Will the third time be a charm? You can tell that LG really wants to
swim with the bigger fish, that is Samsung and Apple, but they just
can’t seem to gain any market share. The G series is their flagship, but
go up to the average person in the street and ask them if they have
heard of the Optimus G, the G2, or even the G3, and I can guarantee you
that 8 to 9 out of 10 people will say no. It’s not even like LG is an
unknown brand. They are very well known for their TVs and appliances,
but when it comes to smartphones, they continue to play second fiddle to
Samsung and Apple.
So here we are again, wondering if the G3 will take LG to the
Promised Land. It certainly has the fire power to do just that. With a
Quad HD display and a camera that features laser autofocus, LG is ahead
of Samsung and Apple in terms of hardware. Another plus is that
Samsung’s market share is on the decline so consumers might be looking
for something different. The G3 might be classified as a “big boy,” but
is it ready to play with the “big boys?”
Design
When we saw leaked images of the G3 prior to the official
announcement, there was a lot of excitement because it appeared to be a
metal phone. However, that excitement was quickly deflated when that
back cover was referred to as featuring a metallic finish. Just another
fancy way of saying plastic. But just like any device, you have to hold
it in your hand before you can make any judgements, and I was pleasantly
surprised. At first, I still kind of thought it was metal, but I knew
it wasn’t. Still, it felt very nice in the hand as if it was a premium
metal phone. The reason is that although it’s made of plastic, it does
have a unique metal film on top. Now I am not saying it’s the same thing
as the HTC One (M8 or M7), but that might be a good thing. As much as I
love the HTC One, it’s very slippery. The G3 gives you that premium
look and feel, but it’s not slippery. That’s a huge pet peeve of mine,
and is something that is hard to find in smartphones today. You have to
give LG credit here because they were able to pull this off with minimal
cost. Metal on smartphones isn’t practical because of the cost. I like
it, but if you can’t charge a premium for it, it doesn’t make sense for
the manufacturer to offer it.
My next concern was the size. 5.5-inches sounds great, but I have
never owned a phone with a display larger than 5-inches since anything
higher than that is just too big. Those devices wind up catering to a
niche crowd so LG certainly took a chance going with this size on their
main flagship. Again, I was pleasantly surprised because it wasn’t as
big as I was expecting. No it’s not the same size as my old DROID DNA,
but it’s actually shorter than the HTC One (M8), and only a little
wider. In fact, it’s smaller than one of the most popular 5.5-inch
phones ever, the Samsung Galaxy Note II. It’s actually smaller than the
original Galaxy Note, which sported a smaller 5.3-inch display.
The G3 also features the pyramid style back, which many manufacturers
have adopted over the years. At its thickest part, it’s 8.9 mm, but
it’s only 2.7 mm at the sides. This, and the fact that it only weighs
149 grams, not to mention the nearly non-existent bezel, adds to the
fact that this doesn’t feel like the behemoth that one would expect with
a 5.5-inch phone.
LG introduced rear panel buttons on the G2, and they were refined for
the G3. The power button is now circular and a little bigger. It’s also
easier to feel the difference between it and the volume rockers. They
still take a little getting used to, but I found it a lot easier since I
already had the experience last year with the G2. I still don’t think
rear controls are a game changer, just a differentiator. I use a lot of
phones, and I never find myself wishing others had the same type of
controls. At the same time, I don’t have an issue with LG going this
route.
As long as we are at the back of the device, you will also find the
13 MP rear camera lens, the laser autofocus, and LED flash, all just
above the volume and power controls. You will also find a speaker
towards the bottom to the left. You won’t find anything on the right or
left side of the device. At the top is the IR blaster, and at the bottom
is the USB port at the middle, while the microphone jack sits to the
left. The back is also removable, and inside you will find a removable
3,000 mAh battery, as well as slots for your SIM and microSD card.
There are no physical buttons as LG has opted for on screen controls
just like stock Android. The only difference is LG allows you to
customize them.
In terms of the design, I think LG knocked this one out of the park.
The rear controls are a little quirky, but the premium feel of the
device, and the fact that it’s not too big for a 5.5-incher, more than
make up for that.
Hardware
The G3 features a 5.5-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440) IPS LCD display (538
ppi), a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, Adreno 330
GPU, 3 GB of RAM (2 GB with 16 GB storage option), 16 GB or 32 GB of
internal storage, microSD slot for up to an additional 128 GB of extra
storage, 13 MP rear camera with OIS+ and laser autofocus, 2.1 MP
front-facing camera, 3,000 mAh battery, WiFi Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac,
NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, and Miracast.
Radios (CDMA version): LTE 850 / 1900 / 2500 for Sprint (instead of
750 / 1700 / 2600), WCDMA 850 / 1900 / 2100, CDMA 800 / 850 / 1900,
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900.
Performance
As is with most flagships today, the G3 features the Qualcomm
Snapdragon 801 and 3 GB of RAM, which is more than enough power for the
average person. They also offer a 2 GB version (16 GB model), but I
doubt you would be able to tell the difference other than storage is
obviously less. The G3 can handle anything you can throw at it and is
free of hiccups. I did run the obligatory AnTuTu benchmark, and it came
in at 36,911, which is right up there with other flagships.
The display is one of the focal points on the G3 as it is one of the
first phones to feature Quad HD, which is a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440.
It does seem like overkill, but if LG is willing to give it to me
without charging me more than other phones, I will take it. Now when I
say, “overkill, ” I don’t mean the display isn’t anymore beautiful than
competing displays. It’s actually one of the best displays you will ever
see. However, you really won’t be able to enjoy the full potential of
it beyond the UI and looking at your photos. You will have a hard time
finding any apps that support this resolution at present, but don’t
forget, Quad HD will more than likely become the norm over the next
year, so more apps will support it over time. LG is one of the leaders
in terms of displays and the G3 is no exception.
With a phone of this caliber, I would liked to have seen stereo
speakers, but LG wanted to keep the phone as small as they could. I
would say that is more important since most consumers aren’t concerned
with the sound so much. So you get one speaker at the back of the device
that sounds okay.
Battery
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to conduct my usual battery test since LG
sent me the Sprint version. Sprint’s LTE is nowhere to be found in my
area, so I can only comment on my daily usage based on 3G data, and what
other reviewers have experienced. The G3 has a 3,000 mAh battery so it
has plenty of juice, but don’t forget, it’s powering a whopping 5.5-inch
Quad HD display. My experience is that you should get through the
entire day with moderate to heavy use. This would include the use of
WiFi in the mix. My guess is that if you were to be on LTE the entire
day, it will be tough, but you should be able to make it with moderate
use.
Software
If there was ever an achilles heel for LG, it has been their
software. I have always thought that LG’s approach was very much like
Samsung’s approach, as in include a lot of add-ons with the hope that
consumers love them and will return again with their next phone
purchase. Then there is the interface. In the past, LG’s approach wasn’t
too user friendly, but they have promised a more simplified experience
with the G3. I would agree. I do like their approach of it looking more
like stock Android even though it isn’t. In the past, I didn’t think I
could live with LG’s interface as my daily driver, but for the first
time, I am okay with it.
Now let’s get to the proprietary add ons. The newer stuff first.
Knock Code
This isn’t completely new for LG, but it’s going to get more
attention now that it’s available on their main flagship. Knock Code is
just another way to unlock your phone. This method breaks your display
into four quadrants. You can predefine your own pattern (by tapping
whatever quadrants you want in whatever order), which can be as simple
as 3 taps or as many as 8. A couple of things are cool about this. The
first is that when you want to wake your phone from sleep, you don’t
need to tap the power button first (then enter your pattern). You can
simply pick up your phone and tap your Knock Code, and the display will
turn on. If you do happen to tap the power button, the lock screen will
be displayed and you will still be able to tap your Knock Code.
Secondly, your taps don’t have to be in a specific spot. It’s kind of
hard to explain, but when you record your Knock Code, the four equal
quadrants take up the entire display. However, when you actually tap
your code to unlock the phone, you can miniaturize it if it’s easier for
you. As long as you knock your actual pattern correctly, it doesn’t
matter if you use the entire display, the middle of it, or even a small
area at one of the corners. I would classify Knock Code as not only
cool, but also useful.
Smart Notice
This is LG’s take on Google Now except it adds in information about
your phone. You really have to wonder why companies like Samsung and LG
continue to regurgitate other’s work and depict it as their own, but
that is for another post. Smart Notice will let you know “useful”
information such as when one of your contacts has a birthday and what
the weather is going to be like, but it will also mention that you might
need to call a particular person based on how often you call them. It
will also tell you when your battery is a little low, as if you couldn’t
see it in the status bar. Smart Notices appear in both the notification
shade as well as within the main widget on the default home screen,
although it appears the notification area is used more of a reminder in
the event you have ignored the widget. I don’t really think it’s all
that cool, but I will say it will be somewhat useful to some people.
LG Health
This is another useful app, but it doesn’t include anything more than
other third party apps that are already available in the Play Store.
It’s somewhat of a Samsung S Health knockoff, but it isn’t as
comprehensive. LG Health includes a pedometer that will keep track of
all your steps throughout the entire day. It will also let you record
your route for those times when you want to go for a walk as part of
your exercise routine. LG calls this tracks and it also works for
running, cycling, hiking, and inline skating. It will record your entire
workout and tell you how long you worked out for, how many calories you
burned, your distance, your average speed, and your average pace. For
those looking for a simple workout app, LG Health will get the job done.
However, Samsung’s S Health is more comprehensive in that there is a
built-in “personal trainer” and you can track your food intake from a
database of millions of food items. It’s also more polished in that you
can see your total steps for the day on the lock screen so you don’t
have to open the app all the time. Of course, with the G3, if you use
Knock Code, you will never see your lock screen. The other thing that is
quirky with LG Health is that there is no app icon. LG decided to place
the app on the leftmost home screen (along with Smart Tips). You can
see your stats for the day and you can just tap anywhere to open the
app. It’s fine if you want to dedicate the leftmost home screen for this
information (actually it’s not fine, it should be a widget), but give
us an app icon if we want to quickly open the app from another home
screen. As I said, there are better options in the Play Store, but the
average consumer might be too lazy to seek them out so LG Health will be
useful for many.
Smart Tips
Smart Tips provides information and help about many of the features
on the G3 such as the Camera, Guest Mode, Smart Notice, and much more.
Some of the info is just plain text and others are YouTube videos
embedded into the software. Smart Tips is the bottom half of that
leftmost home screen I was telling you about in the LG Health section. I
suppose Smart Tips could be useful for new users of the phone, but
there should be a way to remove it from that home screen and replace it
with something else.
Smart Keyboard
Most of the stock keyboards that come standard on phones are usually
quite boring, but LG is looking to change that with Smart Keyboard. This
again does most of the same stuff other third party apps in the Play
Store already do. One of the best features of it has to be the ability
to resize the keyboard to suit your needs. You have to go into the
settings, and once you do that, you can drag the top of the keyboard
making it smaller or larger. It would be a lot easier if they included
the ability to long press on the top of the keyboard to drag it without
having to go into the settings, but you shouldn’t need to adjust it all
that often. Smart Keyboard is also “smart” because it learns the words
you like to use and will predict what you are most likely trying to
type. You can simply swipe up to complete the word. Catch a mistake you
made, and you can long press on the space bar to move your cursor to the
word that was misspelled. Smart Keyboard is nice, but I still prefer
something more like SwiftKey. I found Smart Keyboard’s predictive
function to be subpar at best. It wouldn’t even add apostrophes
automatically. For example, if I typed “youre” and hit the space bar,
“youre” would display in my message. Other apps like SwiftKey will
automatically convert that to “you’re.” Not all that cool, and not all
that useful.
Smart Cleaning
Android phones can get sluggish over time because of files that pile
up and should be deleted. These include temporary files as well as apps
you no longer use. Smart Cleaning will recognize those temporary files
and let you know what apps are idle, as in you haven’t used them in a
while. It will even give you an opportunity to look in your download
folder to see what should be deleted. I would classify this as very
useful.
The Old Stuff
You will still get all the features that have appeared on past LG
phones such as Guest Mode, Quick Memo, Quick Remote (for using your IR
blaster with your home theater system), Dual Window (2 apps at the same
time), Q Slide, Text Link, and more. Quick Remote will allow you to use
your G3 as your remote control in your living room and is probably the
most useful here. Dual Window allows you to run two apps at the same
time on the display. It’s okay, but the compatible apps are limited. Q
Slide is another way of multitasking allowing multiple apps to float on
top of other apps. Both Dual Window and Q Slide seem cool on the
surface, but I can’t see all that many people using them. Guest Mode is
for when you want to give someone else your phone so that they won’t
have access to what you don’t want them to see. It’s okay, but how many
times are you handing your phone to someone that you really need to be
concerned about that? You can see how most of these functions work by
checking out previous G2 guides.
Most of what LG has brought to the table this year will be useful so
kudos to them, but the phone still feels a little bloated with some of
the older stuff. Adding that useless home page for LG Health and Smart
Tips doesn’t help either. However, as I mentioned before, I feel like I
can finally live with an LG phone as my daily driver, which is a drastic
change.
Camera
It’s obvious the Quad HD display is one of the main focal points with
the G3, but LG touted their camera as much, if not more than the
display. The claim to fame here is OIS+ and laser autofocus, not to
mention a 13 MP lens and a dual LED flash. OIS+ is an enhanced version
of optical image stabilization that promises to remove even more shake
than a traditional OIS system. Laser autofocus is an industry first for a
smartphone, which speeds up focusing. What is does is measure the
distance between the camera and the subject. The idea came from when
engineers from LG’s home appliance division were testing lasers with a
robot vacuum cleaner’s camera. The result? The G3 can focus in 220 ms vs
300 ms for traditional smartphones. It works well, but don’t expect a
drastic improvement. It’s not like it’s going to give you clear shots of
a vehicle moving fast, and I am not even sure I would have noticed it
much if I didn’t know it existed. When it came to photos with motion, it
was a hit or miss as you will see in the examples below. Low light
performance was very good, but just like any other phone, you will find a
lot of noise when light it extremely low. Overall, the G3 takes great
photos in most situations and is one of the best cameras I have tested.
Here are some example shots.
Outdoors
Motion
Low Light
Extreme Low Light
I should also note the camera interface has been simplified. Those of
you that like a lot of settings to fumble with won’t be excited. It now
caters to the casual user, which is the majority of people. Users will
get options for Auto, Magic Focus, Panorama, and Dual (Using both the
front and rear lenses at the same time). Magic Focus is LG’s take on the
Bokeh effect, which allows you to select certain parts of the picture
to be more out of focus or in focus. It didn’t work well for me at all.
You can also set HDR to Auto, On, or Off. If you want to automatically
capture pictures by saying either Cheese, Smile, Whiskey, Kimchi, or LG,
you can do that too. One of the coolest features is the ability to
remove all icons and buttons from the interface allowing you to tap
anywhere on the display to snap your photo. If you choose to have the
icons displayed, you will need to press the shutter button.
LG added some features for the selfie and grouphie fans as well. A
quick swipe up will switch to the front-facing camera. They have added a
slider bar to the right to enhance your selfies. Basically it adds some
light as in a fake flash. I didn’t notice anything majorly significant
to it. There is also a hand gesture that you can use to start a 3 second
countdown so you can get ready for your epic picture. Just put your
hand out like you are saying high and make a fist. Probably the biggest
downer though, is the fact that the front facing lens is only 2.1 MP.
Most of the flagships are starting to include upwards of 5 MP, so this
is something LG missed the boat on.
As far as video goes, the G3 does a good job. However most people
can’t use it’s best feature, which is the ability to record 4K video.
TVs that provide that kind of resolution are still priced too high for
the mainstream. I guess you can record all your video in 4K for that one
day in the future.
Closing
If you have read any of my past reviews regarding LG phones, you
probably didn’t get that warm and fuzzy feeling from me about them. The
hardware was always there, but the interface was always clunky and
annoying. On top of that, LG has one of the worst track records when it
comes to updating their devices with the latest versions of Android.
I can’t say anything about their future plans with Android updates,
but I am pleased with their changes to the interface. It still has room
to grow, but for the first time, I feel like I can use an LG phone as my
daily driver and recommend it to family and friends. It’s still going
to be a little big for a lot of people, but I think you will be
surprised at how “not humongous” it is when you see it in the store. Add
in the fact that the display, the camera, and battery life is up their
with the best of them and it looks like LG finally has a winner on their
hands. Will it translate to success? I will leave that to the marketing
team, but if you’re looking for a new phone, you can’t go wrong with
the LG G3. It’s simply the best Android smartphone available today.
Source: Talk Andriod.
