LG is hoping to broaden the appeal of its G4 line-up with a pair of new mid-range devices, offering screen sizes to suit different tastes. The LG G Stylo — known as the G4 Stylus outside of North America and South Korea — bumps the G4's screen size from 5.5-inches to 5.7-inches, and comes with a stylus for note-taking and doodling. The G4c meanwhile (pictured at the top), shrinks the display slightly to 5-inches. A few years ago we might have said this was a little large, but LG is instead touting its "compact form factor."

they have the G4 name, but these are mid-range devices

Unfortunately, neither device keeps the top-end specs of the G4. For a start, both the G4c and Stylo lose the G4's camera — a shame considering the emphasis that LG put on the "professional" quality of its flagship's 16-megapixel lens. In our review of the G4 we found that the camera wasn't a world-beater, but it was definitely worth bragging about. However, for the two new variations, LG has dropped the megapixel count: from 16 to 13 in the LTE version of the G Stylo (down to 8MP in the 3G model), and to 8 megapixels in the G4c. The G4 Stylo does keep the G4's laser-assisted focus system but the G4c doesn't, with both new variations also featuring a 5 megapixel front-facing lens.

The LG G Stylo comes with a bigger screen and a stylus for doodling and taking notes. (LG)

Both the G Stylo and the G4c are also a bit of a step-down when it comes to their internal hardware. The G4's 3GB of RAM has been dropped to just a single gigabyte in both models, and instead of 32GB of internal storage, the new variations only offer 8GB — although this is expandable in both cases via a microSD slot. The screens also take a bit of a hit, down from the G4's fantastic QHD, 2560 x 1440 display with its 538 pixel density to a ppi of 258 in the G4 Stylus and 294 in the G4c.

LG will hopefully be offsetting all these lower specs with lower prices to match, but the South Korean company has yet to announce how much either model will cost. We can, however, expect this news fairly soon, with the handsets set to launch "in key strategic markets in the weeks to come." At least we know customers won't be coughing up for the G4's stitched, leather backs — neither the Stylo nor the G4c offer this "luxury" option, instead playing it safe with neutral colors.

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