A new flagship smartphone from LG is officially announced, the G4. The features that are being announced are, as usual for smartphones, a camera and something not so usual, leather backing. The G4 goes head to head against customer favourites the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6. It seems as if smartphone manufacturers don’t have much left in the creative tank for innovations, and how many users will upgrade their smartphones for a better camera or leather back is probably not too many.
According to Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, “We are living up to our promise of Innovation for a Better Life with a fashionable, premium smartphone that is more focused on delivering a balanced user experience that can compete with the best of the best.
“We wanted to give consumers a truly human-centric device that combined the analog sensibilities with technologies that delivered real world performance. From the design to the camera to the display to the UX, this is the most ambitious phone we’ve ever created.”
If a point worth mentioning is this smartphone is designed to be human-centric, what were the other LG models designed to be? The human-centric UX 4.0 is designed to eliminate unnecessary steps for everyday users and provide a wider range of configuration options for advanced users. The features in this include Quick Shot (Tap the Rear Key on the phone to take a picture with the display off.), a remade Gallery to allow users to work with multiple photos and Memories, a feature that sorts images out for users. Event Pocket aims to make bringing together calendars simple. Quick Help is designed to be quick and is able to connect the user with LG customer support is needed. Smart Notice gives notifications based on the regular habits of the user to give daily advice and suggestions (If it’s likely to rain between your home and work, it could remind you to take an umbrella.).
The G4’s camera is a 16MP on the back and an 8MP camera on the front. The 16MP back camera as a wide F1.8 aperture lens, OIS 2.0 is an upgrade on the previous OIS+ (Meaning the image stabilization range is two degrees on the X- and Y- axis, with a third axis involved, rather than being one degree on two axis.) Users are given the ability to move to Manual Mode. This gives them the ability to control shutter speed, focus, exposure compensation, white balance and ISO. This should probably be a feature on every smartphone’s camera as a given.
The Color Spectrum Sensor (CSS) gives a better color reading by recognizing the exact values of RGB in ambient light, and also recognizes infrared lights reflected by objects. The front camera is designed for selfies in mind, with 8MP and a feature called Gesture Interval Shot. This takes four shots two seconds apart, meaning users are able to have a better chance at getting the perfect selfie. To take a selfie, a user is able to open and close their hand twice for the shutter to be triggered.
The display is something LG has worked on as well. The screen is 5.5 inch and QHD 2560 x 1440 pixel with a slight curve in the design. LG calls its display a IPS Quantum Display, and claims it offers a 25 percent improvement in brightness and 50 percent greater contrast, and uses Advanced In-Cell Touch (AIC) technology. AIC brings together the LCD and touch sensors into the one layer for improved color reproduction and touch sensitivity. A feature that is loved by Hollywood called Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI.) is used to calibrate the display. This is to enhance the standard of usual color expression.
So far, everything about the G4’s innovations is to do with how the display looks and its cameras. In terms of the G4’s processor, Qualcomm Technologies worked in tandem with the creation of the new Snapdragon 808 with X10 LTE. According to Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, executive chairman of Qualcomm International, “LG and Qualcomm Technologies collaborated from the initial stage of the Snapdragon 808 introduction to expertly tune the technologies and make several of the LG G4’s unique features possible,” said Jacobs. “The resulting G4 smartphone is an ideal example of how the best optimized technologies come together to meet consumers’ needs.”
The battery for the G4 is the same as the G3, but is able to be used for longer periods. It is a removable (A feature rarely seen on top model smartphones.) and 3,00mAh. It is claimed that this battery with the new processor will easily get through a whole day without the need for charging. The improvement is said to be 25% more efficient in energy usage.
Android 5.1 is the OS of choice. LG has said it’s G4 won’t come preloaded with apps users don’t want. This has been something that has annoyed users, especially when an unwanted, preloaded app works in the background and eats up data without the user knowing, or is a complete waste of space on the internal hard drive.
The LG G4 smartphone has an improved camera, is available with leather backing, and improved features for easier use. Prices will vary depending on the local market and haven’t been announced yet. It’s hard to know if the G4 will be worth the price if there is none named.
Source: LG