LG today announced a new Android powered smartphone for its home market — the LG Band Play. The handset focuses on camera and speaker performance, and features 1-watt speakers to deliver great sound quality.
LG has also included ‘QuadBit 3′ earphones with the handset that offer exceptional sound quality.
Other specs of the Band Play include a 5-inch 720p display, a Snapdragon 410 processor clocked at 1.2GHz, 2GB RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, 16GB internal storage, microSD card slot and a 2300mAh removable battery. The rear of the handset houses a 13MP camera with laser auto focus, while there is a wide-angle 5MP selfie camera in the front.
On the software front, the Band Play runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG’s UI on top of it. The handset comes with some camera features already seen on the G4 like Gesture Shot, Gesture View, and more.
It is unlikely that LG will be launching the Band Play outside of Korea. In its home country though, the Band Play goes on sale this Thursday for KRW394,800.
I’ve been around the smartphone world since the very beginning (2002, with the Nokia 7650) and have seen cameras improving dramatically year on year. And the LG G4 and Samsung Galaxy S6 (here in its Edge variant) each have the very latest camera hardware, itself a surprising leap up from 2014’s technology. Can this space improve any further, into 2016? Oh, quite possibly, there are still some tweaks left to add back in (cough, Xenon flash), but the performance here, in almost all light conditions, is astonishing. However, there’s one obvious question that needs answering – which (G4 or S6) smartphone camera is better?
In a sense, of course, the question, and this entire feature, is irrelevant, since the image quality is SO good that, at all normal viewing sizes, users won’t be able to tell the results apart. However, there are some characteristics worth noting, plus there are definite bragging rights for the overall winner.
[For those following my other writings, you may be wondering how these two camera-toting flagships stack up against the traditional camera champions with the ‘Nokia’ name on – the Lumia 1020 and 808 PureView? In short, the G4 and S6 even blow the two Nokias away for general imaging, though the latter do still have a slight edge in terms of zooming and that Xenon flash evening event use case.]
As it turns out, the overall specification of the G4 and S6 rear cameras are surprisingly similar, both 16MP and with a sensor size of 1/2.6″. The G4 has a larger aperture, at f/1.8, though the S6’s camera is only slightly smaller at f/1.9, while the G4 scores with the laser focussing and ‘colour spectrum sensor’, though as we’ll see below, this isn’t infallible. The specs are close enough, and the resolution certainly so, that I can compare 1:1 crops from the same photos taken with each smartphone and you’ll be able to spot any differences, where appropriate.
A few notes before diving into the images:
Both smartphone cameras were used on full ‘Auto’, i.e. how end users would shoot photos 99% of the time. Do note though that both camera interfaces allow complete control over things like ISO, white balance, exposure, etc. through a ‘Pro’ mode. In fact, almost everything a DSLR user would get to fiddle with – so any perceived deficiencies in imaging settings could be easily rectified. But testing has to be on full ‘auto’, of course, since there are millions of parameter combinations that would otherwise have to be compared!
Cropping in so that you can ‘see’ detail down at the pixel level is revealing, sure, but it’s also a little artificial. Bear in mind that out of 16 million pixels per photo, I’m only showing you central detail from around 240,000. Still sounds a lot, but in fact, it’s only 1/64th the size of each complete frame. So view the crops in context!
On then with the test scenes and 1:1 crops, I’ll comment on each as I go along:
Test 1: Landscape, sunny
In this case, down at the local golf club, with the clubhouse nicely lit up and with plenty of detail:
Here then are the 1:1 crops, firstly on the LG G4:
And then the same framing 1:1 crop on the Galaxy S6 (/Edge):
Great though the S6’s image was, the clarity and sharpness in the G4’s is astonishing. I might expect such sharpness in a downsampled image, perhaps at 5 Megapixels (for example), but to be this precise right for every one of the 16 million pixels is incredible. Bear in mind that, at the pixel level, we’re talking pixels taking it in turns across rows to either be Red, Blue or Green, and then software intelligently averages things out so that both detail and colour end up about right. With the miracle above.
I’m speechless. The G4 camera is right up there with the best DSLRs for shots like this. The S6 is close behind, but it is… behind, at least according to this test shot.
Test 2: Natural detail
One of the biggest tests of camera phones is how they handle nature – petals, leaves, grass, and so on. Here’s another test scene:
Here then are the 1:1 crops, firstly on the LG G4:
And then the same framing 1:1 crop on the Galaxy S6 (/Edge):
Now, the 1:1 pixel detail from the S6 is exactly what I’d expect to see from a 16MP camera module at this level – some smearing, some artefacts, some processing. This isn’t a criticism, it’s just how digital cameras work, especially when the detail is massive and the sensor relatively small (compared to DSLRs). However, the G4’s output is again astonishing. There’s magic sauce at work, I tell you, imaging alchemy. The LG G4’s detail is massive.
As an anecdote, I also did some zoom and raw detail tests today against the Lumia 1020’s physically much larger, 41MP sensor. And the G4 was quite comparable. How is this possible?
Time to move indoors, to a scene with much less light and more chance of digital noise and uncertainty.
Test 3: Indoors, low light
In this case, inside a local church, still with plenty of detail, as you can see in this overall scene:
Here then are the 1:1 crops, firstly on the LG G4:
And then the same framing 1:1 crop on the Galaxy S6 (/Edge):
Again the G4 camera manages to achieve more detail and less noise, under what are trying circumstances – low light, distant subject, etc. It’s as if LG’s camera engineers have managed to warp the laws of physics. Again, the S6’s camera is good, but not good enough to win out.
Test 4: Indoors, macro
Under a single 60W room light, so not that bright, but up close with some Sharpies:
Here then are the 1:1 crops, firstly on the LG G4:
And then the same framing 1:1 crop on the Galaxy S6 (/Edge):
Though you could argue that the G4’s photo is ‘warmer’ and with less noise, I’m actually going to plump for the Galaxy S6 camera here. The colours are more accurate – the Sharpie barrels should be grey and the tip top right of the crop is a red-brown, not the bright red shown by the G4. This is all a little odd, considering that it’s the G4 that has the ‘colour spectrum sensor’ and that it’s supposed to get colours right under all conditions, so perhaps just take it that the Galaxy S6 camera does especially well here, so a point in the other direction.
Test 5: Extreme low light
Out in the road, it was almost completely dark, with just a faint glow left in the sky (to my naked eye), it was much dimmer than the photos make it look:
Here then are the 1:1 crops, firstly on the LG G4:
And then the same framing 1:1 crop on the Galaxy S6 (/Edge):
This comparison’s interesting in a number of ways. Remembering that I deliberately left both smartphone cameras on ‘Auto’, the G4 leapt in and used multi-shot HDR here. Which I wouldn’t normally associate with extreme low light shots, but then multi-shot attempts at improving low light performance have become possible now that these smartphones all have optical image stabilisation (OIS), so who knows what the S6 is also doing behind the scenes.
In any case, on full ‘auto’, both smartphone cameras do very well considering the extreme challenge here. Both produced a better result than my three year old Nokia 808 PureView, which has a sensor that’s four times larger. The S6’s image is dark, as it should be, and does a great job of smoothing out the inevitable digital noise. But the G4 eschews noise reduction in favour of squeezing in light and detail. Look at the illuminated window, for example, look at the car and other fine detail. Low noise or maximum detail is a necessary compromise under such extreme conditions, so let’s call this one a draw!
Verdict
With three distinct wins, one ‘draw’ and one loss, the LG G4 comes out of my five scene test here as the winner. Yes, the Galaxy S6 (and Edge) 16MP unit is terrific too, definitely the second best imaging powerhouse in the world for all purpose snapping, image quality, and so on. But the G4’s results are astonishing (I’ve put one of them from my tests up here, for you to download and analyse, should you feel inclined) and it has me rocked back on my heels – I never expected anything this good could exist housed within a standard smartphone body.
Wondering how LG’s latest flagship — the G4 — stacks up against Samsung’s Galaxy S6? Check out our tech specs comparison below to see for yourself. Also you can check Here the
Wondering how LG’s 2015 flagship — the G4 — stacks up against its predecessor, the G3? Check out our tech specs comparison below to see for yourself.
Despite retaining the same design as the G3, the G4 packs is a major improvement compared to its predecessor in every possible way. The camera and better screen alone make the G4 a worthy upgrade for loyal LG fans.
LG today announced its flagship handset for 2015 — the G4. The handset boasts of an impressive 16MP camera with an F/1.9 aperture, an all-day battery life and a much improved Quad HD display compared to its predecessor.
If you want to know the detailed specs of the handset though, have a look below.
Dimensions
148.9 x 76.1 x 6.3-9.8 mm
Weight
155 gms
Display
5.5-inches QHD (2560 x 1440) ‘IPS Quantum Display’
Processor
64-bit hexa-core Snapdragon 808
GPU
Adreno 418
RAM
3GB LPDDR3
Storage
32GB, microSD card slot
Camera
Rear:
16MP F/1.8 aperture with OIS 2.0 and LaserAF
LED Flash
Front:
8MP with F/2.0 aperture
Speakers
1-Watt rear-speaker with Boost Amp
Battery
3000mAh removable Li-Ion battery
Sensors
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, IR blaster
Connectivity
Dual-band Wi-Fi g/n/ac with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, LTE Cat. 6, USB Host
Software
Android 5.1 with LG UX 4.0
Quick Shot, Smart Board, Smart Bulletin
Colors
Leather:
Black, Brown, Red, Sky Blue, Beige, Yellow
Ceramic:
Metallic Gray, Ceramic White, Shiny Gold
What do you think about the LG G4? Do you think its a better handset than the Galaxy S6?
There’s been an interesting of events that has unfolded this evening. An LG G4 “microsite” has been uncovered that looks to give us a legitimate look at what the upcoming LG G4 will look like.The image and the URL to the microsite was originally discovered(or at least passed around) by Evan Blass on his Twitter account(@evleaks). The tweet reads “say hello to the LG G4″ and it includes a link to a South Korean website(which is titled LG G4 MicroSite). So let’s take a look at the website and see what is going on.
When we go to that URL, we can see some interesting things here. Firstly, the woman holding the alleged LG G4 stands out on this page. The image doesn’t seem to be very high quality but that is probably because it’s just a microsite. A microsite is like a demo area where developers can put up a rough draft of what a full-page could look like. This is generally not known to the public but for some reason or another this URL was leaked out. Scrolling down and we get a look at more of the LG G4.
This first image shows us that the front is going to have some sort of texture. I can only imagine that this textured look is only that, a look, and that it will be under the front piece of glass. This texture goes all around the bezel of the alleged LG G4 and I’m not quite sure what I think about it right now. I mean, it doesn’t look bad at all but it takes away that ‘slab of glass’ look that I enjoy in a smartphone. I’ll have to see how it looks from different angles before I can form a complete opinion about it. What do you think about this texture?
In this first screen on the microsite we can also see some of the advanced camera controls of the upcoming LG UX 4.0 that I recently told you about. We see another confirmation of the F1.8 aperture, some autofocus settings, ISO controls, AWB(whatever that is) and a few other things. I’m just not an expert in cameras and photography so I don’t know what most of that stuff is. If there are any readers who know more about this I would be very eager to learn about it. Jump down to the comments below and let me know what these mean.
After doing a little more research, it seems that AWB is the setting for Auto White Balance. This is something that gives you more control over the camera quality and helps to adjust the white balance. Changing this setting would change how ‘cold’ or ‘hot’ your photos look. If you notice that photos are looking a little more ‘blue’ than you would like, you can use this setting to make them look more natural. For anyone interested .
Infrared Sensor
Something interesting I saw was the back of the alleged LG G4 had what I assumed to be a dual-LED flash. After digging through the microsite though, it turns out that underneath the LED-flash was an infrared sensor. The microsite said that this will scan whatever you are taking a photo of(before it takes the photo) and use that data to have the image as color accurate as possible. The LG G3 had an amazing camera considering that they removed 90% of the features the camera application had in the LG G2. As with most of the other stuff here, I’ll reserve judgement about just how useful this hardware will be, but it certainly has piqued my interest.
LG G4 Revealed
In the next panel, the website gives us a much higher quality image of the alleged LG G4 and it focuses on leather. We see rolls of various different types of leather behind the alleged LG G4 and they are highlighting this specific style up front. This looks to be the same leather that LG has been teasing in their press invites lately and again, I’m not really sure what I think about it. At first glance, I’m not a fan and it looks like a football. Motorola has shown us that leather can be a popular style choice for some customers and LG just might want to utilize this.
The last panel shows us someone holding the alleged LG G4 and helps us to get an idea of how the device will look like in the hand. In this image it actually doesnt’ look half bad. The leather looks fairly premium and leather is actually a popular style for a lot of people. We see leather in things all the time from phone and tablet cases to phone books and a whole bunch of other products. This view of the alleged LG G4 might not look half bad because the hand is covering up the stitching.
The Website
Now, since we have focused and highlighted the LG G4, I wanted to get this website out-of-the-way. When I first finished looking at these panels, I started to look at the website as a whole. If you notice, both the header and the footer are nothing more than images. It is not a functioning website and this set off ‘fake’ alarms in my head when I first thought about it. Then I start to think about it being a microsite and that it is nothing more than a mockup.
Fake Specs
This is why some parts of the website, like the specifications page, are ‘fake’. They aren’t really fake though. . .but they are for the LG G3. Again, if this is just a staging site then it makes sense not to have it fleshed out completely. So when you look through the site, make sure to keep that in mind. The colors section though, that seems to be more accurate than the specs.
LG G4 Colors
As you can see from the images above, there will allegedly be a lot of colors to choose from with the LG G4. First of all, we might have six various colors of leather to choose from. Leather Brown, Leather Black, Leather Red, Leather Skyblue, Leather Beige and Leather Yellow. When we talked about the LG G4 recently, I doubted that LG would only offer the LG G4 with a leather back. In the first colors image here, we can see three different version of the alleged plastic LG G4. Metallic Gray, Ceramic White and Shiny Gold. For some reason these don’t look to be ‘flat’ but instead have some square/diamond type of texture to them. If true, I am curious to find out why LG decided on this instead of the brushed metal style texture that is on the LG G3 and the LG G Flex 2.
When I was looking over the ‘features’ page, at the very bottom there is an image that shows how the alleged LG G4 will look when you remove the back cover. If true, it also confirms that the device will have a 3,000 mAh capacity removable battery along with a micro SD card slot. It actually says SD card slot, but I can’t imagine they would opt for the larger ones over the micro size.
Conclusion
I have to say that this looks very, very legit. I don’t know what website this is and I’m not seeing any relation from xfb.kr to lge.co.kr(domain record wise). Either way, it looks like LG is getting things everything ready so they can go live with the LG G4 website as soon as they would like. As long as the stuff doesn’t get removed from this xfb.kr website, we’ll probably see things like the specifications and such be fixed over time.
I can’t say that I’m as excited about the LG G4 as I was for the LG G3. I currently own the G3 and I still have no plans of upgrading. I do think this is a great step forward for LG though. Hopefully they will stay away from the Snapdragon 810(and opt for the rumored 808). I like that they are offering so many colors with the G3’s successor. I only hope that all of these colors will be available worldwide. Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of them became exclusives for certain retail outlets(which I hate).
Assuming that the LG G4’s photo quality can at least get close(if not surpass) the Galaxy S6’s, then I think LG has yet another winner on their hands. I like the direction they are going in with their software(even though I flash CM12), I like how they are focusing on their hardware. It looks like the G4 might be improved on every aspect from the G3 but of course, we will have to wait and see how things turn out once the device has been released.
What do you think of all this new information though? Are you digging the leather? If not, are you happy with the plastic variants? I know there has been a big push away from ‘evil plastic’ but I actually still prefer it over both glass and metal. Use the comments section below to tell me what you think because I am very curious to see what the general consensus is.
