20-25K LG G4 now : to buy or not to buy?

[Gauge]

Hey all,

As the title suggests, i am looking to upgrade from my LG G2 AT&T version. The phone has served me well and is still going good.

I am getting an Imported LG G4 Dual Sim Leather Back Variant at ebay.in for 22k after using coupons. Is it wise to buy it now? Any cons?
How is the battery life on this one since it only has a 3000mah one?
I have also read about some bootloop bug on the LG4. Is it still there on the Dual Sim variant?
Another negative is absence of the fingerprint scanner, but i believe i can live without that.
Liked the design and premium factor the LG phones carry. Also have trust in LG as a brand. But still cant convince myself to ahead and buy the G4.

Another options i have been considering are Lenovo Vibe X3 or the Xiaomi Mi5 (Will have to extend my budget for it) . NOt a big fan of either of the two but since i have no other options in the said budget range, cant look anywhere else.

Also if possible, a phone with a good Dev support. I use my phones for a year or two and only the developers come to the rescue when manufacturers ditch their phones without any software or performance updates.

Suggest me please. What to buy? Range is 20k - 22k. Ready to shell out a bit more if anything good or better is available.

Things i am looking for : Awesome audio Quality (both through speakers and earphones), good display, a reasonable but good camera, and a good battery life. Rest are the things i can easily live without.

Ebay link : http://www.ebay.in/itm/New-Imported...472141?hash=item1eaba0f84d:g:k2YAAOSwDuJWwcZb

As per the seller, The above item is Brand New Original & comes in a sealed pack With all the accessories included.
One or two buyers in their feedback have said that the seller indeed sends out the phones in sealed state.

 

[suarezian]

My sister got the G4 2 days ago, but mainly it was because of the camera. The sound quality from the speaker isn't that great, I would give it a 7.5/10, but the SQ from the earphones are superb. The display is excellent, and so the battery life. Can't say much about the dev support, but my sister almost killed me when I sneakily tried to flash CM on it[emoji14]

 

[dafreaking]

@blr_p Owns one. He should be able to help you out. I was also looking at getting the LG G4 when there was a Deal For $290! Buyng it in India almost seems like a waste due to the inflated price. Phone is excellent to hold and the camera is great too! Earlier models could develop the bootloop issue due to some problemwith the internal connectors.

 

[blr_p]

I am getting an Imported LG G4 Dual Sim Leather Back Variant at ebay.in for 22k after using coupons. Is it wise to buy it now? Any cons?

can't tell you if its wise or not.

Can say avoid seller warranty. Useless if you have problems later.

How is the battery life on this one since it only has a 3000mah one?

this

I have also read about some bootloop bug on the LG4. Is it still there on the Dual Sim variant?

Some Thai & Indonesian guys did but that is the H818P variant. Serial# 505 so first batch. Problems surfaced around 6 months later.

But still cant convince myself to ahead and buy the G4.

Your requirements should dictate the choice not brand.

Also if possible, a phone with a good Dev support. I use my phones for a year or two and only the developers come to the rescue when manufacturers ditch their phones without any software or performance updates.

Nothing here unless you get a euro H815 or t-mo model. There isn't even root with MM. If these things matter look elsewhere. if camera is a priority and i mean still camera, this is the best that came out last year.

Things i am looking for : Awesome audio Quality (both through speakers and earphones), good display, a reasonable but good camera, and a good battery life. Rest are the things i can easily live without.

The speakers are loud, i don't use earphones much so look for reviews. Just ok.

The V10 has better amps to drive good quality headphones. No V10 in India though and same locked bootloader crap.

For audio htc has better in the audio dept.

Ebay link : http://www.ebay.in/itm/New-Imported...472141?hash=item1eaba0f84d:g:k2YAAOSwDuJWwcZb

As per the seller, The above item is Brand New Original & comes in a sealed pack With all the accessories included.
One or two buyers in their feedback have said that the seller indeed sends out the phones in sealed state.

this must be the hong kong model.

No LG dealers where you live ? check out the stores.

he's asking for 24k, its a good price with a leather back. I paid 42k for mine in Nov but i got the charger and spare battery as well. That accessory padded the price by 3k. They also threw in a screen replacement. That offer does not apply any more.

But a plastic back could be had for little over 30k now.

Manufacturer warranty is essential. if ever you have a bootloop problem it requires a motherboard replacement. it will be a write off.

 

[blr_p]

My sister got the G4 2 days ago, but mainly it was because of the camera. The sound quality from the speaker isn't that great, I would give it a 7.5/10, but the SQ from the earphones are superb. The display is excellent, and so the battery life.

how much was it ?

Can't say much about the dev support, but my sister almost killed me when I sneakily tried to flash CM on it[emoji14]

No more great camera with CM. don't blame her.

 

[suarezian]

how much was it ?


No more great camera with CM. don't blame her.

32k from croma with a free leather back cover

 

[blr_p]

Great deal. pays to go to real shops doesn't it.

 

[suarezian]

Great deal. pays to go to real shops doesn't it.

Yeah, I thought it would be expensive at retail shops. Turned out to be a good deal.

 

[blr_p]

I 'm amazed, croma for me is just to play with devices, their prices have always been higher than what i could find at smaller stores. When i visited them in blr, they didn't even have a demo model. Just in a box.

When i told them how is someone supposed to decide by looking at a box they said LG hasn't provided us a demo.

I had to hunt around to find a shop that actually had a demo in the shop. It's a smaller operation compared to samsung but damn, how fast their cameras have grown since the G3. The last company i would have thought could offer anyting.

Was expecting a 30k price since Dec as the screen replacement warrnaty ran out end Nov. it took four+ months to drop (!)

 

[Gauge]

Took the plunge and bought the leather back variant H818P from ebay for a little less than 20.5k. Loving the device so far. Everything has been good , except the battery life. Battery life was better on the LG G2.

 

[blr_p]

This is with 6.0 already installed ?

mention sot & run time when battery is down to 10%.

 

[Gauge]

This is with 6.0 already installed ?

mention sot & run time when battery is down to 10%.

Yes. Updated the phone to 6.0 as soon as it was delivered.
It is down to 60% from a full 100% charge in the morning.
Total run time : 8 hours
SOT: 1 hour 35 minutes

Will update back again, once it reaches 10%.[DOUBLEPOST=1461501213][/DOUBLEPOST]@blr_p Also looking for a quality tempered glass and a sturdy back cover. Any pointers?

 

[blr_p]

Why did you go with the P variant, it does not support 2300Mhz or band 40 like the N does.

To get 4G you will have to wait for Band 3 or 1800Mhz to come out.

I did not update to MM because there were mixed reports about it. Still on the last L update and have been refusing updates since the last two months.

6.0.1 should fix things. it has on the S6.[DOUBLEPOST=1461501405][/DOUBLEPOST]

@blr_p[/USER] Also looking for a quality tempered glass and a sturdy back cover. Any pointers?

heh, I have 4 sitting in the drawer one by nilkin and the other by orzly. Have not got around to putting them on yet.

Still on the one that came out of the box.

My cases have good lip protection.

It's a good idea when you go out with leather and naked though. This happened only a few times so far.

 

[Gauge]

Why did you go with the P variant, it does not support 2300Mhz or band 40 like the N does.

To get 4G you will have to use Band 3 or 1800Mhz comes out then.

I did not update to MM because there were mixed reports about it. Still on the last L update and have been refusing updates sine the last two months.

6.0.1 should fix things. it has on the S6.[DOUBLEPOST=1461501405][/DOUBLEPOST]
heh, I have 4 sitting in the drawer one by nilkin and the other by orzly. Have not got around to putting them on yet.

Still on the one that came out of the box.

My cases have good lip protection.

It's a good idea when you go out with leather and naked though. This happened only a few times so far.

I dont have much use for 4G at the moment. I rarely use 3G or even 2G. Having a device with good wifi strength works for me the best. Though i tried popping in a Vodafone 4G sim and 4G worked pretty fine. So i believe, 4G is not going to be much of an issue in future.

Willing to give away Nillkin or Orzly one? I am looking to get a Smudge proof glass for my phone. On G2, i was using Nillkin H+ and it served me pretty well. On ebay it is priced ridiculously high for G4.

For cases, i have zeroed in on the Spigen Rugged Armour. The only downside is the flimsy back stand. Will get it if I'll not find anything else.

 

[blr_p]

I dont have much use for 4G at the moment. I rarely use 3G or even 2G. Having a device with good wifi strength works for me the best. Though i tried popping in a Vodafone 4G sim and 4G worked pretty fine. So i believe, 4G is not going to be much of an issue in future.

If you're on wifi then you will get the best battery. vodafone must operate on band 3 as well.

Willing to give away Nillkin or Orzly one? I am looking to get a Smudge proof glass for my phone. On G2, i was using Nillkin H+ and it served me pretty well. On ebay it is priced ridiculously high for G4.

Bought two of each because i expect them to break. Going to hold onto them. One of these days when i'm in a dust free environment i'll install them. No idea how they will play with the cases. Some cases are tight others less.

For cases, i have zeroed in on the Spigen Rugged Armour. The only downside is the flimsy back stand. Will get it if I'll not find anything else.

If there is only one case you get i would recommend that one. I used it for so many months and then realised i had several others in the drawer waiting. Its practical and offers decent protection. can be used with either the plastic or leather back. Grip is good if you're hands are sweaty a little less so surprisingly if dry.

Though i only use cases with plastic. The back stand is useful now and then. if you are gentle with will be ok. For all the negative comments i've read its never come loose in my pants or got stuck.

 

[Gauge]

Also i didnt get a seperate back cover apart from the leather one from LG, so specifically looking at cases which fits the leather back.

I had already read about the issues with 6.0 at xda and some other sites, but still went ahead as i dont intend to root the phone or unlock the bootloader anytime soon. Want to try the stock LG experience until the unlock comes out.
Also, didnt notice much of an issue except the battery drain.

 

[Gauge]

If you're on wifi then you will get the best battery. vodafone must operate on band 3 as well.


Bought two of each because i expect them to break. Going to hold onto them. One of these days when i'm in a dust free environment i'll install them. No idea how they will play with the cases. Some cases are tight others less.


If there is only one case you get i would recommend that one. I used it for so many months and then realised i had several others in the drawer waiting. Its practical and offers decent protection. can be used with either the plastic or leather back. Grip is good if you're hands are sweaty a little less so surprisingly if dry.

Though i only use cases with plastic. The back stand is useful now and then. if you are gentle with will be ok. For all the negative comments i've read its never come loose in my pants or got stuck.

Have been using the phone on Wifi only since yesterday. And battery life has been average. Well, lets see, i hope it improves in next few days.

I intend to stick to this phone for atleast an year or so and will be my primary device for the time being. I use my devices with utmost care and protection. If i wont get a battery life as expected, will get a seperate Battery and cradle to charge the same, locally.

Alright. Will be getting the Spigen case then for sure. Though i am still undecided about the tempered glass. Orzly is not available in India i guess. Sources one through a guy at OnePlus forums last year for my friend's OP2.

 

[blr_p]

Also i didnt get a seperate back cover apart from the leather one from LG, so specifically looking at cases which fits the leather back.

rugged armour will work with leather.

What are the first 3 digits of your serial# ?

Also, didnt notice much of an issue except the battery drain.

leave it for a few days, battery to go through at least 6 discharge cycles before it gets conditioned. Expect your sot to be closer to 4h30 -5h under wifi with just browsing, messaging and calls.

I use screen at 20% indoors and this works fine at night. Auto outdoors during the day. Auto brightness is harder on the battery. I've found the sim setting 2&3g to drain the least but it isn't always reliable as in you sometimes dont get voice calls so i've stuck it on 2g only. if i need data i can always shift.

 

[blr_p]

I intend to stick to this phone for atleast an year or so and will be my primary device for the time being. I use my devices with utmost care and protection. If i wont get a battery life as expected, will get a seperate Battery and cradle to charge the same, locally.

How much sot /runtime do you need ?

How much longer did you get with the G2.

Though i am still undecided about the tempered glass. Orzly is not available in India i guess. Sources one through a guy at OnePlus forums last year for my friend's OP2.

http://www.amazon.in/Orzly®-Protective-Oleophopbic-Protector-SmartPhone/dp/B00WSJK86M

It's 0.24mm so more fragile.

http://www.amazon.in/NILLKIN-Anti-Explosion-tempered-Glass-Screen/dp/B01014QW3S

0.33mm thick. Try this. it's half the price what i paid for it at the time. No oleophobic coating so attracts fingerprints. No different to the stock one.

Don't know how it will play with the case. Whether it will push it and then cause bubbles etc. The spigen rigged armor is easy to put on and off so i think it wil be ok, there are other cases i have which are a tighter fit. But they can really transform the look. These would be out of the question for you as they only work with a plastic back not leather.

 

[Gauge]

How much sot /runtime do you need ?

How much longer did you get with the G2.


http://www.amazon.in/Orzly®-Protective-Oleophopbic-Protector-SmartPhone/dp/B00WSJK86M

It's 0.24mm so more fragile.

http://www.amazon.in/NILLKIN-Anti-Explosion-tempered-Glass-Screen/dp/B01014QW3S

0.33mm thick. Try this. it's half the price what i paid for it at the time. No oleophobic coating so attracts fingerprints. No different to the stock one.

Don't know how it will play with the case. Whether it will push it and then cause bubbles etc. The spigen rigged armor is easy to put on and off so i think it wil be ok, there are other cases i have which are a tighter fit. But they can really transform the look. These would be out of the question for you as they only work with a plastic back not leather.

The serial number starts with 602. The came with 5.1 v10a out of the box.

The Nillkin one is good. Took your word for it and Ordered the same And ordered the Spigen case as well.

Never really cared about the SOT on the G2 and i dont care about it on the G4 either. On the G2, the battery used to last me easily for the day with Wifi turned on almost 90% of the time and browsing constituting around 70% of the total usage with brightness at 50% all the time. While on G4 i can see the battery dropping 1% almost every 4-5 minutes with browsing over wifi and screen brightness always set at 50%. The battery on the G2 was slightly of higher capacity than on the G4 and i believe qHD display is the main culprit here for the drain. The phone gets warm usually while downloading apps but not that much.
The display on the G4 is more on a warmer side compared to G2 and is more crisp and sharp. At least for me it is easily on par with the AMOLED display on the galaxies.