With Samsung, Huawei, Sony and HTC having already shown us what they had in store for the year, what else did LG need to do in order to stand out from that crowd that has Android 4.4 KitKat at heart as the only constant? Well how about laser autofocus? A new flatter and ‘less evil’ UI? A QHD display? That now-familiar Rear Key design? Yes, that’s what LG’s 2014 flagship smartphone has in store.
Like Samsung did with the Galaxy S5, LG has also decided not to go ballistic with the specs even though it can do that but instead focus on the general usability of the device hence those ‘widget’ jokes. Beneath that new weather and time widget there’s something else. Not the familiar Google Search bar but Smart Notice… something like Google Now that alerts you of stuff you may want to check out or do like carrying an umbrella when the weather forecast indicates there’s a chance of showers later in the day. There’s also that Quick Circle case that LG stuck with tradition by announcing several days before launching the device itself. It also happens to be the first time that the case does not in any way look like a Samsung copycat. Just like the reworked and simplified UI is (though Samsung also went flat with the reworked TouchWiz in the Galaxy S5… it is a trend).
Among other features that the device packs the ones that stand out include LG’s now popular Knock Code and new ones like Content Lock and something interesting too, Kill Switch! Kill Switch gives the G3 owner the ability to remotely wipe contents and personal information on the device in case of theft or fear of important data/information being compromised if the device falls in the wrong hands. It will also allow G3 owners to completely disable their devices from functioning, remotely. Guest Mode which first showed up on the LG G2 for the first time on an Android smartphone since Google has so far restricted that feature to just tablets also makes its way to the G3.
Specs of the LG G3 are as follows:
- Size: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm
- Weight: 149g
- Display: 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS (2560 x 1440, 538ppi)
- Chipset: A Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.5GHz and backed by an Adreno 330 GPU
- Memory: 32GB internal storage expandable via a microSD slot upto 128 GB, 3 GB RAM
- Camera: 13 megapixels rear camera with OIS+ and Laser Auto Focus (the first in a smartphone) / 2.1 MP front-facing
- Battery: 3,000mAh
- Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
- Network: 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps (3G)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth Smart Ready (Apt-X), NFC, SlimPort, A-GPS/Glonass, USB 2.0
- Colours: Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet, Burgundy Red
There are several exciting things about the phone other than the sleek design and almost bezel-less front (the display accounts for 77% 🙂 ) and these include the removable battery and the addition of the microSD card. If you can remember, the G2 lacked these two features that most of us are always looking for in devices never mind if we actually need them or not. These also happen to be the reason why Samsung’s devices have always had an upper hand despite divergent views on the build quality and the interface so it is easy to see where LG is going with this. Will it be successful? That we obviously can’t tell but if they can manage to tie a few loose ends then it shouldn’t be hard to see the G3 take its rightful place next to its peers when we’re looking at sales figures.
The LG G3 is available from today in its home market of Korea while it will be coming to the rest of the world as from June (no specific dates given). Like Samsung who launched the Galaxy S5 in over 100 countries in its first few weeks, LG is targeting over 170 carriers globally with the G3.
Does the LG G3 entice you? What do you like or hate about it? Does it stand a chance alongside the Sony Xperia Z2, HTC One (M8), the gorgeous Huawei Ascend P7 or the Samsung Galaxy S5? (Sorry, until the likes of Oppo’s Find 7 and One Plus’ One start shipping to more markets they’ll still remain something fancy that you can’t lay your hands on).
