LG G4, the best android moment

LG G4, the best android moment

By now there are a significant number of technical information on the LG G4.Your IPS LCD screen of 5.5 '' offers a resolution of 1,440 x 2,560 pixels (538 dpi), with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, manufacturing technology 20 nm, based on quad-core architecture Cortex big.LITTLE A- 53 Task 1,44GHz poor performance and dual-core Cortex A-57 64-bit 1,82GHz for tasks that demand high performance. As for communications, LG has G4 LTE Ct 6 rear camera has a sensor 1 / 2.6 '' 16: 9 greater in size than, for example, the sensor iPhone 6 ( 1/3 '') and, like the other terminals competing with the terminal in the high-end smartphones. This sensor has 16 Mpx, of which only 12 Megapixel advantage when shooting in 4: 3 to be a sensor type 16: 9. By contrast, the iPhone has a sensor 4: 3. The sensor is accompanied by a very bright f1.8 optics with an angle of 28mm (35mm format equivalent). The front camera has 8MP and f2.0 aperture.

Megapixel sensor 16 and optics with fixed aperture F1.8 are two camera components LG G4.

RAM is 3GB, with 32 GB of internal storage, but with microSD card slot up to 2 TB. The battery is 3000 mAh (11.6 WHR), replaceable thanks to LG maintains the classic format with removable back cover unibody design versus other manufacturers. This circumstance makes it an easily repairable terminal, as you can see on page ifixit .

LG has a very interesting ergonomic advantage: the location of the buttons on the back, which makes it a suitable for right and left-handers alike terminal, while saving valuable space on the sides. The result is a screen 5,5 '' in a more compact than other terminals with similar or even smaller screen format.



Pie: The rear buttons are exceptional when it comes to improving the ergonomics of the smartphone and save space on the sides.

In the area of ​​aesthetics, choice of a leather back cover adds a touch of class, but without materials like aluminum, unibody design itself. For demanding chapter of finished users can be a major shortcoming, but it should not be a problem for users who value balance and a quality / price consistent with this "conventional" finish.

The screen has a slight curvature, which is also reflected in the back, but does not affect internal components such as battery, which is conventional.
Smart Decisions

LG has made the right decision when building this mobile. The, 808 Snapdragon processor is not as advanced on the paper with the Snapdragon 810 other terminals of competition, but instead maintains under control the temperature of the chip. A problem that particularly suffers the HTC One M9. Samsung solved it with its own Exynos processor with a manufacturing technology of 14 nm, but also with a big.LITTLE 64-bit architecture.

In fact, the negative effect is obtained in practice levels lower than those of other terminals as benchmarks Geekbench Antutu or performance. But there is a significant and measurable impact on the response of the terminal. But using a less ambitious processor allows relax the thermodynamic aspect of cooling some processors which are not exactly the best in the history of Qualcomm. And right now there are not many options. Intel is not better, and Mediatek is not a sure bet yet despite the evolution experienced. NVIDIA also offers optimal integration technology for processing CPU / GPU and communications. And Apple has the best processors for smartphones and tablets, but they are just that: Apple, with the Cyclone architecture, capable of yielding more than a six-core processor with only two.

In the section of the image processor, Qualcomm none of the proposals big.LITTLE architecture of the moment overshadows Apple. The slow motion video on the iPhone 6 reaches 240 fps for 720p resolution, while the Galaxy S6 or self LG G4 remain at 120 fps. For bursts, iphone 6 allows unlimited streams at 10 fps, while Samsung and LG stay at 30 fps.

Pie: The image processor is as important as the camera itself when it comes to getting the best results for photos and video.

On the video, Apple can take pictures while FullHD video recording at 60 fps, while Samsung and LG are staying in 30 fps for this option. In exchange, they recorded in UHD (4K) format, but regardless of technical elements like digital stabilization.
An outstanding camera

LG G4 merit lies in integrating a simply outstanding despite the limitations of its processing capacity in the multimedia section camera. The benchmark for camera phones is the iPhone 6 Plus, with its optical stabilizer, versatile easy to make adjustments beyond the automatic exposure and focus, speed of response and final results of remarkable quality interface but, image free of artifacts and a reduced noise level by combining ISO values ​​as low as possible with optimum shutter speed. So much so, that even with 8MP, the experience of using the iPhone's camera surpasses that of other smartphones with 12 Megapixel, 16 Mpx or even 20 Mpx.

LG, with the G4, has managed to take pictures with your mobile is as easy as with the iPhone, with a quality on par with Apple, but with 16 Megapixel instead of 8MP, and some additional plus, as the manual control Parameters such as ISO or shutter speed, optical stabilization of three axes, opening f1.8, the ease of doing selfies, control the camera with the back button or the ability to capture in RAW mode. Additionally, the quick start mode the camera has the option to take the picture at the same time, which makes it very easy to make a picture based on the mobile at rest simply by double clicking on the button to reduce volume the back part.

As I said before, you have the button on the back facilitates the grip of the smartphone without fear of pressing the side buttons. You can take either way, because it will not suspended, descend or climb nor the volume or activate or deactivate the camera by mistake.

Pie: the application interface of the camera is easy to use and flexible. It requires a minimum of training in manual mode. But in return they get excellent photos.

The camera interface is one of the best arguments LG G4 in their photographic skills. It offers three modes: simple, basic and manual. In simple mode no options. It is no more point and shoot. In basic mode there are options to disable the flash, use special modes such as panoramic or double shooting, or set parameters like e Timer, screen, voice activation or form factor (1: 1, 4: 3 or 16: 9).The manual mode opens the door to RAW mode, or ISO settings, exposure compensation, shutter speed or exposure lock (AE-L). You can also turn the histogram view, useful for testing in a precise manner that no areas of over- or under-exposed picture without our knowledge or approval.
The speed and control, well balanced

Those looking to make the best pictures with your smartphone two dependent variables depend on each other. The speed at the time of taking the picture, and the ability to control the light reaching the sensor. Although the sensor is good, as is the case with many phones of this generation, if you can not control the light reaching the same, or can not make an agile way, just because they can not make the photos we want.

The light control can be carried out in different ways. On one side is the classical approach in which you choose what areas of the scene you want to measure light: in a timely manner, center-weighted or matrix across the image. But while making this change in an SLR camera is easy thanks to the presence of dedicated buttons for this in a smartphone, with only three or four physical buttons, it is more problematic. If the option is in a menu, change means losing precious time and ruin a solvent chamber.

Apple has solved this point an elegant and simple way, by measuring the light in the area where we touch the screen with your finger. If you hold down your finger will block exposure and exposure enfoque.Si yet still not to our liking, we can compensate directly on the screen using a slider.

Pie: the iPhone, control of exposure compensation to adjust the amount of light reaching a more precise measurement than touching the screen where you want to locate the correct exposure of the scene sensor.

LG has managed to improve the way light control by adding manual controls on the screen, just as he did in his day in his family Nokia Lumia, but with a more streamlined interface and algorithms that combine the automatic camera with custom settings for white balance, manual focus, the eV control, ISO sensitivity, shutter speed and exposure lock AE-L. At first it may intimidate, but it is very easy to manage sliders for each setting. If we, for example, a night scene overexposed, we can use the ISO control to decrease the sensitivity, so we got to adjust the light and avoid high ISO enter a lot of noise in the picture.

Pie: the manual controls on the LG G4 to adjust with precision and agility light reaching the sensor.

Speed ​​is another of the elements that define a good camera. LG solves technologically-focus very quickly on one side, along with a escelente ergonomics in the back button set to take pictures, works in a very agile way. Activating the camera from sleep is also very quick in good light conditions, and less when they are indoors, with the advantage that the photo automatically. Size is not too severe thanks to its fit to the screen without leaving little room between it and the housing design problem.

iPhone gets that quickly thanks to a sensor system integrated approach to high speed, and a camera activation from sleep very agile, but the side button set to take the picture is not as convenient to use as how we catch mobile. iPhone 6 Plus model is especially difficult to handle for smaller hands.

G4 is where LG is not as fast as capturing actions bursts, or video capture slow motion. something that depends on the particular processor.
Quality and RAW mode

Once the camera is fast, the good sensor and optimal control, the final step has to be also true for a camera that can be considered "round". And in the case of LG G4, quality does not disappoint. Quite the opposite. At a time when there were hardly any surprises in the world of cameras, with the exception of the continuity of the iPhone 6 as a reference, and bold proposals like the Samsung Galaxy S6, the LG G4 is a pleasant surprise.

The quality of images obtained in conventional camera mode is extremely satisfactory. The technologies incorporated for managing color space or the manual controls for changing photographic parameters (with the exception of the opening, which is fixed), or stabilizing three axes are reflected in the final result, which is what counts in the Ultimately opening cabo.La f1: 8 gives the game when choosing slow shutter speeds bajas.Con with low light sensitivity with ISO 2700, the result is not optimal, but can work up to ISO 400. Above , noting begins to image noise, although with some editing work can be leveraged catches.

In this sense, the RAW mode allows use images without being processed to apply the corresponding conversion to jpeg files. For example, you can change the white balance and work without the aggressive noise reduction applied by the image processor.

Pie: RAW mode lets you work with images "raw" without any filters or noise reduction applied.

In any case, together with some time devoted to expedite the use of manual controls, the end will end up taking the picture we want and not what you want mobile. And in practice we can replace a compact camera by LG G4 without fear of losing quality and creative possibilities in most situations. This, coupled with the ease of sharing images with social networks or messaging applications, makes the LG G4 is a Swiss Army Knife of mobile photography. ç

I did some pictures with the LG G4 and I have shared in this Flickr gallery:

Flickr gallery with photos taken with the LG G 4
but if...

Despite the enormous strengths of LG and selfies G4 conventional photography, there are gaps that are not well resolved. As part of the panorama. iPhone 6 remains above in this section. LG Panorama mode G4 is well posed, but the results are not optimal and the time it takes to process the image is high. As much of the same with the gusts, or the video in slow motion. Some modes where the iPhone 6 is still better.

Pie: panoramic exceptional size but have a photo generating areas appear blurred.

Overall, this is a highly recommended terminal, and considering that its price is among the most sensible of the current high-end. In stores such as Mediamarkt you can find free € 549 or € 599 for the 32GB model. If you are going to make many pictures is advisable to purchase a microSD high capacity card, though.

When the iPhone 6S (if you call it that), it seems difficult to re-position itself as the quintessential terminal to take pictures, adding better quality sensor (supposedly 12 Megapixel) with enhanced multimedia skills, as slow motion or bursts. Presumably there will be more options for manual control of light, and even a RAW mode, but Apple is difficult to speculate. Yes, the price of this new iPhone may exceed several hundred euros to the LG G4.

Other manufacturers like Sony, the Xperia Z4, also have the opportunity to position themselves better in this respect if they improve the weaknesses of other models, although using a Qualcomm processor 810 (or 815) is too complicated to implement technological innovations. We will see.
And it's a smartphone

Besides being a good camera, the LG G4 is a good Android. With version 5.1 standard, it integrates LG's own applications, as QuickMemo +, one of the best, which makes it possible to capture the screen and make notes on it and then share it or save it. Simple but effective.

You can use more than one app at a time, and has FM radio, as well as tools for managing the internal storage or application to monitor physical activity LGHealth. Useful sections are grateful to have well defined and the hand. And last but not least, the European model seems rooteable easily. It's next to do, especially to install Android apps like Lost for security management in case of theft or loss of the terminal.

Performance tests reflect've done what I said at the beginning of the article: the figures are not as bulky as in the case of Samsung Galaxy S6, but in return the terminal is much more sensible. It is not as hot as the HTC One M9, and no significant differences in use. Moreover, in performance tests with a single core, it is faster than the Snapdragon terminal processor 810. If we had to find a reason for it, may be in the best thermal performance, which prevents the chip into court for protect electronics against high temperatures.

Pie: Performance tests yield lower results as Antutu than 810 models with Qualcomm processors, it does not pose an appreciable difference in the day. On the contrary, use a Snapdragon 8080 makes it a more rational smartphone.

In terms battery duration in intensive use, it is difficult to reach an .Especially day if the camera / video is used. But still, it is a solvent bank in the current scene:

Pie: Autonomy is not miraculous. It depends on what you do with your smartphone to last you one day, two, or less than one. Bring with you charger or an external battery, or an additional advantage that the LG G4 can change.

In any case, the processor is a variable that does not depend on LG. Apple makes its own CPU, and Huawei and Samsung. But LG relies on suppliers like Qualcomm and Mediatek (or Hi Silicon) and have to choose the best you have at any given time. And in this case, LG has chosen wisely, facing the smartphone and not face marketing.

As depends LG, elections are correct. The camera (hardware and application) is a very important differentiator. And the UI is balanced in terms of bloatware installed. And it's useful, with examples like QuickMemo +.

Ergonomics, balance of price, technology, finishing materials like leather in the back and preinstalled applications are areas where the LG G4 has a lot to say. And for good.

The natural competitor of LG G4, today, is the iPhone 6. The next iPhone that this (supposedly) in September has the responsibility to clearly position itself above the terminal as LG G4, and considering what is and the time that has passed since the iPhone 6, presumably the following reference in mobile telephony will be coming from the Apple factory, but at a high price, if the policy does not change.

But the LG G4, waiting for him to do also with the Sony Xperia Z4 in a few weeks, or Google with the Nexus, can be considered from many aspects the best moment Android.