	4033 (58 fps)	3633 (52 fps)	4185 (60 fps)

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for evaluating the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them depend significantly on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Video playback

To test the "omnivorous" when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, do not expect everything from a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a table.

LG once again pleases with the full support of codecs in mobile products: LG G4 was equipped with all the decoders that are necessary for the full playback of most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To successfully play them, you can get by with the capabilities of a regular video player, and in any third-party player, for example, MX Player, all formats will also be played, including the AC3 audio format.

Format	container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Regular video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280x720 3000Kbps, AC3	plays normally	plays normally
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280x720 4000Kbps, AC3	plays normally	plays normally
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920x1080 8000Kbps, AC3	plays normally	plays normally

Video output features tested Alexey Kudryavtsev.

This smartphone has support for SlimPort adapters (or Mobility DisplayPort, video output support is declared up to 4K resolution), connected to the Micro-USB connector and providing video signal (and sound) transmission to external devices display. To test it, we used the monitor ViewSonic VX2363Smhl. With this monitor and the SlimPort adapter we had, output was at 1920 by 1080 pixels at 60 fps. When the smartphone is in landscape orientation, the display of the image on the screens of the smartphone and monitor is carried out, if possible, in landscape orientation, while the image on the monitor is inscribed in the screen boundaries and is an interpolated copy of the smartphone screen.

When the smartphone is in portrait orientation, the image on the monitor screen is displayed in portrait orientation, while the image on the monitor is inscribed in height, and wide black fields are displayed on the left and right of the monitor screen.

HDMI audio is output and has good quality. Wherein multimedia sounds are not output through the loudspeaker of the smartphone itself, and the volume is controlled by the buttons on the smartphone case. A smartphone connected to the SlimPort adapter is charged, while the adapter must be connected to a power source via its Micro-USB connector.

The video output deserves a special description. To begin with, using a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methods for testing video signal playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”), we checked how the video is displayed on the screen of the smartphone itself. Screen shots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output frames of video files with various parameters: Resolution varied from 1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p), and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels and frame rates of 24, 25, 30, 50, and 60 fps. In this test, we used the MX Player video player in Hardware mode. The results of this (block titled "Smartphone screen") and the following test are summarized in the table:

The marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the respective files.

According to the frame output criterion, the playback quality of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be displayed with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops, with the exception of files with 50 and 60 fps, in which case one -Three frames are always skipped. This may indicate some kind of software flaws. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, however, on test worlds, it can be seen that the clarity is slightly reduced due to interpolation to the screen resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - all gradations of shades are displayed in the shadows and in the highlights.

With a monitor connected via SlimPort, when playing video with a standard player, the image of the video file is displayed only in landscape orientation, while only the image of the video file is displayed on the monitor (the translucent navigation bar is removed after pressing the smartphone screen), and only information elements and virtual controls are displayed on the smartphone screen :

When playing video files with Full HD resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels), the image of the video file itself is displayed on the monitor screen exactly along the border of the screen while maintaining true proportions, and the resolution corresponds to Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the monitor is also equal to the standard range of 16-235, that is, all gradations of shades are displayed in the shadows and in the highlights. The results of the monitor output tests are shown in the table above in the "SlimPort (monitor output)" block. The quality of the output is not higher than when outputting to the machine's own screen.

It turns out that the connection to external monitors, TVs and projectors using the SlimPort adapter can be used for games, watching movies (including Full HD resolution), web browsing and other activities that benefit from the multiple increase in size screen.

Battery life

LG G4 received quite decent for a modern flagship battery capacity of 3000 mAh, however, the device is equipped not only with a large display with high resolution, but also a very powerful and demanding platform - the most energy-intensive elements of any smartphone. In addition, the platform is still quite new and, perhaps, not fully optimized. At least, under any load, a very noticeable heating of the case is felt, especially in the upper part of the rear surface. Below are thermal images of the back surface (top left in the image), obtained after 10 minutes of running a battery test in the GFXBenchmark program:

It can be seen that the heating is localized in the upper part of the device under the front camera - apparently, this is where the SoC chip is located. There are also a couple of very hot areas. According to the heat chamber, the maximum temperature was 42 degrees.

As a result, according to the test results, the test subject demonstrated a level of autonomy far from the record. Testing, as usual, was carried out in the most productive mode of operation without any restrictions, although the settings also have the ability to enable power-saving mode.

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m²) lasted more than 17 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and with continuous viewing of video in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level through home network Wi-Fi device lasted more than 9 hours. In the 3D gaming mode, the smartphone showed a modest result, lasting only 3 hours. The time to fully charge the battery is just over 2 hours.

Outcome

As for the price of the novelty, it has not yet been finally determined for our market, but it is expected that it will be at the level of modern flagships (40-45 thousand rubles). The LG G4 is a solid smartphone, with no major downsides. Build quality, screen, sound, performance - all at the level. However, the thought does not let go that in everything you look at, there is a certain moment of unfinished business, and in general there is a feeling of unfulfilled expectations. A spectacular leather upholstery appeared, but against the background of glossy plastic, the wow effect somehow quickly subsides; the latest, although not the top of the Qualcomm hardware platforms, was used, but constant overheating and fast battery consumption make us think about the justification for such a choice of developers. The camera is improved, but still falls short of the level of the best representatives of the market. The sound is not bad, very good, but why does LG so stubbornly ignore the issue of installing stereo speakers, if we are talking about an expensive flagship device that plays at the same (highest) level with the most equipped competitors? With regards to the same competitors: in the flagship LG smartphone there is not a single modern “chip” that characterizes truly top-end devices: neither a fingerprint scanner, nor moisture protection, nor even the previous model, which was present in the previous model, but now for some reason disappeared, the fast charging function, which is completely really amazing. As a result, it turns out that the LG flagship has nothing to brag about, it is a solid high-level smartphone, nothing more. So, special hopes are placed on the price at which the smartphone will be sold on our market - it will put everything in its place and determine the fate of the new product, which, against the backdrop of Samsung raising its head, Apple strengthening its position and the accelerating army of Chinese manufacturers, does not promise to be easy.

The back panel of the smartphone LG G4 H818 is trimmed with natural leather, dressed using vegetable tanning technology. Thanks to it, the material becomes very smooth and pleasant to the touch and receives an original texture that gives the device a stylish and respectable appearance. appearance. In addition, the processing process does not use substances that can harm the human body.

INCREDIBLY CLEAR IMAGE
The 5.5-inch Quantum screen is made using IPS technology and equipped with a matrix that complies with the Quad HD resolution standard (2560 × 1440). Thanks to this, it is possible to achieve excellent image quality - both when watching videos and in three-dimensional games. In-cell Touch technology automatically adjusts picture settings in bright light for deep contrast in any environment.

HIGHEST PERFORMANCE CLASS

With a state-of-the-art six-core processor with high clock frequency and a large amount of RAM, the smartphone can cope with any tasks assigned to it, up to running modern games, as well as processing and editing video.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS

The phone is equipped with a 16-megapixel camera, with which you can take bright, contrasting and detailed pictures even in night street lighting or at dusk. The built-in color spectrum sensor automatically adjusts the photo settings according to the environment, which allows you to achieve natural colors. The use of laser autofocus and professional system optical stabilization guarantees a clear frame even when working with fast moving objects.

COMFORTABLE SELFIES

Do beautiful pictures the front camera has never been so easy. It supports gesture control. Due to this, the user can prepare for shooting or even take a few shots by placing the phone on a special tripod. The 8-megapixel front camera provides excellent detail.

RELIABILITY AND ELEGANCE

The curved case not only gives the device an original appearance, but also allows you to securely hold it in your hand even while walking fast.

CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION

The device is equipped not only with standard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules, but also with 3G/4G transmitters. Thanks to this, the user can access the Internet at speeds up to 100 Mbps from anywhere. At the same time, there is no need to limit the surfing time, because a full battery charge is enough for 20 hours of connection in 3G mode. In standby mode, the smartphone can work up to 434 hours.

Most often, when getting acquainted with a particular smartphone or tablet, we focus on technical specifications devices being viewed, with little or no regard for how they look. The weight, thickness and material of the case are the main criteria for evaluating the appearance of the gadget. Perhaps this is not our fault - we are being pushed to this by the manufacturers of mobile devices themselves. Agree, the vast majority of smartphones in recent years are too similar to each other. Exceptions, of course, occur, but quite rarely. Just one of these exceptions is our today's test subject - LG G4.

⇡ Appearance and ergonomics

The first thing to say about the appearance of the LG G4 is that this smartphone turned out to be quite large. Its screen, in fact, is the same as that of the G3, however, due to unsmoothed corners and straight lines, the G4 case seems more massive and larger. But the device looks noticeably stricter and more solid than its predecessor.

However, compared to G3 the dimensions of the G4 have not increased so much - the device is still quite convenient to use with one hand. The average thumb reaches all four corners of the screen without any problems, including thanks to very thin side frames - no more than two millimeters. The screen occupies more than ¾ of the area of ​​the entire front panel, thanks to which the gadget turned out to be somewhat more compact than its 5.5-inch counterparts.

There are no hardware keys on the front panel of the smartphone, just as its predecessors did not have them - LG uses on-screen buttons to save space. At the top of the front panel is the lens of the front, eight-megapixel camera, an optocoupler of light sensors and a speaker slot. It is noteworthy that the display of the smartphone is somewhat curved. Far from everyone will be able to notice this with the naked eye - the bend is too slight. However, according to the manufacturer, due to curved display the front panel is much less scratched.

The body of the smartphone is made of plastic. Its thickness turned out to be quite large - 9.8 millimeters. True, in reality, the device does not look “chubby” at all: the fact is that the rear panel of the device is very well rounded, which makes the LG G4 seem much thinner than it actually is. The device also weighs not very much - 155 grams. Strongly smaller smartphones they simply don’t know how to weigh this size, their hands do not get tired when working with the G4.

LG G4 - sides

At the top of the device is an infrared port designed to control household appliances - an invariable attribute of the G-series. On the lower edge is a 3.5 mm audio output and a SlimPort interface that combines DisplayPort and Micro-USB video output.

The "back" of the device turned out to be very unusual - it is covered with natural hand-made leather. Prior to the G4, “leather” back panels were only found in premium smartphones, which are bought solely for the expensive appearance. This solution looks really good. A certain individuality of the smartphone and its unusualness, so to speak, is emphasized by a double-stitched seam that runs through the entire back panel. Smartphones of three colors will be brought to Russia - black, dark red and cognac-red. In addition to them, versions of the G4 with a plastic rear panel, stylized as titanium or ceramic. Subjectively speaking, live these modifications look much more modest, and cost the same as leather ones.

The leather device looks at least unusual. Among other Android smartphones, the G4 certainly stands out on the store counter. Unfortunately, beauty requires sacrifice: even after two weeks of testing, the panel, sheathed in leather, got noticeably dirty and lost its marketable appearance. What will happen to her after, say, six months of using a smartphone - one can only guess. It seems that one cannot do without interchangeable panels. By the way, the panel is removable, so there will be no problems with this. We suspect that there will be quite a few G4 owners who will switch from leather to plastic when the “wow” cover wears out and has to be replaced with something more practical.

As is usually the case with flagship smartphones LG, the power and volume keys are placed on the rear panel. This is generally quite convenient, but for those who do not like this arrangement, the Knock Code software chip is shown, which allows you to unlock the device by double tapping on the screen. In addition to the buttons, on the rear panel there is a lens of the main, sixteen-megapixel camera, framed by a massive metal edging, a laser autofocus system sensor, an LED flash and a light spectrum sensor designed to more accurately set the white balance. At the bottom of the panel is an external speaker slot.

Under the rear panel of the device are slots for microSD memory cards and Micro-SIM format SIM cards. The main part of the area is occupied by lithium ion battery at 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V). If necessary, the user can replace it himself.

The device is assembled well - there are enough stiffening ribs in the design, we did not find any suspicious backlashes during testing. The body of the device does not react to squeezing the sides - no color streaks appear on the matrix, even plastic - and it does not creak. In general, the smartphone behaves as it should be a flagship device.

⇡ Specifications

	LG G2 (D802)	LG G3 (D855)	LG G4 (H818P)
Display	5.2" 1920×1080 IPS	5.46" 2560×1440 IPS	5.5" 2560×1440 IPS
Touch screen		Capacitive, up to 10 simultaneous touches	Capacitive, up to 10 simultaneous touches
Air gap	Not	Not	Not
Oleophobic coating	There is	There is	There is
Polarizing filter	There is	There is	There is
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974AA v2: frequency 2.27 GHz; process technology 28 nm HPm	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC v3: four Qualcomm Krait-400 (ARMv7) cores; frequency 2.5 GHz; process technology 28 nm HPm	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992: four cores ARM Cortex-A53 (ARMv8), frequency 1.4 GHz + two ARM Cortex-A57 (ARMv8) cores, 1.82 GHz; process technology 20 nm HPm
Graphics controller	Qualcomm Adreno 330, 450 MHz	Qualcomm Adreno 330, 578 MHz	Qualcomm Adreno 418, 600 MHz
RAM	2 GB	2/3 GB	3 GB
Flash memory	16 or 32 GB	16 (about 11GB available) or 32GB+ microSD up to 128 GB	32 GB (about 25 GB available) + microSD up to 128 GB
Connectors	1 × micro-USB 2.0 (SlimPort) 1 x micro-SIM	1 × micro-USB 2.0 (SlimPort) 1 × 3.5mm headset jack 1 x micro-SIM 1 x microSD	1 × micro-USB 2.0 (SlimPort 4K) 1 × 3.5mm headset jack 1 x micro-SIM 1 x microSD
cellular	3G: DC-HSPA+ (84 Mbps) 850/900/1900/2100 MHz 4G: LTE Cat. 4 (150 Mbps) band 1, 3, 7, 8, 20 (2100/1800/2600/900/800 MHz)	2G: GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz 4G: LTE Cat. 4 (150 Mbps) band 3, 7, 20 (1800/2600/800 MHz) One micro-SIM card	2G: GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz 3G: HSDPA (42 Mbps) 850/900/1900/2100 MHz 4G: LTE Cat. 6 (300 Mbps) band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 17, 20, 28 (2100/1900/1800/1700/850/2600/900/700/800MHz) One micro-SIM card
WiFi	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz
Bluetooth	4.0	4.0	4.1
NFC	There is	There is	There is
IR port	There is	There is	There is
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Sensors	accelerometer/gyroscope,	light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer/gyroscope, hall sensor (digital compass)	light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer/gyroscope, hall sensor (digital compass)
Main camera	13 MP (4160×3120), multi-point autofocus, single-axis optical image stabilization, diode flash	13 MP (4160×3120), back-illuminated Sony Exmor RS matrix; laser autofocus, dual LED flash	16 MP (5312×2988), 1/2.6" matrix, maximum aperture ƒ/1.8 laser autofocus, dual-axis optical image stabilization, dual LED flash
Front-camera	2.1MP (1920×1080) Pixel size 1.12 µm	2.1MP (1920×1080) Pixel size 1.4 µm	8 MP (3264 × 2448)
Food	Non-removable battery 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V)	Removable battery 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V)	Removable battery 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V)
The size	139×71mm Case thickness 9.5 mm	146×74.5mm Case Thickness 8.9mm	149×76mm Case Thickness 9.8mm
Weight	143 g	149 g	155 g
Water and dust protection	Not	Not	Not
Operating system	Google Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)	Google Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)	Google Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
Current price	14 990 rubles	19 990 rubles	39 900 rubles