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AT&T, U.S. Cellular and Verizon are the latest mobile carriers to announce that they are taking preorders for the new LG G4 smartphone, which will hit retail stores at the beginning of June.
AT&T said it will begin taking preorders on May 29 through its ATT.com Website and that the handsets will be available in the company’s retail stores starting June 5. AT&T will offer the G4 in metallic gray or black leather and can also take advantage of a special offer to buy an LG G Pad F 8.0 tablet for $0.99 when purchased at the same time through ATT.com. The tablet normally sells for $149.99 with a two-year agreement from AT&T.
AT&T is offering the metallic gray G4 for $0 down on an AT&T Next 24 plan with 30 monthly payments of $21 (total $630), or for $26.25 a month for 24 months on a Next 18 plan (total $630). The G4 is also available on a Next 12 plan for 20 monthly payments of $31.50 (total $630). It can also be obtained for $199.99 with a two-year agreement or for $629.99 with no contract.
The black leather G4 will be offered at $22.34 per month for 30 months on a Next 24 plan (total $670.20), for $27.92 per month for 24 months on a Next 18 plan (total $670.08) or for $33.50 per month for 20 months on a Next 12 plan (total $670). The black leather G4 also can be purchased for $239.99 with a two-year agreement or for $669.99 without a contract.
G4 customers will also be eligible to receive a free spare battery, 32GB memory card and battery-charging cradle by mail if they buy their new phone between May 22 and June 21 and submit an online or mail-in claim by July 13, according to AT&T. Quantities are limited for the free products.
Verizon and the G4
Verizon customers can begin preordering their new G4 online starting May 28, with shipments set to start before the phones go in sale in Verizon stores, according to the company. The new devices will be available in select stores before the June 4 launch so that customers can look them over before preordering them.
Verizon is pricing the G4 at $0 down and $22.91 a month for 24 months (total $549.84) on a Verizon Edge plan in Ceramic White with 3D patterns. Other color options include metallic gray and black leather at different prices.
Verizon is also offering several special promotions to G4 buyers when they get their new phones, including an LG G Pad X8.3 tablet for $49.99 (which is normally $129.99 with a two-year activation), an LG G Pad 10.1 for $99.99 (which is normally $149.99 with a two-year activation) or an LG Watch Urbane smartwatch for $299.99.
A new two-year activation is required with each device that is also selected, according to Verizon. New customers can also get a $100 bill credit from Verizon within two to three billing cycles when they transfer their number from another carrier to a Verizon Edge plan.
Verizon customers buying a new G4 are also eligible to receive a free spare battery, 32GB memory card and battery charging cradle by mail from LG if they buy their new phone between May 22 and June 21 and submit an online or mail-in claim.
U.S. Cellular and the G4
U.S. Cellular is accepting G4 preorders starting May 29 and the phones will be available in stores starting June 4, the company announced. U.S. Cellular will offer the phone in gold, black leather and metallic gray with $0 down on a 20-month installment plan. Customers who buy the phone before June 21 will be eligible for LG’s free battery, 32GB memory card and battery-charging cradle offer. U.S. Cellular also offers the G4 for $199 with a two-year contract.
T-Mobile and Sprint also recently began taking preorders for the G4, with T-Mobile preparing to sell the phones in its stores on June 3 and Sprint preparing to offer them in its stores on June 5, according to earlier eWEEK reports.
The LG G4 launched in Korea on April 29 in a move to take on the Apple iPhone 6, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and others.
The G4 includes a 5.5-inch quad HD In-Plane Switching (IPS) Quantum display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 16MP rear camera, an 8MP front camera and a 3,000mAh removable battery. The smartphone runs on Android 5.1. The G4’s new 16MP camera promises to capture great images, even under low-light conditions, while its high-resolution 8MP front-facing camera can be triggered by opening and closing a hand twice in front of the camera.
The G4 measures 5.86 inches long by 2.99 inches wide, and is 0.24 to 0.38 inches thick, depending on its materials. The new devices also include LG’s latest human-centric UX 4.0 user interface, which eliminates unnecessary steps while providing more configuration options for advanced users, such as a Quick Shot feature that allows users to take a picture without opening the camera app by double-tapping the phone’s Rear Key while the display is off.