A Worthy Top Contender

Choosing a high-end smartphone to purchase from the wide variety of options on the marketplace today tin can be tricky, simply you actually tin can't go wrong past choosing the LG G4. The handset is solid across the lath, featuring decent hardware and the latest software, and a competitive toll that keeps it in the running confronting the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S6, the HTC Ane M9 and the iPhone six.

The LG G4's best feature is hands its camera. The combination of a sixteen-megapixel optically stabilized sensor with an f/1.eight lens and competent software results in some truly awesome photos in a broad diverseness of weather. With the G4's superb shooter in your pocket in that location is no reason to bear around a signal-and-shoot, and in many circumstances information technology does the chore of a much more bulky DSLR.

I was mostly impressed with the G4's functioning, and I believe LG made the right selection past opting for Snapdragon 808 over the hotter and less power friendly Snapdragon 810. In benchmarks the G4 gets comprehensively beaten past the Samsung Galaxy S6 and its Exynos 7420 SoC, which may have some ramifications down the track, but in current applications and operating systems the speed of both devices is very comparable.

The LG G4 also comes with some handy features that the Milky way S6 does non, including a microSD card slot for cheap, expandable storage, and a removable bombardment. The battery life from the G4 is generally proficient (and significantly meliorate than the G3), merely having the ability to hot swap the bombardment on the go provides added flexibility that not many other smartphones currently provide.

The design of the G4 was perhaps the least impressive aspect of the device. The plastic dorsum cover is bland and feels somewhat cheap, and although the leather dorsum is a significant comeback from a visual perspective, I was expecting it to feel better than it did. I like how LG makes the display boss the front using tiny bezels, just for the back panel I'd recommend ane of dbrand's black carbon vinyl wraps.

I was impressed with LG's new 1440p display used in the G4. The new console is much brighter than LG's starting time-gen Quad Hard disk drive display which we saw on last year'due south G3, and that helps a ton for outdoor use. The display'due south color quality is very expert, and while information technology doesn't have the same deep blacks as an AMOLED, information technology impresses as far as LCD technology is concerned.

I was pleased to meet that LG has revitalized their software pare by making it closer in style to Google'due south Fabric Design. The stock applications are decent, some of the additional features – Knock Code and Smart Bulletin in item – are useful, and in general the software feels less messy than before. I'm still not sold on LG's multi-tasking features or Smart Notice, but at to the lowest degree these additions don't hurt the experience.

At $535 unlocked and off-contract from Mobicity, the LG G4 costs but every bit much as the 32 GB Samsung Galaxy S6. While I'd personally choose the Galaxy S6 at this price due to its superior performance and build quality, the LG G4 is far from a bad pick and will certainly satisfy buyers looking for a great, flexible device with the best camera on the market place.

Pros: Fantastic class-leading camera you tin rely on in almost all situations. Not bad 1440p brandish. Decent functioning without having to worry about throttling. Expandable storage and removable battery add flexibility.

Cons: Blueprint isn't equally impressive as some of its competitors, even with the optional leather dorsum. Performance is marginally behind the Galaxy S6.

In the market for a new smartphone unlocked and off contract? Check out our friends at Yatango Shopping and Mobicity, who will sell yous the LG G4 and a range of other products for great prices and shipping worldwide.