LG’s New G4 Smartphone Packs a 16 MP Camera and Leather Design

LG has just unveiled its G4 smartphone, and based on our short time with the handset, it might be one of the best phones you can buy when it hits the market this June.

The G4 improves on its predecessor, the LG G3, in a number of ways, and, most importantly to LG, rivals Apple’s iPhone 6 and Samsung’s Galaxy S6 in terms of features and performance.

Real leather

The most interesting thing about the G4 is its design. LG wants its new phone to be one of the best-looking smartphones on the planet, and to do that, it is offering the G4 with a rear panel covered in high-quality leather.

This isn’t the plastic faux leather you’ll find on Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4, either. LG says it spent three years researching how to produce the leather for the G4 and that the process to make one panel takes three months.

The company also used a special treatment process to ensure that the leather is more resistant to scratches and abrasions as well as water stains.

A pair of stitches run down the center of the G4’s back panel, giving the phone the look of a high-end handbag. I did notice, however, that the stitching felt a bit rough when you run your finger down it. That said, I didn’t notice it when holding the phone normally.

If leather isn’t your thing, you can opt for a G4 with a plastic back panel. And if you do buy a leather back and get tired of it, you can always swap it out for a different panel.

Like its predecessors the LG G2 and LG G3, the G4 has its power and volume buttons on its back panel rather than on its side. LG says this makes the buttons easier to reach, though I’ve found that it takes some getting used to and can be confusing for first-time owners.

Camera improvements 

LG is also hyping the G4’s new 16-megapixel rear camera, which it says can capture better photos than Apple’s iPhone 6 and Samsung’s Galaxy S6. The camera packs a 1.8 aperture lens that the company claims will be able to take brighter images in low-light settings than the iPhone 6 and the S6.

And with its improved optical image stabilization (OIS), which physically moves the camera’s lens to compensate for hand shaking, LG says the camera will be able to take more detailed photos no matter where you’re shooting.

According to LG, the G4’s OIS is better than the OIS used on the Galaxy S6 because it can move along three axes. Samsung’s camera can move along just two axes. The iPhone 6 doesn’t used OIS, instead relying on digital image stabilization. The iPhone 6 Plus, however, does have OIS.

The G4 also packs a color spectrum sensor, which LG says helps the camera capture colors that are more true to life than those captured by other smartphone cameras.

During my testing, I found the Galaxy S6’s camera to be better than the iPhone 6’s. So if the G4 can beat that, it might be the best smartphone camera around.

Quantum mechanics display

In addition to its design and camera, LG is seriously pushing the G4’s new 5.5-inch, 2560x1440 resolution display. According to the company, the display uses a new technology based on quantum mechanics that makes the screen produce more vivid colors.

The display is also the first smartphone screen to be certified compliant with Hollywood’s Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI), which means colors in movies should look the same on the G4 as they do on the big screen. How that impacts colors seen on websites, photos, and games remains to be seen.

To demonstrate how the G4’s display compares to the Galaxy S6’s and the iPhone 6 Plus’s, LG showed us the same image of a bushel of strawberries on each screen. True to the company’s word, the G4’s screen offered deeper reds and more vibrant greens than either the S6 or iPhone 6 Plus. Still the G4’s screen was a bit dim compared to those of the S6 and the iPhone 6.

That said, the image was a test photo selected by LG, so we’ll have to see how the screens compare with our own images.

Interface and performance

Inside, the G4 runs on Google’s Android 5.0 Lollipop. LG chose to keep the operating system’s look mostly stock rather than altering it too much like other smartphone makers, which is always welcome.

In terms of performance, the G4 runs on a quad-core processor, 3 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of storage. There’s also a microSD card slot that lets you increase storage capacity and a removable battery — both things that Samsung dropped from the Galaxy S6, much to the chagrin of more hardcore smartphone fans.

From the look of it, the LG G4 could have what it takes to be one of the best smartphones on the planet, especially if its camera and display live up to the hype.

LG has remained mum on pricing for the G4, but we expect it to cost $199 with a two-year contract. Availability is set for the end of May or the beginning of June, though the company hasn’t quite nailed down the date yet.