LG G3 review: Dream catcher

06 June 2014
Late as usual but ever so strong. In an industry where timing is almost as important as quality, LG's highly anticipated G3 flagship makes landfall in the second half of 2014, a couple of months after the flagships of the other major players. Such a late...

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  • AnonD-84116
  • 4f%
  • 08 Jun 2014

"Handling the LG G3 is perhaps where the only real issues may arise for users - particularly those with smaller hands."

No sht, Sherlock. 5.5" screen is bigger than all other flagships (that isn't a Note). LG G2 was 5.2". So yeah, if you want a smaller phone, get a smaller phone. This isn't an issue.

    • D
    • AnonD-247149
    • 7t%
    • 08 Jun 2014

    waiting for my country release to purchase......presently no good device to Beat this Beast.

      • Y
      • You Know Me
      • I0q
      • 08 Jun 2014

      Tim, 08 Jun 2014How could Samsung copy Apple's Health Kit when S Health has... moreWho said Samsung copied Apple's Healthkit? To be clear, Apple copied Samsung's S Health. Samsung has been focusing in the medical industry for over twenty years.

        • T
        • Tim
        • iiH
        • 08 Jun 2014

        You Know Me, 08 Jun 2014"What gsm arena and other people and sites DONT know t... moreHow could Samsung copy Apple's Health Kit when S Health has been around with the Galaxy S4 - the s5 version is an evolution of that.

        If anything Apple is late to the party.

          • l
          • lg is first-not late
          • 3rT
          • 08 Jun 2014

          GSMArena - you got it all wrong!

          lg is not late in the competition: quite the contrary - it is the first!

          the G2 could handle the current competition, but the G3 is ahead of the competition! because of the biggest screen, the QHD resolution, and the 3GB ram.

          LG has played its moves very well, and its always ahead of the competition! like the G2 was at the time.

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • s3P
            • 08 Jun 2014

            AnonD-271949, 08 Jun 2014Is the reviewed phone a final product or a pre-korean model... moreEarly korean with pre-release software. You can check the pictures and you see it has an antenna.

              • D
              • AnonD-255654
              • rv0
              • 08 Jun 2014

              AnonD-81824, 08 Jun 2014stupido , everybody knows samsung's selling points are only... moreno matter how much you despise my opinion, please do not insult my intelligence by calling me stupid, I am well aware that Samsung copies as well (I never said they didn't), everybody copies that's what innovation is, you take something that is existing and make it better..LG copied Samsung touchwiz and some of their functionality, that you can't deny..all I did was state the obvious....all your comment did was show me that you still have a long way to go on the road of becoming an adult......

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • XrU
                • 08 Jun 2014

                AnonD-259899, 08 Jun 2014Korean model by the looks of things. LG has told several re... moreWait sorry that was you.. haha

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • XrU
                  • 08 Jun 2014

                  AnonD-259899, 08 Jun 2014Don't be ignorant. Most reviewers say something else when t... moreIgnorant?? People in glass houses..did you even read what I.was replying to? Nup surprise lol I didn't say the z2 camera was bad.. I just disagreed that the z2 camera was 'vastly better' than the g3s I'm just going by trusted/ professional reviewers including gsmarena.. and by personal experience I wouldn't buy a phone made by Sony.. constant issues with their displays anddddd wait for it..camera units
                  Btw I'll quote u here.. don't be Ignorant and assume I'm brand loyal,to be so is just plain stupid..hard.to be critical when your bias from the beginning right

                    • D
                    • AnonD-259899
                    • 3YY
                    • 08 Jun 2014

                    AnonD-271949, 08 Jun 2014Is the reviewed phone a final product or a pre-korean model... moreKorean model by the looks of things. LG has told several reviewers the software is not final and the tuning is specifically for South Korea's LTE-A networks so tests done now are expected to show lower battery life.

                    That said don't expect battery life to jump by like 3 hrs more maybe 2 hrs tops which would make it very good given the QHD display. Endurance can increase by a lot more as it is easier to work on standby power when the SoCs are the same between most flagships of 2014

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                      • AnonD-207990
                      • vGD
                      • 08 Jun 2014

                      AnonD-159252, 08 Jun 2014If you own a iphone 3gs i would definitely get Htc one(M8) ... moreI ve considered HTC one m8 along with Z2 & S5 before finalizing G3. Glass rear is ALWAYS a BIG NO for me as i said in my earlier post due to my dislike for cases. HTC one M8's height bothered me a lot. and the awkward position of power button, the most used HW part of any phone. I find it very very inconvenient to use after trying it myself in stores. Ya it has better speakers & Battery. But no phone is perfect. it all boils down to individual preferences. But i do see the good aspects of S5 & one m8 in their own way. But am for LG G3.

                        • D
                        • AnonD-271949
                        • 0Ap
                        • 08 Jun 2014

                        Is the reviewed phone a final product or a pre-korean model? Is it fair to assume that some of the benchmark results, as well as some of the display issues (contrasts etc), can be software and/or optimization related and probably will be improved in the final version?

                          • D
                          • AnonD-259899
                          • 3Yg
                          • 08 Jun 2014

                          AnonD-159252, 08 Jun 2014I think you should get a Z2 before making so much comments ... moreI did play around with the Z2 I already mentioned that and they are what you see on flickr. There are way too many samples for you to see the repeated patterns. You don't even need to play with the said device to know what it's capable of.

                          Low light Z2 is just plain better at the same ISO and nearly similar exposure times but when I say 'better' it's all relative to other top androids. No phone not even the PV808 is a match for DSLRs of good sensors fitted in them especially at higher ISOs. You want the best shots in all conditions get a DLSR. You have to pay more for true quality.

                            • D
                            • AnonD-259899
                            • 3Yg
                            • 08 Jun 2014

                            AnonD-207990, 08 Jun 2014Ok MHanz, so wats ur take on LG G3. It may not be a wise ch... moreI am an extreme phone roadwarrior type user for me the Z2's battery life is best so far in the android world. But I prefer a 5.5" screen size as I have rather big digits.

                            The battery life of the G3 is not enough for me but this doesn't mean it's terrible for others. Many forget the battery performance is very close to GS4 given all the inconsistencies of browser and radios depending on conditions. This will improve and probably end up better than the S4 and a lot closer to G2. It is matter of time but I am not patient right now that's just me. But beating G2 levels in battery life is not probably not going to happen across the board.

                            The batter life on G3 is very good, just not good enough for crazies like me. LG is after the mass market and any one saying the G3's battery life is not enough is just sore in the rear or just some random hater.

                            They can hate the display as it's personal taste, they can hate the UI that's again personal taste, they can hate the overall looks of the design that's again taste but Battery life being poor is just someone trying hard to be denial that it is actually very good for the normal user.

                            There is hope for roadwarrirors still, ZeroLemon or others can come up with nifty extended battery monster packs.

                            Apart from that the display is being praised by almost everyone as simply being awesome/outstanding and must be seen in person. I remember being underwhelmed by the G2's display on youtube videos but seeing it in person it was a WOW moment. I learned my lesson then, judging a display from pictures and youtube videos is just foolhardy. You must see it in person. The Z2 is also very good I saw that one in person. I am looking forward to checking the G3 out myself.

                            Camera is right up there with the best but just like every cameraphone they have their strengths and weakness. S5 is rubbish in dark light conditions, Z2 is much batter, LG G pro 2 was good to give Z2 a run for its money I expect the same from G3. Some samples on flickr and by some reviewers already pretty much point towards slightly improved low light shots on the G3 compared to the G Pro 2. G3 still has issues in blowing out highlights in low light consitions and the Z2 as issues of Superior Auto being a hit or a miss plus limited to 8MP and S5 utterly being trash in low light so every thing has its weaknesses. You want a good camera shot? Get a DSLR. This is not going to change for the foreseeable future unless some new miracle tech comes along that can do what big sensor DSLRs can do on a tiny sensor. Physics is against that from happening for a long long while yet.

                            UI and design is personal taste, G3 is superb IMHO. There are gimmicky stuff on many OEM phones I don't care much for those but fanboys will harp on that and say that's why some of their favorite brands are better.

                            If you have G2 and you are happy with it then the G3 is not a good enough reason to upgrade. But someone who has a phone that 3-5 years old then definitely G3 is a worthy buy hands down for any normal user. Power users like me will tend to focus on one aspect the most and need phones that can specifically cater to that. LG Doesn't care if they lose me as a customer to the Z2 as they are going to get 1000 other happy customers instead. Fanboys think too highly of themselves when they rant in here lol

                              • D
                              • AnonD-159252
                              • nCE
                              • 08 Jun 2014

                              AnonD-259899, 08 Jun 2014Don't be ignorant. Most reviewers say something else when t... moreI think you should get a Z2 before making so much comments about it's camera.As you said everybody can check countless photos and will see that even the Iphone 5s,Galaxy s4 and LG G2 make better stills than the Xperia Z2(let's not talk about S5 ,Note 3 or LG G3).I see the Z2 camera on par with Huawei's P7 camera for example or Oppo but not better (that's regarding stills,video is a different story)

                                • D
                                • AnonD-259899
                                • 3Yg
                                • 08 Jun 2014

                                Anonymous, 08 Jun 2014Vastly better camera?? What reviews you reading?lol the g3 ... moreDon't be ignorant. Most reviewers say something else when their own shots show otherwise. Go look at the ISO settings and compare the Z2 to other phones except the PV 808 and L1020 and you will see Z2 is just plain superior. Flickr is a good place to check countless shots done by normal people who don't have to bendover backwards to their personal brand biases. Review making is a business remember that. Use you own eyes not brand loyalty. It's your money after all.

                                  • D
                                  • AnonD-159252
                                  • nCE
                                  • 08 Jun 2014

                                  AnonD-207990, 08 Jun 2014Ok MHanz, so wats ur take on LG G3. It may not be a wise ch... moreIf you own a iphone 3gs i would definitely get Htc one(M8) if i were you.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • nmM
                                    • 08 Jun 2014

                                    AnonD-259899, 08 Jun 2014Then choose the Z2, problem solved. Good battery life, bigg... moreNope. Z2 may broke easily, a few friends of mine have had their Z2's replaced for broken glasses. Z2's audio output is also a bit low in volume. G3 also looks better and has a better audio output. Let's see, I'll have to test these devices again before making my decision.

                                      • D
                                      • AnonD-207990
                                      • vGD
                                      • 08 Jun 2014

                                      AnonD-259899, 08 Jun 2014And after the KitKat update on G2 Talk time: 25 hrs 15 m... moreOk MHanz, so wats ur take on LG G3. It may not be a wise choice for people owning G2 to upgrade to G3. But people like me with phones older than 4-5 yrs, LG G3 is a juicy upgrade i feel. I own a iPhone 3GS. What i dint like about G2 were:
                                      1. Plastic rear - attracts fingerprints a lot - am a person who never uses cases.
                                      2. cartoonish UI

                                      So i was waiting for new phone launches. LG G3 blew me away.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • sp@
                                        • 08 Jun 2014

                                        LG should have waited for the Snapdragon 805 , the GPU with this chipset is too weak for a flagship device with such resolution. Shame , almost but not quite there LG. As soon as other bring out similar devices with 805 snapdragons the LG G3 will fade away...