LG hones in on style and camera features to give the G4 its edge

Ahead of its anticipated reveal on April 28, LG's future flagship smartphone has broken cover in a massive leak, complete with photos and details. Several images of the G4 are now making the rounds on social media.

To set its new phone apart from the competition -- namely the iPhone 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 -- LG is emphasizing the quality of the main camera as well as the overall elegant style. The leaked photos confirm that the smartphone will be available with an optional stitched leather back, a material that matches the close-up seen on the invitations to LG's April 28 presentation.

As for the camera, the leak confirmed details announced previously by LG, including a brand new 16MP sensor and a lens with an aperture of F/1.8, the widest ever seen on a smartphone. The latter feature should come in handy for users taking photos in low-light settings. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S6 combines a 16MP sensor with an aperture of f/1.9, while the iPhone has an 8MP sensor and an aperture of f/2.2. In addition, the G4 will retain the laser autofocus seen on the G3, which provides an accurate calculation of depth of field for the sharpest possible focus.

A QHD screen and two interface options

Loaded with the latest version of Android (Lollipop 5.0), the LG G4 will also offer a 5.5-inch QHD screen (2560x1440 pixels) and a 3000mAh battery. Other rumors indicate a choice between two interfaces: an expert mode with access to advanced settings for the camera and other features, and a simpler, lighter mode for general users.

Last summer, when launching its previous flagship smartphone, the G3, LG bundled the device in certain markets with the LG G Watch, a move that echoed Samsung's marketing strategy with the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear. It's not hard to imagine a similar offer pairing the new flagship phone with LG's latest wearable, the Watch Urbane.

LG sold 57 million smartphones in 2014 according to Gartner, ranking fifth worldwide behind Samsung, Apple, Lenovo and Huawei.