LG G4 could launch in late April, report suggests

LG could join Samsung and HTC in the battle for the top smartphone next month, according to sources close to the Korea Herald, when the phone maker will reportedly debut its flagship LG G4 handset.

Details surfacing earlier this month indicated that LG would do something " radically different" for its G3 successor. Playing coy, LG's head of mobile business, Cho Jun-ho, hinted at a major change in the phone's design and/or materials.

Renders of an unknown LG smartphone found their way online in mid-March, accompanied by dimensions of 148.9x76.5x9.9mm. If accurate, the G4 would be a smidge larger than its predecessor on all fronts.

Although the images are said to be pre-final, they do match up quite nicely with a fresh set of photos. Found on XDA forums, the quartet of images show a design that could be equal parts G3 and G Flex 2 . The rear button configuration is present, as is a slightly curved display.

Upon close inspection, however, there appears to be a removable stylus at the top right of the device. It's possible that the render is for a G4, while the real-world pictures could be a "Note" variant.

According to Nowehereelse.fr, the G4 may include a display somewhere in the range of 5.3 inches to 5.7 inches and a 16-megapixel rear camera with laser autofocus and optical image stabilization. Additionally, the smartphone could pack a Snapdragon 810 processor, bolstered by 3GB of RAM.

LG will reportedly plan to ship more than 15 million devices over the span of a year, increasing its ambitions past the 10 million units shipped in 2014.

CNET has contacted LG for comment on the G4 and will update the post with any new information.