There's Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, FM radio, A-GPS with GLONASS and NFC. We got the 2GB/16GB version for review, and we expect that there will be a slight performance improvement with the more expensive model. Two versions of the G3 will be sold one with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, and one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. LG has chosen the best of everything available today, starting with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC with four CPU cores running at 2.5GHz and an Adreno 330 GPU. There is absolutely nothing not to like about the G3's list of specifications. The G3 feels good in hand, but we'd still trade the curved back and tapered sides for sensibly placed buttons. You can hot-swap microSD cards, but you'll have to pop out the battery to insert or remove a SIM card. We still like being able to swap batteries, even though it means there's no chance of waterproofing which both Samsung and Sony offer.
Unlike most other high-end devices, the rear panel is removable and so is the battery. It's easy to feel for the buttons thanks to this design and their different textures, but that still doesn't solve the problem of accidentally clicking them and not being able to reach them when needed.Īlso on the phone's rear, you'll see the primary camera, flash, infrared focus assist LED, and speaker grille. LG has improved upon its idea and the volume buttons now form a concave pad with the power button in between them like a dimple.
We've seen this rear-button configuration on several models now, including the G Flex and G Pro 2, but it still isn't easy to get used to. Thanks to LG's controversial decision to move all buttons to the rear, the two sides are entirely blank. The headset jack, Micro-USB port and primary microphone are on the bottom.
The only things on the top edge are an infrared LED for the remote control feature, and a mic for noise suppression. It's much less pronounced than the very similar design on Asus' Zenfone series. Beneath the glass, you'll notice a very subtle pattern of concentric rings on the chin. There's only just about enough space on top for the earpiece, front camera and sensors, while there's only a smallish LG logo on the bottom. LG has managed to shave the side bezels down to just a few millimetres, but the unusually small forehead and chin stand out even more.
This also makes it the largest of the current generation of flagships, whose screens generally range from 5 to 5.2 inches diagonally. The curves and proportions make it feel smaller than it is, though that isn't saying much for a phone with a 5.5-inch screen. At first glance it appears to be made out of metal, though it becomes clear that the body is all plastic when you pick it up. This phone is slick, understated, and oozes class. We really have to hand it to LG - this might be the best-looking smartphone available today, period. It's a little mind-boggling that a screen resolution once reserved for gigantic, expensive workstation-class monitors is now possible on a relatively affordable pocket-sized device, so we've been dying to get our hands on LG's new top-end smartphone, the G3, for quite some time now. In fact had it not been for the upstart Oppo and its new Find 7, LG would have been the first to market with a QHD (1440x2560-pixel) screen. Sony, Samsung and HTC debuted largely similar products, and although each one has its own personality, it's hard to choose a single winner between the three.īy waiting a few months, LG has managed to pull a trick out of its hat that none of the others did.
LG was notably missing in action when the rest of the world's biggest Android smartphone makers unveiled their 2014 flagships at or around the Mobile World Congress trade show.