서울 삼성동 코엑스에서 열린 G4 공개행사에서 조성하 LG전자 부사장은 G4에 대한 구본준 부회장의 반응을 묻는 질문에 “자신 있다”고 말했다고 전했다.

구 부회장의 이 같은 발언은 프리미엄 시장에서의 애플과 삼성, 중국의 화웨이, 샤오미 등과의 경쟁에서 해볼만하다라는 자신감을 비춘 것으로 해석된다.

작년 9월 애플이 아이폰6와 아이폰6 Plus의 성송을 시작으로 올해 삼성전자의 갤럭시 S6와 S6 Edge가 시장의 좋은 반응을 얻자, LG전자가 위기에 직면한 것이 아니냐는 이야기가 흘러 나왔었다.

또한 자국 시장을 기반으로 급 성장하고 있는 샤오미와 화웨이에 밀려 한때 3위까지 올라갔었던 LG전자의 글로벌 시장 점유율이 5위로 추락하는 등 불안한 모습을 보여주기도 했다.

하지만 이날 이날 공개된 G4는 업계 최고의 카메라 성능과 디스플레이 기술로 위기론에 대한 우려를 말끔히 씻어 낸 것처럼 보였다.

특히 G4의 카메라는 업계 최고 수준인 F1.8 렌즈를 도입해 갤럭시6 보다 밝고 선명한 색 재현을 가능하게 했으며, 후면 가죽 커버를 적용시켜 고급스러움을 더했다는 평가를 받았다.

실제로 행사에 모인 사진 전문가들도 F1.8 렌즈는 고급 DSLR 카메라와 맞먹는 수준이라 “상당히 매력적,”이라는 말을 하기도 했다.

당일 행사에 참석한 임원들의 발언에서도 LG의 자신감을 느낄 수 있었다. 조성하 부사장은 공개 행사에서 “G4는 사용자에 대한 이해와 배려의 철학으로 탄생한 단 하나의 걸작,” 이라고 말하며, “제품 경쟁력에 대해서 어떤 제품과 비교해도 자신이 있다,”고 밝혔다.

(코리아헤럴드 김영원 기자) (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)

(관련 영문 기사)

‘LG G4 the one and only masterpiece’

LG Electronics CEO shows confidence in new flagship smartphone

Despite a series of product leaks online ahead of its official debut, LG Electronics’ new marquee handset G4 featuring advanced cameras and a classy leather back wowed the audience at its launch in Seoul on Wednesday, sending an alert to its rivals -- Samsung Electronics and California-based Apple.

LG Electronics chief executive Koo Bon-joon expressed his satisfaction with the latest LG phone saying he was “confident” that LG would do well against the competitors.

As announced earlier, the G4 sports a range of industry’s most advanced technologies including an in-plane switching quantum display, and a DSLR-class rear-facing camera, which will be the main appealing factors to those whom LG called the “visual generation,” or selfie lovers.

Placing emphasis on the top-tier camera and display technologies and superior design with the arc back of the G4, top executives of the Korean smartphone maker said it would be one-of-a-kind handset catering to a wide range of consumer needs.

“The G4 is a masterpiece product that has been created with better understanding of consumers,” said Cho Sung-ha, executive vice president of the tech giant’s mobile communications business unit, at the launching event.

LG has also launched the latest smartphone in five other global markets including the U.S. and Britain.

The cameras of the G4 have achieved great upgrades to surpass the ones featured on Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

The 16MP rear-facing camera boasts an aperture setting at F1.8, beating F1.9 on the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and F2.2 on the iPhone 6.

The F1.8 aperture camera lens allows 49 percent more light to reach the camera sensor than on the iPhone 6, and 11 percent more light than the Galaxy S6 camera lens, according to LG. The front-facing camera improved from 2.1MP on the G3 to 8MP for the first time in the domestic market.

Coupled with the 5.5 inch quad-HD display with the IPS quantum panel, the G4 cameras will present the best visual experience for users, an LG official explained.

A new camera function -- Expert Mode -- allows users to adjust various settings available on DSLR cameras such as shutter speed, white balance and focus.

Throughout the unveiling event LG did not stop downgrading the products of its competitors, especially domestic rival Samsung.

G4’s Snapdragon 808 processor with X10 LTE was a case in point. Dispelling concerns over substandard performance of the hexa-core chip, a lower version of the octa-core Snapdragon 810, LG said the mobile chip showed higher performance in running multimedia apps than Samsung’s latest Exynos chip mounted on the Galaxy S6. The 14-nanometer Exynos is often regarded the most advanced mobile chip.

“The most important thing is how to optimize a mobile processor for a handset, not benchmark figures that are out of touch with reality,” an LG official said.

Jim Doh, vice chairman of Qualcomm Asia, also praised the LG G4 at the event.

“The G4 will be a new starting point for collaboration between the two firms and we will further work together to provide the best value for consumers,” the Qualcomm official said.

Engineers of both companies have collaborated on optimization works on cameras and chips.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)