LG G4 reviews: praise for leather-backed smartphone

LG's 2014 flagship smartphone, the G3, was almost universally admired by reviewers, and helped the South Korean manufacturer to a 25 per cent boost in profits in 2014. Now the company is set to release the successor to that phone, the G4. So will reviewers be as enchanted with the new curved-screen leather-backed phone, or will it fail to impress?

LG G4 design

The most striking aspect of the G4's design is the optional real leather chassis which "looks and feels far more premium" than its predecessor the G3, Tech Radar reports.

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The phone is also available in plastic for customers who were attached to the previous look and feel of the phone, but LG says that the materials on both versions will be 20 per cent stronger than the previous device. This also means that the handsets will be slightly heavier.

At 5.8 x 3 x 0.3 inches the G4 is on the larger side of the mobile market so it "definitely isn't the handset for fans of compact designs", Tech Radar says.

LG G4 screen

The LG G4 features a slightly curved quad HD screen. According to The Guardian, the decision to make the screen curve at the edges is primarily to "enhance the smartphone’s durability" so it will not shatter as easily if it falls on the floor.

At 5.5 inches, the screen is the same size as its predecessor, but LG says that there are a number of new technologies that improve on the older model.

The G4 is 25 per cent brighter than the G3 with 20 per cent better accuracy in the colours it produces and 50 per cent better contrast, The Verge reports. The screen is also 11 per cent more efficient, meaning you should be able to use it for longer. "In person," the Verge says, "it's certainly an impressive display, especially when compared side by side with other smartphones."

LG G4 camera

Cameras have always been an important battlefront for LG, which included both laser autofocus and optical image stablisation in the G3 to help amateur snappers get better results from their phone. The G4 builds on those technologies with a higher resolution 16-megapixel sensor and an f/1.8 lens aperture, which should offer better performance in low-light conditions.

According to LG, the G4 also has a more sophisticated image stabiliser which will allow it to adjust to even greater shaking. There are other "fancy new modes and features", Tech Radar says such as manual mode which allows pro snappers to take more control over their images, and a 'Quick Shot' mode, which lets users take a photo without even activating the screen just by double tapping the rear key when the camera is locked.

At 8-megapixels, the front-facing camera has also been given a facelift for better selfies, if you are that way inclined.

LG G4 specs

With 3GB of RAM, the G4 should run fast. And while the phone comes with a middling 32GB of onboard storage, this can be expanded with a microSD card.

LG G4 price and release date

The cost of the LG G4 has not yet been officially announced, but it is likely to come "keenly priced", the Guardian says. The price of the G3 in the UK started at £450 – more than £100 cheaper than similar models from HTC and Samsung.

There is also no word yet when the phone will arrive in the UK, but LG confirmed that the handset would go on sale in Korea on 29 April.

LG G4 conclusions

While the G4 is arriving "slightly late to the flagship smartphone race", its handsome design and excellent screen "help it stand out from the competition", Expert Reviews says.

The leather back is "surprisingly classy" and its high-quality screen may well give the Samsung Galaxy S6 a run for its money. Altogether, "the LG G4 is easily one of the most interesting handsets of the year", Expert Reviews concludes.