Did Sony do enough to keep the Z4 up to scratch with LG’s recently announced flagship phone, the LG G4? Read on and find out. See also: Best smartphones 2015
LG G4 vs Sony Xperia Z4 (Z3+): Price and UK availability
Although there was no mention of a Sony Xperia Z4 when the company launched the Xperia Z4 tablet at MWC 2015, Sony recently announced the Sony Xperia Z4 would be available in Japan only, with no comment on a worldwide rollout. However, it’s likely that Sony will keep the Z4 exclusive to a single country, so we’re expecting a global announcement soon. The latest rumours suggest that the Z4 will get a UK launch at the end of May, but it may not be under the same name. It will instead be called the Xperia Z3+, according to Mobiltelefon.ru, showcasing a Sony white paper for a Style Cover Window SCR30 phone case. There’s no word on cost yet though. On the other hand, the LG G4 was officially announced at the end of April, with plans for the handset to go on sale in the UK from 28 May. It’s priced from £499 SIM-free for an entry level 32GB ceramic version, with a leather variation setting you back an additional £25.
LG G4 vs Sony Xperia Z4 (Z3+): Design and build
Sony’s Xperia Z4 (or Z3+) looks to be an incremental upgrade of its predecessor, the Xperia Z3, with mainly internal upgrades and no real aesthetic changes (to our surprise). It’s still sporting its rounded aluminium frame and will be available in four colours: white, black, copper and aqua green, which are the same colour options that are available with the Z3.
The LG G4 on the other hand is much more exciting. It comes in two variations, leather or ceramic (which is more plastic than ceramic) with both variations having three colours to choose from – brown, black or red leather and white, grey or gold ceramic. The leather is genuine, and according to LG, will fade over time, but with that being said we prefer our phones to be made from metal or glass. It’s nice to have the option though, and makes a nice change from a sea of largely similar looking smartphones. With regards to form factor, both smartphones are fairly chunky – which is surprising in an industry where every millimetre and gram counts. The Sony Xperia Z4 measures in at 146x72x6.9mm and 144g, compared to the slightly larger (but thinner) 148.9×76.1×6.3mm and 155g. The LG G4 has the upper hand here though, as the curved rear will likely feel more comfortable in the hand than the flat Xperia Z4.
Another advantage that the LG G4 has over the Sony Xperia Z4 is a removable 3000mAh battery, a feature that Android users love. Why? Because it means that for long journeys, you can carry a second battery and swap them out once the first battery dies. It also means that you may be able to get higher capacity third party batteries, but we don’t advice using them, as they may not be compatible/safe. The Xperia Z4 has a slightly smaller 2930mAh battery that isn’t removable, and interestingly enough, is smaller than the battery of its predecessor, which had a 3000mAh battery. Each has a unique offering when it comes to battery power though. The Sony Xperia Z4 offers fast battery charging, with Sony claiming that you can get from 0 to 60% battery life in only 30 minutes. While LG hasn’t integrated fast charging into the LG G4, it instead offers Qi-enabled wireless charging, a popular and largely adopted wireless charging standard, when using the LG Quick Circle case.
Lets move onto one of the most impressive aspects of both phones, the display. The Sony Xperia Z4 offers a 5.2inch IPS LCD Triluminos display, which Sony says delivers “more vivid reds and natural-looking greens and blues than on conventional, white LED monitors”. It’s also full HD with a 1920×1080 resolution, which works out to around 424ppi (pixels per inch). While this is impressive, and against other phones it would blow them out of the water, the LG G4 has something more impressive. The LG G4 has a 5.5inch IPS Quad HD display with a 1440×2560 resolution, which gives it an eye-wateringly beautiful 538ppi. That’s not all though, as it uses a Quantum display which LG claims gives 20 percent greater colour reproduction, 25 percent improvement in brightness and 50 percent greater contrast than a standard IPS panel. It also uses Advanced In-Cell Touch tech to combine the LCD and touch layer into a single sheet, providing improved sensitivity and colour reproduction. The Sony Xperia Z4 does have one trick up its sleeve though – durability. It has a shatter proof glass display according to Sony, as well as being P68 certified. P68 certification means that the Z4 is dust proof and water resistant over 1 meter for 30 minutes. The LG G4 on the other hand isn’t water resistant or dust proof, and offers only Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to protect its Quad HD display. See also: What’s the fastest smartphone of 2015?
LG G4 vs Sony Xperia Z4 (Z3+): Hardware and performance
So, it’s very well and good having a nice display, but which device is more powerful? Until we go hands on with the Sony Xperia Z4, we’ll have to compare the devices based on their specifications. The Sony Xperia Z4 boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Octa-core processor, which has four A-53 cores and four A-57 cores inside. This makes it the stronger of the two devices as the LG G4 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, which comes with two A57 cores and four A53 cores. Both come with 3GB RAM and Adreno graphics – the Z4 430 and the G4 418. Having a less powerful processor may lead to better battery life, but with the G4 using such a powerful display, we can’t imagine it being much of an improvement. Storage wise, the LG G4 offers only 32GB of on board storage while the Xperia Z4 offers both 32 and 64GB variations. The good news is that both devices include a microSD slot with the option of adding up to 128GB extra storage for those who need it.
LG G4 vs Sony Xperia Z4 (Z3+): Connectivity
In terms of connectivity, both the LG G4 and the Sony Xperia Z4 cover all bases with dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, DNLA, hotspot and NFC capabilities. However the LG G4 has some tricks up its sleeve, as it also boasts an FM radio and an Infrared sensor to turn the phone into a universal remote, which is one of our favourite features on applicable Android phones.
Like many other flagships, the LG G4 supports 4G LTE connectivity in the UK and while we can’t confirm that the Z4 will support 4G, as it hasn’t been announced in the UK yet, we’d assume it would also be the case. See also: How to back up an Android smartphone
LG G4 vs Sony Xperia Z4 (Z3+): Cameras
It’s time to compare the cameras of the LG G4 and Xperia Z4, with both devices packing impressive camera technology. The Sony Xperia Z4 boasts a 20.7MP camera that can produce photos with maximum resolution of 5248×3936 pixels. It has an LED flash, 1/2.3” sensor with autofocus, touch focus, face detection, HDR and panorama capabilities. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s the same camera used in its predecessor, the Z3 – it’s not necessarily a bad thing though, as the camera on the Z3 can take amazingly well lit and detailed photographs. Its front facing camera has had a facelift, with a 5.1MP camera and Exmor R sensor. It’s also better at recording video than the Z3, as the main camera can record in 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps and 720p at 120fps while the front camera can record in 1080p at 30fps. Pretty impressive!
So what does the LG G4 offer? It has a lower 16MP sensor but makes up for it with a laser autofocus, allowing lightning quick photography. It also boasts optical image stabilisation, an LED flash and simultaneous video and image recording. It also supports geo-tagging, face detection and HDR. The front facing camera is impressive at 8MP and like the front facing camera of the Z4, can also record video in 1080p at 30fps. With regards to recording, the LG G4’s main camera offers 4K at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps, but interestingly offers no 720p option. It also records stereo sound and supports HDR in its video recording mode, unlike the Xperia Z4.
LG G4 vs Sony Xperia Z4 (Z3+): Software
As you may have imagined, both the Xperia Z4 and the LG G4 come packing Android Lollipop, but two different variations of the Android software. The Xperia Z4 has the original 5.0 release but the LG G4 comes with a more up to date variation, Lollipop 5.1. The LG G4 also has the LG Optimus UX 4.0, which adds new features such as Quick Shot, Event Pocket and improvements to the likes of Smart Notice and the Gallery app. The Z4 also boasts features unique to the Xperia series, including battery STAMINA mode and Lifelog, which tracks not only your fitness but also entertainment activities like time spent playing games on your phone. See also: Best new phones coming in 2015 Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
