LG G3 with 5.5-inch 2560×1440 IPS LCD Display. Is this going too far?
With the ongoing race for improvement in the digital device space, each year devices are released with better features. 2013 was the year of 1080p “Full HD” and 4G LTE communications. 2012 was the year of 720p HD and improved 3G performance.
Android phone has been catching up with the iPhone and iPad specifications for the last couple of years. Now in 2014 they are finally surpassing what Apple has to offer.
The latest Android phone from LG, the G3, is a 5.5-inch “phablet” with two standout features: qHD 2560 x 1440 resolution IPS LCD display and those rear-placement buttons instead of at the front.
Design
The G3 is curved at the top like a Nexus, but more slight at the bottom with the LG logo prominent at the front. The buttons are missing and can be found on the sleek, curved back with a camera and flash.
It takes some getting used to the rear button and not accidentally activating a button by mistake, but after a while you memorize where the buttons are in relation to how you hold the phone and then it becomes second nature.
Specifications
The phone is a flagship one for LG currently. The Gold Standard of display resolutions with more pixels than you can shake a stick at.
The difficulty with that is currently there's not much use for a resolution that breaches the 1080p barrier but doesn't reach the new Ultra 4K standard. Ultra 4K is double the 1080p resolution both horizontally and vertically. So this qHD resolution is kind of an inbetween-er.
Android 4.4 keeps things fresh looking and sharp. The 2.5Ghz Snapdragon 801 processor is snappy, 3GB of RAM means many apps can be active at once and the 32GB of internal storage is plenty. There is also a model with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage but when going for a top-tier phone like this, the step down doesn't seem worthwhile.
The rear-facing camera is 13 megapixels with a LED flash and the front-facing camera (renamed “selfie-camera” by the marketing peeps at LG) is 2 megapixels.
The removable 3000mAh battery, just like with Samsung phones, makes it easy to replace a dead battery or swap them instead of carrying around a more bulky power bank. The inclusion of a microSD card slot is an improvement over the LG G2 which lacked one. The smartphone weighs in at just 149 grams.
Communications
Communication radios are present for 2G, 3G up to 42 Mbps, and LTE. 4G LTE includes CA, RCS, MIMO, VoLTE, CSFB and SVLTE. Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX but apparently not the low-energy version, wireless 802.11a to ac, GPS/GLONASS, IR blaster, NFC for payments and wireless charging technology compatibility. All top end stuff.
Verdict
The LG G3 is ideal for Android users who want the best resolution currently available. The display is very good, sharp, bright and pleasing to look at. The overall aesthetics of the phone are up to par for a high-end model like this.
The issue will really be about the 3,000mAh battery versus the battery-sucking high resolution display. A power bank is essential to carry around if you like regularly walking around with cellular data, GPS and other battery-draining features turned on.
The rear buttons and unusual handling of the G3 is also something to get used to. Probably better to try the G3 out in a store first to see how it feels rather than buying online as the new form factor will not be to everyone's taste.
