Review - LG G3

Review - LG G3: The most awaited flagship phone of 2014

Priced: ~Rs. 45000 

Key Features: 5.5-inch QHD(Quad HD) screen; Android 4.4.2 with smart tweaks; 13MP camera with OIS and Laser Autofocus.

In a series of flagship launches at and around 2014 mobile congress, one giant was missing from the action, LG. After a wait of a few months, LG has jumped into the market as one of the last manufacturer to launch its top end phone. Well, the wait has been fruitful indeed and we have the LG G3, the improved successor of LG's well received G2.

Design:

With metal like finish at the back and a brilliant 5.5 QHD screen, G3 is a massive phone that still manages to look big, not too big. Weighing just 149gms, very close to and even lesser than competition, G3 packs a 1/2 inch lager screen. The ergonomics are really impressive with that a big screen, thanks to the slim bezel and the slick design with rear control buttons. The buttons at back, criticized by many, actually are better in practice. These are easy to reach(no matter you are left handed or right) and have lesser incidents of accidental press while holding the phone. Also, the buttons are quite elegant this time around compared to the ones on G2.
The 3.5mm jack placed at bottom not only make it easier to hold and use the phone with headphones plugged in  but are also aesthetically more pleasing.

Screen Quality:

LG has totally killed the competition when it comes to its brilliantly sharp 5.5inch QHD screen. The 2560 X 1440 QHD unit manages to provide amazingly sharp 534ppi - compared to iPhone's Retina Display(326ppi) and Galaxy S5's S-AMOLED(432ppi).
As we see, G3 is a winner in screen sharpness, but when it comes to the brightness and contrast ratio, it does not excel. It seems enough to use for a sunny day but clearly dimmer than the rivals. Although, for a everyday use, G3's screen is nothing short of excellent. It is bright enough for full daylight, has good viewing angles and colors appear natural.
The touch is smooth as butter and very responsive.

User Interface:

As "Simple is the new Smart" has been LG's Philosophy while making the G3, they have well applied it to the design as well as to the totally revamped Optimus U/I layered over the androids latest KitKat 4.4.2.
LG has gone flatter and quite subtle this time around in U/I design that makes it looks very contemporary and smart. A split screen mode has been added to it to run two apps simultaneously. This is very pleasant to use on G3's fairly big screen, although it is restricted to some apps only.
There is a new Smart Keyboard added to the device. It adapts your typing habits and frequent mistakes and tries to prevent similar mistakes from being made again and again.

Camera:

LG G3 is shipped with a 13MP rear camera with a dual tone flashlight. Just like other top-end smartphones with similar camera unit, G3 is capable of excellent pictures in good daylight. For the night or low light shots, LG has integrated a Laser Autofocus with the the camera.This basically sends multiple beams of light for the contrast detection to focus on, in low light conditions. Laser Autofocus, enables the G3 to take good low light pictures that too as quickly as it takes in good light conditions.
The front camera with 2.1MP is a true selfie camera. It takes also takes good lowlight pictures and had gesture and voice control as well.
Keeping it true to "Simple is the new Smart", G3 has a very easy to use camera application. It has 4 modes - AutoFocus, Magic Focus(Macro), Panorama and Dual Mode(Front and Rear camera click at the same time).

Battery Life:

G3 is powered by a good 3000mAh and hence, it is expected to last long on a single recharge. This is however, not the case in actual use. Not that the battery life of the G3 is bad, but, it is just about average. It cane be blamed majorly on the power thirsty QHD screen. Lowering the brightness of the screen when using indoors, helps a lot.

Verdict : ****1/2

LG's latest flagship is best ever made by them so far, with no real weakness. The screen is right from the future but we could have happily managed with the Full HD 1080p screen and rather have a better battery life. The phone otherwise is very close to Perfect..

LG G3 should be a serious consideration when you plan to spend for a flagship device.

Technical Specifications:

• Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• Processor: 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdagon 801 quad-core processor
• RAM: 3GB (2GB version available)
• Screen: 5.5in Quad HD-IPS + LCD with 2560 x 1440 resolution (534ppi)
• Camera: 13MP rear, 2MP front
• Storage: 32GB internal (16GB version available), plus microSD up to 128GB
• Data: 3G / 4G/LTE
• Battery: 3000mAh
• Size: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm
• Weight: 149g