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LG was going to unveil its latest flagship G4 smartphone with pomp and excitement later in April, but images and details about the phone have been accidentally revealed through a prelaunch Website that inadvertently was set to go live early.
The leaked images and details, which have since been pulled back by LG, revealed a flat version of the curved LG Flex 2 smartphone that the company launched earlier, while it is also available with leather coverings for a luxurious appearance, according to an April 13 story by The (London) Mirror.
The size of the G4 was listed on the early site as 5.87 inches long, 2.96 inches wide and 0.35 inches thick, while it also revealed that the upcoming device will have a removable back cover, the story reported. The rear covers will be available in multiple models, including rubberized choices and leather materials, according to the report.
The smartphone will also have a 3,000mAh battery, which is twice as powerful as the 1,810mAh battery in an Apple iPhone 6, and it will include a slot for a microSD card, the story reported. Also leaked on the site was that the G4’s rear-facing camera will include a 16-megapixel sensor and an f/1.8 aperture lens.
The leak was discovered by Evan Blass, who often finds such leaks and publicizes them on Twitter, the report continued.
A related April 13 report about the G4 from The Korea Herald said the upcoming phone, while impressive in the early images, could have a tough time in the marketplace, where there are already a number of feature-filled, quality smartphones.
The LG G4 will have some hefty competition from Apple’s latest iPhone 6 models, as well as from Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones, which debuted recently and are already selling well.
“The leather-backed G4 seemed to be an impressive product,” Lee Seung-woo, an analyst from IBK Investment & Securities, told The Korea Herald. “But the market conditions will not be favorable,” he added, citing the robust sales of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
The analyst told the paper that he thinks G4 sales could fall behind its predecessor G3 model, which was a big seller for the smartphone maker. LG has shipped some 10 million units of the G3 since its release in May 2014, the story reported.
LG has been busy unveiling a bunch of new products so far this year.
In February, the company announced four new midrange Android smartphones for global rollouts in selected markets. The four phone models are led by the LG Magna, which includes a 5-inch HD touch display and a subtle curvature that makes it more comfortable to hold in one’s hand, according to the company. The Magna, which means “ultimate” in Latin, also features a 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz quad-core processor (depending on the market), 1GB of RAM, 8GB of on-board storage, an 8-megapixel main camera, a 5MP front camera and a 2,540mAh removable battery for long battery life.
The LG Spirit phone includes the same handset curvature as the Magna phone model, but has a slightly smaller 4.7-inch HD display. The Spirit features a 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of on-board storage, a 5MP or 8MP main camera, a 1MP front camera and a 2,100mAh removable battery.
The LG Leon, which means “Lion” in Latin, includes a 4.5-inch display, a 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of on-board storage, a 5MP or 8MP main camera, a VGA front camera and a 1,900mAh removable battery.
The smallest phone of the foursome, the LG Joy, features a 4-inch WVGA display, a 1.2GHz quad-core or a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB or 512MB of RAM, 8GB or 4GB of on-board storage, a 5MP rear camera, a VGA front camera and a 1,900mAh removable battery.
All four smartphones will be available in both Long Term Evolution (LTE) or 3G versions, which allows owners to buy devices that fit the requirements of their local wireless carriers, according to LG. The Magna, Spirit and Leon phones run on Android 5.0 Lollipop, while the Joy runs on either Android 5.0 Lollipop or Android 4.4 KitKat, depending on the market where the phones are sold.