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LG G4 Smartphone


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LG G4 SMARTPHONE

 

screen.jpg

 

Over the past month I had the opportunity to participate in LG Electronics Canada's test group for their new G4 Smartphone. Testers were required to compete in a series of photo challenges and submit these photos via an in phone app to showcase this device. LG is billing the G4 as the best mobile phone camera to date, so you know how excited I was to be selected with my love for photography.

 


 

Sure it's not a golf device, but why not share my experience with you guys in case someone's looking for a new phone.

 

I'm new to Android, I normally use a Nokia Windows Phone. I fell in love with it's simple to use UI and flashy live tiles. I've always ranked Android as number 3 on my list of OS's I wanted to be a part of as it always had more of a PC feel rather than smartphone.

 

Prior to a couple months ago my day job was Quality Assurance Analyst for a digital agency. On a daily basis I interacted with every mobile device and OS imaginable while testing websites. Android never stood out and I had come to enjoy the ease of Apple & Window OS's and always found Android devices cumbersome to navigate. 

 

So into my life walks the stylish LG G4. Now if the OS experience and internal hardware can match what it's fine exterior is selling I'm in.

 

 

Design

 

back.jpg

 

The front of the phone is anchored by a stunning, slightly curved 5 and a half inch ips screen, which exhibits brilliant dynamic colours. It really has impressed me how punchy the screen is without over saturating colours, the G4 displays perhaps the most true to life colour I've seen on a phone to date. 

 

LG has married these natural colours with a solid contrast ratio and deep blacks. These deep blacks manage to retain every ounce of shadow detail in images, portraying a very true to life image. A lot of people wouldn't stop to think of this sort of thing, but it's important to have a screen that doesn't crush your blacks into a blob when editing photos. The G4's colours, blacks and overall natural accuracy rival anything I've seen in displays today.

 

curve.jpg

 

Can a phone be called sexy? With the back of the phone LG has somehow managed to ride the fine line between a solid durable feel and a luxurious one. The genuine leather back feels extremely sturdy, but somehow retains its premium leathery texture. I don't see why anyone would get this phone with the plastic back and the perhaps add a case when the stock leather option is just so good. Seriously, this is a sexy looking phone.

 

The location of the power and volumes buttons takes getting used to seeing how LG has chosen to place them center back right under the camera. Coming from your typical side button phones I was constantly double checking to see if I was touching the camera lens for the first week or two. Eventually you start to realize that these back buttons are just sitting naturally where you fingers need to be and there's never an issue. 

 

As for overall size I'll admit it; I have small hands, snicker as you may… This phone is a touch on the big side for me especially when it comes to day to day transit. On the train I want to be able to know I have a tight grasp on my phone and still be able to interact with one hand, but find it hard to reach the far side of the screen with my thumb. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the extra real estate the larger display a lots me, but be warned for some this will be a two-hander.

 

 

OS

 

I'm not going to get all technical here, it's Android and Lollipop is actually very good. Coming from Windows Phone 8.1 I really enjoyed it's UI, where my previous Android experiences felt more of a PC desktop where everything was hidden deep in menu when with a mobile phone I just wanted quick and easy.

 

Android 5.0 Lollipop combined with LG's UX 4.0 user interface makes for a very clean and smooth user experience. Things look simple and are easy to navigate and settings are where you'd expect to find them. There's a few features I've been really impressed with so far as well.

 

LG's choice to go with a smaller processor came with some contention by fans and reviewers, but at no time have I felt like the phone is slow. One area that has impressed me the most is the G4's ability to switch between apps very quickly which makes multitasking an absolute snap.

 

 

One other feature I want to point out is Smart Lock's Trusted Places for passwords. You can set locations that your phone will recognize when you're in a “safe zone” and you will not be required to swipe or punch in a pass code everytime you open the phone. I really commend Android for this feature, it's just simply one of the little things that makes the phone so easy to use.

 

It's all the little things that add up to make for a great user experience and LG has a bunch of them, making this Android phone very fun and easy to use.

 

All in all it's Android mobile OS and most people will make their own decision on what they want.

 

 

Camera

 

camera_01_img1.jpg

 

Where do I start? This camera is just sick - it's un-fricken-believable! LG has a game changer on their hands in the world of mobile camera phones. Like the screen itself, photos from the rear 16 megapixel shooter are punchy and not over saturated with dynamic natural lifelike colours. It's pretty crazy how good the photos are for a phone and LG has moved one step forward bridging the gap between mobile devices and today's digital cameras.

 

The camera's UI is simple and easy to use, buttons are cleanly laid out and easy to understand which is which. Switching between front and back cameras is fast as well as accessing manual,  simple mode or general settings.

 

camera_01_img2.jpg

 

For day to day use the camera's Auto Mode is my go to and I really don't find the need to venture too far out of it. The cameras laser focus locks on fast and you can still tap the screen to focus on specific objects. I haven't really found any instances where it picked the wrong scene mode for shooting a certain condition. Overall Auto will be a very popular choice for most of you as well.

 

The G4 has a more than serviceable 8mp front shooter taking those normal borderline acceptable selfies to a new level. Seriously the front camera on this blows away most flagship cameras from years past and even some on the market today.

 

Here's some camera samples:

 

camera-photo-golf.jpg

 

photo-colby.jpg

 

photo-golf.jpg

 

dragonfly.jpg

 

rangedee.jpg

 

rangebucket.jpg

 

nickball.jpg

 

snell.jpg

 

sunset.jpg

 

 

Battery

 

The LG G4's battery is really impressive, especially coming from a phone that I almost charged 3 times a day. Under moderate use, taking the phone off the charger at 7am lasts me until bedtime (9-11) and at that point it's still retaining 10-30%, heavy use days will be ready to die by bedtime. My typical day consists of maybe 20-30 minutes total gaming on the train going to and from work, 5 emails syncing, handful of photos, constant Whatsapp chats, managing/surfing social media, standard web browsing and news readers like Feedly and Flipboard.  At bedtime I don't usually plug it in either, opting to wait until I awaken during the night just to see where we're at, I still have plenty of battery and actually it has barely budge a percent. Standby battery time on this phone is nothing short of stellar and definitely a strong selling feature of the G4.

 

 

Golf Apps

 

During my month with the G4, ZEPP was the only app I experimented with and this device did not disappoint. I normally used my iPad mini which of course has a much larger screen and it's easy to read your data lying on the ground without the need to pick it up. Not only was the G4 a very smooth experience with ZEPP, but it's bright and large 5.5 inch screen was very easy to read from about 7 feet away.

 

 

In The End

 

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I've been delightfully surprised by my Android experience and I credit that to the stunning and highly efficient LG G4. LG's designers have have produced a phone that one could easily describe as sexy and engaging while making it extremely functional for daily use. It's a really nice device to hold, the screen is fabulous and I can't say enough about the camera.

 

If you're in the market for a new Android phone this year and not sure where to start looking, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not checking out the new LG G4.

 



Yo #JustPlayBetter


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Great review MBP! I have last year's model the LG G3 and will tell anyone that asks that it's the best phone I've ever had. I actually shatter the screen Wednesday when it fell out of my cart in the golf course parking lot and was run over by a car while screen down(case isn't going to help anything there). The one thing I disliked though was Lolipop. When given a new phone yesterday I decided not to update it to the new operating system. I'm sure the G4 handles it better than my G3 but I'm not willing to do it again just yet. The phone was better with the original operating system. Great review and thanks for your experience!

Driver- Tmag 2017 M2 tour issue 8.5* actual loft 7.8* w/ HZRDS Green PVD 70TX"
Fairway Metal- Taylormade SLDR Mini Driver 12* w/ Fujikura Rombax TP95-X"

Utility- Mizuno MPH5 1 iron w/ Aldila RIP 85X (depending on course/ conditions)

Irons- Mizuno MP- FLI HI 2i w/ Aldila Proto ByYou 100X
          Mizuno MP59 4i-6I w/ PX 6.5

          Mizuno MP69 7i-PW w/ PX 6.5

Wedges- Scratch 8620 Driver/Slider set.  50*, 54* bent to 55* and 60*

Putter- Taylormade Spider Tour w/ flow neck
Ball- Bridgestone Tour B X

Bag- Sun Mountain C130 Supercharged

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  • 5 months later...

Im going to unearth this review. This phone is an amazing one. I am on the plan with Sprint that allows me to upgrade every year. With that being said, I may not upgrade. This phone is that good. i cam from a nexus 5 which I loved and this phone feels pretty similar.

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I've had a Galaxy S5 for a year and I like Android. Previously I'd been an iPhone guy. No offence but I think iphones are smart phones for dummies. I like Android better. I think you can do more with it if you're so inclined. The camera is good but not great I'd say. I do enjoy the slo-mo video for my golf swing. It's pretty good in fact.

MBP - Wish you had reviewed and commented on the slo-mo video feature for the LG. But a nice review just the same.

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

                                                                                :edel-golf-1: Willimette w/GolfPride Contour

 

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I've had a Galaxy S5 for a year and I like Android. Previously I'd been an iPhone guy. No offence but I think iphones are smart phones for dummies. I like Android better. I think you can do more with it if you're so inclined. The camera is good but not great I'd say. I do enjoy the slo-mo video for my golf swing. It's pretty good in fact.

MBP - Wish you had reviewed and commented on the slo-mo video feature for the LG. But a nice review just the same.

I'm not 100% sure it has that feature Plaid. I know the G3 doesn't. My GF has the G4. I can look later today and see if it does.

Driver- Tmag 2017 M2 tour issue 8.5* actual loft 7.8* w/ HZRDS Green PVD 70TX"
Fairway Metal- Taylormade SLDR Mini Driver 12* w/ Fujikura Rombax TP95-X"

Utility- Mizuno MPH5 1 iron w/ Aldila RIP 85X (depending on course/ conditions)

Irons- Mizuno MP- FLI HI 2i w/ Aldila Proto ByYou 100X
          Mizuno MP59 4i-6I w/ PX 6.5

          Mizuno MP69 7i-PW w/ PX 6.5

Wedges- Scratch 8620 Driver/Slider set.  50*, 54* bent to 55* and 60*

Putter- Taylormade Spider Tour w/ flow neck
Ball- Bridgestone Tour B X

Bag- Sun Mountain C130 Supercharged

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Update. She is under the impression there is no slow mo on the camera. There is an app for it though.

Driver- Tmag 2017 M2 tour issue 8.5* actual loft 7.8* w/ HZRDS Green PVD 70TX"
Fairway Metal- Taylormade SLDR Mini Driver 12* w/ Fujikura Rombax TP95-X"

Utility- Mizuno MPH5 1 iron w/ Aldila RIP 85X (depending on course/ conditions)

Irons- Mizuno MP- FLI HI 2i w/ Aldila Proto ByYou 100X
          Mizuno MP59 4i-6I w/ PX 6.5

          Mizuno MP69 7i-PW w/ PX 6.5

Wedges- Scratch 8620 Driver/Slider set.  50*, 54* bent to 55* and 60*

Putter- Taylormade Spider Tour w/ flow neck
Ball- Bridgestone Tour B X

Bag- Sun Mountain C130 Supercharged

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Update. She is under the impression there is no slow mo on the camera. There is an app for it though.

 

I use the V1 Golf App for that...it's free... you can also get the Pro version if you need the extra features.

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I'm no expert by any means but my Galaxy S5 does do slo-mo. And... quite well in fact. I've used it. I've shot my swing many times in slo-mo. I also use an app by hudI called Technique that's free and is really good for video and analyzing your swing. I've also used PV1 but it seems a little dated to me and not as easy to use. I'd be willing to bet the LG does slo-mo. I thought they all do it these days.

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

                                                                                :edel-golf-1: Willimette w/GolfPride Contour

 

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Thanks for the clarification MBP.

 

And Plaid I am a big fan of hudl technique. I was thinking of reviewing it for MGS but haven't found the time As of yet.

Driver- Tmag 2017 M2 tour issue 8.5* actual loft 7.8* w/ HZRDS Green PVD 70TX"
Fairway Metal- Taylormade SLDR Mini Driver 12* w/ Fujikura Rombax TP95-X"

Utility- Mizuno MPH5 1 iron w/ Aldila RIP 85X (depending on course/ conditions)

Irons- Mizuno MP- FLI HI 2i w/ Aldila Proto ByYou 100X
          Mizuno MP59 4i-6I w/ PX 6.5

          Mizuno MP69 7i-PW w/ PX 6.5

Wedges- Scratch 8620 Driver/Slider set.  50*, 54* bent to 55* and 60*

Putter- Taylormade Spider Tour w/ flow neck
Ball- Bridgestone Tour B X

Bag- Sun Mountain C130 Supercharged

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Sorry to put you on the spot Under...but I think that would be a good assignment for you. You're certainly one of the better players around here. I think a lot of us would enjoy a review. More of us should use a camera more to train and practice. There's nothing quite as humbling as seeing yourself swing a club.

My Sun Mountain bag currently includes:   TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 771CSI 5i - PW and TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png PFC Micro Tour-c 52°, 56°, 60 wedges

                                                                               :755178188_TourEdge: EXS 10.5*, TWGTLogo2.png.06c802075f4d211691d88895b3f34b75.png 929-HS FW4 16.5* 

                                                                                :edel-golf-1: Willimette w/GolfPride Contour

 

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I will see what I can do. January is a crazy time for me since I manage 4 fitness centers but I can prolly work something up.

Driver- Tmag 2017 M2 tour issue 8.5* actual loft 7.8* w/ HZRDS Green PVD 70TX"
Fairway Metal- Taylormade SLDR Mini Driver 12* w/ Fujikura Rombax TP95-X"

Utility- Mizuno MPH5 1 iron w/ Aldila RIP 85X (depending on course/ conditions)

Irons- Mizuno MP- FLI HI 2i w/ Aldila Proto ByYou 100X
          Mizuno MP59 4i-6I w/ PX 6.5

          Mizuno MP69 7i-PW w/ PX 6.5

Wedges- Scratch 8620 Driver/Slider set.  50*, 54* bent to 55* and 60*

Putter- Taylormade Spider Tour w/ flow neck
Ball- Bridgestone Tour B X

Bag- Sun Mountain C130 Supercharged

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slightly off topic, but is nokia phone no longer being manufactured? I still have this nokia phone I bought last year. heard nobody sells nokia anymore...

Nokia left the Windows game and handed over to Microsoft. Rumor has it they will return will Android phones.

Yo #JustPlayBetter


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Nokia left the Windows game and handed over to Microsoft. Rumor has it they will return will Android phones.

 

oh so the company is still on business.   what I've heard that they are closed.   I browse some cell stores during the holiday and nobody carried nokia.  I saw a lot of samsung galaxy and LGs (like this one). 

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  • 1 year later...

Can't wait for LG V30 smartphone. :D

 

 

Me too!  I had the V10 and was completely satisfied with the phone.  It was big enough to view videos, powerful enough to run all the applications I wanted, then it cr*pped out (continual reboot loop) :(  The replacement they gave me was a Samsung Galaxy S7 (they didn't have any LG V10 replacements) which crashes more times than I can count, reboots on a whim and just didn't have the quality I was expecting from a Samsung device.  I'll most likely switch to a V30 or...dare/dread I say it, switch to the iPhone X.

 

MDGolfHacker

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Wedge: :cleveland-small: Tour Satin RTX 4 Wedges in 52° and 56° 2 Dot

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