While a possible announcement date draws nearer for LG’s (supposed) 2015 flagship, the G4, rumours circulating the internet pinpoint that LG’s forthcoming premium smartphone won’t feature a metal chassis, much to the chagrin of users who’ve felt that the current G3 is let down by a faux metal (plastic) finish.
Rather, sources pinpoint that a higher-end – or at least, larger – G4 “Note” smartphone or phablet will feature an premium metal body.
If LG follows in Samsung’s wake as clearly as rumours peg the firm’s appropriation of Samsung’s product names, the G4 Note is speculated to be either a larger sized variant of the flagship G4 – either in a similar relationship to Apple’s current iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models – or a different product entirely in the vein of Samsung’s current Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 4.
The rumour mill – courtesy of ZDNet Korea – posits that due to manufacturing and time constraints, LG will not be able to produce a metal chassis for the forthcoming G4, and has rather elected to produce a new, higher end smartphone which may or may not unseat the G4 as the company’s darling handset.
While we wrote previously on the possibility that the forthcoming G4 may, according to leaked images, feature a subtle curve, it is now uncertain as to whether such images represent the G4 or G4 Note.
A metal finish is a first for LG’s product line, and is a significant step for the company – reviewers and consumers alike praised the company’s G3 smartphone, but panned the faux metal shell the smartphone shares with its smaller cousin, the G4 Beat.
The rumour comes as a disappointment to many LG fans, as rival smartphone producers – namely HTC and Samsung – have made strong plays in developing smartphones which feature premium metal bodies and glass screens. Samsung, in particular, recently introduced their Galaxy A range; an entire smartphone line of metal bodied contenders.
More on the G4 line as news develops.
Follow Bryan on Twitter: @bryansmith1138
