LG G3 Review – One of the greats of 2014
LG G3 Review – One of the greats of 2014
While doing the LG G3 review, I was pleasantly surprised by the changes they made. Many people criticized the LG interface found on the LG G2 and I was one of them. Not because it was not useful or something like that, I did it because it was ugly. The icons and the overall aesthetic were lets say not pleasing at all. They looked like they were designed by an 8 year old. .The LG G3 received a fresh coat of paint, and everything found on the menus and the notification bar is pretty much intact. But all of the icons have been redesigned and they look much better than before.
( Update: you can Check the New from LG – the LG G4 by simply clicking here )
The G3 boasts a top of the line Qualcomm snapdragon processor, the same processor that resides in the Galaxy S5, HTC One . For the first half of 2014, the Snapdragon 801 is in all of the flagship phones out there, so at the core of the G3 beats a heart, of a beast of a processor. The phone runs very fast and without any lag. Everyday tasks run very smooth without any kind of stutters. The phone can handle all of the games available on the Google Play Store. I spent some hours yesterday playing Godfire: Rise of Prometheus on the phone and it was buttery smooth. No stutters, nor lag. For memory, the G3 has 3GB of ram (and smaller cheaper 2 GB ram version). Now in 2015 we expect much more of 3GB devices and even more and with the new 64 bit processors coming, we should expect interesting new devices to be revealed.
The LG G3 display is 5.5 inches in size and has an impressive resolution of 2560×1440. Most of the other flagship phones on the market have a resolution of 1080p. Everything on the display looks sharp and crisp, the colors are nice, but not as saturated as the Samsung AMOLED screens. Everyone is talking about LG being the first to release a phone with a QHD display. LG’s 1440p screen has the highest resolution of any screen on the market. In fact The Oppo was the true first to announce a quad HD display, but not many people know OPPO. Some time ago Apple made claims, when they released their Retina display, saying that for the human eye wouldn’t be possible to spot differentiate pixels with a density greater than 300 ppi (pixels per inch)which is why they called their display a retina display. We all know now that this wasn’t true and when competitors like Samsung released phones with higher pixel densities reaching into the 400s – we could see for ourselves how much clearer those phones were in comparison to the iPhone. It is slightly irritating that Apple treats it‘s customers like they are stupid (saying that with a risk of being attacked by Apple fans) and misleads them to believe that nothing is worth buying with a higher resolution. Even making people believe 4 inch phones are the best, but that’s all in the past now – we have the Iphone 6 plus. With all of this being said, LG produced the G3 which has a large 5.5 inch LCD screen with a pixel density of 538ppi. LG has made a big deal about the resolution on this phone but to be frank I can’t tell the difference when I compare it side by side with the LG G2 or even the S5. This doesn’t mean that the G3 is bad though. It is simply a matter of preference. The LG G3 has the upper hand when it comes to videos because of the extra screen size. It is amazing that LG had managed to cram that big display in a phone that is not much bigger than the HTC One.
Another strong point in the LG G3 is the design
That is spot on gorgeous. It is a large phone, in size it is the same as the HTC One M8, but it feels comfortable in your hand, thanks to the brilliant ergonomics of the phone. LG had spent a lot of time with the ergonomic design of the phone, as they gave it a curved back vs the flat style of other phone manufacturers. LG also part away with the glossy plastic that they used in the G2, and gave it a texture to look just like aluminum and boy is it gorgeous. It looks great. The phone is light weight for a device with this size, and most importantly the G3 does not attract fingerprints like the G2 did. LG also listened to its customers and went for a removable back plate which gives access to the battery, which can be swapped. By removing the back plate you gain access to the expandable memory and SIM card slot. It gives the phone a very clean look, especially with the volume and power buttons on the back of the phone, which are quite easy to get used to. Of all of the Android phones, I think the G3 delivers the best looking and feeling for a phone over 5 inches, but most would probably say that the One M8 looks better.
The camera on the LG G3 is one of its strongest features. The camera is fantastic – 13 Megapixels camera with Laser Auto Focus and Optical Image Stabilization. This year LG has included a new IR auto focus laser that allows the camera to lock in on its target in a fraction of a second. I am thoroughly impressed by this feature. It is really working and amazingly fast. The laser tends to focus slower in darker environments though, but nothing to worry about. The user interface in the camera has been simplified. When you turn on the camera app you don’t see anything on either side of the screen. If you want to take a picture the only thing you have to do is tap the screen with your finger. It is that simple. When it comes to picture quality the LG G3 is in the same league to the S5. It is much better than the HTC One in daylight pictures. In real world use, the laser really does help. Combine that with the Optical image stabilization that LG added to the G2 last year, and you have the best performing camera of all of the phones. Pictures always come out clear and crisp and I absolutely love the camera on the G3. This camera easily outperforms the HTC One M8, and because of its ability to focus quickly using the laser, it is faster than the S5 and Note 3 or even 4 (my own personal experience at taking pictures). This is easily one of the best smartphone cameras on the market, and when it’s time to take videos the LG G3 is just fantastic. Thanks to the image stabilization the videos come out without any shaky images. It is in a league of its own in this aspect. If you like taking pictures and videos this phone will deliver.
( Update: you can Check the New from LG – the LG G4 by simply clicking here )
While on the subject of quality pictures and videos, this phone audio quality needs a review of it’s own. LG added a 1 watt speaker to the G3…what is 1 watt in other words? It’s one of the loudest phone available, even slightly louder than the HTC M8 which have dual speakers. It doesn’t sound great, but being loud at 1 watt, you can listen to music rather easily when let’s say having a shower. The biggest surprise for me was the internal sound processor. I don’t know what LG used, or how they tweaked their audio output for headphones, however I’m in love with their audio processor. I am an audiophile by hearth and I listen at least for 2 hour a day of music, through my cell phone – everyday. The G3 brings my music to life, and I love listening to music and sitting on the patio with this phone. No other phone sounds this detailed when listening through head phones. Thank you LG, for not cutting back on sound and that alone is very admirable.
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