LG G3 Review!

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The LG G3 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor at 2.5Ghz with 3GB of memory. This is on-par with Galaxy S5, which has same processor but less memory.  For storage of your apps, photo, videos, and other personal files 32GB of storage is provided as internal storage and up to 128GB of storage via its microSD card slot.

Battery is rated at 3000mAh, that’s slightly bigger than 2800mAh on the Galaxy S5 and slightly smaller than 3200mAh on the Galaxy Note 3.   With a whopping 5.5-inch display, the LG G3 is considered in the “phablet” class along with Note 3, which has slightly bigger 5.7-inch screen.

So how “BIG” is LG G3 compared to the rest of flagship phones on the market today?

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The LG G3 is slightly wider and slightly shorter than the Galaxy S5. It is slightly thicker than the Galaxy S5 but it certainly “feels” much thinner and better due to its curved design.  Compared to the Note 3, LG G3 is slightly narrower and much shorter than the Note 3. LG G3 is also slightly thicker than the Note 3 but again, it feels thinner due to its curviness on the edges.

 

In other words, it’s like sexy booty vs. thin and boring.

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LG G3 is slightly shorter and much wider than the HTC One. LG G3 is slightly thinner than the HTC One, and the feel is very similar to the HTC One. I would say the feel thang is awfully close between these two phones.   What I like most about the LG G3 is the design and feels, specifically how it looks and feels in your hands.

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LG G3 touts one of the biggest edge-to-edge screens with the LCD covering most of the phone. Also, soft buttons are implemented, resulting in ultra-thin bevels.  Also the LG G3 touts the highest pixel density in the smartphone world right now with 2560×1440 resolution, or also called “1440P”, that’s about 4 times more pixels than a 1080P screen.

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LG G3 sports a beautifully curved back, which is also removable so you can easily swap batteries on the go, so you don’t have to ever be a wall hugger.   This and the microSD card is one thing that I like over the Nexus 5, which is also one of my favorite phones all time.

Upon holding the LG G3, you wouldn’t believe how light it is and also the curved back makes it easy to hold with one hand.  Compared with the Note 3, the feel is definitely better.

Now, the LG G3 is not waterproof but I believe prices do reflect that as you can grab a brand, new LG G3 for around $599 while waterproof phones like S5 will be $100 higher.

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If size matters to you and HTC One or Galaxy S5 is already too big for your hands, LG G3 is definitely not for you.

But if you don’t mind the larger size or you are already used to using a bigger Note 3, LG G3 will be just about the same but with smaller/lighter profile since it does not have pressure-sensitive pen features like on Note 3, which makes it less bulky.

Next, let’s take a look at the software on the stock LG G3.

First, I really like the stock LG user interface.  It’s not terribly different from stock Android and I have to confess, LG has been making some great progress in the last 2 years after making Google Nexus 4 and Nexus 5.  That certainly helped them make better software.

Now, it’s not feature-packed like Samsung’s TouchWiz, then again it’s not packed with so much bloatware that you have to root and install custom ROMs just to enjoy the phone the way you want it.

One thing I like is being able to move apps and create folders automagically, just like stock Android OS.  On TouchWiz you have to manually make a folder, it’s a pain in the butt.  There’s also a hidden shortcut where if you double-tap anywhere on the screen, it will go to sleep. This I like since it’s a feature I am already used to using with custom ROMs.

Second, I am really diggin LG browser. It has some really nifty features like a real home button, two finger swipe to bottom or top of the page.

Copy & Paste w/ Clipboard – “Why didn’t I think of that first?”, says Samsung/HTC/Motorola.

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And did I hear copy and paste with support for multiple copies just like a desktop computer?  The clipboard is amazing and you can actually use it across the whole phone, not just the browser.

LG G3 probably has the power button in the weirdest position of all the phones I’ve used in my life.  But after using it after about a week, I feel this is very second-nature and now I can’t live with out it.

Let’s talk about the screen.  LG G3 has 4 times more pixels than a 1080P screen.  The screen performs fairly well except some minor over-sharpening effects at times. But I believe this is due to a software issue that can be resolved in the near future.

As for as comparison to my Note 3, Note 3 is still king of battery life, I would say roughly my Note 3 goes 50% longer than my LG G3.

LG G3 Camera?

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LG G3 has one of the best cameras on the market today with its Laser Auto Focus technology, having the fastest focus times and also you will be able to focus in near complete darkness or focus on a fast moving object better than any other smarpthone on the market today.  I do have a full review on LG G3’s Laser auto focus, so definitely check that out next if you haven’t seen it yet.

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Video recording is excellent also.  The Laser Auto Focus is not just a marketing gimmick. Upon trying myself, I am convinced that every smartphone manufacturer will follow LG next year as it works well in low-light, actions shots, and even for macro shots.  These are what smartphones are known to suck at but LG just changed history.

In other words, Laser Auto Focus in on a whole another level from Phase Detection system used in practically all other smartphones include S5, HTC One, Note 3. etc…etc…

Overall LG G3 is definitely worth getting if you want the best smartphone “right now” with the best camera and 1440P display.   Of course, LG G3 does not do well with taking notes. If you need to take notes or draw realistic art on your phone, then you need the Note 3 or even Note 4 when it comes out.

Multi-tasking on the go?

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LG G3 has a decent multi-window similar to Galaxy Note 3 and S5. It isn’t spectacular by any means but it certainly isn’t useless and certainly you can do much more than act like a whore with a single-cell brain.

How do I really feel about the LG G3?

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I am really lovin’ the LG G3 at the moment.  What I like is the different design LG G3 brings with more stock-like Android without butchering the pure Android OS like HTC or Samsung did.

As far as rooting and custom ROMs go, I think LG G3 will do much better than Samsung Galaxy S5 this year as Samsung has stopped supporting open source lately and we’ve seen plenty good things with LG G2 last whole year.  The moment Samsung stops listening to customers is when we need to jump ship and buy something else like LG.

The design of the phone also is somewhat unique and I like having that over HTC or Samsung who literally build the same phone with different hardware in the last two years.  LG G3 in my opinion wins design award for 2014.

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If you want a more stock Android experience with an excellent low-light/action shooter that has just the basic features you need, than LG G3 is certainly for you. I like to think of it as a turbo-charged version of Nexus 5, just with bigger screen, faster processor, removable battery, better screen, and microSD card expansion.

And lastly but not least, there’s not really the best smartphone in the world. It really depends on your preferences but I think LG has done a terrific job this year and definitely would put this guy on your priority list of new smartphones to shop for.

Extras

Need to root your LG G3?  See How to Root LG G3!

Not using a case?  See our LG G3 Root Drop Test which shows you a simple $10 investment can protect your $600 phone.

 

 

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Max Lee

Max Lee is the founder of HighOnAndroid.com. Max makes Android tutorials and review videos for people who want to get high on Android over at his YouTube channel and Korean YouTube channel.