eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
Sprint is now accepting preorders for LG’s G4 flagship smartphone, with a special offer of several free limited-time bonuses, including a 32GB memory card, an extra battery and a battery-charging cradle.
Sprint announced the freebies and the LG4 availability date on May 22, along with details about how customers can buy the phones through lease, purchase or no-contract options. Sprint is offering the G4 in Metallic Gray or Genuine Leather Black colors through the company’s Website, via telephone and in Sprint stores. The LG4 will be available to Sprint customers on June 5.
Customers who want to lease a G4 can do so for $18 per month under a 24-month Sprint Lease, with no out-of-pocket costs. At the end of the lease, customers can return the phone, purchase it or lease another device, according to Sprint. Customers can also buy a G4 under the Sprint Easy Pay payment plan with $0 down, no financing charges and 24 monthly payments of $25 (total $600). Customers do pay taxes when receiving the phone, and they must have a Sprint mobile service plan.
Sprint customers who want a G4 with a two-year cellular contract can pay $199.99, while customers who want to buy one without a contract can pay the full price of $599.99.
The free extra accessories offer for the 32GB memory card, extra 3000mAh battery and battery-charging cradle are available from May 22 through June 21 by mail directly from LG, according to the offer. The retail prices of the three accessories total more than $100. The free accessories will ship within four to six weeks after they are requested, according to Sprint. Customers must register online for the free accessories by July 6 to receive them.
LG unveiled its latest G4 flagship smartphone 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 is the first to use LG Display’s new 5.5-inch IPS Quantum display, which offers 20 percent greater color reproduction, 25 percent improvement in brightness and 50 percent greater contrast than previous displays, according to LG. It includes Advanced In-Cell Touch (AIT) technology, which combines the LCD and touch sensor into a single layer to provide better color reproduction and touch sensitivity, and it is calibrated for DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) standards for improved color reproduction.
The G4’s new 16MP camera promises to capture great images, even under low-light conditions, using an F1.8 aperture lens that allows 80 percent more light to reach the camera’s sensor, LG said. Also included is improved OIS 2.0 image stabilization for blur-free images.
The high-resolution 8MP front-facing camera aims to give users sharper, more detailed portraits and group shots than they can take with cameras on other phones, which typically have much lower resolution. Users can trigger the shutter by opening and closing a hand twice in front of the camera.
The G4 smartphone also gets new styling cues compared with the previous G3 phone, including new covering materials, such as handcrafted full-grain leather in six colors. The phones can also be purchased with ceramic rear covers instead of leather.
The design of the curved G4 builds on what LG calls its Slim Arc, which runs along its entire body, highlighted by a display with a subtle curvature, according to LG. The slight curvature offers 20 percent better durability than a flat smartphone in face-down drops and gives the smartphone a more comfortable and secure feel in the hand.
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.