LG Electronics Inc., South Korea's No. 2 tech giant, on Wednesday showcased its new flagship G4 smartphone that aims to take on Samsung's Galaxy S6 series and Apple's iPhone lineup amid increased competition in the high-end smartphone segment.
The slightly curved G4 comes with the same 5.5-inch in-plane switching QHD display as that of its older sister, the G3, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Processor with X10 LTE, and runs on Google Inc.'s Android 5.1 Lollipop.
LG held the showcase event in six countries, including the United States and France. The G4 is expected to reach 180 mobile carriers around the world. The local price tag for the model is 825,000 won ($769.88).
Other specifications also came in line with earlier spoilers. Detailed specifications were leaked through LG's official website earlier this month in an apparent mistake.
"Many smartphone makers have been adopting the built-in battery system to make devices only a few millimeters thinner," an official from LG said. "However, we listened to the needs of consumers, and kept the detachable system that took battery life into consideration."
As the G4 also allows users to insert micro secure digital memory cards to expand data capacity, while the new Galaxy phones do not, the smartphone is set to attract users unfamiliar with Samsung's groundbreaking changes. The G4, however, will only come with a capacity of 32 gigabytes.
As promoted prior to the release, the G4 also comes with a camera whose performance is equal to that of a digital single-lens reflex camera. Its performance stands at 16 megapixels.
The F1.8 aperture camera hovers above the aperture rate of 1.9 for Samsung's Galaxy S6 and 2.2 for Apple Inc.'s iPhone 6, industry watchers said. A lower number indicates better performance in a dark environment.
At the showcase event held in Seoul, LG displayed the G4 along with the Galaxy S6 and Apple's iPhone 6 to prove that its latest camera is better than its rivals.
The device also comes with an 8-megapixel front camera for selfies, which outshines the Galaxy S6's 5-megapixel one.
Another significant feature of the G4 is its leather case, different from the metal body adopted by the Galaxy S6. LG said it takes about three months to produce the leather cases for the G4.
Dismissing market concerns that the leather-based case will lack durability compared to metal-based smartphones, LG said the G4 will be strong enough to endure for years.
"When people buy a wallet, they do not use it for just three or four months. We have conducted studies (on the leather case) for a long time for its durability," an official from LG Electronics said, adding that it is strong enough to endure scratches from daily use.
In South Korea, the G4 comes in three colors -- black, brown and blue -- and with leather cases, along with two other versions, namely "metallic gray" and "ceramic white."
Other leather versions -- yellow, red and beige -- will be released around the globe, along with an additional "shiny gold" edition.
The G4 has updated its previous features, such as "Gesture Shot," which allows users to take photos by curling one's fingers into their palm while facing the camera, to "Gesture Shot Interval," that is capable of taking consecutive photos.
LG also added new functions. The Quick Shot feature allows users to turn on the camera by clicking the volume button twice even when the screen is off, without any need to search through the application.
The feature, which is also easier to use as all buttons on the G4 are located on the back, allows users to turn on the camera in less than a second. It is expected to give an extra push to the smartphone's ground-breaking camera.
The Smart Notice provides users with customized information based on their interests. For example, the G4 will notify users that "It is good weather to play basketball outdoors" to users who enjoy the sport.
The company said it expects to ship 12 million units of the G4 around the globe, which is 20 percent higher than the performance of the G3.
With the G4 smartphone, LG is set to wedge itself in the jam-packed competition between Samsung and Apple, which have been wrangling to take a larger slice of the high-end market via the Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6.
In terms of sales volume, Samsung took up 27.8 percent of the global smartphone market in the January-March period, up from 24.7 percent three months earlier, according to the data by market tracker TrendForce. LG moved a notch up to become the fourth player at 6.3 percent.
Apple's market share came to 19.9 percent in the first quarter, down from 23.2 percent in the fourth quarter of last year.
While Samsung broke away from Qualcomm Inc. by using its own chips for the Galaxy S6, LG said it will continue its ties with the U.S. chipmaker down the road.
"With the G4, the two companies will continue to maintain the cooperative relationship," an official from Qualcomm said during the showcase event.
South Korean mobile carriers, meanwhile, said they will provide subsidies that nearly hit the legal ceiling to buyers of the G4. LG Uplus Corp. said its subsidy for the G4 may be as high as 330,000 won depending on rate plans, which is equal to the limit designated by the telecom watchdog.
Their subsidies for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were no more than 210,000 won upon their release, although the amount later increased amid weaker-than-expected sales.
Shares of LG Electronics closed 0.33 higher at 61,200 won Wednesday, while the benchmark KOSPI shed 0.23 percent. (Yonhap)
