A higher-end LG G4 Note will launch with a metal body, not the LG G4 [RUMOR]

It was a little over 2 weeks ago we got a good look at the LG G4 in a few alleged press shots of the device. Like a slightly smaller version of the LG G Flex 2, the phone featured a curved LED display while keeping to LG’s current design language. One of the more interesting parts about rumors of the device is that it would it would feature a metal body — a first for LG on their flagship line. We’re not talking about that faux metal finish of the LG G3 either.

It was an interesting prospect and while plastic definitely has its merits, consumers really seem to have taken a liking to the premium feel of all metal phones like the iPhone 6 or recently announced HTC One M9 (Samsung added a dash of metal in the Galaxy S6 as well). Guess people like to feel like they got their money’s worth when they drop a several bills down on a new phone.

Well, hopefully those metal LG G4 rumors didn’t get your hopes up too much, as ZDNet Korea is now reporting that because of manufacturing and time constraints, LG simply wont have enough time to build a metal LG G4 if they hope to get it to market in a timely manner. Instead, LG will introduce a new even higher-end smartphone line, dubbed the LG G4 Note, that features an all metal construction. While not much is known about the new Note series, LG was quoted as saying it would launch during the second half of this year and “stand above” the G series.

LG definitely has their work cutout for them. With the HTC One M9 and Samsung Galaxy S6 launching April 10th, they’ll need to act fast before their competition gains too much ground. Luckily for them, early battery life reports of these devices left plenty of room for improvement, something we’re hoping LG will hone in on with the G4.

[ZDNet Korea (translated) | via GforGames]

Oppo R7 and Oppo R7 Plus officially unveiled with full metal unibody design

Oppo sat a bunch of us tech journos down in a nice Beijing hall earlier today and revealed what you see above — it’s the Oppo R7 and Oppo R7 Plus. These are perhaps the most compelling smartphones we’ve seen from Oppo yet as they’ve gone great lengths to ensure the devices’ premium status.

One of the ways they did that was by making them full metal unibody designs, which isn’t a feat unique to them but certainly an important distinction if they want major attention in 2015. Oppo is also using 2.5D curved glass to make for a natural curve at the edges of the device.

So, what about the specs themselves? Here’s what you can expect from the base Oppo R7:

• 5-inch AMOLED 1080p display


• 1.5GHz 8-core Qualcomm chipset (MSM8939)


• 2,320mAh battery with VOOC fast charging (non-removable)


• 3GB of RAM


• 16GB of internal storage


• 13 megapixel rear camera, 8 megapixel front camera

The Plus variant shares much of the same specs, though the display size is bumped to 6 inches and there’s a bigger 4,100mAh battery inside. You’ll also get a bump in base storage to 32GB by opting for the bigger model.

We should also note that while the cameras enjoy the same megapixel count, the R7 uses a 3M2 sensor while the R7 Plus uses Sony’s IMX278 and has the added benefit of getting laser-assisted autofocus. We’re not sure if that’ll make a huge difference in terms of picture quality but we’ll certainly be looking to find out.

One other final difference worth noting is that the R7 launches with KitKat while the R7 Plus will come with Lollipop from the go. There shouldn’t be much reason to worry, though, as Oppo promises a full upgrade to Lollipop for the base R7 model down the line.

Unfortunately Oppo didn’t have much in the way of pricing and availability at the ready, but if they’re hoping to get this thing into the public’s eye before the summer smartphone wars heat up then we’re sure it won’t be long. Stay tuned for our continued coverage of the launch of the Oppo R7 live from Beijing, including hands-on and first impressions!

Latest Oppo R7 details reveal full metal unibody design

We knew the Oppo R7 would have a fair bit of metal in its skeletal makeup, but new details reveal that this thing is metallic all around. The Oppo R7 will have a metal unibody design, according to recent information that has come to light. Oppo will tout the fact that the device has been put through a whopping 48 finishing processes to make for a nice metallic look and feel.

The device will also still have some slight curvature to it, we’re told. It’ll improve looks, naturally, but should also make it a lot more comfortable to hold in the hand. Oppo isn’t the first company to accomplish this, but we’re appreciative of it nevertheless.

Other known specs and features of the Oppo R7 are a 4.7-inch 1080p display, 20.7-megapixel rear camera, Octa-core MediaTek processor, 2000mAh battery with VOOC fast charging, “2.5D” curved glass and that it’ll be just 4.85mm thin. All is scheduled to be told at some point later this month.