LG launches newest flagship

LG has unveiled its latest LG G4 handset, designed as a departure to "flat, cold, metal phones".
The LG G4 will sport a 5.5-inch IPS Quantum display, 32GB of storage and a 16MP rear-facing and 8MP front-facing camera.

The camera features a manual mode for shooting like a professional camera, laser auto focus for taking pictures within 0.6 seconds, and sports a F1.8 lens.

It also features what the company claims is the first to sport a colour spectrum sensor which can sense RGB as well as IR light, resulting in more natural-looking photographs.

The quick shot camera function is triggered by tapping the rear camera button twice.

The new handset will weigh 5.5 ounces, boast the same Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution as its predecessor the G3, and measure in at 5.9 x 3 x 0.4-inches.

"The LG G4 started with a small, but very meaningful goal... It must understand the user, and those who benefit from it," Brian Na, President of LG Electronics Europe said. "We endeavoured to bring to mind a handmade masterpiece."

The display is 25 per cent brighter and features a 20 per cent wider colour range than the previous LG QHD display, the company said.

It will be available in black and white ceramic metallic finishes, as well as tan, black and a variety of coloured leathers.

The phone's design borrows from the LG Flex 2 insofar as it is slightly curved, designed to fit the human hand and withstand drops and bashes more easily.

"At LG we're committed to innovation for a better life, so we have to do what's right for our consumers," said Andrew Coughlin, LG's head of mobile in the UK and Ireland.

The leather finishes have been selected to bring a sense of warmth to the handset, and a departure to flat, cold, metal phones, he said, adding: "This is true craftsmanship at its finest."

Unlike Samsung's recently launched Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, it also has microSD card capabilities.

A gallery memories feature organises photographs info collections via date and location, and alerts you when they've been created. The Event Pocket feature adds events and invitations to your calendar so they're all available in one place.

LG claimed to have worked closely with Google during the phone's development, resulting in Google Docs, Drive with free 15GB storage, with an additional 100GB storage available for two years for new LG G4 customers.

The handset's specs were leaked online mere hours before the official launch.

Its predecessor the LG G3 was also leaked less than 24 hours ahead of the official launch, albeit by the company's official Dutch site last May.

LG disappointed at MWC last month by failing to unveil the G4, instead using the Barcelona showcase to discuss the LG Watch Urbane and four mid-range smartphones, all of which had been announced prior to the event.