techknow beat
by Bilal Iqbal
LG’s return to legitimate smartphone credentials began with the Optimus G, and while it had much going for it in terms of specs compared to its nearest South Korean rival, the Samsung Galaxy S3, it could never quite get out of the S3’s shadow.
The Optimus G managed to sell 1 million devices in the four months after its release. In comparison, the S3 topped off at over 40 million devices sold during its lifecycle (reaching 20 million sales in just 100 days).
But direct competition was not the point. The Optimus G, it seems, was meant to be the first step for LG into the high-end smartphone market. And to that end the device launched to much praise, getting most things right (except for the rather short battery life).
LG had also yet to prove its credentials as a manufacturer that supports its phones. The device launched with Android JellyBean (Android 4.1) out of the box, but subsequent updates were nowhere to be found. This in turn must have affected the company’s credibility with potential buyers when the G2 came out.
The company did fumble about with its game plan after the Optimus G, trying its hand at a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 competitor with the Optimus G Pro, before deciding on its own path with high-end smartphones. The LG G2 (they dropped the Optimus moniker) was the first serious intent from the company to break free from the Galaxy influence and go its own route, giving its devices a compact, minimalistic outlook. The menu buttons, for instance, were moved on-screen, like Google intended, something Samsung has continued to resist. This allowed the company to make G2 extremely compact — fitting a larger screen in a body that virtually measures the same as Galaxy S4 (never mind the Xperia Z1, which was going crazy with bezels huge enough to send it competing with the Note series for size, even though it sports just a 5-inch screen).
G2’s UI, though, still seemed influenced the company’s Korean rival. Clearly this was not the final edition of LG’s design plan. What started with the Optimus G came a full circle with the LG G3 — a phone that builds upon the G2, keeping its sleek minimal design and adding to it with an equally intriguing look for its UI, going from cartoonish to a more serious minimalistic look. But what truly added to the company’s credentials as a serious high-end phone manufacturer was the long awaited update for the Optimus G, which was taken straight to Android 4.4 (KitKat). In contrast, the international version of the S3 (with 1gb of RAM) will never make it to Android 4.4. Point LG.
The G3 has been out in the Qatari market for a while now, and what’s seriously impressive about it is the asking price. It has not been priced the same as other flagship phones that it competes with. The G3 comes in two variants, one with 16gb of internal memory and 2gb of RAM, while the second variant comes with 32gb of internal memory and 3gb of RAM. The memory on both devices can be extended via a MicroSD card. The cheaper of the two variants retails for QR2,250, while the other goes for QR2,450. Retailers frequently have the more expensive variant of the G3 on offer, giving away vouchers worth QR200 or accessories with it.
In contrast, the G3’s competitors who have been out in the market for much longer, retail for higher. HTC One M8 goes for QR2,600, Sony Xperia Z2 goes for QR2,800 and Samsung Galaxy S5 goes for QR2,600. That said, all three phones came out much before the G3 and have gone through price cuts internationally (and can be had for much cheaper in Qatar too, if you know where to look). The anticipated release of the Galaxy Note 4 and Xperia Z3 in Qatar by the end of October further complicate the equation.
Some may even throw the Apple iPhone 6 into the equation, but in my opinion if you are already looking at Android phones, then you made your choice regarding the iPhone 6 much earlier in the decision-making process.
So then, how does the G3 hold its own against the Android competition, both current and those coming soon. On paper, we would say, quite well. The device has its compactness going for it, giving you almost as big a screen as a Note 3 and Note 4 in a much smaller size. It is marginally taller than the S5, shorter than One M8 and virtually the same height as the Xperia Z2 and Z3. In thickness too, the G3 is competitive. Side bezels are normally well optimised by manufacturers and here the G3 is kept in check by its sprawling screen.
In essence then, the G3 is only marginally bigger than its competitors, but offer for that a screen size of 5.5 inches. In other words, you get a screen of phablet proportions in a body that’s no bigger than a phone (by 2014 standards): the best of both worlds.Moreover the screen is at the cutting edge of technology, offering a resolution of QHD (a resolution matched by no phone from a known manufacturer other than the upcoming Note 4).
That said, being the first to carry QHD display has taken its toll on the phone. For one, it is not the benchmark behemoth that its chipset would suggest, especially in the graphics department (higher resolution means more pixels to render) and its battery life, while good, is not what you would expect from G3 given G2’s strong performance. The phone especially loses out on its web browsing score, managing to last just 6 hours and 40 minutes on a full charge in a GSMArena battery test. If you like to browse heavily on your phone you may be in trouble, but otherwise an endurance rating of 69 hours on GSMArena battery test means the phone should be able to easily get most people through a day’s use. The screen itself is excellent except for contrast, where it loses out to other flagships.
The phone’s biggest draw on paper then is also its biggest weakness (but only in comparison with the rest of the stellar specs that the phone boasts). Elsewhere you will not be compromising on any feature, getting a 13MP OIS camera (which while not class leading, is still reviewed pretty favourably), ample storage space, excellent performance all at a price that should put a smile on your face. The phone’s biggest asset may arguably be its asking price. When the Note 4 and Z3 launch come October end, the G3 will be offering much of the same at a price that is 20% lower.
LG has priced the G3 to win, and if you can look past LG’s status as a relatively new entrant to the high-end smartphone market, the phone may just win your heart.
*The author may be contacted
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Dimensions
LG G3 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm
Samsung Galaxy S5 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm
HTC One M8 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 mm
Sony Xperia Z2 146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm
Sony Xperia Z3 146 x 72 x 7.3 mm
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5 mm
Source: GSMArena
LG G3’s key specs at a glance
Screen size 5.5 inches
Screen resolution QHD, 1440x2560 (534 pixels per inch)
Screen type/screen protection IPS/Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Weight 149 grams
Internal memory 16/32gb
RAM 2gb/3gb
4G Yes, up to 150Mbps download, 50Mbps upload
Expandable storage Yes, up to 128gb
Bluetooth v4.0
NFC/Infrared ports Yes
FM radio Yes
Processor Snapdragon 801 (2.5Ghz quadcore Krait 400)
GPU Adreno 330
GSMArena battery test 69 hours
Source: GSMArena
