LG has announced that its leather-clad LG G4 handset is about to get a new, smaller cousin in the form of the LG G4c. At 5in, it can hardly be called the LG G4 Mini, but this pared down version of LG's flagship smartphone still has a couple of top-end features to make it a tempting prospect for bargain hunters.
These include LG's Knock Code feature, which allows you to wake the phone even when the screen is turned off simply by tapping the display using your own unique pattern. It also has Gesture Shot, allowing you to take selfies with its 5-megapixel front facing camera by opening and closing your fist, and Glance View, which lets you quickly see the time, date, recent messages and missed calls by swiping down from the screen when it's locked or turned off.
The G4c also looks as though it will borrow the same diamond design as the ceramic and metallic versions of the G4. Measuring 140x70x10.2mm and weighing 136g, it's a fraction lighter than the G4, but it's also a couple of millimetres thicker. It's unclear whether it will have a curved screen either.
However, its specs are anything but what you'd expect from a high-end smartphone, putting it firmly at the low-to-mid-range end of the market. LG hasn't announced pricing for the G4c yet, but when it only has a 1,280x720 resolution display, a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage (which can be expanded by microSD) and an 8-megapixel camera, it's almost a direct competitor for the Motorola Moto G, which currently costs only £145 SIM-free.
We'll be surprised if the G4c is anywhere near as cheap, but LG said it will be launching the G4c in the UK in June, so we shouldn't have to wait long. It also has a removable 2,540mAh battery, NFC support and runs Android 5.0.
“The G4c is a perfect example of what we mean by a premium smartphone experience without a premium price,” said Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “We are committed to offering consumers in fast-growing markets LG devices that not only deliver performance, but also look good while doing so. The G4c will surpass customers’ expectations of what an LG phone should be.”
