Full Review and Specification for the LG G4c

Full Review and Specification for the LG G4c

The LG G4 is big and powerful, but it’s also expensive, so if you like the look of it but want something a little cheaper (or a little smaller) the LG G4c could be for you, as it includes many of the G4’s features, but in a smaller form factor and for a fraction of the price.

Sound good? Well, it is, but there’s also plenty of room for improvement.

Design

The LG G4c looks a lot like the LG G4, or at least the plastic version of the LG G4. Like that phone it has a plastic back with a slightly metallic look and a chequered pattern. That pattern helps it stand out from many other affordable phones, which tend to have very plain backs, so that’s definitely a plus.

It’s not a complete win though, as at 10.2mm thick it’s quite chunky and it also has fairly sizeable bezels surrounding the screen, hinting at its relatively low price.

Then there’s the rear keys, which will have as many lovers as haters. They arguably make the back of the phone look worse, but they do mean there aren’t any buttons spoiling the lines on the side of the handset.

Looks aside they’re designed to be easier to hit than side-mounted buttons and to an extent that seems to be the case, but they take some getting used to if you’ve not come from another LG handset.

Screen

There’s a 5.0-inch 720 x 1280 IPS LCD screen on the LG G4c, giving it a pixel density of 294 pixels per inch. There are far sharper screens around than that but it’s a match for the Motorola Moto G 3rd gen, which is likely to be one of its main competitors.

Resolution aside it’s not a bad screen at all, with good viewing angles, as you’d expect from an IPS LCD display. It’s not the brightest or richest of screens, but it feels good for the money.

It’s worth noting also that at 5.0 inches it’s smaller than the 5.5-inch screen on the LG G4, so if you’re looking for a smaller take on LG’s flagship that could work in its favour. Then again if you’re just looking for a cheaper one the smaller size might be an issue.

Power

The LG G4c feels a little underpowered with its 1.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor and 1GB of RAM. At this sort of price the Snapdragon 410 is just about still acceptable (the Moto G 3rd gen has it after all), but it is an entry level chip really.

Just 1GB of RAM is a shame too, especially as the Moto G 3rd gen can be grabbed with 2GB. In practice that lack of power needn’t be a deal breaker as performance generally isn’t too bad, but opening apps can be a little slow and there can be significant lag when lots of apps are open, especially when jumping between them.

Camera

Things improve when you come to the camera, as its 8 megapixel rear snapper and 5 megapixel front-facing sensor are both fairly capable.

There aren’t a huge number of modes and settings to play with, but you can use the physical buttons to activate the shutter, so you don’t have to tap (and in the process shake) the screen.

You can even go hands free and use ‘Gesture Shot’ to take photos by making a fist. This also means you can set the camera up at a distance, so for example you can take a group photo with you in it.

Similarly you can use your voice to snap a shot, by simply saying “cheese” or one of several other key words.

Interface and features

The LG G4c uses LG’s Optimus UX 4.0 on top of Android 5.0 Lollipop. Having Android Lollipop on board is a good thing, but LG’s UI is more of a mixed bag. It’s cleaner and simpler than earlier versions but it’s still less intuitive and more bloated than stock Android.

The phone does include some handy features though. There’s Glance View for example, which lets you slide your finger down the screen when it’s off to view the time and any notifications. It only lights up the very top of the screen, so it uses less battery than turning the whole display on and it’s a little faster too.

There’s also Knock Code, which is a two-part feature. For one thing it lets you turn the screen on with a tap, which is often faster and more convenient than hunting for the power button.

But you can also take it a step further and unlock your phone with a series of taps, rather than a PIN, password or pattern. This aspect is a bit less reliable in our experience, seemingly often failing to register some taps, but it’s optional and if it works for you it’s also potentially quite useful.

Battery Life, Memory and Connectivity

The LG G4c has a 2,540 mAh battery, which is about what you’d expect from a phone of this size and price, but it’s actually quite long lasting. There are phones with better battery life but this will get you through a day of moderate to heavy use and could even stretch to lunchtime of a second day.

Sadly its memory isn’t as impressive as there’s just 8GB built in and only around 3GB of that is actually useable, so in other words a microSD card is essential, but at least it supports cards of up to 128GB.

Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC, so it’s a well-connected little phone.

Conclusion

The LG G4c is a fairly accomplished handset, with a reasonable build, a decent screen, a good camera and solid battery life.

It’s hard to get too excited about it, even for the £225 it retails for, as while it’s reasonable in most areas it doesn’t really excel and the lack of storage is a definite let down.

But with rear keys, Knock Code and Glance View it’s got a selection of features not offered by many other phones, let alone cheap ones and that coupled with a slightly different design should be enough to win it some fans.

But the LG G4c is still a solid all-rounder and if you’re a fan of LG’s features then there are few other options for the money.