LG G4 live blog | CNET
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LG G4 live blog

LG will be officially unveiling its newest phone, the LG G4, at a press conference in New York City. CNET is covering the event live.

  • John Falcone 4/28/2015 2:44:15 PM
    Hello, and welcome to CNET's live coverage of the LG G4 launch.
  • John Falcone 4/28/2015 2:44:50 PM
    We'll be joined soon by Roger Cheng and Scott Stein, who are both on-site at 1 World Trade Center.
  • Scott Stein 4/28/2015 2:45:39 PM
    hey there! Scott Stein here.
  • John Falcone 4/28/2015 2:45:58 PM
    Scott, how's the view up there?
  • Scott Stein 4/28/2015 2:46:02 PM
    We're on the 64th floor of One World Trade Center, getting ready for the LG G4 event. This is very far up.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 2:46:10 PM
    Hello! Roger Cheng here seated at a press event area a top One World Trade Center (also known as Freedom Tower).
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 2:46:27 PM
    The view here is tremendous, by the way.
  • Scott Stein 4/28/2015 2:46:42 PM
    The view is beautiful. I went up to the observation deck of the twin towers as a kid...was my favorite place to go.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 2:46:45 PM
    We're a little less than 15 minutes away from the G4 event, so bear with our tap-dancing for a bit.
  • Scott Stein 4/28/2015 2:47:18 PM
    I think I can see CNET's office from here.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 2:47:40 PM
    I went up to the Twin Towers as a kid, but sadly I can't really remember what it was like up there -- too young. I do remember the wait was terrible.
  • Sarah Tew 4/28/2015 2:48:02 PM

    Here we are.

  • Scott Stein 4/28/2015 2:48:12 PM
    As you know: LG G4. we'll find out more. The question is, what can this new phone do impress you? What do you want to see?
  • Andrew Hoyle 4/28/2015 2:48:21 PM

    Andrew Hoyle here, at the G4 launch in an unusually sunny London!

  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 2:48:47 PM
    For that CNET exclusive, I traveled to South Korea two weeks ago. I went mostly for vacation, but I was able to convince the folks at LG to open up their assembly factory for an inside look at how the G4 was made.
  • John Falcone 4/28/2015 2:48:50 PM
    That's right -- this is a multi-city launch announcement.
  • Scott Stein 4/28/2015 2:48:53 PM
    I'll be tweeting later on after the liveblog at @jetscott for more on-site impressions.
  • Sarah Tew 4/28/2015 2:48:56 PM

    Nice view up here.

  • John Falcone 4/28/2015 2:49:34 PM
    I think it's safe to say that 2014's LG G3 was something of a hit. The rear-button design was a risk that paid off.
  • Sarah Tew 4/28/2015 2:49:55 PM

    Scott Stein, looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on this fine morning.

  • John Falcone 4/28/2015 2:50:04 PM
    Great photo from Sarah Tew, showing the Empire State Building out the window.
  • Sarah Tew 4/28/2015 2:50:20 PM
  • Scott Stein 4/28/2015 2:50:27 PM
    Oh god, I look awful.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 2:50:38 PM
    The LG G3 was certainly a sleeper hit of 2014. The company packed a large 5.5-inch display into a relatively thin body, which phone enthusiasts loved.
  • Scott Stein 4/28/2015 2:50:45 PM
    No one looks good at morning press events. But I also didn't tuck in my shirt.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 2:51:04 PM
    LG, of course, is still well behind the two big players in the smartphone biz, Apple and Samsung. LG ranked No. 5 in the world among smartphone players, according to Gartner.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 2:51:16 PM
    That's for all of 2014.
  • John Falcone 4/28/2015 2:51:28 PM
    The G4 is entering a tough market for smartphones, w/ Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus still selling like hotcakes, and Samsung's new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge getting a very enthusiastic reception.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 2:51:40 PM
    LG is hoping to build upon its momentum with the G4, which pushes its genuine leather backing as a key advantage.
  • Andrew Hoyle 4/28/2015 2:51:49 PM

    The UK launch isn't at the top of a building, but it's pretty grand in here.

  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 2:52:09 PM
    But is it enough? Samsung has radically redesigned the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. The use of metal and glass has been a hit.
  • Scott Stein 4/28/2015 2:52:44 PM
    @AndrewHoyle: we're not even at the top. This thing goes to 104.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 2:52:47 PM
    Apple continues to be on a tear. It sold 61.2 million iPhones in the last quarter -- numbers that nearly any other company would kill for.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 3:17:22 PM
    The nature of the arc means it has 20 percent more durability than a flat smartphone.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 3:17:40 PM
    He says consumers would give up some slimness with a decent battery and ability to swap it out.
  • Scott Stein 4/28/2015 3:17:42 PM
    Black pebbled leather G4. I like that look.
  • Sarah Tew 4/28/2015 3:17:49 PM
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 3:17:52 PM
    LG G4 has a 3,000 mAh battery that is replaceable. It's the same size as the G3.
  • Sarah Tew 4/28/2015 3:18:03 PM
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 3:18:05 PM
    Manufacturing becomes a challenge when you leave the world of flat phones, he notes.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 3:18:25 PM
    The G4's natural fit has a feeling of beautiful design. It has a sense of grace and beauty, he says. The design element is so important to us.
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 3:18:43 PM
    As touchscreens have dominated the front of the phone, the back is where we sought out to stand apart from the competition, Lee says.
  • Sarah Tew 4/28/2015 3:18:54 PM
  • Roger Cheng 4/28/2015 3:19:05 PM
    Lee notes that the back of the G4 will come with high-grade, genuine leather. The company worked hard to make sure it retained its leather feel.
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