With the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 out the way the LG G4 is one of the most anticipated smartphones still to come this year.
The good news is we shouldn’t have much longer to wait as the phone will be announced soon and will hopefully hit shelves soon after.
As we are so close to an announcement various leaks, rumours and even official teasers have appeared, so we have a lot to go on and from what we’re seeing the LG G4 looks set to be a very exciting handset.
LG has sent out invitations confirming that the LG G4 will be announced on the 28th of April, so there’s no question as to when we’ll see it. What is still in question is when we’ll actually be able to buy it.
The company has confirmed that it will go on sale in South Korea on the 29th of April but as yet it’s not known whether that date applies to the rest of the world, so don’t be surprised if you have to wait a few extra weeks to get your hands on it.
LG has confirmed in a teaser video that the G4 has a QHD (1440 x 2560) IPS Quantum Display, designed to be 25% brighter than the screen on the LG G3 and to have a 20% wider colour range. That certainly sounds promising.
It’s not known for sure what size the screen will be though, with rumours stemming from 5.3 to 5.6 inches.
If the LG G4 does have a 5.3-inch screen it’s likely to be the one which was recently announced by the firm as having just a 0.7mm bezel. That’s down from 1.15mm either side of the G3’s screen, so it could truly be an edge-to-edge experience.
It also looks like the screen might be ever so slightly curved, as an image posted by @OnLeaks shows.
There’s an outside chance that the LG G4 will have a curved screen. Not like the LG G Flex 2 but with it wrapping around the side, a little like the Galaxy Note Edge. This rumour stems from the fact that a prototype device of that style was unveiled behind closed doors at CES, as reported by iNews24, but really we’d be shocked if LG equipped its flagship with such a display.
One of the most exciting though least likely LG G4 rumours is the whisper of a sapphire screen. We wouldn’t hold our breath given the cost of equipping a smartphone with one, but if the LG G4 did have one it would be the first mainstream handset to do so and LG does seem to like being the first to do things.
It will almost certainly come with Android Lollipop, because that’s the latest version of the OS and the LG G Flex 2 is shipping with it.
Speaking of the G Flex 2, that phone’s equipped with a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, which is one of the most powerful around so it would make sense for the LG G4 to use the same. Indeed a source speaking to TechManiacs claims that’s exactly what it will use. Apparently it will also have at least 3GB of RAM. Those rumours seem likely, though we wouldn’t be surprised if it had as much as 4GB of RAM.
Plus while the LG G4 will probably use a Snapdragon 810 chip there’s an outside chance that it will use the company’s in-house octa-core Nuclun processor, especially as there are rumoured to be overheating issues with the Snapdragon 810.
Another specs leak, this time from wccftech.com, claims the LG G4 will have a 5.3-inch QHD screen, a Snapdragon 810 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 3500 mAh battery, while there will apparently be a choice of 32 or 64GB of storage and a microSD card slot.
As for the camera LG has already pretty much spilled the beans on that, revealing that the G4 will have a 16 megapixel snapper on the back and an 8 megapixel one on the front.
Not only is that a boost in megapixels over the LG G3, but the rear camera will have a six-layer lens, twice the size of the LG G3’s and an f/1.8 sensor that lets 80% more light in than the LG G3, allowing for superior photos in dark environments. It will also feature a 0.1mm blue IR filter, designed to make images appear more natural.
Going in to even more detail, LG has revealed that the camera can tell whether you’re shooting inside or outside and more accurately capture colour hues.
It also has various manual controls, allowing you to adjust the white balance, ISO and shutter speed.
While it hasn’t been mentioned yet we assume the LG G4 will also have optical image stabilisation, a dual-LED flash and laser autofocus, just like the LG G Flex 2.
We have a good idea of the design of the LG G4 too. Leaked images suggest that it will come in two flavours, with either a plastic body or a leather one. Some rumours have pointed to a metal shell, but that’s looking increasingly unlikely.
Materials aside it looks to have a similar shape to the LG G3 and we know from teaser images that the rear buttons will remain and given that you’ll be able to get it bundled with a microSD card in South Korea that’s pretty much confirmation that it will have a microSD card slot.
As for software, beyond Android 5.0 LG has confirmed that the G4 will run its new UX 4.0, which is similar to the interface on the LG G3, but with new features like Smart Alert, which suggests activities for the day based on what it knows you like combined with the weather forecast, and Quick Shot, which lets you fire off photos even with the screen off.
There’s no word on what the LG G4 will cost yet, but the LG G3 was priced at around £480 SIM free when it launched and we expect the LG G4 will be similarly priced. It’s possible that it will creep up to £500 but we’d be surprised if it was any more than that given that LG tends to undercut its rivals.
