There is a new kid on the smartphone block. Well, maybe not new but certainly a new contender for a top spot in this highly competitive market. And that player is LG.
LG is better known for its TVs and air-conditioners but with the release of the G4 the South Korean electronics giant is making its presence felt.
The G4 doesn’t sport the sleek design of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge or the street-cred of the iPhone 6 but lurking under its leather-backed exterior is something well worth taking note of.
Critics will say the G4 is just a trumped up G3, and they’d not be entirely wrong. The G4 is very much a successor to the G3 and sports much of the same looks and features but if you look a little closer the G4 has a number of improvements that make it a significantly better phone than the G3, in particular its fantastic 16 megapixel rear-facing camera. The camera sports a F/1.8 aperture which lets in more light and is the best in the market. The camera also features full manual control which makes it easy to adjust every aspect of your photography with precision.
Rear camera video can be shot in UltraHD (4K) while the also-no-slouch front-facing 8 megapixel camera does full-HD (1080p) recording.
Like its predecessor the G4 retains its tag of selfie-friendly with the peculiar, but useful, fist-activated selfie mode. That’s right, flip to the front camera, hold up your open hand and then close it into a fist and the selfie countdown starts, giving you a couple of seconds to strike a pose.
The other noticeable feature of the G4 is the gorgeous 5.5-inch LCD screen. The screen is bright and easily viewable inside and outdoors, and doesn’t drain the battery nearly as much as you’d imagine it would.
Sleek
As with the G3 the volume controls are on the back of the phone. Initially, if you’re not used to this, it is a little off-putting but it’s easy to get used to it. As a result of having the volume buttons on the rear, and the power on button, the G4 is sleek with only a power jack and headphone jack on the side of the phone.
With the power button on the rear you’d think it would be awkward to switch the phone on but LG has included the ability to tap the screen to power the phone on which quickly becomes a valuable feature.
The battery life from the 3,000m/h battery is reasonable and even a power user will manage to get a full day of power. Less robust users will get significantly more. The battery is a also removable which is generally a good move as batteries tend to have a finite lifespan and being able to swap out the battery becomes important.
The G4 ships with a leather back in a range of colours from black to blue to a tan shade. In the box the phone also includes a plastic back if that’s what you prefer as well as a bumper to protect against the knocks.
Does the G4 compare with the iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy 6? Absolutely, especially as the G4 comes in with all the features of a quality smartphone with a price tag lower than its two major competitors. On most networks the G4 comes in around R100/month (on contract) less than its primary competitors (network dependent of course).