JiaYu Announce Important JiaYu G4 updates


JiaYu might be taking their sweet time launching the quad-core JiaYu G4, but at least it appears they are spending their time wisely and have introduced a number of great updates to the flagship phone.

To date JiaYu have worked on around 10 great updates for the G4 to make this JiaYu phone the greatest they have every released. Updates include:

Gizchina News of the week


  1. An OS upgrade from Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to Android 4.2.
  2. The use of a Yamaha audio chip for improved sound quality.
  3. The thinner model of the G4 will now get a slightly larger 1850mAh battery.
  4. Rear camera lens is now a F2.4 5p lens manufactured by an unnamed international manufacturer.
  5. Improvements to 3G SIM support.
  6. Both black and white versions of the phone will feature better steel bands around the bodies.
  7. Capacitive buttons will only light up when touched to improve battery life.
  8. Improved charger for lower load
  9. Improved material for the included data connection/charger cable.
  10. Updated styling of the packaging.

It’s encouraging that JiaYu are improving the G4 still, but at the same time it’s a worry as it indicates that the phone is not quite ready for production!

We will bring you more Jiayu G4 news as we get it.

Thanks to ivo001 for the tip!

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22 Comments

  1. Narayan
    March 22, 2013

    Thanks for the tip.

    Have they provided any provisional specs?
    You’d recall I had posted 19 FAQs in the “Poll” thread, but not received any update…

  2. ivo001
    March 22, 2013

    I’ll have to give credit to Benbaba who noticed these updates from a forum post by Jiayu mod Wade.

    It’s good tht they are still improving the phone, but it makes me sad that the launch will be put back even further.

  3. Narayan
    March 22, 2013

    @camera lens specs:

    I am not sure how to interpret this number. Can anyone explain this bit?

    From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-number, I understand that the aperture figures have standard values (…f2, f2.8…)

    In that scale, the G4 specs of f2.4 falls between two standard values. So is there a mistake in specs?

    Also, what is “5p”?

    IINW the aperture is always with reference to the focal length of the lens.
    But the focal length of the lens is not published by both Jiayu and UMI.
    So how do we compare the cameras of both these phones?

    On paper, UMI x2 seems to have a substantially better lens with its f2 lens
    (provided that the focal length is the same).

    Of course, the final quality of the camera will also depend on the CCD sensor, about which both companies have not shared any data (size, pixels, whether BSI or not).

    BSI (BI) sensors are considered better (Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back-illuminated_sensor)

    So only a hands-on review can tell which camera is better…

    • geHuC
      March 22, 2013

      The aperture number can be anything you want 😉 the ones shown in the wiki article are not standards they are just for reference, where each one has half the gathering area the the previous. The iPhone 5 is also using 2.4.
      The 5p most likely refers to 5 part optical module (meaning 5 element lenses) again just like the iPhone 5. So they either are buying the same optical module as the one in the iPhone 5 or have hired someone to copy it.

      • March 22, 2013

        That would mean an Exmor R… latest chinese phones are getting Exmor R so it wouldn’t be a surprise (it would be great for sure).

        • geHuC
          March 22, 2013

          The sensor and optics are two different parts 😉 Though I do hope it’s an Exmor R sensor.

    • anon
      March 22, 2013

      FWIW we already have X2 sample photos and it looks GREAT.

      At least resized.

  4. gamer
    March 22, 2013

    thnx bro for keeping updated

  5. Markoff
    March 22, 2013

    “7.Capacitive buttons will only light up when touched to improve battery life.”
    are they serious? what is the point of light on capacitive buttons when I have already finger on it? I need to find it in darkness, if I’ve found it it’s no point to light it up, it must be some serious misinterpretation because it makes no sense at all

    buttons should light up always when display is on

    • May 29, 2013

      yeah…I also was thinking about stupid like plan. They must keep on in darkness and turned off in daylight …there is light sensor for support…
      if not it is really stupid.

  6. March 22, 2013

    Everything sounds really great but I need a new phone. Now. Last year i was waiting for the G3 for along time, finaly went to Zopo. (G3 relased almost 2 months …later). My waiting time for G4 came to an end as well…maybe next time i’ll manage to get a G5 or even better a S1. Who knows. 🙂

    • anon
      March 22, 2013

      I think the circle will only go on :p, and G5 isn’t really an upgrade compared to other MT6589 phone. You do get that iphonish look if that’s how you roll though.

  7. Spinning cat
    March 22, 2013

    Seems like the new steel band is metal colour again. That’s regress. Everything else is better, but the wait is too long for me. I wanna get rid of my Nokia phone and I am not going to wait for 2 more months.

    • fmavrin
      March 22, 2013

      That’s the white version, the black phone has a black band, at least I hope it does.

      • Norman Zakaria
        March 22, 2013

        Yeah, don’t worry. The phone has either a white metal plate or a black metal plate inside the phone between the lens and the circuitboard. The black version has a black metal plate which means it will have a black band around the phone.

        Check out the photos of the metal plate posted here on the official jiayu forum posted a few hours ago :

        ht(remove this)tp:(remove this)//bbs(remove this).ejiayu.(remove this)com/thread-470130-1-1.html

        P.S. You have to remove the parts that says “remove this” and sorry I had to do that, this website does not permit commenting with links.

        • anon
          March 22, 2013

          Guess what.

          ht(remove this)tp:(remove this)//bbs(remove this).ejiayu.(remove this)com/thread-470338-1-1.html

          • anon
            March 22, 2013

            Though to be honest I don’t mind if that metal part is really metal, not faux.

        • Narayan
          March 22, 2013

          Oh yes, it does allow links (see my post).

          • Norman Zakaria
            March 23, 2013

            How do u post links? I can’t get it to work..

  8. thanasis
    March 23, 2013

    will G4 have the same GPS sensor as G3 ????

    or it will be a better one !

  9. bonerific
    March 23, 2013

    Very disappointed with Yamaha audio chip.

    Its an absolute crap and anyone who own a Samsung galaxy s2 knows how terrible that audio chip is.

  10. Lola
    March 23, 2013

    ops..
    i’m starting to fall in love with umix2
    this one is taking to long to be launched why didn’t they thought about this first? i do believe that it would be better if they tried to develop a 2000 mAh for the basic version though
    anyways gonna wait until April after that will have to buy a phone because i still have to wait at least 3 weeks after shipment so..i don’t wanna have phone by June