LG G4 camera review: a great photography flagship. LG G4 review: Android flagship with a special approach Lg g4 camera review

Equipment

LG G4 has joined the ranks of advanced smartphones that use a relatively large 1/2.6” main camera matrix. Matrixes of approximately the same size are installed in entry-level and mid-level compact cameras, as well as in GoPro and Sony action cameras. LG G3 used a 1/3” matrix. The number of megapixels has increased from 13 in the G3 to 16 in the LG G4.

A larger matrix, all other things being equal, provides higher image quality.

The lens aperture has increased almost by a step, from F:2.4 to F:1.8 (the lower the value, the higher the aperture), which allows the camera to shoot more confidently in low-light conditions. The focal length of the lens (determining the camera's "viewing angle") is fairly standard for smartphones and is approximately 28mm in 35mm equivalent.

Among the unique camera-related features of the LG G4 are: using laser autofocus(pictured to the left of the camera) and special spectral sensor(in the photo right under the backlight LED). Laser focusing, which sends infrared beams to determine the distance to the subject, helps the main focusing system, and a spectral sensor allows you to more accurately determine white balance in difficult conditions.

Personally, in this case, I am quite skeptical about these systems. In terms of autofocus performance and focusing speed, the LG G4 cannot be distinguished from other flagship smartphones. The G4 adjusts the white balance very well, but, again, I wouldn’t say that this makes it stand out among its competitors.

The advantages of the main camera module include the presence of an optical image stabilization system OIS 2.0. As before, the system cannot be switched off. The manufacturer claims the increased efficiency of this system compared to what was previously used.

The front selfie camera is traditionally simpler. But its capabilities for selfie photos and video calls are more than enough.

Camera mode, manual mode, shootingRAW

LG G4 camera mode interface main screen

The camera can be launched not only using a shortcut, but also by pressing the bottom button a couple of times back side smartphone. In this case, the camera mode turns on, by the way, very quickly, and one photo is automatically taken. I would prefer not to take a picture, but the idea here is to get the frame as quickly as possible while the smartphone is in sleep mode.

If, for example, the difference in the camera mode interface of the Samsung Galaxy S6 compared to the Samsung Galaxy S5 was significant, then in the case of the pair LG G4 and LG G3, the brand continuity is clearly visible.

The developers have done a very good job of making controlling the photo and video modes of the LG G4 as simple as possible. Perhaps even too simple. There are no scene programs, and you can't pre-select the image resolution, but if you know your way around shooting settings, the LG G4 offers an excellent manual mode.

"Manual" shooting mode

And this is not the banal manual mode of smartphones, where the user can select ISO sensitivity, adjust white balance and enter exposure compensation. The camera allows you to manually set the shutter speed (the aperture value on smartphones cannot be changed). Moreover, you can set shutter speeds for several seconds (you can’t do without a tripod) and get interesting effects, such as traces of car headlights, or paint with light (Freezelight). The photo below was taken with a shutter speed of 1 s.

Finally, there is a smartphone that can display shutter speed and ISO values ​​on the screen while shooting. This banal feature is available in almost any compact camera, but for some reason it is something unique in smartphones. But this data can be a great help when shooting.

If there is a need for manual focusing, the LG G4 can provide this.

But that's not all. LG G4 can save pictures in RAW format. I think there is no need to point out once again what advantages this format provides.

In terms of the quality of implementation and functionality of the manual mode, the LG G4 is simply the best smartphone I have ever used. I would say the LG G4 is a great option for mobile photography enthusiasts. The powerful manual mode makes the LG G4 stand out compared to, for example, the Samsung Galaxy S6.

For lovers of self-portraits (selfies), there is an interesting shutter release function. Show the camera your open palm, then clench it into a fist, and the camera will automatically start a three-second shutter timer. During these seconds, you will be able to select the desired position and will not be distracted by pressing the button.

Video recording

The presence of a 4K video shooting mode was not something unexpected in a device of this class. But the LG G4, surprisingly, cannot record in 1080p60 (50) format. Considering that YouTube has been able to play such videos for a long time, the opportunity would not be out of place.

In Slow motion mode, the camera records HD video at 120 fps. In this case, you cannot select any individual sections of the video that need to be slowed down. It's a pity - the Sony Xperia Z3, Sony Xperia Z3 Compact and Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphones really liked this mode.

In general, the video quality of the LG G4 is at a high level. There are no complaints about autofocus speed when shooting video.

What is missing?

With convenient controls and the most powerful manual shooting mode for a smartphone, the LG G4 may not come across many interesting functions found in competitors’ devices. The panorama here is only ordinary, not spherical, there is no possibility of loading extensions to increase the functionality of the camera, there are no effects associated with serial shooting (selecting the best frame from a series, cutting out or “replicating” moving objects, etc.). In the LG G3, focus bracketing was available (the “Magic Focus” effect), but there is no such option here.

conclusions

In terms of photo and video capabilities, the LG G4 is prepared just perfectly. Unfortunately, it was not possible to directly compare it with competing smartphones, but according to subjective assessment, it shoots very well. Compared to its predecessor, there are improvements in both the matrix and the lens.

With today's competition, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out and win the attention of consumers. This also applies to the camera mode in smartphones. But personally, the LG G4 simply captivated me with its advanced and convenient manual mode.

Some examples of photos and videos

Today you won’t surprise anyone with automatic HDR mode. This function works quite well in the LG G4. The HDR shot shows how the camera brightened the shadows and dimmed the highlights, preserving detail. At the same time, there is no “cartoonish” effect, which often accompanies HDR images.

The macro capabilities are good, but I wouldn't highlight anything special. Like some other smartphones from different brands, there is one unpleasant feature. If you bring the camera too close to the subject when the focusing system can no longer cope, the camera will report that focusing was successful, although this is not the case. You must carefully monitor the image on the screen, otherwise you may get a blurry photo.

Due to the high aperture of the lens and the relatively large matrix, the camera is able to provide good blurring of the object during large-scale shooting. In this case, this happens due to the relatively shallow “depth of field”, and not some kind of software effects that are used in smartphones.

To download the original photo, click right button mouse and select open link in new window

Our foreign colleagues from PhoneArena have prepared a selection of examples of images of the night sky taken with the camera of the flagship LG G4. In addition, this article will tell you how to achieve similar image quality by manually adjusting the smartphone camera application. Let us remind you that the mobile device is equipped with a 16 MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture, laser autofocus and optical image stabilization.

First of all, you need to ensure that your LG G4 is stationary, otherwise the pictures will turn out blurry, given the low-light night time and longer exposure times than during the daytime. Otherwise, even iOS will not help you achieve desired result. To secure a mobile device, it is advisable to use tripods and various mounts, or use your wits and try to eliminate movement using improvised means.

Manual camera settings

First of all, you need to exclude the use of automatic mode and use only manual settings. First, set your shutter speed slider to between 15 and 30 seconds so your camera can capture more light. Next, you need to decide on the photosensitivity by testing ISO values ​​from 800 to 2000. Remove the camera's self-timer and select the RAW photo type, infinite focus and white balance at 4400K.

Examples of pictures of the night sky on the LG G4 camera:

1. ISO500, exposure time - 15 seconds

1. ISO2000, exposure time - 15 seconds

1. ISO1000, exposure time - 30 seconds

1. ISO800, exposure time - 30 seconds

1. ISO500, exposure time - 30 seconds

Unexpected changes and unfulfilled expectations

Starting the review of the next representative of the top line of LG smartphones, it is worth immediately noting that the model, which received the name with the fourth ordinal index, can be called a flagship only for its own line, but not for the entire family of smartphones of the Korean company. Still, the true flagship of the Korean fleet, both in terms of most fundamental characteristics and the number of innovative ideas and discoveries, is the most powerful device with a curved screen, released at the very beginning of the year, called LG G Flex 2. This remarkable smartphone has the more powerful, most productive hardware platform of the entire Qualcomm family, the Snapdragon 810; it can boast of an innovative curved screen that follows the curved shape of the body, and the body itself is equipped with a completely unusual technology that self-tightens the surface when damaged. In general, there is more than enough innovation, there is something to pay attention to, there is something to be surprised at. Against this background, the merits of the hero of today's review, the LG G4 smartphone, do not exactly pale, but in his case you have to look much more closely at the long lists listing official specifications, looking for differences from the previous version and wondering about the legitimacy of awarding the next model a new serial numbers.

The first thing that catches your eye, of course, are the changes that have occurred in the design of the new representative of the line of top Korean smartphones. Most readers, of course, have already heard that the LG G4 device is finished in genuine leather; many have seen advertising images of the new product. I must say that this is the very case when, upon personal acquaintance, expectations do not crumble at all - the smartphone really looks as impressive in real life as in advertising pictures. But it is worth noting that not all modifications of the new product received leather upholstery; along with leather versions, more familiar glossy plastic ones also coexist on sale, which immediately raises a logical question: will anyone really choose a model with a glossy plastic body at the same cost? , having before your eyes a rich variety of leather trim?

Be that as it may, it’s not the design alone that makes a true flagship stand out. Maximum characteristics and advanced technologies for the top products of the IT market are of no less, and perhaps even more, importance, and in this regard, for the hero of the review, not everything is so clear. At least, especially conspicuous differences from previous model much less than one would expect based on the efforts of competitors, especially in the camp of first-rate manufacturers. Although the developers from LG themselves have a different opinion on this matter: the official press release is replete with numbers about how many percent the screen has become brighter and more contrasty, the camera more sensitive, the platform faster. They even calculated how many percent more reliable a curved type of case is compared to a flat one. The company is so confident in the success of its new product that a few weeks before the official launch of the product, 4,000 smartphones were distributed for test drives as part of a study of the opinions of ordinary independent users from 15 countries, including Korea itself, as well as the USA, China , Turkey, India, France, Germany and the UK. Russia was not included in this list.

Video review

To get started, we suggest watching our video review of the LG G4 smartphone:

Now let's take a look at the characteristics of the new product.

Key Features of LG G4 (LG-F500L)

	LG G4	HTC One M9	Nexus 6	Samsung Galaxy S6	Meizu MX4
Screen	5.5″, IPS	5″, S-LCD 3	5.96″, AMOLED	5.1″, Super AMOLED	5.36″, IPS
Permission	2560×1440, 538 ppi	1920×1080, 441 ppi	2560×1440, 493 ppi	2560×1440, 577 ppi	1920×1152, 418 ppi
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (2x Cortex-A57 @1.8 GHz + 4x [email protected] GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.0 GHz + 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 (4 cores Krait 450 @2.7 GHz)	Exynos 7420 (4x Cortex-A57 @2.1 GHz and 4x Cortex-A53 @1.5 GHz)	Mediatek MT6595 Octa-core (4 Cortex-A17 @2.2 GHz and 4 Cortex-A7 @1.7 GHz)
GPU	Adreno 418	Adreno 430	Adreno 420	Mali-T760	PowerVR G6200
RAM	3 GB	3 GB	3 GB	3 GB	2 GB
Flash memory	32 GB	32 GB	32/64 GB	32/64/128 GB	16/32/64 GB
Memory card support	microSD	microSD	—	—	—
operating system	Google Android 5.1	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 4.4
Battery	removable, 3000 mAh	non-removable, 2840 mAh	non-removable, 3220 mAh	non-removable, 2550 mAh	non-removable, 3100 mAh
Cameras	main (16 MP; 4K video), front (8 MP)	main (20.7 MP; 4K video), front (4 MP)	main (13 MP; 4K video), front (2 MP)	main (16 MP; 4K video), front (5 MP)	rear (20.7 MP; 4K video), front (2 MP)
Dimensions and weight	149×76×9.8 mm, 155 g	145×70×9.6 mm, 157 g	159×83×10.1 mm, 184 g	143×70×6.8 mm, 138 g	144×75×8.9 mm, 147 g
average price	N/A	T-12259334	T-11153512	T-12259333	T-11036319

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, 6 cores: 2x1.8 GHz (ARM Cortex-A57) + 4x1.5 (ARM Cortex-A53)
• GPU Adreno 418 @600 MHz
• operating room Android system 5.1, Lollipop
• Sensory IPS display 5.5″, 2560×1440, 538 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB, internal memory 32 GB
• SIM cards: Micro-SIM (1 pc.)
• Supports microSD memory cards up to 2 TB
• Data transfer 4G X10 LTE (Cat 9 up to 450 Mbps)
• Wi-Fi Qualcomm VIVE 2-stream 802.11n/ac MU-MIMO (2.4/5 GHz), dot Wi-Fi access, Wi-Fi Direct
• Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, IR port
• GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
• USB 2.0, OTG, SlimPort
• 16 MP camera, autofocus, optical stabilization
• Camera 8 MP, front
• Gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor, accelerometer, electronic compass
• Battery 3000 mAh, removable
• Dimensions 149×76×9.8 mm
• Weight 155 g

Appearance and ease of use

The most noticeable difference between the LG G4 and its predecessor is, of course, the design. While retaining the general style and some features such as sharp corners and slightly rounded end edges, the body of the new product, however, is quite different in appearance. Even at a quick glance, the shape of the new product is much more similar to the curved LG G Flex 2 mentioned above than to the previous representative of the line, the LG G3 smartphone.

In fact, the case of the LG G4, as well as the display itself, have a slight bend, but it is much less noticeable than that of the LG G Flex 2. And yet, if you put the smartphone on a hard surface with the screen down, then a slight bend will clearly be visible the gap is about a millimeter wide. According to the developers, this solution is not only a design element, but also provides 20% more reliability compared to flat smartphones in the event of a fall with the screen down. The front surface has a much less pronounced bend than the back. The back side is so sloping and rounded in the manner of a paperweight that it causes the smartphone to sway on the table. It is decidedly inconvenient to work with the LG G4 lying on a hard surface; whenever you touch the screen, the body sways.

However, this same strongly sloping back allows you to hold the smartphone in your hand with great comfort, especially considering its not so large dimensions. The screen of the LG G4 is, of course, quite large, but at the same time, for its display size, the body has the smallest possible size with narrow frames around the screen. For example, with the same screen size, the LG G4 turned out to be significantly more compact than the iPhone 6 Plus. True, this does not apply to such a characteristic of a smartphone as thickness: for this parameter, the Korean device even sets a kind of anti-record. Its thickness reaches almost a centimeter at its thickest point, but due to the strongly narrowed side edges, the feeling of excess thickness is significantly leveled.

As for the manufacturing materials, apart from the use of genuine leather in some modifications, otherwise there are no surprises: there is no metal, the body is entirely plastic, the wide sides are very slippery, since they are made of glossy and highly durable plastic.

Surely, the noble shine of a matte rim made of real metal would add more solidity and value to the product, especially in combination with natural leather trim, but Asian designers have different tastes: shiny gloss attracts them with irresistible force, and nothing can be done about it. However, Samsung managed to make an effort, and they succeeded. The assembly itself does not cause any complaints, all parts fit tightly, there are no creaks or cracks.

The base of the lid is made of flexible plastic with a layer of hand-made leather stretched over it. Leather tanned with vegetable substances is environmentally friendly and easily recycled. It promises to be free of harmful chemicals.

In total, 6 different colors of leather trim are used: black, brown, red, beige, yellow and even, according to the official description, sky blue. In addition to the leather finish, other options for the back cover with even more beautiful names will also be available: snow-white ceramic with a pattern, gray metallic, stylized hand-forged, and glossy shiny gold.

The cover is quite easy to remove; underneath it hides a single dual slot for a SIM card and a memory card; there are no other connectors. The battery, unlike the G Flex 2, is removable. In this case, only one SIM card is supported, but a modification with support for two SIM cards will also be released. The format is not Nano-SIM, but Micro-SIM, which can be considered a minus, since thanks to Apple and most world brands, all modern flagship new products are already designed for Nano-SIM, and an adapter may be needed here.

On the back of the smartphone there is a large camera window framed by a thin ring. On either side of it there is an LED flash and a laser rangefinder for measuring the distance to the subject of photography. The camera module is combined with control buttons located here on the back side. It should be noted that, unlike the latest products from Apple and Samsung, the LG G4's camera module does not protrude beyond the surface at all, but we must not forget about the excessive thickness of the body of the LG model. The LED flash can function as a flashlight; for this purpose, the smartphone has a corresponding application.

The purpose of the buttons remains the same: the central key turns on and locks the smartphone, and the other two, top and bottom, are responsible for adjusting the volume. The expanded capabilities of the hardware button block have changed slightly: now double-pressing the bottom volume button activates the camera and initiates shooting. The buttons themselves are made to look like metal, have a textured surface, and are easy to find blindly. The keys have a moderately springy stroke and a clear response; they are slightly recessed into the body, so accidental and unintentional presses are excluded.

At the bottom of the rear panel there is a slot cut for sound output from the speaker, through which you can see the shiny chrome grille of the single speaker; there are no stereo speakers here. The surface of the table does not block the speaker hole, since it falls on the bend of the case.

The front side of the smartphone is completely covered with protective glass, the surface of the panel underneath has laser engraving, creating a textured effect, this gives the design complexity and high cost. In the upper part above the screen there is a slot in the glass for the speaker grille. Nearby you can see the eyes of the front camera and sensors. An LED event indicator is also located here, capable of shining in different colors - its functions are regulated in the settings section dedicated to sound notifications.

At the bottom below the screen there is no touch buttons, control is carried out using virtual buttons on the screen. The block of these buttons can be hidden or displayed when using applications, you can make individual settings for each separate program. The combination of buttons displayed can be changed by rearranging them in the appropriate settings section.

There are no connectors at the top end; it is given over to an infrared port, intended for use as a remote control using a corresponding program called Smart Remote.

At the bottom end there are both connectors: an audio output for headphones (minijack) and a universal Micro-USB 2.0 that supports connecting devices in OTG mode. The connectors are not covered with covers and plugs, since the smartphone is not protected from water. There is also no strap mount on the case. Unlike its predecessor LG G3, the device does not support wireless charging.

Screen

LG G4 is equipped with an IPS touch matrix without an air gap, combined with protective glass. Used new type display called LG IPS Quantum, providing 20% ​​improved color reproduction, 25% more brightness and 50% increased contrast. It's also the first Quad HD display to feature Advanced In Cell Touch technology, which integrates the LCD panel and touch sensor into a single layer, delivering better color rendition and sensitivity to touch. New display Calibrated to DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) color standards pioneered by leading Hollywood studios.

The screen dimensions are 68x121 mm, diagonal - 5.5 inches, resolution - 2560x1440 pixels. Accordingly, the dot density here is very high and amounts to 538 ppi. The width of the frame from the edge of the screen to the edge of the body is about 4 mm on the sides, 12 mm on the top, and 16 mm on the bottom. To our surprise, the dimensions of the frame on the sides have become wider compared to the LG G3 and G Flex 2 models, and this is noticeable even at first glance. However, we can still say that the huge display with a diagonal size of 5.5 inches fits into fairly acceptable body dimensions when compared with most competitors.

In the display settings, you can enable automatic brightness adjustment depending on the ambient light. Multi-touch technology here allows you to process 10 simultaneous touches. When you bring the smartphone to your ear, the screen is locked using a proximity sensor. By tapping the glass twice, you can wake up the screen and put it back to sleep.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - LG G4, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the LG G4 is noticeably darker (brightness according to photographs is 96 versus 112 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the LG G4 screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to smaller number boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, but perhaps a little worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.

When manually controlling the brightness and displaying the white field on the entire screen, the maximum brightness value was 465-480 cd/m² (depending on the heating of the device), the minimum was 3.8 cd/m². The maximum brightness is high, which means, given the excellent anti-glare properties of the screen, readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at a high level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker slot). In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 3.8 cd/m² (too dark), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) it sets it to 205 cd/m² (normal), in in a very bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to a maximum of 470 cd / m² (which is what is needed). Brightness slider at 50% - the values ​​are as follows: 3.8, 160 and 470 cd/m², at 0% - 3.8, 30 and 470 cd/m² (the logic can be followed). In general, the automatic brightness adjustment function works adequately, but in complete darkness you may have to manually increase the brightness a little. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.

This smartphone uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs (if you look closely) show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the LG G4 and Nexus 7, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K. There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:

Saturation in the case of LG G4 is clearly overestimated. As additional tests have shown, this overestimation is achieved both due to wide coverage and due to a slight increase in color contrast. We also note that the red color has a slightly unnatural tint (visually this is noticeable better than in the photograph). In addition, the images show that contour sharpness also increases to some extent. Apparently, such image processing is performed programmatically at a very low level, since its result is visible in all tested programs that output raster images.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens, but the contrast on the LG G4's screen was noticeably reduced due to a significant increase in black levels. And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (at least five times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the LG G4 the brightness decreased slightly less. When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens greatly, but remains conditionally neutral gray in hue. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same for the screens!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is not ideal, since the brightness of the black increases noticeably in places:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 1150:1. The black-white-black response time is 21 ms (11.5 ms on + 9.5 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 35 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.30, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates slightly from the power-law dependence:

This smartphone has a non-switchable dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image. Therefore, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates with a constant average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in the entire screen. Let us show the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time when switching from a black field to a white field in half of the screen alternately, while the average brightness does not change and dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness does not work (graph 50%/50% ). And the same dependence, but with alternate display of fields in full screen (graph 100% ), while the average brightness is already changing, and dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness does its job:

In general, such non-switchable brightness correction does nothing but harm, since constantly changing the screen brightness can at least cause some discomfort, reduce the visibility of gradations in shadows in the case of dark images and reduce the readability of the screen in bright light.

The color gamut is noticeably wider than sRGB:

Let's look at the spectra:

They are atypical, but we have already seen them in the case of the Sony Xperia Z2 and other devices. The manufacturer indicates that this screen uses quantum dot technology to expand the color gamut, presenting this fact as an undeniable advantage. This is a marketing ploy aimed at the average person who believes that bigger is always better. In fact, it’s not better, since as a result, the colors of images (drawings, photographs and films) oriented to the sRGB space (and the vast majority of them) have an unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. The result is shown in the photo above.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is average, since the color temperature is noticeably higher than 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is more than 10, which is considered a bad indicator even for a consumer device. It’s good at least that the color temperature and ΔE change little from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Due to the wide coverage, the colors are unnatural, this is exacerbated by a slight increase in color contrast, distorted color balance, non-disabled edge sharpening and dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness. As a result, not much remains of the original image - but it is bright, clear and colorful.

To summarize: the screen has a high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. The automatic brightness adjustment function works more or less adequately, except that in complete darkness the brightness is too low. The advantages of the screen include the presence of an effective oleophobic coating, high contrast, no flickering and no air gap in the layers of the screen. Among the significant disadvantages we consider low black stability due to gaze deviation from perpendicular to the screen plane, average color rendering quality, as well as non-disabled dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the quality of the screen can be considered high.

Sound

In terms of sound, LG smartphones have traditionally not stood out as anything special, but the LG G4 sounds perhaps better than its predecessors, the G Flex 2 and G3. There is also only one main speaker here, but it sounds extremely loud, quite clearly, not without the presence of low frequencies, the maximum volume level does not cause any complaints. Although the sound is not as thick, rich and saturated with shades as that of the leaders HTC and Oppo, it is still very good. There are also no complaints about the sound in the headphones. In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, no distortion was noticed, telephone conversations are more than comfortable.

A proprietary player is used to play music. In the settings of the standard audio player, it is possible to influence the sound quality using preset equalizer values ​​and additional controls. FM radio never appeared, at least in the European version of the device.

Camera

The front camera in the LG G4 is equipped with a high-quality 8-megapixel module, has a lens with an f/2.0 aperture and takes pictures of very decent quality. You can use gestures and voice commands to control your shooting, so you don't have to touch the screen. In addition, the shutter can be released using a button on the rear panel. An enhancement to the original Gesture Interval Shot, Gesture Interval Shot allows you to take four shots at two-second intervals, increasing your chances of getting better photos in challenging conditions. The shutter is triggered by opening and closing the palm twice in front of the camera.

The main 16-megapixel camera is equipped with a completely new module, first used in the LG G4. The camera module has an f/1.8 aperture lens and a 1/2.6″ sensor, an improved OIS 2.0 optical image stabilization system operating on three axes, dual multi-color LED flash, and laser autofocus with a very fast response time. In addition, the improved LG G4 camera is complemented by a color spectrum sensor: this sensor is designed to improve color accuracy by correctly reading the values ​​of red, green and blue colors, as well as ultraviolet light reflected by objects. The sensor uses this information to adjust white balance and flash color.

The settings menu looks exactly the same as in previous models. It is very simple and concise: there are only two stripes with pictograms, which are drawn too small and are not very clearly visible in the bright sun. New feature for the LG G4 camera is a manual mode that gives experienced photographers more opportunities for self-expression and allows them to independently control focus, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation and white balance from frame to frame. In addition to JPEG, you can now save your photos in RAW format.

The camera can shoot video in a maximum resolution of 4K, as well as shoot videos at 120 fps in 720p resolution. Examples of test videos are presented below.

• Video No. 1 (33 MB, 3840×2160@30 fps)
• Video No. 2 (16 MB, 1280×720@120 fps)

	Sharpness is good across the entire field of the frame, only in the upper left corner is some blur noticeable, which was not observed later during shooting.
	Good sharpness even in shadows.
	The colors of the sky and buildings are quite even.
	The camera works well with shadows.
	The license plates of almost all the cars in the picture are visible.
	Good sharpness with almost complete absence Sharping.

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method.

It should be noted that LG left the development of useless “tricks”, such as “magic focus” and other dubious shooting modes, and focused on the quality of images. And this concentration has borne fruit: the camera images are truly some of the best among smartphones on the market. this moment. Of course, we will definitely find something to complain about: a slight drop in sharpness in the corners of the frame, slight residual noise in the shadows. However, to find fault, you have to study the pictures in great detail. In general, the sharpness is good (and in some places even very good) and quite natural, which is important. The sensor and optics perfectly handle small details, and the program carefully hides obvious flaws, which are mainly noise. The grain from the noise reduction is quite fine, which allows you to work out fine details in the shadows.

The camera can quite rightly be called a flagship, which is fully confirmed by the laboratory test. Wanting even better results from a smartphone camera is already perfectionism. But we, of course, wish: there is no limit to perfection. And you can wish for even more subtle work with noise, shades and details. Although in this form the camera is perfect for various scenarios.

The camera has optical image stabilization, and its operation is visible both from the outside (the camera lens remains in place when the smartphone is slightly swayed) and from the inside (the image on the display moves much more smoothly during such a sway than the smartphone shakes). We saw similar work of the stabilizer in the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung Galaxy Alpha, but there its results were almost unnoticeable. But in the Samsung Galaxy S6, stabilization works no less clearly than in the LG G4.

Telephone and communications

The modern Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hardware platform, on which the LG G4 is based, boasts all the most advanced network and communication capabilities: here is the integrated LG LTE X10 modem with a theoretical speed of TD-LTE/FDD-LTE up to 450 Mbit/s with integrated LTE 3×20 MHz channel aggregation technology, and dual-band dual-stream Qualcomm VIVE 2-stream Wi-Fi 802.11n/ac with MU-MIMO, and Bluetooth 4.1, supporting all possible profiles. There is also NFC support. As standard, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. All international standards for data transmission over cellular networks are supported, including LTE FDD, LTE TDD, WCDMA (DC-HSPA+, DC-HSUPA), CDMA1x, EV-DO Rev. B, TD-SCDMA and GSM/EDGE. With SIM card domestic operator The MTS smartphone confidently registers and works in LTE networks.

The navigation module works not only with GPS (with A-GPS), but also with the domestic Glonass, as well as the Chinese Beidou system (BDS). There are no complaints about the operation of the navigation module; the first GPS and Glonass satellites are detected literally in a matter of seconds. Among the smartphone sensors there is a sensor magnetic field(Hall sensor), on the basis of which the much-needed digital compass in navigation programs works.

The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts; there is also support for continuous input such as Swype. For those who need to work with such big screen seems inconvenient, there is an opportunity to reduce the size of the virtual keyboard. By the way, within the framework of proprietary QSlide technology, you can reduce in size and move any of the standard applications closer to the edge of the screen, but placing no more than two on one screen at the same time.

OS and software

The device uses the latest version as the system software platform Google Android 5.1 Lollipop. The newest version of LG's proprietary user interface, called UX 4.0, also appeared here for the first time. In appearance, the new version of the shell looks almost the same as before. At first glance, there were no significant changes, but the developers themselves claim that the new version contains many detailed improvements. For example, the enhanced Smart Notice feature with built-in quick Help Quick Help in LG UX 4.0 makes notifications about weather, travel and more even more personalized by analyzing the device owner's daily routine and travel schedule. At first acquaintance, the smartphone literally bombards the user with various tips. Along with the interactive information tiles that appeared with the advent of the fifth version of the Android OS, the screen is constantly full of some pop-up messages, reminders, tips and notes. Moreover, the Smart Notice widget automatically changes the background and text color depending on what type of desktop the user has selected.

In addition, there are also improvements that are less noticeable at first glance, such as an improved calendar, an improved gallery and an intelligent Ringtone ID function that automatically creates a unique ringtone for each subscriber in user list favorite contacts.

All previous developments embodied in previous versions of the proprietary interface are presented in latest version shells. Thus, there is the ability to quickly view the date, time, and incoming messages with a simple swipe down gesture without having to turn on the screen (Glance View). The leftmost screen of the desktop is devoted to widgets with information individually customized to user preferences - LG Health, Smart Tips, Smart Notice, united under the common name Smart Bulletin (can be disabled in the settings if desired). It is possible to work in two-window mode, reduce in size and move windows with applications on the working screen in QSlide mode, an infrared port has been added special program for remote control of household appliances Smart Remote. The proprietary Knock Code locking modes and guest mode have not disappeared anywhere, although unlocking using a fingerprint scanner would be more convenient than the tired Knock Code. The combination of virtual control buttons at the bottom of the screen can be changed and adjusted to your taste, and gesture support is implemented.

Performance

The hardware basis of the LG G4 is a powerful 6-core platform from the new generation of Qualcomm single-chip systems - Snapdragon 808. This 64-bit SoC, made using a 20 nm process technology, was presented simultaneously with the flagship Snapdragon 810, which is currently the most powerful of the entire family SoC Qualcomm. In contrast, the Snapdragon 808 has the number of ARM Cortex-A57 cores reduced to two, and the Cortex-A53 cores to four, just like the older model. The Snapdragon 810 has the same number of image processors (two), but they are 12-bit (the Adreno 430 GPU in the Snapdragon 810 is 14-bit). The Snapdragon 808 integrates the Adreno 418 GPU, which supports OpenGL ES 3.1 and, according to the manufacturer, is 20% superior in performance to the Adreno 330 GPU. The memory controller supports LPDDR3 memory, and the amount of RAM in the LG G4 is a decent 3 GB. For the user's needs, the device has about 22 GB of flash memory out of 32 nominal. The memory can be expanded by installing microSD cards. The device also supports connecting external flash drives, keyboards and mice to the Micro-USB port in OTG mode.

LG G4 is the first smartphone on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 platform. We repeat that together with the Snapdragon 810 they are the most powerful single-chip systems in the Qualcomm range. Previously, we already managed to get acquainted with the capabilities of the Snapdragon 810 using the example of the LG G Flex 2 and HTC One M9, and it should be noted that in comparison with them, the results of the Snapdragon 808 were almost the same. In the 64-bit version of AnTuTu, the scores reached 48K, but in the standard test the resulting figure only reached 45K points. According to the testing results, the owners of the latest Qualcomm platforms did not show themselves to be undisputed leaders - the latest SoCs of the Samsung Exynos (7420) family installed in smartphones of the new Samsung series Galaxy S6 turned out to be clearly more productive. Be that as it may, the hardware of the LG G4 smartphone is in any case powerful enough to cope with any tasks posed by demanding programs and heavy 3D games. On the other hand, the fact that even the most powerful solutions from the Qualcomm Snapdragon family are inferior to the top MediaTek and Samsung Exynos platforms in the new season is an alarming fact.

Testing in the latest versions of comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions benchmarks, so many worthy and current models- due to the fact that they once went through an “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps). As for GFXBenchmark, the Offscreen tests in the table below are rendering images in 1080p, regardless of the actual screen resolution. And tests without Offscreen involve rendering images exactly to the device’s screen resolution. That is, the Offscreen tests are indicative from the point of view of the abstract performance of the SoC, and real tests— from the point of view of the comfort of playing on a specific device.

	LG G4 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 808)	HTC One M9 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 810)	Meizu MX4 (Mediatek MT6595)	Nexus 6 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 805)	Samsung Galaxy S6 (Exynos 7420)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!	Maxed out!
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	18372	20538	16691	23234	21204
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	25 fps	37 fps	21.7 fps	23 fps	30 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	35 fps	36 fps	23.2 fps	29 fps	46 fps
Bonsai Benchmark	3340 (48 fps)	4092 (58 fps)	4033 (58 fps)	3633 (52 fps)	4185 (60 fps)

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Playing video

To test omnivorousness when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, for example subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a table.

LG once again pleases with full support for codecs in mobile products: LG G4 was equipped with all the decoders that are necessary for full playback of most of the most common ones on the network multimedia files. To successfully play them, you can make do with the capabilities of a standard video player, and any third-party player, for example MX Player, will also play all formats, including the AC3 audio format.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Standard video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3	plays normally	plays normally
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3	plays normally	plays normally
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	plays normally	plays normally

Tested video output features Alexey Kudryavtsev.

This smartphone has support for SlimPort adapters (or Mobility DisplayPort, which claims support for video output up to 4K resolution), connected to the Micro-USB connector and providing video signal (and audio) transmission to external devices display. To test it we used a monitor ViewSonic VX2363Smhl. When using this monitor and the SlimPort adapter we had, output was carried out at a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels at 60 frames per second. When the smartphone is landscape-oriented, the image is displayed on the smartphone and monitor screens if possible in landscape orientation, while the image on the monitor is inscribed within the boundaries of the screen and is an interpolated copy of the smartphone screen.

When the smartphone is in portrait orientation, the image is displayed on the monitor screen in portrait orientation, while the image on the monitor is inscribed in height, and wide black fields are displayed on the left and right of the monitor screen.

Sound is output via HDMI and is of good quality. In this case, multimedia sounds are not output through the loudspeaker of the smartphone itself, and the volume is adjusted using buttons on the smartphone body. The smartphone connected to the SlimPort adapter is charged, and the adapter must be connected to a power source via its Micro-USB connector.

The video output deserves special description. To begin with, using a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”), we checked how the video is displayed on the screen of the smartphone itself. Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied: 1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels and frame rates of 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps. In this test, we used the MX Player video player in Hardware mode. The results of this (block entitled “Smartphone Screen”) and the next test are summarized in the table:

The marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the corresponding files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames, with the exception of files with 50 and 60 fps, in which case one -three frames are always skipped. This may indicate some kind of software defect. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, but on test worlds it can be seen that the clarity is slightly reduced due to interpolation to the screen resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - all gradations of shades are displayed in shadows and highlights.

With a monitor connected via SlimPort, when playing a video with a standard player, the image of the video file is displayed only in landscape orientation, while only the image of the video file is displayed on the monitor (the translucent navigation bar is removed after pressing the smartphone screen), and only information elements and virtual controls are displayed on the smartphone screen :

When playing video files with Full HD resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels) on the monitor screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, maintaining true proportions, and the resolution corresponds to Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the monitor is also equal to the standard range of 16-235, that is, all gradations of shades are displayed in shadows and highlights. The results of the monitor output tests are shown in the table above in the “SlimPort (monitor output)” block. The output quality is no higher than when outputting to the device’s own screen.

It turns out that connection to external monitors, TVs and projectors, carried out using the SlimPort adapter, can be used for games, watching movies (including in Full HD resolution), displaying web pages and other activities that benefit from a multiple increase in size screen.

Battery life

The LG G4 has a 3000 mAh battery that is quite decent for a modern flagship, but the device is equipped not only with a large high-resolution display, but also with a very powerful and demanding platform - the most energy-intensive elements of any smartphone. In addition, the platform is still completely new and, perhaps, not fully optimized. At least, under any load, a very noticeable heating of the case is felt, especially in the upper part of the rear surface. Below are thermal images of the rear surface (top left in the image), obtained after 10 minutes of battery testing in the GFXBenchmark program:

It can be seen that the heating is localized in the upper part of the device under the front camera - apparently, this is where the SoC chip is located. There are also a couple of very hot areas. According to the heat camera, the maximum temperature was 42 degrees.

As a result, according to the testing results, the test subject demonstrated a level of autonomy that was far from record-breaking. Testing, as usual, was carried out in the most productive operating mode without any restrictions, although in the settings there is also the ability to enable an energy-saving mode.

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted until the battery was completely discharged for more than 17 hours, and when continuously watching videos in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level over a home Wi-Fi network, the device lasted more than 9 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone showed modest results, lasting only 3 hours. Time fully charged Battery life is just over 2 hours.

Bottom line

As for the price of the new product, it has not yet been finally determined for our market, but it is expected that it will be at the level of modern flagships (40-45 thousand rubles). The LG G4 is a solid smartphone without any major downsides. Build quality, screen, sound, performance - everything is at the level. However, the thought does not let go that in everything, wherever you look, there is a certain moment of unfinishedness, and in general there is a feeling of unfulfilled expectations. Spectacular leather upholstery has appeared, but against the backdrop of glossy plastic, the wow effect somehow quickly subsides; the latest, although not top-end, Qualcomm hardware platforms were used, but constant overheating and fast consumption batteries make us think about the justification of this choice of developers. The camera has been improved, but still does not reach the level of the best representatives of the market. The sound is not bad, quite good, but why does LG so persistently ignore the issue of installing stereo speakers, since we are talking about an expensive flagship device that plays at the same (highest) level with the most fully equipped competitors? Regarding the same competitors: the flagship LG smartphone does not have a single modern “trick” that characterizes truly top-end devices: no fingerprint scanner, no moisture protection, or even the function that was present in the previous model, but now for some reason has disappeared fast charging, which is quite surprising. In the end, it turns out that the LG flagship has nothing special to brag about; it is a high-quality, high-quality smartphone, nothing more. So, special hopes are placed on the price at which the smartphone will be sold in our market - it will put everything in its place and determine the fate of the new product, which against the backdrop of Samsung raising its head, Apple strengthening its position and the accelerating army Chinese manufacturers doesn't promise to be easy.

Already, almost traditionally, every November the next flagship from LG finally reaches our editorial office. Today we’ll try to figure out whether this is really a new generation device or just a rebirth of last year’s model. The main differences between the LG G4 and its predecessor can be called: design, display, camera and, of course, the processor. Camera - key difference from LG G3. New 16-megapixel sensor, with improved image stabilization and a wider lens aperture. This allows the lens to capture more light and, in addition, even in the absence of sufficient lighting, prevents the image from blurring at longer shutter speeds.
Specifications:

• Case material: glass, plastic, leather;
• Operating system: Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG UX v4.0 shell;
• Network: GSM / HSDPA / LTE, dual SIM support;
• Processor: six-core Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808 (quad-core 1.44 GHz Cortex-A53 and dual-core 1.82 GHz Cortex-A57);
• RAM: 3 GB;
• Memory for data storage: 32 + microSD;
• Screen: capacitive, IPS, 5.5 inches, 2560x1440 pixels, Corning protective glass Gorilla Glass 3;
• Camera: 16 MP main with dual LED flash, laser autofocus system and module with optical stabilization;
  8 MP front;
• Additionally: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, infrared;
• Battery: removable, 3000 mAh, Quick Charge 2.0 - charging 60% of the battery in 30 minutes, wireless charging is optionally available;
• Dimensions: 148.9 x 76.1 x 9.8 mm
• Weight: 155 g

Equipment

LG G4 - flagship? This certainly cannot be said from the box in which the device is supplied. Just a white box with the signature LG G4. The equipment included with the device is quite adequate - a microUSB cable and a 2A charging adapter.

The smartphone supports Quick Charge 2.0 technology for fast battery charging, but, unfortunately, the standard adapter is not suitable for this. To charge your phone from 0% to 60% in just 30 minutes you will have to fork out more. And yes, you will also have to buy the headset separately.

Appearance and ease of use

The dimensions of the LG G4 are as follows - 148.9 x 76.1 x 9.8 mm, slightly larger than its predecessor. The extra millimeters also add weight, but essentially both devices weigh the same.
The difference in the size and weight of the devices is really subtle, but “bigger and thicker” is not what you want to hear about devices with identical screen sizes.

In terms of design, the shape of the G4 has become more strict and angular than the G3, and the curve of the back and front panels makes it confusing with Flex 2. The curve of the back panel goes from the center to the corners, which certainly makes the grip more reliable and pleasant than in the same G3. Yes, the smartphone is quite massive, but it is quite comparable to its competitors. The slight bend of the front panel is not immediately noticeable, but it is this that creates an interesting effect - the lower and top panel seem to be closer to the fingers than the screen as a whole.

The smartphone comes in two variations - with a plastic or leather back cover. Plastic lids are available in the following colours: Ceramic White, Metallic Gray and Gold. They are made with a 3D diamond-shaped mesh pattern.

The plastic backs are quite glossy, but there are almost no fingerprints left on them. I still like the silver cover of the LG G3 better.

The main innovation in the design of the G4 is the leather covers, which are available in three colors: brown, black and red. At the same time, the texture of all three options is slightly different.

This option puts the device on par with premium phones from Vertu. But in reality this turns out to be completely different, because leather is a fairly soft material, so it quickly rubs and reacts poorly to falls, and, in addition, reacts poorly to interaction with moisture. On the test sample, abrasions on the corners of the lid are clearly visible, and the Internet is simply teeming with complaints from reviewers and owners:

The location of the buttons, camera and speakers remains unchanged. The main camera is located on the back panel in the usual place, to the left of it is a rangefinder, to the right is a dual LED flash, and below is a lock button and a volume rocker. In the lower left corner there is a speaker.

The back panel is removable; on the reverse side you can see 2 contacts and 2 more places for missing contacts. The first two are responsible for the NFC module built into the lid itself. The other two are needed to connect optional covers with a built-in wireless charging module.

The front panel is covered with protective glass Gorilla Glass 3. At the top there is a speaker, and to the left of it there is an 8 MP front camera for great selfies with friends. Near the camera, the holes for the light sensor, proximity sensor and signal LED are barely visible.

At the top end, everything is also quite standard - an additional microphone and an IR port for controlling home appliances. On the bottom edge there is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a microphone and a MicroUSB port that supports SlimPort technology, which allows you to connect your smartphone to a TV and broadcast a picture in 4K format.

The side ends are free of buttons and connectors; only on the right side there is a recess for prying off the back cover.

The LG G4 is assembled with high quality, there are no gaps or cracks on the body, no creaks or other unpleasant phenomena.

Screen

LG is one of the main players in the TV market; accordingly, all the latest developments reach the company’s smartphones as quickly as possible. The 5.5-inch screen of the device has a QHD resolution (2560x1440), and its 1-in-1 characteristics are similar to the G3 screen. They are similar, perhaps, only in digital values.

The display of the new flagship is made using Quantum Dispay technology, color calibration covers 98% of the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) standard colors - which means more accurate color reproduction. For comparison, we can say that the colors in the LG G3 are more faded, and the picture overall has less contrast.

As befits a modern flagship, the viewing angles are maximum. The maximum and minimum brightness levels are excellent. A cutoff of 0% backlight brightness practically corresponds to the screen being turned off, and 100% allows you to use the phone on a bright sunny day. Auto brightness control is very smooth and changes backlight levels to suit lighting conditions.

System

The current version of Android at the time of publication of the review is 5.1. On top of the system runs LG's proprietary launcher - the updated LG UX version 4.0. He is more tailored to latest trends Meterial Design, all icons have become simple, flat, two or three colors. The choice of colors did not seem very good to me, too colorful, but this is a purely subjective opinion.

It is possible to unlock the screen not with a button, but simply with a double tap on the screen, what LG calls Knock On, which appeared in the LG G Pro. By the way, you can also lock the screen with a double tap when you see the desktop on the screen.

The function of installing various themes is present, but it is not yet possible to download them from the company store.

Since there are no physical buttons here, the lower part of the display is always occupied by virtual ones. function buttons Back, Home, Menu, Change active SIM. This panel can be customized in any way you like; you can add up to 5 buttons there or leave the usual 3.

If you use only one SIM card, then instead of the button for changing the active SIM card, you can use, for example, a button to open the notification curtain, so that you don’t have to stretch your finger to the very top of the screen.

There is a button to enable QSlide dual-screen mode if, for example, you like to watch videos and surf the Internet, or if you need to work with a document and email at the same time.

In the notification panel, you can configure the necessary buttons and their order, which is not limited by anything, because the panel will scroll vertically. Under the icons for controlling the smartphone there are sliders for changing the brightness and volume of the device.

The Application Manager has the standard Lolipop look and feel, with a few minor additions. There is a button to close all programs and Dual screen, for the function described a little above. Also, individual applications can be pinned and they will be constantly displayed in the manager.

One of the features of the device is support for multiple user profiles. When you install additional profiles, you kind of re-configure the phone. Each profile uses its own Google account, your Google Play, your smartphone settings. This way you can use different modes - at home/at work/for the child.

For example, on weekends you can very easily protect yourself from work emails, calendar and calls - simply by switching the mode. In addition, by making a separate account for your child, you don’t have to worry about unnecessary purchases on Google Play or that your colleagues will see how you completed the next track in Real Racing 3.

With EasyHome enabled you can turn your smartphone into - grandma's background, removing everything unnecessary functions and settings that may scare your elders.

To enter text, a proprietary keyboard is used, which has remained virtually unchanged since the days of the LG G Pro.

Performance

No matter how strange it may sound, the flagship device from LG did not use the highest-end chipset available on the market. The company decided to use the six-core Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808, instead of the most powerful and latest version of the Snapdragon 810, apparently fearing rumors of overheating and high power consumption.

The main difference between these chipsets is that the 808 model uses a set of 4 cores for active mode, plus 2 cores for less resource-intensive tasks, while the 810 has a 4+4 core scheme. Wherein, basic processors for heavy tasks they are identical. The younger model uses the Adreno 418 graphics accelerator, which is inferior to the Adreno 810 from the Snapdragon 810. It would not be out of place to say that in fact the Snapdragon 810 actually heats up much more and drains the battery much faster.

Synthetic tests show that the difference in processor performance is not so great compared to the same LG G Flex 2. But the Adreno 418 graphics accelerator turned out to be not very powerful than last year’s 330 model installed in the LG G3.

Test results:

• Antutu Benchmark 5.7.1: 49862
• RL Benchmark SQL 1.3: 8.023 sec
• Sunsipider Chrome 1.0.2: 710.4 ms
• Epic Citadel UHQ 1.07: 38.5 fps
• Basemark X High 1.1: 15040
• Basemark OS II 1.0.1.0: 1503
• GFX 2.7 T-Rex (onscreen): 23 fps
• GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen): 9.1 fps
• GeekBench: 1099 / 3384
• Vellamo: Chrome - 3975 / Metal - 2222 / Multicore - 2362

Camera

In fact, LG has one of the most advanced cameras on the market at the moment. The 16 MP camera is built on a 1/2.6-inch matrix with a lens whose aperture is f/1.8. According to marketers, it captures 80% more light than the G3 camera. For comparison, the Galaxy S6 has an f/1.9 lens.

Now optical stabilization works on three axes, in G3 it was two-axis. The system also has a color spectrum sensor, which allows you to more accurately adjust the white balance.

The software also received some improvements, the manual mode was significantly expanded and improved. Now it allows you to adjust white balance in steps of 200K, ISO, focus manually and change the shutter speed. Now a histogram has appeared on the erkan, which will help. The camera can shoot in RAW format, which allows you to receive a file directly from the camera sensor, without any losses. This is very convenient when post-processing photos.

The most noticeable improvement is the change in the aspect ratio of the sensor itself, from standard 4:3 to 16:9. The bottom line is that most smartphones are equipped with 4:3 matrices, and according to the standard they take wide-format photographs. As a result, a standard 10 MP camera, due to cropping, turned into, for example, 8 MP. Now wide-format images fully correspond to the declared 16 MP.

The wider f/1.8 aperture enhances the so-called bokeh effect, that is, blurry backgrounds. However, unlike SLR cameras with a good lens, good bokeh is achieved here only with macro photography; it’s difficult to achieve this in a portrait.

All benefits new camera They open just after sunset. Because the lens can now collect more light, there is less noise in evening and night photos. Optical stabilization works ideally at shutter speeds of at least 1/10 second and prevents blurred pictures.

LG is trying to be in trend and, in response to people’s fascination with “itself”, puts an 8 MP front camera, for example, the LG G3 used only a 2 MP camera. However, increasing the resolution of images by 4 times does not change the quality of the photographs itself; it is the lens, and not the number of MP, that has the greatest influence on the amount of noise and clarity of the image.

The result is quite good, and with moderate use, the smartphone's charge should last for a couple of days before the outlet.

Communications and sensors

LG G4 can work in LTE networks with a maximum download speed of 300 Mbit and upload speed of 50 Mbit, in 3G networks including HSPA+ with download speed up to 42 Mbit. The version of the smartphone that came to our editorial office is H818, which means that it has 2 slots for microSIM SIM cards.

The Wi-Fi module operates according to a/b/g/n/ac standards and supports the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Bluetooth 4.1 supports Low Energy mode, which is used to interact with most modern smart bracelets.

In addition, the communication module can work with both global positioning systems - GPS and GLONASS. Testing in the “fields” did not reveal any problems with the search speed or the number of satellites found.

ABOUT availability of NFC I already wrote above. It is used for contactless file transfer between devices, payments, etc.

The smartphone can work according to DLNA and Miracast standards for wireless video streaming to a TV, and the USB port supports SlimPort technology and can broadcast video in 4K resolution over a wire. The IR port and QRemote program are used to turn a smartphone into a remote control for a TV, air conditioner, video player or home theater.

Bottom line

Undoubtedly, the LG G4 is included in the list of the best smartphones of the outgoing year, as well as its predecessors a year and 2 years before that. The fundamental principles in the design of the smartphone remain the same, it still looks like the legendary G2. But since then, the quality of the screen and its color rendition have noticeably improved. The camera with a new sensor, lens and improved stabilization system is one of the best on the market. Choosing a chipset that is not the latest can be called a controversial decision, because the flagship should receive the best and latest. In fact, the 808 chipset is not much inferior to the 810 in performance, but at the same time it significantly improves in autonomy.

Using leather to make back panels can be very popular among fashionistas and girls. Noticeable disadvantages include a very meager supply package; the smartphone out of the box does not have a headset, Quick Charge or wireless charging. In addition, it is not waterproof, unlike a large number of flagships from other companies.

LG G4- on the other hand, this is a new flagship, and on the other hand, an experiment. Moreover, we are not talking about a manufacturer’s experiment within its line, but, perhaps, about a global posing of the question for the entire market: what to do next?

The new Korean smartphone is one of the most stylish products of 2015, but it lags behind its competitors in technical terms. This is noticeable to the naked eye, both when studying its specifications and from the results of its work. However, do not rush to label the device as unsuccessful. In fact, everything is much more interesting than it seems.

Design

The most important and important component of a smartphone is its appearance. The G4 looks very good, fits perfectly in the hand, pleases with the genuine leather on the back cover and brings extremely positive emotions from its use.

The software shell, coupled with the ergonomics of the case, makes the smartphone feel like home after just a couple of hours of use.

You take a new product out of your pocket, and it feels like you’ve been using it for several months. However, I in no way want to say that the design of the device quickly becomes boring. Here everything is just the opposite.

The front side is slightly curved and this is a feature that is characteristic of all new smartphones of the company: from Leon to the hero of today review.

The protective glass on the front panel perfectly protects the screen from fingerprints and dust. A must have for any modern device.

The back side is a different story. First, let's talk about the trim levels. In our country, the device will be sold in five variations. Firstly, there are three models available with leather trim: light brown, black and red.

Initially, at the pre-order stage, you can choose only from two options: with light brown or black leather on the back. The most interesting thing is, of course, the bright colors of the skin. However, the black lid also looks quite good. The red shade will appeal to the female half of humanity. The texture of the skin varies from model to model, but to the touch it is slightly dry - the surface, so to speak, is far from glossy. I am not an expert in this area, so I say what I see and feel.

Later, two more models will be available: with a white or dark gray plastic back cover.

The first creates a strong feeling that the lid is made of ceramic. The protruding edges play interestingly in the light and even convey the coolness that is characteristic of real ceramics.

The latest modification is a dark gray model with imitation in a special way processed metal. An analogue of what we have already seen in . It doesn’t bring any positive experience, it’s just a lid, just plastic - in general, compared to other modifications, this one looks boring.

Personally, I would choose between a light brown or a black leather model. The first option looks stylish and bright, the second is restrained and noble. In any case, the presence of leather pleasantly warms the soul and gives the feeling that 40,000 rubles were not given in vain. By the way, the remaining colors of the skin (turquoise, bright yellow, light gray), as well as the additional gold color of the plastic cover, will not be sold here, and indeed will appear on sale around the world a little later.

If you are in Europe or South Korea, take a device with such a cover there. Of the modifications that are not available on our market, I liked the most, as I already said, the turquoise color. Not a boy's option, but girls will be delighted.

The dimensions of the device can be assessed in comparison with its competitors using the table below.

	Length	Width	Thickness	Weight
LG G4 (5.5’’)	148,9	76,2
LG G3 (5.5’’)	146,3	74,6
Apple iPhone 6 Plus (5.5’’)	158,1	77,8
Xiaomi Mi Note Pro (5.7’’)	155,1	77,6
Samsung GALAXY Note 4 (5.7’’)	153,5	78,6

As before, the new product will have its own cases available with the familiar round window on the front. You can use many applications without opening the case: listen to music, take pictures, answer calls, and so on.

The back cover of the case fits very tightly to the body of the smartphone, so the accessory does not make the device much thicker. This is definitely a plus.

The control buttons, as has already happened within the company’s product line, are moved back. Their design, of course, has undergone changes, but this has not affected the convenience in any negative way. As before, operating a smartphone is convenient.

By carefully separating the battery compartment cover from the body, you can study in detail how this leather insert is glued, which takes about 12 weeks to create. It's simple. The skin layer is glued directly onto the plastic cover, and the protruding edges are neatly trimmed. If desired, the glued layer can be pryed off and probably even torn off from the plastic. It is unlikely that this can happen naturally during normal operation of the device.

But the skin can easily wear out over time and, perhaps, in just a few months you will receive a smartphone with a cover riddled with scratches.

In the photo above I tried to reflect one of the scratches that appeared on the back cover. It’s not noticeable, but if you look closely, the wear is noticeable. I wonder how LG is going to deal with users who will make complaints about the quality of the leather coating and is it going to do it at all? In general, time will tell and perhaps an interesting precedent will be created.

Display

The smartphone has a 5.5-inch diagonal screen with QuadHD resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels). The dot density is the same 538 ppi we are familiar with from the G3. The differences lie in technology. In its latest device, the manufacturer used a display built using Quantumm IPS (In-Cell touch) technology, which led to an improvement in color reproduction by 20%, an increase in brightness by 25%, and contrast by 50%.

In practice, the display is good in almost every way. In the sun it behaves well even in direct sunlight.

The viewing angles are excellent, but the black color is still not as deep as in the same one (on the right or above in the photo). The difference is noticeable only in direct comparison, but in reality it is not worth attaching importance to. At least for most users.

Full Technical LG G4 specifications

I wrote all this material based on the results of testing the LG-F500L model with one SIM card (version for South Korea). We will sell the LG G4 H818P model with support for two SIM cards simultaneously. Accordingly, the camera test and performance results are relevant for a smartphone, which in fact may not have the final firmware version, and therefore may not have indicators that are not sufficiently objective for the end consumer. However, let's start by comparing the characteristics of these two models according to the table below (changes are highlighted in green):

	LG G3 (D855)	LG G4 (H818P)
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.5 GHz (4 Krait 400 cores)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 1.8 GHz (6 cores, 64 bit, Cortex-A53 and Cortex-A57)
Video accelerator	Adreno 330	Adreno 418
RAM	2 GB (3 GB versions available)	3 GB
Built-in memory	16 (versions with 32 GB available)	32 GB
Memory card support	Yes (Micro SD up to 128 GB)	Yes (Micro SD up to 128 GB)
Display	5.5’’, IPS+, 2560 x 1440 pixels (538 ppi)	5,5’’, Quantumm IPS, 2560 x 1440 pixels (538 ppi)
Main camera	13 MP (f/ 2.4, sensor size 1/3.06’’)	16 MP (f/ 1.8, sensor size 1/2.6’’)
Front-camera	2.1 MP	8 MP (f/ 2.0)
Battery	3000 mAh	3000 mAh
OS	Android OS 4.4.2 (5.0 available for download)	OS Android 5.1 Lollipop
cellular	2G, 3G, 4G	2G, 3G, 4G ( Cat 6)
Wireless interfaces	Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, IR port	Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, IR port
Connectors		USB 2.0 (OTG), 3.5 mm audio output
Sensors	Accelerometer, digital compass, light sensor and distance sensor	Accelerometer, gyroscope, digital compass, light sensor, distance sensor
SIM card form factor	Micro	Micro ( 2x)
Water and dust protection	No	No

We can’t help but be glad that the company has provided us with a dual-SIM option.

In Russia, people are practical: they use one SIM card for work, another for home, or calls and the Internet - an option for thrifty, practical citizens who, nevertheless, have an extra 43 thousand for a smartphone. Honored +1.

Performance

Everything is fine with this parameter. Or rather, everything will be fine with the release of more stable and debugged firmware. Now on the test device (see model above), the animation of desktops, menus and everything else slowed down from time to time. The problems are clearly of a software nature, which will most likely be fixed in the very near future. Again, LG understands everything, tries, and works to improve its products. The stability and speed of the G3 is further confirmation of this.

There are no problems in games. Dead Trigger 2 and Real Racing 3 did not sag even in dynamic scenes. As for system tests, the results are as follows.

We see that this year's Korean flagship is ahead of most of the top devices from the past 2014, but some of them (or Meizu MX4) were still too tough for it. It’s time to ask the question - what’s the matter? Especially if you remember the test result in AnTuTu - more than 65 thousand points in a non-64-bit test.

Firstly, LG clearly does not use chemicals in the tests, unlike their Korean colleagues, and the device is tested in exactly the same mode as may be available to the user. There are clearly no additional accelerators provided. Secondly, we see that the company is shifting its focus from maximum performance characteristics and giving the user something different, perhaps even more important - design and user experience. The absolute leaders in the latter are, of course, the guys from Apple. The company creates a product that is far from top-end in terms of technical characteristics, but makes it (at least tries) as convenient as possible in communicating with the user.

And besides, the iPhone is fashionable, it’s status, and smartphones from Samsung or LG cannot yet boast the same charge. However, LG is still trying to do something similar and offer the user a comfortable device, and not the maximum hardware, which most users did not ask for.

The manufacturer is following its own path, although it is parallel to the game Apple is playing. Where and when these manufacturers will meet is a big question, the answer to which we will receive in the coming years, but not in the current time period and, unfortunately, not in the example of LG G4’s competition with the iPhone 6S. However, a start has been made and that’s great.

Camera

The front photo module has grown to 8 megapixels and acquired a fairly large aperture ratio of f/ 2.0. As before, various gestures are available for remote photo control (releasing the shutter by clenching your palm into a fist), but now the arsenal of seasoned selfies has been expanded with the ability to take up to 4 frames in a row with different faces. Later you can choose the best one or leave all the pictures at once.

What has changed now? Yes, in general, nothing. The camera capabilities have been improved, the algorithms have been optimized, but nothing radically new has been shown. We'll talk about the camera's capabilities in detail in a full article. LG G4 review, but for now here is what was stated by the manufacturer.

The matrix has increased and now its dimensions are 1/2.6’’. The installed lens received a constant aperture value of f/ 1.8. The stabilization function (OIS 2.0) has also been improved: now the picture is aligned along all three axes (X, Y, Z). The focusing speed has not changed compared to the G3 and is still the same 0.27 seconds, and an infrared light spectrum sensor specially installed next to the camera is responsible for correct color reproduction. Yes, as it turns out, this is not a dual LED flash.

The G4 shoots better than most of last year's flagships, but it doesn't compare to the camera in the . The latter is good on all fronts and it will not be easy for its future competitors of this year, which have not yet been announced, to compete with it.

Examples of frames taken on the G4 in comparison with the Meizu MX4 Pro (right) that was at hand are below.

Battery life

The short time during which I was able to test the device is certainly not enough to make a full conclusion regarding the autonomy of the device. However, some results can be drawn now.

LG G4 will work for a day at best.

With active use, the device is unlikely to survive until dark (we're talking about summer). You will have to charge the device every day; you most likely cannot expect anything different.

As soon as I have the opportunity to test the smartphone for a longer period of time, I will report more detailed results, but for now we’ll focus on this. It's summer now, sunshine, warm water for swimming and green parks here and there. Why not put down your smartphone (let it be a G4 or something else) for a while and go, for example, for a walk in the fresh air, leaving all your electronic gizmos at home? This will clearly be more useful than collecting an extra hundred likes on Instagram and burning milliamps per hour on your smartphone. Manufacturers involuntarily hint at this to us.

Bottom line

For the first time, one of the manufacturers, besides, of course, Apple, did not focus on the technical component of its most anticipated product, but focused on design and user experience. It is not known for certain: maybe this year the Korean manufacturer simply failed to create a truly modern, technically sophisticated flagship that can compete with the Samsung Galaxy S6. Or maybe LG simply changed course and realized earlier than others that you won’t get far on the very best characteristics alone. Indeed! HTC, for example, produces some of the most technically advanced devices, but is steadily losing the market. The situation with Sony is similar, close to their Taiwanese competitor. Samsung, on the other hand, creates the very best devices and also, year after year, does not show any amazing sales figures for its flagship solutions.

LG actively experiments with form, design, software and is not afraid to do so. For this alone the company is worth praising. The new LG G4 came out very interesting. I didn’t see any breakthrough in terms of the technical component, however, considering the design, leather materials and user experience in general, the smartphone turned out to be very successful. All this needs to be considered together.

Price for models with leather trim is currently 39,990 rubles. The largest domestic retail retailers have already managed to slightly reduce prices to a psychologically important level. Of course, this is still a lot and the demand for the device will be very limited. The manufacturer is now faced with the task of conveying to as many people as possible who are able to pay that kind of money for a phone that the Koreans have a decent device, and it’s time to try something new, and not get hung up on the image created by Apple. The task is extremely difficult without the use of the most aggressive advertising company and, most likely, it will not be completed 100%, but I want to believe that LG will succeed.

Release date: early June 2015 Price: 39,990 rubles