LG chose the Snapdragon 808 for the G4 because of timing, not because of overheating issues

The LG G4 has just been officially unveiled to the masses, boasting a super clear 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display, 3GB of RAM, and… a Snapdragon 808 processor. That’s right, LG opted against using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor in its new handset, though the reasoning behind that decision might not be what you’re thinking.

The Snapdragon 810 processor has gotten off to a very rough start since its announcement a few months ago. Reports of smartphones overheating due to the chip have been running rampant throughout the internet, and Samsung even decided against using the chip in the new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge handsets. So why did LG decide to use the 808 in the G4, rather than going with the (supposedly) bigger and better 810?

Qualcomm’s head of marketing, Tim McDonough, said in an interview that LG’s decision to go with the 808 was made long before the hype began surrounding the 810. McDonough explains:

The decisions on which chipsets to put on which handsets come from over a year ago.

While McDonough says both chips are “very much cut from the same cloth”, the 810 boasts eight cores, and the 808 only has six. The 810 also has more ultra-HD video capabilities and has an Adreno 430 GPU, as opposed to the Adreno 418 GPU found in the 808.

According to CNET, McDonough says LG’s decision had a lot to do with cost, as well. The 810 would be available first, so it was a no-brainer that LG would include the SoC in the G Flex 2. The 808 took a little more time to make its way to market, which meant LG could choose between the two processors. Ultimately, the decision to go with the 808 in the G4 came down to manufacturing costs (the 808 is cheaper), and the fact that the G4 would be the first mobile device to launch with the chipset.

Check out these official LG G4 camera samples!

While the LG G4 has quite a few improvements over its predecessor, probably the biggest standouts are the new more upscale (optional) leather back and the greatly improved shooter that jumps up from 13MP to 16MP and packs a f/1.8 aperture lens that could give the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge a real run for the money.

Focusing on the camera in particular, LG has worked hard to not only improve the camera hardware, but LG is also introducing several new software features including a powerful manual mode and much more. Until we get our hands on our review unit of the LG G4 and have more time with the device, it’s really too early for us to make any judgment calls when it comes how well the camera actually performs in day-to-day use, but in the meantime LG has now shared a number of official camera samples for you to sink your teeth into.

What do you think of the camera samples above, impressed or not? Let us know in the comments. Keep in mind that these images don’t necessarily reflect how the LG G4 performs when it comes to everyday usage.

LG G4 availability – what we know so far

LG announced its new G4 flagship just hours ago, and we’ve already gone hands-on with the device. If you can’t tell by our first impressions video (attached above), this is a really nice smartphone. Many of you are probably wondering where you can get this beauty. Well, since it was just announced earlier today, not many carriers have confirmed exact availability dates quite yet, but many have come forward to say that they’ll eventually carry the device.

The LG G4 has a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display with a 1440 x 2560 resolution and 538ppi. It boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage and MicroSD expansion up to 128GB. It also has a 16MP rear-facing camera with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS 2.0, an 8MP front-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture, a removable 3000mAh battery and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop.

Of course, we’ll update this post as we learn more details on the phone’s availability, but here’s what we know so far:

U.S. Availability

T-Mobile – T-Mobile is launching an exclusive sweepstakes and preview program, and will give out one LG G4 per day to some lucky folks on the carrier’s network. You can sign up for the sweepstakes here though May 25th. T-Mobile says it will begin carrying the device in June.

Sprint – Sprint will begin carrying the G4 in June, in both Metallic Gray and Black Genuine Leather variants. You can pre-register for the device by following this link, and signing up will also put you in the running to win one of eight free G4 units on the carrier’s network.

Verizon –  Verizon has announced that the LG G4 is ‘coming soon’ to the carrier with Advanced Calling for HD Voice and Video support, though no information was given regarding the availability date or price.

AT&T – According to LG,  the G4 will make its way to AT&T, though we’ve heard no official word from the carrier yet.

U.S. Cellular – U.S. Cellular has announced its plans to carry the device in June, though no pricing information has been given quite yet.

Korea

The G4 will be available in Korea beginning Wednesday, April 29th.

UK

Carphone Warehouse – Carphone Warehouse will be offering the LG G4 exclusively in Black Genuine Leather with metallic gray front from today until June 30th. You can pre-register for the device through the retailer by following this link.

O2 – O2 will be the only carrier to offer the LG G4 in Brown Genuine Leather with metallic gray front, though the carrier didn’t mention how long the exclusivity would last.

Vodafone – Vodafone has also confirmed that it will carry the handset, though no timeframe, pricing, or color option information has been announced.

Three – Three has confirmed that the device will make its way to the carrier, though no pricing or availability information has been given.

Canada

LG has announced that the G4 will be available this summer through Bell, Rogers, TELUS, Videotron and WIND Mobile. No pricing or exact availability information has been unveiled yet.

Online

We know the device will be available through a number of online retailers, though we’ve heard little to no information regarding which stores will carry the device.

Know any others?

That’s all the regions and carriers we know so far, but will keep updating as we learn more. Have any carrier ideas specific to your region that we didn’t mention? Please let us know in the comments!

Read more on the LG G4:

• LG G4 officially announced: what you need to know
• LG G4 first look and hands-on preview
• LG G4 vs Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge quick look
• LG G4 vs iPhone 6 – quick comparison

LG G4 availability – what we know so far

LG announced its new G4 flagship just hours ago, and we’ve already gone hands-on with the device. If you can’t tell by our first impressions video (attached above), this is a really nice smartphone. Many of you are probably wondering where you can get this beauty. Well, since it was just announced earlier today, not many carriers have confirmed exact availability dates quite yet, but many have come forward to say that they’ll eventually carry the device.

The LG G4 has a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display with a 1440 x 2560 resolution and 538ppi. It boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage and MicroSD expansion up to 128GB. It also has a 16MP rear-facing camera with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS 2.0, an 8MP front-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture, a removable 3000mAh battery and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop.

Of course, we’ll update this post as we learn more details on the phone’s availability, but here’s what we know so far:

U.S. Availability

T-Mobile – T-Mobile is launching an exclusive sweepstakes and preview program, and will give out one LG G4 per day to some lucky folks on the carrier’s network. You can sign up for the sweepstakes here though May 25th. T-Mobile says it will begin carrying the device in June.

Sprint – Sprint will begin carrying the G4 in June, in both Metallic Gray and Black Genuine Leather variants. You can pre-register for the device by following this link, and signing up will also put you in the running to win one of eight free G4 units on the carrier’s network.

Verizon –  Verizon has announced that the LG G4 is ‘coming soon’ to the carrier with Advanced Calling for HD Voice and Video support, though no information was given regarding the availability date or price.

AT&T – According to LG,  the G4 will make its way to AT&T, though we’ve heard no official word from the carrier yet.

U.S. Cellular – U.S. Cellular has announced its plans to carry the device in June, though no pricing information has been given quite yet.

Korea

The G4 will be available in Korea beginning Wednesday, April 29th.

UK

Carphone Warehouse – Carphone Warehouse will be offering the LG G4 exclusively in Black Genuine Leather with metallic gray front from today until June 30th. You can pre-register for the device through the retailer by following this link.

O2 – O2 will be the only carrier to offer the LG G4 in Brown Genuine Leather with metallic gray front, though the carrier didn’t mention how long the exclusivity would last.

Vodafone – Vodafone has also confirmed that it will carry the handset, though no timeframe, pricing, or color option information has been announced.

Three – Three has confirmed that the device will make its way to the carrier, though no pricing or availability information has been given.

Canada

LG has announced that the G4 will be available this summer through Bell, Rogers, TELUS, Videotron and WIND Mobile. No pricing or exact availability information has been unveiled yet.

Online

We know the device will be available through a number of online retailers, though we’ve heard little to no information regarding which stores will carry the device.

Know any others?

That’s all the regions and carriers we know so far, but will keep updating as we learn more. Have any carrier ideas specific to your region that we didn’t mention? Please let us know in the comments!

Read more on the LG G4:

• LG G4 officially announced: what you need to know
• LG G4 first look and hands-on preview
• LG G4 vs Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge quick look
• LG G4 vs iPhone 6 – quick comparison

Mophie’s Juice Pack for LG G4 coming soon, adds an extra 3,450 mAh battery

The LG G4 already has a few possible advantages over the Galaxy S6 and other 2015 flagships, at least when it comes to battery life. The first advantage is the fact the G4 has a replaceable battery, allowing you to swap out dead ones for charged. Second, the LG G4 has a 3,000 mAh battery that reportedly will get a little better battery life than the smaller battery found in the GS6 — though we’ve yet to fully verify these claims just yet.

Still, want even more battery power? Mophie has just announced a new Juice Pack is on its way to the device, adding a 3,450 mAh battery that is said to add 15 hours of extra talk time, nine hours extra net usage, or 10 hours extra video playback.

Of course the Mophie Juice Pack also doubles as protective case for your device, giving it a dual purpose that could make the $99.99 price tag a little easier to swallow. You can pre-order the new Juice Pack from today, but it isn’t expected to ship until sometime in late June. Considering the LG G4 hasn’t shipped yet, though it is arriving in South Korea tomorrow, waiting for the Juice Pack to arrive shouldn’t be a problem.

Pre-order now!