LG G3 hands-on: hardware, software, and camera

LG's smartphones have been in Samsung's shadows during the bulk of the Android era, but the LG G3 may be the first device to finally emerge and shine brighter than anything from its Korean rival. While it's hard to resist getting wrapped up in the afterglow of a new device raising excitement upon its first impression, the G3 leaves one heck of an impression.

The most impressive aspect of the G3 is its body and how much the texture differs from previous devices. The moisture and gloss of plastic has been replaced with the smoothness and strength of metal. The entire frame is plastic but there's a film along the back with a "metallic" texture. It sill feels light as plastic and has a fingerprint-resistant coating. Though I've had issues with other devices that use plastic, and the slimy texture of glossy plastic has been particularly frustrating. The switch to a metallic-ish body is a pleasant departure that's preferable touching throughout the day, though it still feels somewhat strange.

Introducing a Quad HD display also makes it hard to ignore the G3. The resolution of 2560 x 1440 is excessive and seems highly unnecessary given that only someone with phenomenal vision who holds the screen too close to his or her eyes would even be able to tell the difference between Quad HD and 1080p HD. It would appear that LG introduced this higher resolution just for the sake of being able to one-up rivals, and that might raise concerns about the effect this super hi-res screen will have on battery life. LG counters that it has used three tools to address that issue with "adaptive optimization" that will change the frame rate, CPU clock speeds, and timing control to consumer less energy. It's supposedly a 20 percent more efficient battery.

However, there is something about this display that's incredible, and that's the way that the combination of brightness, color, and sharpness standout as beautiful. The benefits of this over an S5 are in being able to zoom in and still have a highly detailed image, but the benefits of that may be negligible. Maybe spending more time with the device might change my mind on the excess of QHD and I might end up praise the wonders of it. And while I'm hesitant to oversell a device I've only used for a few hours, the G3 is truly something special.

Source: mobileburn

LG G3 QuickCircle Case officially announced, will bring Smart Lighting to the smartphone

With less than one week before the grand unveiling of its new G3 smartphone, LG today announced QuickCircle Case - an accessory that’s “designed to make the G3 infinitely more useful.” This is a folder-style case that we’ve seen before, and it will allow LG G3 owners to make use of various features of the handset without opening the case. According to LG, you’ll be able to place calls, send messages, listen to music, take photos, and get updates on your health - all with the QuickCircle Case closed.

The new accessory comes with what LG is calling “Smart Lighting”. This “emits a soft, white, circular glow inside the window whenever the case is opened/closed or a call/text message is received.” Moreover, the case supports wireless charging. LG will offer the QuickCircle Case in five color variants: Silk White, Metallic Black, Shine Gold, Indian Pink, and Aqua Mint (you can see them below). Pricing details haven’t been revealed.

“The smartphone ecosystem is constantly evolving - no longer are cases just for protection from the elements and bumps and drops. They’re the perfect accessory to build in extra features that add more value to a mobile device. With QuickCircle Case, we’ve exceeded the baseline by making it customizable to better fit users’ needs,” declared Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of theLG Electronics Mobile Communications Company."

Earlier today, we informed you about the (apparently official) specs of the LG G3, which include a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, 13MP rear camera, quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, and 3GB of RAM.

LG will fully reveal the G3 on May 27, and it might start selling it shortly after that. Well, we'll be here to let you know all about it.

Update: Here's an official promo video showing off the QuickCircle Case, and a bit of the G3 (the whole idea seems pretty awesome to us):

Source: phonearena

LG G3 announces that its 5.5-inch QHD AH-IPS LCD panel

While LG had confirmed that it will be using a QHD display on the LG G3, its 2014 flagship smartphone, the screen size (though rumoured at 5.5-inches) had not yet been officially confirmed. LG has now gone ahead and made it all official, by unveiling a NEMKO-certified 5.5-inch QHD AH-IPS LCD panel for smartphones, as well as announcing its inclusion on the 'forthcoming LG's flagship smartphone to be launched in the first half of the year.'

NEMKO, the Norway-based international testing and certification organization, covers electrical products under the KC Mark. It is mandatory for certain types of electrical products in Korea. The purpose of this mark is to protect consumers from the hazardous aspects of electrical appliances (electric shock, energy hazards, fires, mechanical hazards, thermal hazards, radiation hazards, chemical hazards, etc.)

The certified 5.5-inch QHD AH-IPS LCD panel has a 1440x2560 pixel resolution with a pixel density of 538ppi. According to LG, it has 1.8 times higher resolution than a full-HD panel and a 100 percent RGB colour reproduction standard.

"This is an ultra-slim panel with a mere 1.2mm thickness and has a 1.15mm bezel, which will be the narrowest available and 0.05mm less than panels introduced last year" said LG in a press release.

Earlier leaks have also shown alleged LG G3 front to have very minimal bezel around the display. The company also says that the panel will go in to mass production shortly.

So far, it seems like LG is planning big things for its next flagship. If the rumours come true, than LG G3 might be the first smartphone from a major manufacturer to feature Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 805 SoC.

Even excluding the significantly faster Snapdragon 805 chipset, Samsung and HTC have a lot of catching up to do with LG with its official 5.5-inch QHD panel. Both the Samsung Galaxy S5 (Review | Pictures) and the HTC One (M8) (Review | Pictures) sport full-HD displays only. Numerous leaks have 'Prime' versions of the two handsets set for a launch alongside the LG G3, reportedly taking on the much better-specced 2014 flagship.

Notably, the alleged premium variant of the HTC One (M8), supposedly codenamed 'M8 Prime', is also thought to sport a Snapdragon 805 processor. Not just this, it is rumoured to feature a 5.5 inch QHD (1440x2560 pixels) display.

Samsung is not far behind as it is reportedly set to launch its Galaxy S5 Prime in June with a QHD Display to counter LG G3. It will also be interesting to see how Apple jumps into the display war with its iPhone 6.

LG G3 design and specifications leaked ahead of may 27 launch

As the launch of LG G3 smartphone nears, we have been witnessing more leaks hit the Web. While earlier this week we saw the alleged cover case images of the LG G3 smartphone, showcasing the rear button interface and the large display, the latest set of leaks once again show off alleged pictures the LG G3, this time without the case.

The latest high-resolution purported images of the LG G3 clearly show its rear, front and bottom side. Some expected (said to be final) specifications of the South Korean giant's latest flagship have also sprung up alongside, courtesy the good folks at GSMArena.

While the alleged LG G3 image showing the bottom side of the smartphone highlights its USB charging port, the 3.5mm jack and microphone, the second image highlighting the front panel reveals the smartphone's ultra-thin bezels with LG branding at the bottom. The third alleged LG G3 image showing the rear panel clearly highlights the camera, rear volume and power buttons, and flash.

GSMArena also claims to have procured the final specifications of the LG G3. The smartphone is said to sport a 5.5-inch QHD (1440x2560 pixels) resolution display, with a staggering 534ppi pixel density. This would make the quite a bit G3 larger than it would make its predecessor, the LG G2 (Review | Images). However, the G3 is said to be slimmer than G2 in thickness.

The yet-to-be-launched LG G3 is said to arrive in two variants; one with 16GB of inbuilt storage and 2GB of RAM, and the second with 32GB inbuilt storage and 3GB of RAM. Both variants will reportedly support storage expandability with microSD card support.

The LG G3 is also said to feature a 13-megapixel rear camera with the new Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS+). Beside the rear mounted speaker offering 1W output, the handset is reportedly backed by a 3000mAh battery capacity.

The LG G3 is expected to be launched on May 27, as the firm has confirmed its Q2 launch plans for the smartphone, and sent out invitations for an event scheduled to take place in three cities on May 27 - London, New York, and San Francisco; followed by a May 28 launch event in Singapore, Istanbul, and Seoul.

Google Nexus 6 to be based on LG G3

The next Google Nexus smartphone, as the rumours suggest, might be based on the yet-to-be-launched LG G3 handset. However, the new twist lies in the piece of information which hints the next Nexus to sport a fingerprint scanner as well, following the likes of Apple iPhone 5s and SamsungGalaxy S5.


The news comes from Android.gs who reports that Google, after its Nexus 5, is again in talks with LG for making the Nexus 6, and is additionally negotiating deals with several Asian fingerprint sensor suppliers.

While the upcoming Nexus 6 is said to be based on LG G3's design, it is speculated that Google might not include a 5.5-inch screen (said to be in LG G3) as there is a fingerprint sensor involved and hence keep the screen size lower than G3. The firm is likely to give a 5.2-inch screen on the Nexus 6.

Moreover, the rumoured Google Nexus 6, as per Sundar Pichai, Senior Vice President at Google in charge of Android, Chrome and Google Apps, would arrive in the second half of 2014. This means that the smartphone might be powered by a Snapdragon 805 SoC processor as those chipsets have already been introduced in November last year and are said to arrive in first half of this year.

Last week, it was reported that Google might launch a new low-budget Nexus smartphone powered by a MediaTek chipset priced as low as $100 (roughly Rs. 6,000).

Furthermore, it has been reported that speculated Nexus smartphone powered by the MediaTek chipset will be a brand new entry in the Nexus lineup and not a replacement of existing devices like theNexus 5.

LG G3 rear buttons and thin bezels spotted in leaked case images: Report

While LG is readying itself for the unveiling of the G3 on May 27, the smartphone has been leaked again in a series of purported images courtesy a case maker, with the smartphone covered up in a rugged casing.

The alleged images of the LG G3 showcase the rear button interface first introduced in the LG G2 (Review I Pictures), with a similar design. The leaked images show a round power key (the G2's power key was rectangular) in between the volume buttons, with the whole set below the camera, dual-LED flash and what appears to be an IR blaster.

The recently-leaked GSMArena image of the LG G3's rear buttons also showcased a similar design, corroborating the most recent images.

The front of the LG G3 in the alleged images is seen to have thin bezels around the earlier confirmed QHD display (rumoured to be 5.5-inch), and notably, the UI visible matches the earlier leaked purported LG G3 screenshots flaunting a new 'flat' UI.

The authenticity of the images cannot be confirmed at this point, we will have to wait until the official event on May 27 in three cities - London, New York, San Francisco - followed by the May 28 event in Singapore, Istanbul, and Seoul.

The invite to the events by LG quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, and reads "To be simple is to be Great." The capitalised 'G', in the same font as the LG G2 branding, is a direct hint that the company's latest flagship, the LG G3, will be launched at the event.

Notably, the company had earlier detailed that along with the launch of the LG G2 successor, it will also roll-out the L-Series III smartphones to more regions.

Other rumoured specifications suggest the handset to run on Android 4.4.2 KitKat along with a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB built-in storage that can be expanded up to 64GB. The AnTuTu benchmark test also pointed out some more specifications such as Adreno 330 GPU, OpenGL ES 3.0, a rather inaccurate 640 dpi, and multi-touch support.

LG G3 set to be launched globally on May 27

LG has started sending out invites for an event that will take place on May 27 in three cities - London, New York, San Francisco - followed by a May 28 launch in Singapore, Istanbul, and Seoul.

The invite (seen above), which quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson, reads "To be simple is to be Great." The capitalised 'G', in the same font as the LG G2 branding, is a direct hint that the company's latest flagship, the LG G3 will be launched at the event.

Notably, while announcing the Q4 earnings, LG in a statement had announced that it will reveal the successor to the LG G2 flagship in the second quarter of this year, alongside a roll-out of the L-Series III smartphones to more regions. The Q2 launch confirmation and the May 27 event date tie together nicely.

Earlier the successor to the LG G2 flagship, the LG G3, had been spotted in various leaks. Recently GSMArena claimed to have obtained a live image of the alleged LG G3, which shows back-mounted buttons for power and volume controls, first seen in LG G2. The leaked image indicated that the rumoured G3 will feature a new design, different from the current LG G-series smartphones.

Another leak showed the purported LG G3 screenshots flaunting a new 'flat' UI on the QHD display of the handset. The notification panel was also seen with a new design, in-line with the rest of the interface, which looked a little cluttered due to its QSlide app tray. It was also reported to be running over Android KitKat OS.

While there are various rumoured specifications doing rounds of the Internet, one thing which LG has already confirmed is the inclusion of a Quad-HD (1440x2560 resolution) pixels display in the LG G2's successor.

Other rumoured specifications suggests the handset to run on Android 4.4.2 KitKat along with a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB built-in storage that can be expanded up to 64GB. The AnTuTu benchmark test also pointed out some more specifications such as Adreno 330 GPU, OpenGL ES 3.0, a rather inaccurate 640 dpi, and multi-touch support.

LG G3 reportedly spotted in images showing off rear buttons

The successor to the LG G2 flagship, the LG G3, has been spotted in a leaked image. Unfortunately, the leaked image is of low-resolution and has been shot with a dark background. However, the leaked image shows the alleged rear panel of the handset with physical buttons accompanying the primary camera.

GSMArena claims to have obtained a live image of the alleged LG G3, which shows back-mounted buttons for power and volume controls, first seen in LG G2. The leaked image does indicate that the rumoured G3 will feature a new design, different from the current LG G-series smartphones.

Recently, purported LG G3 screenshots flaunted a new 'flat' UI on the QHD display of the handset. The screenshots leaked showed a flat, card-style design of the yet-to-arrive LG G3. The notification panel was also seen with a brand new look, in-line with the rest of the interface, and looked bit cluttered due to its QSlide app tray. Nevertheless, the overall design of the user interface, said to be running over Android KitKat OS, seems clean and appealing.

The LG G3, now confirmed to arrive in Q2 2014, is said to resemble the recently seen 'LG isai FL' smartphone's design that was leaked in an image. Notably, LG recently confirmed the inclusion of a Quad-HD (1440x2560 resolution) pixels display in the LG G2's successor.

The recently leaked Sprint user agent profile and the AnTuTu benchmark test results also corroborated the LG G3 will sport Quad-HD resolution. The Sprint user agent profile additionally shows the handset to run on Android 4.4.2 KitKat along with a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB built-in storage that can be expanded up to 64GB. The AnTuTu benchmark points out some more specifications such as Adreno 330 GPU, OpenGL ES 3.0, a rather inaccurate 640 dpi, and multi-touch support.

LG G3 launch confirmed for Q2 along with wider roll-out of L-Series III

LG in a statement announcing its Q4 earnings, revealed that the successor to the LG G2 flagship, will be launched in Q2. The company added that the L-Series III smartphones will in the same time-period be rolled-out to more regions.

Describing its Q4 earnings for the LG Mobile Communications subsidiary, LG said it had shipped 12.3 million smartphones in the quarter, comprising 75 percent of all mobile phones shipped by the company. It added that is shipment of 5 million LTE smartphones was the most ever in a single quarter, an increase of 79 percent year-over-year,

The company's mobile subsidiary reported revenues of $3.19 billion, increased 6 percent year-on-year. The company added that operating profit margins rose quarter-on-quarter "due to the launch of G Pro 2 in the domestic market and more efficient marketing spending".

Most notably, to reassure investors and shareholders, LG added that "Higher revenues are expected in the second quarter with the release of the flagship LG G3 smartphone and wider roll-out of the mass-tier L Series III."

LG Electronics said its first-quarter operating profit rose 44 percent from a year earlier, beating analyst estimates, as growth in sales of high-end TV models helped offset losses from its handset business.

LG reported January-March operating profit of 504 billion won ($487 million), compared with the 279 billion won mean estimate of 37 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The world's second-largest TV maker after Samsung Electronics Co Ltd also reported operating profit of 349 billion won a year earlier and 238 billion won in October-December.

The Korean manufacturer said its TV division ran an operating profit of 240 billion won from 11 billion won a year earlier. Its mobile phone unit ran a 9 billion won loss from 133 billion won profit.

Written with inputs from Reuters

LG G3 Tipped to feature snapdragon 805, 13-Megapixel camera: Report

As the tech fraternity is expecting LG G3 to launch on May 27, the device is making more appearances in leaks. First up, the famous tipster @evleaks seems to have got some hands-on time with the alleged LG G3. He posted an image of the device's brushed metal finished back with LG branding. If true, it would mean LG has used metal instead of plastic, or that it has applied a brushed metal finish to a polycarbonate body. Notably, the LG G2 (Review | Pictures) was criticised for its back panel being a fingerprint magnet.

The tweet reads, "LG G3, fingerprint-magnet no more ..."

Another leak has come from Greece suggests that LG will be using Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 805 SoC in the flagship G3. Notably, the alleged premium variant of the HTC One (M8) (Review | Pictures), supposedly codenamed 'M8 Prime', is also thought to sport a Snapdragon 805 processor. So far though, that is not the case in rumoured specifications for Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime.

As per Qualcomm during its November announcement, the Snapdragon 805 processor was under sampling and can be expected to be available in devices by the first half of 2014.

According to the Greece website Techmaniacs.gr, the information received from a source suggests that the LG G3 will feature 3GB of RAM along with the Snapdragon 805 SoC. The screen speculated is the same as previous leaks at 5.5-inch, which is said to feature the confirmed Quad HD (1440x2560 pixels) resolution display.

The other listed specifications of the LG G3 include a 13-megapixel camera sensor (Sony IMX 214 Exmor RS), similar to recently launched OnePlus One, with added optical image stabilization OIS +.

On the storage front, the LG G3 is said to come with 32GB inbuilt, which could be expanded with microSD card. The battery on the alleged LG G3 is claimed to be a 3200mAh battery.

The site also claims that LG G3 is made of plastic, which leads us to question the authenticity of the recently leaked image again. Everything however will get answered at the global events scheduled for London, New York, and San Francisco on May 27; followed by a May 28 launch event in Singapore, Istanbul, and Seoul.