When the LG G3 starting leaking in tech blogosphere everyone was anticipating the phone. With the innovation of the G2, all the rumored specs had everyone lusting for the G3. I myself was excited because I was a fan of the rear key placement (selfie phone).
The specs alone are enough to make you do a double take on the phone. But the standout feature that most were looking forward to was the Quad HD screen (2560 x 1440 resolution).
–> Check out the specs and first impressions of the LG G6 HERE
LG G3 Specs:
Display: 5.5 inch LCD (2560 x 1440)
Cameras: 13 Megapixel rear-facing camera / 2.1 megapixel front-facing camera
Processor / RAM: 2.5 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Quad-Core Processor/ 2 GB RAM on 16 GB / 3GB on 32 GB
Memory: 16 GB / 32 GB Internal Memory with expansion slot
Battery: 3000 mAh removable battery
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi / IR Remote / USB 2.0 / NFC
OS: Android KitKat 4.4.2
Features: Smart Keyboard, Smart Notice, Knock CodeTM , Guest Mode, Laser Auto Focus (camera)
Related: Check out our review of the LG V10
LG G3 Body and Build
The G3 is a looker! It’s wider and taller than the G2, It’s handling a much bigger screen. This is a indeed a big phone but it doesn’t look like you can’t use it with one hand. The layout of the G3 is pretty easy. There’s nothing along the left and right borders. On the bottom you have the microUSB charging port in the middle and the headphone jack to the left of it. Across the bottom of the screen you have the LG logo.
The backside hold on the action. Like the G2, the main key is in between the up and down keys. And above the “up” key, you have the G3’s 13 megapixel camera. The speaker is located on the lower left of the back panel. The back plate is removable as is the battery. The G3 takes a micro SIM card and has an expansion slot for the microSD card.
The fake metal doesn’t bother me since it make the phone lighter. And the finish prevents fingerprints and it does a great job looking like real brushed aluminum.
[divider] [/divider]VIEW: CASES FOR THE LG G3
Display
What we were all (most of us) waiting for. Well, I will tell you this, the screen didn’t disappoint. The colors seem very true to life. There was minimal saturation. Those 534 PPI are just a joy to look at. The G3 is the first flagship smartphone to rock such a screen and the without sacrificing key specs. I’ll tell you the truth; the screen is beautiful but I don’t think you can recognize it with a naked eye or without comparison to a phone with a less than stellar screen.
Software
I wasn’t a big fan of LG’s heavy skin over Android software in the G2. So I was happy to see the skin over the G3 was very light and not so intrusive. The app icons have a nice flat look and it looks sooooo much better than the G2.
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Experience With the G3
Camera
One of the reasons I loved the G2 was the great camera. I expected the same with the G3’s 13 megapixel camera. But the big showstopping feature of the G3’s camera is the laser focus. The laser on the camera is supposed to help the G3 take quick and precise pictures with great focus. Pictures taken by the G3 prove that the laser focus is working. It was so difficult to take a blurry picture even with moving objects.
If you stop and focus your pictures will come out unbelievably crisp. I did the usual flower pictures and you get lots of details. Just beautiful pictures overall. In low light or in settings with poor lighting, you won’t get great pictures.
You can click the switch camera icon or swipe the screen (a la HTC One) to switch to the 2 megapixel front facing camera. The pixels on the front camera are supposed to be larger therefore taking better pictures. But ehh, it’s a regular selfie cam. Nothing great or terrible about the front facing camera.
Must Read: Introducing the LG G4 – Specs and First Impressions
The camera software is nice and minimal. You will have to go into the menu / settings to change settings, but I like that every menu option isn’t plastered on the screen.
Performance
I expected the G3 to be “too fast” if you will. Obviously that’s not possible, but I expected the utmost fluidity and consistency from normal day-to-day use. For the most part it pulled through. No problem switching between apps or running multiple apps.
The G3 has a few great features that are a bit beyond gimmicks. We remember “Knock On”, where you double tap the screen to wake up or put your phone to sleep. With the G3, LG added KnockCode. With KnockCode, you can unlock your screen by setting up your personal tap code (something similar to unlocking your Windows 8 screen and tapping certain parts of your background picture).
Another great feature is the customization of the keyboard. As you know I’m a big fan of SwiftKey keyboard. but the the G3 has a smart keyboard that allows you to adjust the height of the keyboard and if it has the numbers row above the letters.
Overall feel and handling on the phone was good. Since the main key is on the back of the phone, I didn’t have a problem most of the time. But if I was playing a game and a pop-up came up and I had to reach the upper left corner of the screen it would be difficult for me to reach. Obviously, that’s not a huge issue but some might get annoyed.
Must Read: Introducing the LG G4 – Specs and First Impressions
Battery Life
The G3’s 3,000 mah battery is enough to get you through the day with moderate to slightly heavy use. But if you decide to take advantage of that stunning display you will be paying for it with 3-4 hours use. But for such a large screen, the G3 does a great job of managing battery life when doing the regular (social media, texting, and picture taking).
Call Quality
I tested the G3 on T-Mobile. T-Mobile has been doing a great job at bettering their network in New York. I got great service and 4G LTE in most areas. You can find out more about T-Mobile’s service and coverage HERE.
You can learn more about T-Mobile’s plans HERE.
The ear piece on the G3 could stand to be a little bit louder. I wouldn’t really come across that problem since I almost always talk through a headset. But in a busy street with tons of things going on, it might be difficult to hear the other party. But the party on the other line heard me fine.
[divider] [/divider]Wrap Up
It may be a bit big for some and even more awkward hold for others. But for the most part the rear key placement gets the job done. You won’t get boom sound, but it’s just loud enough. Even though LG did a great job of cramming a large display into the small build.
LG did a great job of finding their own space in the Android market. The G3 doesn’t have a million features but the few features that it does have are stellar. The phone excels at looking great, handling every day use and more, and taking beautiful pictures.The consistent delivery of great performance from the G3 shows that the specs aren’t killed by bloat and get the job done. That’s what I mean by simply innovating. The LG G3 took innovation farther by keeping things simple and clean.
Pricing and Availability:
You can get the LG G3 at all major carriers in the US. You can also get it from Amazon.com and BestBuy.com
