This smart phone could kill the Galaxy S6, but only if it ever comes to Malaysia

The Samsung Galaxy S series has always been the defacto Android flagship. Apart from having the best spec in each iteration, most power users would appreciate its removable battery and the option of adding a microSD if needed. This however changed when they introduced its Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. Opting for premium build quality and aesthetics, the new Samsung flagship has dropped most of its expansion options, which is a let down for certain die hard fans.

Coming from the neighbouring camp in South Korea, the LG G4 has emerged and it seems to be a formidable rival for Samsung. Does it stand a chance against the Galaxy S6? Read on to find out.

Recently we managed to try out the new G4 in its Metal Grey body. The back which undoubtedly is plastic is laden with subtle polygon patterns underneath a metallic looking surface. In the hands, it reminds us of the Zenfone 2 series and overall we like the look and feel of it. True to LG’s own tradition, it gets a rear mounted rocker button that sits underneath its camera. For those who want to stand out with something more upmarket, there’s also a leather back variant which is made out of Genuine Leather with striking stitching that runs down in the middle.

At the front, it gets a similar 5.5″ Quad HD display as its former LG G3. However it is improved with greater colour range and brightness with its IPS Quantum Display. In comparison with the Galaxy S6, it is equally as sharp and colour wise it looks more natural without the exaggerated saturation that’s apparent with Super AMOLED displays. The front of the G4 does arc slightly but it isn’t as obvious as its curvy G Flex 2.

Under the hood, it runs on a Snapdragon 808 Hexa-Core processor with 3GB of RAM along with 32GB of storage. While it isn’t the top ranging Snapdragon 810 that’s powering the LG G Flex 2, the LG G4 feels rather smooth. Sure it won’t be beating the Galaxy S6 phenomenal benchmark scores but it feels more than capable to handle anything you throw at it. We kinda like the flat interface of LG’s UX 4.0 that runs on top of a newer Android 5.1 Lollipop. Compared to Samsung’s TouchWiz, LG’s UX 4.0 feels lighter and it is a refreshing take on Android’s pure Material Design.

As usual, you get the LG gesture tricks like Knock Code, where you can unlock your device with a preset knocking patterns. This allows you to wake the device without having the reach for its buttons, and they had to do this since the buttons are all placed at the back.

Probably one of the killer features is the camera. While it sports a similar 16MP camera with Optical Image Stabiliser, the LG G4 edges over the Galaxy S6 with a faster f/1.8 lens. This allows more light which on paper is a better shooter in low light conditions. For greater colour accuracy, there’s even a Colour Spectrum sensor that’s located right underneath its flash light. The Galaxy S6 has incredible camera and LG seems to have taken it up a notch by offering heaps of manual controls including focus and even shutter speed.

For selfie fans, the front gets a higher 8MP camera that even has its own soft flash. To capture the perfect selfie, it could take several snaps of you doing different poses in a sequence and then pick the best shot after that. Overall the camera is snappy and the focus is also immediate with multi-point selection on-screen like a dSLR.

If you’re looking for a flagship, it has to have top notch performance, an incredible camera and the looks to stand out. In that respect, the LG G4 has the means to give the Galaxy S6 some serious challenge. Not forgetting of course is the ability to add even the largest 200GB microSD card and a user replaceable 3,000mAh battery, which are the two of the biggest things most power users would want in a high-end device.

It is just a pity that LG Malaysia isn’t showing any indication of offering the LG G4 in Malaysia. In Singapore, the LG G4 is priced at $928 (about RM2,518) for the Metallic model and $998 (about RM2708) for the Leather version. If you want to get one in Malaysia, you’ll have to fork out RM3,800 for an imported unit.

More LG G4 Photos