LG has finally announced its LG G5 at the Mobile World Congress, but what about the LG G4? Is it worth changing between the brand's last smartphone for 2016 and its newly announced big brother?
- Read also: LG MWC 2016 Conference: relive the official announcements in replay!
The successor to the LG G4 is finally here and with it brings a whole new way of thinking about the place of the smartphone in our daily lives. But should the owners of the LG G4 fall for LG's new flagship of 2016?
To get a clearer picture, we provide a summary of the technical changes made between the LG G4 and the LG G5:
Technical comparison LG G5 vs. G4
| Category | LG G5 | LG G4 |
|---|---|---|
| O.s. | Android 6.1 | Android 6.0 |
| processor | Snapdragon 820 | Snapdragon 808 |
| Screen | 5.3-inch QHD IPS Quantum Display (554dpi) | 5.5-inch QHD Quantum Display (538dpi) |
| storage | 32go, micro SD up to 2to | 32go, micro SD up to 2to |
| RAM | 4GO LPDDR4 | 3GO LPDDR3 |
| Back sensor | 16MP – 8 MP wide-angle (135 degrees) | 16 MP |
| Frontal sensor | 8 MP | 8 MP |
| battery | 2800mAh removable | 3000mAh removable |
| Modules | LG Cam Plus, Hi-Fi B-O and plus n/a | No |
| size | 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm | 148.9 x 76.1 x 6.3 – 9.8 mm |
| weight | 159 grams | 155 grams |
| Networks | 4G LTE / 3G / 2G | 4G LTE / 3G / 2G |
| connectivity | Wifi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, USB type C, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 | Wifi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, micro USB, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1 |
Under the hood, the LG G4 had suffered the error of Qualcomm and its Snapdragon 810 far too prone to heating which had led it to integrate a Snapdragon 808. With the error fixed, Qualcom's flagship processor is well integrated into the latest model.
While the LG G5 incorporates faster RAM and a more powerful processor, the LG G4 is still extremely viable for most users these days who won't necessarily feel the gain from the next generation of SoC in conventional use.
A different aesthetic language between the LG G5 and the G4
The most visually striking difference is the complete design change between the LG G4, which largely took over the body of its predecessor by adding more fancy shells, and the LG G5 which incorporates nobler materials.
No more removable rear façade and a single metal design,which will be available in silver, grey, pink and gold. Unlike the LG G4, the LG G5 has repositioned the volume buttons on the side of the phone but keeps the sleep button and digital fingerprint sensor associated with the rear.
Much more rounded than the LG G4 and more space-efficient, it has a slightly diminished screen but better integrated into the overall space of the phone which makes it aesthetically more pleasant.
The LG G5 is a new phone concept
The elephant in the room is still extremely obvious: it is the ability to be modular in the LG G5 that makes all the difference with its aging brother. The design of a removable battery in a unibody body will have given the idea to LG, which launches an LG G5 capable of a lot of things.
So it's not really fair to say that it breaks with the LG G4, since it breaks with the entire current smartphone industry by offering a new idea of what a high-end smartphone is in 2016. On this, the LG G4 will never be able to make the weight.
What's more, it incorporates a dual photo sensor that allows you to take 16MP photos, as on the LG G4, but also 8MP this time in wide angle thanks to its dual photo sensor concept. The switch from one to the other of the sensors is exceptionally fluid, so much so that it is barely noticeable.
The LG G4 is therefore always very efficient. But the LG G5 marks a complete revival of the industry never before seen before: also, if your use is basic and you do not recognize yourself in the use of the LG G5 and its modules, you do not necessarily have to change it. But if you want a real evolution, the change for the LG G5 is obvious.