LG announces curved-back flagship G4 smartphone

LG have just announced their brand new flagship phone; the G4. Continuing on the success of the G3, the new model touts the latest and greatest hardware; with lots of emphasis on the brand new 5.5-inch “Quantum Screen”. The phone also has a leather back with actual stitching. There’s also a slight curve that we assume is just there to look nice.

Sporting a Snapdragon 808 processor, we have no doubt the phone will be quick, but time will tell if it can beat the Galaxy S6’s 8-core chip. In terms of battery life, the 3000mAh battery promises to get you through a normal day’s usage, but unlike Samsung and Apple’s flagship, the battery in the G4 is removable. So if you find yourself often needing a mid-day charge, you can buy a better battery or just swap it out with another. On top of the removable back, the G4 has SD card support if the 32GB of on-board memory just isn’t cutting it.

The camera has been greatly improved too. The back camera is 16MP with a bunch of technical mumbo that basically helps take pictures in low light. The front sports an 8MP camera with gesture control for easier selfies. There’s also advanced options like ISO control, aperture and shutter speed.

Like the G3 before it, the lock and volume buttons are on the back. Most people find it pretty jarring at first, but we have G3’s and we can say for sure that once you accustom yourself to it, it’s actually more convenient than the conventional layout. The buttons on the G4 seem to have been enlarged though, perhaps in response to the confusion?

The leather on the back is easily the most interesting design choice of the G4. It’s genuine leather with real stitching; almost making it resemble a car seat. It’s nice to look at and gives the phone an executive vibe, but the leather can scratch and dent, so a cover will be mandatory. If you don’t like the leather (50 Shades flashbacks), you can get a plain plastic cover.