LG G4: A Concise Review After Five Days (Model H815)

Murph5150

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I know duplicate threads are frowned upon, however ones opinion usually differs from another, so I decided I would share my thoughts and experience.

I previously owned the LG G3 from launch (July 17, 2014 I think) until the end of September. After three defective devices (two had inoperable GPS and the third froze constantly) I made the switch to the Motorola Droid Turbo. So a lot of this review will more or less be a comparison of the G4 and the Turbo, however I will review objectively. One thing to note is my Turbo is (obviously) through Verizon and my unlocked G4 is using T-Mobile's network.

My first impression of the G4 was, "Okay, what changed?" Physically the G3 and G4 closely resemble each other. The G4 has more pronounced corners as well as a slightly concave screen. I was a little disappointed LG did not increase the 3,000 mAh battery but LG must have done some sort of tweak because the G4 retains a longer charge than the G3. I also noticed that under intense use, the phone remained at a low temperature. It seems to multitask very well.

It's reported that the G4 has a better camera than the G3. That may be true, but it is difficult to tell because LG did a great job with both cameras. The selfie lens on the G4 increased in pixilation's. I was happy with the LG G3's software design but I'm even more impressed with how they engineered the G4. It is incredibly user-friendly and should cater to a diverse crowd.

Benchmarks - Ahh, you love them or hate them. The 801 in the G3 vs the 808 in the G4 is more than the stated, "Slight upgrade." It's a huge upgrade. G4 vs Turbo produced interesting results. I used about 10 different benchmark apps and the G4 produced better results about 70% of the time. With both phones off the charger, the battery life in the Turbo never fell below 75% while the G4 battery fell to about 55%. You will get a full day of usage on one charge provided you're not playing Angry Birds for 14 hours.

Expandable memory and replaceable battery are two qualities in the G4 that the Turbo doesn't have. Contrary to what some tech guru's may say, batteries do indeed degrade, and the life a battery will provide you with on day one will be a stark contrast 18 months into your contract. Eventually I'm sure science will develop a lithium based battery that will hold its integrity, but that hasn't happened yet.

I have heavily used the G4 in almost every available aspect; looking for something to fail. That didn't happen. So far the reliability of the G4 has firmly held its ground. I think the sensors are awesome - gyroscope, pressure, proximity, magnetic, accelerometer, decibel sensor, orientation and a light sensor are all included. I wish it had the ability to report ambient temperature, but that's a minor luxury I'll have to get over.

I think the Turbo is a great phone. I tend to get bored quickly using the same phone day in, day out. However I'm still very much happy with my Turbo. In a week, I've concluded that the G4 would keep me equally interested. I was a bit disappointed that it doesn't have a rapid feed charger like the Turbo does, but it gets charged typically when I go to bed. Again, another insignificant detail.

Unfortunately I cannot comment on its reception. T-Mobile where I live is very weak. The G4 is dead in my home while my Turbo sports 3 bars on 4G. Reverting back to the G3, I remember that phone being reliable in terms of signal strength, and I can only conclude that had I activated a G4 on Verizon, the Turbo and G4 would produce very similar results.

So that's my review. Turbo or G4? Tough call. 4.4 vs 5.1 definitely puts a feather in the G4's cap. The durability and battery longevity in the Turbo are its highlights for me. I'm a 35 year old physicist and can be very critical when it comes to technology.

Questions? Comments? Fire away!
 

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belodion

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I know duplicate threads are frowned upon
I don't frown on them, at least when a device is new. As much feedback as possible is welcome. One user's tests and findings are not necessarily typical.
Good review. :)

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Duncan1982

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I share this ^^^^^ view, reviews are great as are different perspectives we are in the real world (aren't we?) lol

Im two days in and have mine in the works as i gather more time to establish my findings.

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erwaso

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I'll wait a week or two before my review. I love the new review threads, everyone's different so no point in keeping them all in one place. It's all so fun!

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GrooveRite

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I'll wait a week or two before my review. I love the new review threads, everyone's different so no point in keeping them all in one place. It's all so fun!

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I'll be waiting a week or two for mine as well. My Incipio case can't come soon enough! I hate carrying a device naked!!!!!! lol
 

Duncan1982

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I'll be waiting a week or two for mine as well. My Incipio case can't come soon enough! I hate carrying a device naked!!!!!! lol

I'm a nudist (not personally) just in preference to material items and food stuff and the following, i like my phones that way, my food that isnt dressed in bala bala with a hint of lala loopsie that is the size of a peanut served with on a grain of rice.

My women naked oh thats nice all the jazz, bit of miles davis and things are cooking.

Sorry the above is my Scottish humour, plus i live just 35 miles away from a nuclear reactor that i swear is leaking waste lol

I just have a dislike for cases since my Nexus 5 was in a £30 roughly $55 case and fell whilst getting out my car about 3ft as it went up in air before falling and case didnt save it. Almost identical thing happened to my mate with his S5, my mates GF with her iphone. The case may and just may save it but that isnt always the case teehee.

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Murph5150

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I'm a nudist i like my phones that way, my food that isnt dressed in bala bala with a hint of lala loopsie that is the size of a peanut served with on a grain of rice.

My women naked oh thats nice all the jazz, bit of miles davis and things are cooking.

Sorry the above is my Scottish humour, plus i live just 35 miles away from a nuclear reactor that i swear is leaking waste lol

I just have a dislike for cases since my Nexus 5 was in a £30 roughly $55 case and fell whilst getting out my car about 3ft as it went up in air before falling and case didnt save it. Almost identical thing happened to my mate with his S5, my mates GF with her iphone. The case may and just may save it but that isnt always the case teehee.

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Haha, Duncan, you're speaking to a person whom is 100% Irish. Gaelic brotherhood lol.

Anyway, I appreciate the feedback, and I did attempt to fervently write a quality review. I'm a numbers guy, not an English guy. What I want to say is sometimes difficult to translate onto paper :) But if anyone has specific questions, fire away and I'll do my best to answer them.

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erwaso

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I'm a nudist (not personally) just in preference to material items and food stuff and the following, i like my phones that way, my food that isnt dressed in bala bala with a hint of lala loopsie that is the size of a peanut served with on a grain of rice.

My women naked oh thats nice all the jazz, bit of miles davis and things are cooking.

Sorry the above is my Scottish humour, plus i live just 35 miles away from a nuclear reactor that i swear is leaking waste lol

I just have a dislike for cases since my Nexus 5 was in a £30 roughly $55 case and fell whilst getting out my car about 3ft as it went up in air before falling and case didnt save it. Almost identical thing happened to my mate with his S5, my mates GF with her iphone. The case may and just may save it but that isnt always the case teehee.

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Got a lot of Scottish humor at Disney world this week. Super nice folks were funny and kept my kids laughing whenever we randomly ran into them at our resort lol

Considering I cannot get insurance for my G4, I might just have to get a case...

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Murph5150

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Got a lot of Scottish humor at Disney world this week. Super nice folks were funny and kept my kids laughing whenever we randomly ran into them at our resort lol

Considering I cannot get insurance for my G4, I might just have to get a case...

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I can't substantiate the durability of the G4, but in comparison to the Turbo, I feel the design is more fragile than the Turbo. If the propensity of you dropping the phone or in some other way breaching its integrity, a case may be very much worthwhile. I'm a desk jockey so I've never used a protective case.

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Duncan1982

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Got a lot of Scottish humor at Disney world this week. Super nice folks were funny and kept my kids laughing whenever we randomly ran into them at our resort lol

Considering I cannot get insurance for my G4, I might just have to get a case...

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Yeh we are a crazy bunch us Scots & Irish but its not normal to be normal nor is it fun to be sane lol

Check out this numpty....

http://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=-Fv6ospd6XQ

I just dont do cases much prefer skins like slikwrap or dbrand.

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Murph5150

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Yeh we are a crazy bunch us Scots & Irish but its not normal to be normal nor is it fun to be sane lol

Check out this numpty....

http://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=-Fv6ospd6XQ

I just dont do cases much prefer skins like slikwrap or dbrand.

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Haha, unbelievable. Scotland was recently offered the opportunity to annex from the UK. However in Northern Ireland, the Brits continue to flex their muscle even after the abandonment of the IRA. That aggravates me. Ireland has always desired sovereignty but were never given that choice.

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Duncan1982

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Haha, unbelievable. Scotland was recently offered the opportunity to annex from the UK. However in Northern Ireland, the Brits continue to flex their muscle even after the abandonment of the IRA. That aggravates me. Ireland has always desired sovereignty but were never given that choice.

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Yes but we are standing strong and the union is over like it ever really existed lol

But AC is no place for political stuffs, the world has gone mad but the awakening begins dude.

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Murph5150

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Yes but we are standing strong and the union is over like it ever really existed lol

But AC is no place for political stuffs, the world has gone mad but the awakening begins dude.

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Lol Duncan, some way, some how, I always get sucked into a political hot topic. I'm excusing myself from political debate :) We have a new, inspiring G4 to discuss!

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Murph5150

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I'll wait a week or two before my review. I love the new review threads, everyone's different so no point in keeping them all in one place. It's all so fun!

Posted via the Android Central App

I like seeing variation in reviews. Ultimately, when all you have are opinions that contrast the next, the ultimate conclusion resides with the prospective buyer. But I tried to stay true to my experience. I'm very critical, and that could work to my advantage because the minutia one person let's go is a thorn in my side.

However, if I consider the whole G4 package, I am compelled to admit I am demoing a remarkable phone.

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Duncan1982

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Lol Duncan, some way, some how, I always get sucked into a political hot topic. I'm excusing myself from political debate :) We have a new, inspiring G4 to discuss!

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Indeed this my friend is escapism lol

Im very much enjoying the G4 overal as i did the G3 a few minor annoyances. However its not a detraction from what is shaping up to be a great device :)

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Murph5150

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Indeed this my friend is escapism lol

Im very much enjoying the G4 overal as i did the G3 a few minor annoyances. However its not a detraction from what is shaping up to be a great device :)

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Oh nice. You are using the G4 too? Personally, I think the improvements made on the G4 are quite notable, however if put in a circumstance where I was to upgrade, I cannot confidently say the G4 has evolved into something worthy of a new two year dedication.

But, if someone has never used a G2 or G3, then the differential can be significant enough to justify upgrading to the G4. Though improved, I'm not sure the improvements over the G3 made clearly justify abandoning the G3 for the G4. That's not a cheap shot toward LG. It's my personal thought that the level of change from 3 to 4 is likely not significant enough to take the plunge.

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Murph5150

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I share this ^^^^^ view, reviews are great as are different perspectives we are in the real world (aren't we?) lol

Im two days in and have mine in the works as i gather more time to establish my findings.

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I'll be on the lookout for your review!

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Duncan1982

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Oh nice. You are using the G4 too? Personally, I think the improvements made on the G4 are quite notable, however if put in a circumstance where I was to upgrade, I cannot confidently say the G4 has evolved into something worthy of a new two year dedication.

But, if someone has never used a G2 or G3, then the differential can be significant enough to justify upgrading to the G4. Though improved, I'm not sure the improvements over the G3 made clearly justify abandoning the G3 for the G4. That's not a cheap shot toward LG. It's my personal thought that the level of change from 3 to 4 is likely not significant enough to take the plunge.

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This as you stated is down to opinion and your good for saying so.

We all see things differently thus some may think there are many things that make it a worthy upgrade over the G3.

But im with you in that i likened it to the M9 however Lg were stronger in their implementation of upgrades. However in many other ways Htc done what was needed to also. I have the M9 and it's rock solid, camera is not on par with the G4 or S6 but its not pathetic either.

I was fortunate enough to be selected by AC and Mobile nations to review the G4, would i if still owning the G3 upgrade? yes i would but thats down to my curiosity.

If you have the G3 and dont quite have the money yet dont feel bad, what you have now is still great.

But if for that screen that has improved in colour reproduction and brightness levels & great optics are important to you then upgrade. These two things are the big players in what Lg have done.

You can say the 808 chip which is great but so i found (hope this is right) the 801 in the G3 to be a great performer.

Im still assesing my review but want to make it balanced. I may just bypass and provide little assesements and findings as i have been in my thread, and a mini review hmm.

Its hard as the device is going to be in people's hands soon and many have, like yourself provided a balanced review. I find things slightly different from you in some aspects but thats cool as it would really lol

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NannerAirCraft

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I was a bit disappointed that it doesn't have a rapid feed charger like the Turbo does, but it gets charged typically when I go to bed. Again, another insignificant detail.

The LG G4 does have Quick Charge. You just have to buy the quick charger yourself. Try charging the G4 with the Turbo's rapid charger and see if it's any different.
 

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