LG’s latest flagship smartphone features the kind of hardware you’d expect from a premium phone in 2015. The LG G4 has a 5.5 inch, 2560 x 1440 pixel display, 3GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, a 16MP rear camera, and an 8MP front camera.

But it’s the phone’s design that really stands out: there’s an option to get an LG G4 with a leather panel on the back.

lg g4

Design

LG says the leather back has been treated to be water, dust, and scratch resistant.

Most smartphones are encased in plastic or metal, while some (including earlier LG smartphones) have glass panels on their backs.

Rival Samsung offers some smartphones that look like they’re covered in leather, phones like the Galaxy Note 3 actually have faux-leather cases made of plastic.

The leather back isn’t the only unusual feature of the LG G4. It’s got a slightly curved design, which LG calls “slim arc.” Basically it’s not quite as sharp a curvature as the LG G Flex, but it’s not flat like a typical smartphone.

lg g4 backs

Don’t like leather? LG will also offer models with plastic backs. The rear panels are removable so you can always swap out a plastic back for a leather one or just change the colors.

Hardware

The LG G4 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, but it doesn’t use the same Snapdragon 810 chip as the HTC One M9… you know, the one that is prone to overheating.

Instead it has a less powerful (but hopefully more reliable) Snapdragon 808 chip.

lg g4 808

Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs says the Snapdragon 808 supports 4K video recording, improved navigation technology, and 4G LTE networks with speeds up to 450 Mbps.

The phone has a 3000 mAh battery, and it’s user replaceable. There’s also support fro a microSD card — so if you’ve been disappointed in Samsung’s decision to leave both of those features out of the Galaxy S6, the LG G4 may be one of your best bets for a current-gen high-end phone.

Camera

Like the last few phones from LG, the LG G4 has power and volume buttons on the back of the phone, just below the camera. But it has a brand new camera.

Not only is the 16 megapixel camera able to snap higher-resolution photos than the 13MP camera on the LG G3, but it has an F/1.8 aperture lens for better photography in the dark and optical image stabilization improvements.

lg g4 manual

LG’s new phone also has a laser focus which the company says lets the phone auto-focus in 276 milliseconds. The camera also launches quickly, in about 0.6 seconds.

LG is also offering simple, auto, and manual camera modes for advanced photography settings, as well as the ability to save images in either JPG or RAW formats. You can even save the same shot in both formats.

Software

The phone will ship with Android 5.1 Lollipop software, but it’ll also feature the latest version of LG’s custom user interface and app suite.

LG calls the software UX 4.0.

Among other things, LG UX 4.0 has a Quick Shot camera feature that lets you snap a picture by double-tapping the rear key, even when the phone is locked, Ringtone ID which automatically creates custom ringtones for all of your contacts, a Smart Bulletin feature that lets you create a series of widgets for quick access to information, and a refined user interface.

via CNET

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19 replies on “LG launches the G4 smartphone (with a leather back)”

  1. I really like my unlocked LG g2. I just got the Lollipop upgrade and it runs even better. A really good value at $200 new (ATT branded). A bit of leather and small improvements is not going to have me coughing up another $400 for a g4. God bless the early adopters!

  2. No more LG for me. Their UI is too busy, they lock bootloaders and stop updating after a short while.

  3. I like it though I’ll wait for the price to drop considerably before buying it. Nonetheless LG is consistently goingnin the right direction.

  4. Disgusting, abusing animals even more, as if digging up animals homes and polluting with mining for phone parts that will not even be recycled was not damaging enough already. .

    1. so why are you using a electronics device then? I also suppose you don’t eat meat, you plant your own vegetables, and you generate your own power by hand crank.

  5. price? the specs look great .. removable battery! sd card! nice design and great camera

  6. Wouldn’t the leather skin make this phone become warmer than usual? That’s why I don’t see the appeal of using leather on tech gadgets. It’s dumb from a practical engineering standpoint.

    1. I agree. Sounds like a nice phone, but for the back. In addition to the insulation effect you mentioned, the phone is still designed where it will need a case, so what’s the point of leather? Maybe they will have other optional backs? Edit: It does appear to be optional. https://www.lg.com/us/mobile-phones/g4?cmpid=sem|mu|lgg4_campaign|google|lg|phone|gen

    2. Yes & no.

      For a heavy user or gamer it would retain heat because so much is being produced internally.

      For a more basic user it would insulate heat from transferring inward.

      So, one should know which they are before buying the leather back. At least it is a replaceable back.

      1. Most people are not in locations where they need to worry about heat being transmitted inward to their phone. Also, you’re ignoring other uses, like GPS navigation which can generate a fair amount of heat.

        1. Your hand is the biggest generator of heat heading inwards, IMO.

          I’ve never notice GPS or navigation generating a lot of heat unless I have the screen cracked up to 100%, and yes I’m using an older LG device that, like many LG devices, has heat issues 🙂

          In other words, I’m the non-gamer who isn’t cranking out much internal heat 99% of the time, thus a leather back is no problem for me IMHO from what I’ve experienced.

          In fact, it can’t be any worse than 99% of the cases people use.

          1. If the leather back substituted for a case it would be okay, but it is likely in addition to a case since it doesn’t do anything to protect the screen.

          2. Pointless to buy a premium back over plastic if you are going to stick it in a case. I, personally, never case my phones.

          3. Well, LG does claim that that the slightly curved screen helps protect it in drops, but the entire point of a case is to protect the screen. Going without a case is risky, even if you’re not very clumsy. I would never go without a case, even though the thermal effects do concern me.

          4. To each their own…..never had a problem not using a case, and the extra bulk of a case isn’t worth it to me, thus I’m ok with a leather back.

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