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Hot potato. The LG G3 has received much acclaim and we cannot deny that we looked forward to the first smartphone with a WQHD display. Still, although LG does a lot right, some technical problems with the screen, average battery runtimes and especially heat dissipation issues prevent it from taking the top spot among high-end smartphones. The G Watch is an interesting gadget.

The competition did not sleep either, but the LG G3 might still offer enough superlatives to be at least on par with the other high-end smartphones. The display is even larger than that of its competitors, measuring5.5 inches, but its true killer feature is the enormously high resolution of 2560x1440 pixels, making the LG G3 the first smartphone with a WQHD panel. The camera not only sports 13 megapixels, it is also supposed to come with a revolutionarily fast laser auto focus system that supposedly even works under unfavorable low-light conditions. The recent Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 may very well allow the G3 to take the top spot in terms of performance. While the battery may not be larger than that of its predecessor, the LG G2, 3000 mAh is still more than what most of its competitors offer - still, the high-resolution display of the LG G3 might lead to increased power consumption and thus reduced battery life.

Our test device is the last Android flagship smartphoneto reach the market in 2014. Its competitors, the HTC One (M8), the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Huawei Ascend P7 and the Sony Xperia Z2 have all been available for some time, but they must make do with "just" a Full HD screen. Other flagships are the Nokia Lumia 930 powered by Microsoft"s Windows Phone 8.1 and the Apple iPhone 5S. All of these are strong contendersfor the top spot, with a lot of improvements when compared to their predecessors. The LG G3 is definitely in the right company here, although it does have some weaknesses, as we will show.

In addition, we want to take a closer look at the optionalLG G Watch powered by Android Wear, one of the first smartwatches powered by the new, heavily modified Android smartwatch OS. We were also able to spend some time with the LG Lifeband Touch.

Although the LG G3 is made from plastic, it sports a beautiful chassis. The plastic also helps keep the weight down (at a mere 149 grams). Only the Samsung Galaxy S5 (145 grams) and the Huawei Ascend P7 (124 grams) are even lighter (~5.3, 5.1 and 4.4 ounces respectively). Due to the large display, the dimensions of the LG G3 exceed those of most of its competitors, but thanks to the ergonomically shaped rear panel (quite similar to that of the HTC One), the G3 iscomfortable to hold. The LG G3 is available in the following hues: Titanium, white and gold.

Overallbuild quality is great. The display covers almost the entire front of the device, leaving a good impression mainly thanks to the small bezels around it. There are no uneven clearances, and the G3 is highly torsion-resistant (though it does make some noise when bent) as well as pressure-resistant: Even when a lot of force is applied to the narrow bezel, no image distortions could be noted on the screen. Although the rear panel is made from plastic, it does indeedlook like metal - which should not come as a surprise as LG claims to have included fragments of metal into the plastic to yield a more premium appearance.

The rear panel can be taken off, revealing thereplaceable batterybelow as well as the MicroSD and micro SIM card slots. The repair specialists of uBreakiFix claim that the LG G3 is well suited to small repairs as it is rather easy toaccess all major components. Still, such maintenance should always be performed by professionals. Thus, the chassis of the LG G3 impresseson all fronts - with great looks, many maintenance options and a high build quality.

The port at the bottom of the LG G3 is a so-called SlimPort which allows for USB 2.0compatibility (micro USB), is capable of charging the device and supports any SlimPort HDMI connector for external resolutions of up to 1080p (1920x1080 pixels). Still, MHL 3.0 support for playback of UHD media would have been preferable. The port does support USB OTGallowing connection to external hard drives or input devices.

The LG G3 ships with neither a fingerprint sensor nor a heart rate sensor - then again, these might not be more than oddities for most customers. Unfortunately, the LG G3 arrives without any IP certifications.

The G3 runs onGoogle Android 4.4.2 KitKat,with LG"s own UI on top. Luckily, the changes are subtle and mostly positive. Anoptional simple UI,e.g. for elderly people is available too (being called "Easy Home"), with all major elements being unified on one strongly simplified home screen. The navigation buttons can be customized in terms of both their color and their order.

There are a number of ways to unlockthe LG G3, ranging from a simple swipe on the display to the well-known games of connecting dots or scanningone"s own face.A new, LG-specific function, the Knock code, a series of three to eight knocks with longer or shorter pauses in between is capable of waking the phone from standby. A guest modeis available too, locking some content, even when the device is being connected to a PC where, perhaps, certain photos or folders can be hidden. QSlide, QuickRemote, QuickMemo and Dual Window celebrate their continued appearance on LG"s flagship devices, offering even more usefulinput options.

LG"s app suite is completed by two new applications, Smart Notice- offering information about the weather or the current location, and giving advice based on this information (e.g. "pack an umbrella") - andSmart Cleaning - a system settings tool intended to optimize memory use by listing unused apps, old downloads and temporary files.

Those who do not like the preinstalled apps can uninstallthese - except forMcAfee Security (the icon and the installation routine remain on the device). The LG G3 supports App2SDfunctionality, allowing for unproblematic transfer of apps to the MicroSD card. The Sony Xperia Z2, on the other hand, does not even support this function while issues occur when using it on the HTC One and the Galaxy S5.

In terms of wireless modems, the LG G3 comes with all current standards worthy of a flagship device, ranging from a Wi-Fi module that supports the IEEE-802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards, transmitting in both 2.4 and 5.0 GHz. Its effective range was fine too, with great reception indoors, allowing for an issue-free browsing experience. A dampening effect of -74 to -79 dBm (2.4 GHz) and -73 to -78 dBm (5.0 GHz) could be measured when being two rooms away from the Fritz!Box 6360 router. Outside, with just one wall but a distance of 25 meters(~82 feet), the dampening was even lower with -75 and -74 dBm (5.0 and 2.4 GHz), leading to decentconnectivity.

In terms of mobile Internet, quad band GSM, quad band HSPA+ (up to 42 MBit/s download and 5.76 MBit/s upload speeds) and LTE Cat. 4(up to 150 MBit/s download speeds, supporting three frequency bands) are supported. Its competitors support more LTE bands: Ten (HTC One), six (Xperia Z2) or at least four (Galaxy S5). Still, mostcommonly used frequenciesin Europe - with the exception of the 900 MHz band - are supported, although more bandswhich the LG G3 does not recognize (2000 MHz and possibly 3500 MHz) might become available in the future.

Both NFC and Bluetooth 4.0 are on board, with the latter modem being capable of connecting to several Bluetooth devices at once (actually, seven). Then again, this is necessary since the LG G Watch smartwatchis connected via Bluetooth - if e.g. a Bluetooth is to be used simultaneously, more than one device has to be connected. Unfortunately, using multiple devices via Bluetooth puts a lot of strain on the data stream, leading to connection issues (a general Bluetooth problem). And whilestreaming music files poses no problems, streaming Full HD video and audio at the same time exceeds the capabilities of the LG G3, leading to a slight lagbetween both signals.

Comparingthe LG G3 to theGarmin Edge 500, a dedicated GPS bike computer led to decent, yet not superb results. Whenever a lot of interference is to be expected (e.g. in the forest), the LG G3 fared noticeably worse than the Garmin device - and also worse than the iPhone, which is still the best non-dedicated GPS device that we have tested.

The telephone app of the LG G3 looks minimalistic, emphasizing the number pad. Several tabs on top allow for quick access e.g. of the contact list or the call history. All of this is easy to use, thanks in no small part to the large display size of the LG G3, increasing the actual size of all UI elements.

Refraining from the tendency to include high-resolutionfront cameras, the LG G3 ships with "just" a2.1 MP webcam (1920x1080 pixels) - still, this is one of the betterfront cameras that we have experienced.

One of the highlights of the LG G3 is themain cameraat the rear of the device, yielding up to 13 megapixels.This is 4160x3120 pixels when the ratio is set to 4:3 and 4160x2340 pixels when using the widescreen ratio (16:9). In addition, the camera comes with an optical image stabilizing system, which is a big deal especially when recording movies. The laser auto focusis another novelty (so far, the LG G3 is the only smartphone shipping with it). It works really well, quickly finding its target, and it even sports nine different auto focus points.

In addition, the LG G3 supports Real HDR, showing a live preview of the expected high dynamic range results - which aremostly impressive, even though only two shots with different shutter times are being used. HDR can also be set on "auto", but manual activation leads to better results.

The LG G3 ships with a modular power adapter (9 Watts, 5.0 V at 1.8 A), a USB cable, a headset and a quick-start guide. Optional accessories such as the Quick Circle cover and the wireless charging station WCD-100 (69 Euros; ~$93) are sold separately. Thankfully, we have been provided with the G Watch and the Lifeband Touch as well, which is why we want to talk about these devices in more detail below.

The LG G Watch is one of the first smartwatches to use Google"s new Android Wear OS optimized for wearable devices. The G Watch is capable of communicating with every smartphone that ships with Bluetooth 4.0 and Android 4.3 or higher. The quadratic IPS displaycomes with a diagonal of roughly 4 centimeters (1.65 inches) and 280x280 pixels. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.2 GHz. 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of flash storage are built into the device as well, as are a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor and a digital compass. The battery is rather large at 400 mAh (compared to other smartwatches), supposedly lasting up to three days, and actually managing to stay alive for 1 to 1.5 days even when used a lot. The smartwatch is waterproof and dustproof according to IP67.

The "Always on" display is the only way to communicate with the watch next to its microphone. Unfortunately, the manufacturer has not been able to implement an "Always on" audio processor as well - thus, the smartwatch does not react to voice commands while in standby. Still, the main usage scenario for the G Watch will most likely be that of an expanded notification center for one"s smartphone. Most features of the smartwatch only work when paired to a smartphone (with the exceptions being the watch and the step counter). Several watch faces are available for download; many more are supposed to follow. Overall, the LG G Watch is a more-than-decent first generation Android Wear product, with the well-working voice control system being our most positive surprise.

The LG Lifeband Touch is no Android Wear smartwatch, but a splash-proof fitness tracker available in three sizes while being priced at 180 Euros (~$242, initial market price). A solid 50 grams(~1.8 oz) plus high rigidity makes for a rather noticeable (and somewhat bulky) fitness gadget, as does its unusual design. The acceleration sensor and the altitude meter are supposed to measure the distance covered, but we would not expect it to be terribly precise.

The LG Fitness app on one"s smartphone is the central UI element of the fitness tracker, communicating via Bluetooth 4.0 LTE with the device. iOS devices (v. 6.0 and above) and Google Android devices (v. 4.3 and above) are supported while Windows Phone is neglected. The app stores personal information (height, gender, weight) and synchronizes it with LG"s servers (thus facilitating the switch to another smartphone), calculating the recommended calorie intake based on this data. The app also allows for other devices - such as a heart rate measuring chest strap - to be administered. We were provided with aPolar H7 that works flawlessly together with the other devices - we connected the LG G3 to the Lifeband, the Polar H7, the LG G Watch and a Teufel BT Bamster. Still, the latter was a bit too much, reducing available bandwidth for the other devices to such a degree that the connections became unstable.

The small two-color OLED display is capable of controlling music playback on one"s smartphone in addition to notifyingabout incoming calls and messages. And while the display is nowhere as brilliant as the AMOLED panel of the Samsung Gear Fit, its simplicity allows it to reach much better battery runtimes of up to five days (with the Bluetooth connection likely being the main culprit here). The LG Lifeband Touch is definitely a nice gadget for people with an active lifestyle, but it only costs 19 Euros (~$25) less than the much more capable G Watch.

Most input into the LG G3 will occur via the 5.5-inch capacitive touchscreen which comes with multi-touch support (for up to 10 fingers at the same time) while working reliably, quickly and with great precision, even at the edges. Letting one"s fingers glide on top of the screen feels superb, plus there is an anti-smudge coating against fingerprints - and while these do still occur all the time, they are at least easy to clean away.

LG relies on onscreen Android keys once more (they can be re-organized to one"s liking). There are no physical buttons on the sides, just on the rear - as with the LG G2. While it may take some time to get used to this design choice, it is not a bad one: Both volume keys (separated by the power button) come with additional functionality. While the LG G3 is in standby mode, a pre-defined app can be started directly via one of these buttons. In the case of the plus button, this is Quick Memo while the minus button starts the camera and serves as a shutter release button, too.

Even the so-called "Smart Keyboard" comes with enhanced features next to its more-than-decent standard layout. The key sizes can be changed in the settings menu, and another key with an additional special character can be shown right next to the space bar - a feature we like a lot since we missed the "comma" key in the standard layout. In landscape mode, the keyboard can also be split in half (a feature familiar from Windows 8) allowing for typing with two thumbs. And on top of all that, the screen can even be optimized for one-hand usage. Overall, the LG G3 is a joy to handle, with lots of innovative and non-gimmicky extra features.

The most distinct highlight of the LG G3 is its5.5-inchWQHD IPS-LCD panel with 2560x1440 pixels- a first for smartphones. With its aspect ratio of 16:9 this comes down to a superb pixel density of534 ppi,which is supposed to cause a true "wow effect". Unfortunately, those with a Full HD device will not be so easy to convince. Even though the picture is trulyextraordinarily sharp, it takes some mighty close distance to notice that. Then, however, it is actually possible to read an entire news page of any newspaper - including all text of all the articles (although being tiny). Still, we do doubt that such an extreme resolution is necessary at the time of this writing, especially since it takes its toll in terms ofpower consumption and heat dissipation.

If the display is set to 100 percent screen brightness(while browsing the web or using the camera), the system dims it down to 90 percentto keep the smartphone from overheating - although its peak brightness ofup to 417 cd/m²is not even top-notch. Only the Galaxy S5 (up to 401 cd/m²) is darker, but it makes up for this with its extremely high-contrast SAMOLED display. Plus, the brightness curve of the LG G3 is non-linear. The dimming to 90 percent becomes just 296 cd/m², not enough on a sunny day.Brightness homogeneity, on the other hand, is quite good, reaching 89 percent.

Resolution? Great. Brightness? Average. Black levels? Mediocre at best, reaching just 1 cd/m². Not only OLED devices fare much better, but the IPS-based (LG-made!) Google Nexus 5 (0.49 cd/m², 957:1) and the HTC One (0.54 cd/m², 878:1) leave the G3 far behind. With its subpar black levels, the LG G3 reaches a rather poor contrast ratio of just 434:1.

During outdoor use, the LG G3 fares rather well. Its display is not quite as reflective as that of many competitors. Still, themediocre contrast ratio and the automatic dimming of the screen - when the device gets too warm, which happens easily - are an important negative factor. When we took our test videos on a warm and sunny day with the brightness manually set to 100 percent (the touchscreen was already quite warm), the screen brightness suddenly dropped by quite a large amount making it hard to see anything, even in the shade. According to the settings menu, the display was throttled down to just 11 percent! When we tried to rectify the situation, we were not allowed to move the slider past the 90 percent point. Using the LG G3 for prolonged periods in direct sunlightcan thus be problematic.

The viewing angle stabilityof the IPS screen used by the LG G3 is superb. No complaints here! Even extremely flat viewing anglesare no issue, with just a minimum amount of brightness loss beyond approximately 30 degrees.

A glance at the specs shows that the LG G3 uses thenewest and best in terms of hardware, yielding the full power of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC with four Krait 400 cores clocked at300 to 2450 MHz. The predecessor (the Snapdragon 800) clocked at a slightly less speedy 2.26 GHz, but then again, improvements can be found in most every regard, including an increase of ISP frequencies to 465 MHz and a new clock speed of the integrated Adreno 330 GPU of nowup to 578 MHz. Power consumption, on the other hand, is not supposed to have increased. While our test device came with 2 GB of RAM, the 32 GB (in terms of memory) variantships with 3 GB of RAM.

In theory, the LG G3 should be every bit as good as the Samsung Galaxy S5 when looking at benchmarkresults (they both sport the same SoC). In reality, however, the 28,257 pointsyielded byAnTuTu v4are considerably less than those 37,353 points of the "king", the S5. The main culprit here is the excess heatthe device produces. Apparently, the cooling system is too weak to deal with it under full load. And indeed: Repeating the test at an ambient temperature of6 degrees Celsius yields a much better result of36,204 points. Otherwise, the LG G3 falls behind in all other benchmarks, too. Even the predecessor (the LG G2) often storms ahead - except the onscreen value of GFXBench due to the much higher display resolution of the G3. Unfortunately, all of this is noticeable in real-life system performance as well, with some tiny lags when scrolling on the UI and some time before the home screen reappears after demanding apps are closed.

The browser performance of the LG G3 is pretty good, beating most of its competitors. All benchmarks were run with the pre-installedstock browser based on Google Chrome 30. Even in real life, browsing the web feels smooth and quick, with only the iPhone being faster.

Our test device comes with 16 GB of flash storagespace, with 10.5 GB remainingfor the user after the G3 boots up for the first time. Luckily, both MicroSD card support and a larger variant with 32 GB are offered for those in need of more memory space.

One of the specialties of the Snapdragon 801 is its eMMC 5.0 support allowing for twice the data transfer speeds of the previous eMMC 4.5 standard. In fact, the eMMC in the LG G3 is always faster than that of its competitors, although it still seems to be a 4.5-standard drive with linear read speeds of up to 200 MB/s and write speeds of up to 50 MB/s. Of course, it would be interesting to see whether the 32 GB variant makes use of another type of drive.

Even though the LG G3 may exhibit some throttling issues due to the enormous excess heat of its SoC, the performance of its Qualcomm Adreno 330 is still more than enough to play any game available on the Google Play Store. No lags could be noted, even under extreme quality settings - neither when battling zombies nor while racing against other cars.

The LG G3 is one of the hottestflagship devices - literally. Many of oursurface temperature records fell during this test, with up to 39.0 degrees Celsius (102.2 °F) being reached at the front, even while the device is idle(some of its competitors remain cooler under load). Under load, up to 42.2 degrees(108 °F) are reached. And while we usually try to measure this value with maximum screen brightness and activated wireless while running the Stability Test app for at least one hour taxing both CPU and GPU, the LG G3 automatically reduced its display brightnessto 90 percent. Obviously, the display alone produces so much excess heat that the chassis is not capable of dissipating this amount while under load. The coolest smartphones in our comparison are the Nexus 5 (max. 36.5 degrees; 97.7 °F) and the Ascend P7 (max. 37.9 degrees; 100.2 °F), with only the Xperia Z2 (max. 41.1 degrees, 106 °F) also exceeding the 40-degree (104 °F) mark.

There is a one-Watt mono speakeron the back of the LG G3. It comes with a bass amplifierthat is supposed to lead to vivid highs and strong bass. Unfortunately, though, the small speaker sounds distinctly average once its volume exceeds 50 percent, with some distortions of the highs, which can get quitenasty sounding. While bass is quite audible, it also sounds rather dull.

The LG G3 draws a lot more power than its predecessor, the LG G2. Even when idle, 0.6 to 2.3 Wattsare required, with only the Xperia Z2 (0.7 to 2.2 Watts) coming close. Both the Nexus 5 (0.3 to 1.0 Watts) and the Galaxy S5 (0.3 to 1.1 Watts) fare much better.

Under load, this value climbs to up to 9.1 Watts. Again, this is with the displayautomatically dimming down to 90 percent! With 100 percent, even more power consumption should be possible. Still, even 9.1 Watts beats anything the competitors achieve, with the Nexus 5 reaching up to 8.4 Watts. The Galaxy S5 draws up to 6.2 Watts - the iPhone 5S fares best (up to 3.8 Watts). The S5 comes pretty close to the specifications of the LG G3 and yet it draws 33 percent less power. This must be the effect of the WQHD display. The ultra-high-resolution panel seems to get not only very warm but also to draw a lot of juice.

Despite thehigher power consumptionlevels, the G3 comes with the same 11.4 Wh battery as its predecessor (3000 mAh, 3.8 V). Although this is - when compared to the other smartphones - still a large battery, it obviously cannot compete with the superb runtimes of the G2. The included power adapter is actuallynot quite strong enough, yielding "just" 9 Watts (1.8 A, 5 V).

Due to the increased power consumption rateand the lack of extreme energy saving modes (such as the ones of the HTC One or the Galaxy S5), the battery life of the LG G3 cannot quite compete with most other flagship devices. It takes last place in most of our tests despite its large battery (only the One M8 comes close, but it sports a much smaller one).

During ourbrowsing tests, most other devices stay alive for around three more hours (a difference of approx. 30 percent). Here, the LG G2 (17:04 h) and the Nexus 5 (12:14 h) take the lead, with the rest of the pack at least exceeding 10 hours. Only the One M8 is comparable to the LG G3. In terms ofvideo playback,the Xperia Z2 (09:58 h) and the Galaxy S5 (09:16 h) offer almost twice the runtime of the G3. In this test, the Lumia 1520, however, (14:22 h) beats them all.

Unfortunately, the same picture holds true in real life. Those who use their smartphone just as a messenger or for making phone calls and browsing the web from time to time will not have any issues making it through the day. But all those who use their G3 more intensively (including games and videos, or with a G Watch) will have to recharge in the afternoon or the early evening, especially if the smartphone is to be used outdoors a lot. For these people, an external battery pack or a spare battery might be useful.

The LG G3 supports the Qi standard forwireless charging. This works well, but it takes some time: Instead of theless than two hours it takes to load the device with the supplied charger, our Nokia DT-910 wireless charging station took its time - only after 4 hours and 15 minutes was the G3 back at 100 percent.

Without a doubt, the LG G3 is a great smartphone with superb designand lots of versatile (and yet simple) input controls. In addition, LG has managed to improve upon the already good predecessor (the LG G2) in many regards, implementing expandable storage as well as swappable batteries. The communication modules are top-notch and the integratedcamera is one of the best that can be found in a smartphone right now.

So why didn"t LG take the smartphone crown? They wanted to be the first manufacturer to build a flagship device with a Quad HD panel,and they are - but the ultra-sharp, beautiful display comes with a cost. Neither its brightness nor its black levels are impressive. The automatic dimming feature of the screen is annoying, especially outdoors. Most notably, the WQHD screen draws a lot of power, reducing battery life by quite a bit. Maybe a Full HD display would have been the smarter choice here (or some more fine-tuning) - so far, we do not think that the higher resolution of the screen justifies its drawbacks.

All of this excess heat has to go somewhere, and if the heat dissipation characteristics of the device are insufficient, its performance might suffer, possibly leading to the serious throttling issues of the otherwise super-fast Snapdragon 801 CPU that we observed. Anyway, the mediocre heat design leads to a negative mark in the ratings. Moreover, since Samsung, for example, manages to keep the same SoC in the Galaxy S5 throttling-free, this is already enough to justify a difference between both evaluations. Although the LG G3 might not take the top spot due to its teething troubles and such issues simply must not occur in such a pricy flagship device, it is nevertheless a superb smartphone which when paired with theLG G Watch yields a great duo.

As a child I was fascinated by my Commodore 16, and this sparked my enthusiasm for computers. Using my first modem, I surfed the BTX videotext system and later the World Wide Web. I have always been captivated by the latest technologies, and this is especially true for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. I’ve been part of the Notebookcheck team since 2013 and have also on occasion written for Notebookinfo.de, and I’m looking forward to testing new innovations for our readers. I like to spend my spare time indulging in photography and barbecues and being with my family.

Before any sketches of the G3 were even committed to paper, LG had settled on its one key specification. The company’s flagship Android phone for 2014 would be built around a 5.5-inch Quad HD LCD display. With a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440, it’s only matched by a pair of phones for the Chinese market — the Vivo Xplay 3S and Oppo Find 7 — and comfortably outdoes its 1080p global competitors. I love this as a technical achievement and the G3 renders everything beautifully, but I cannot discern any advantage from the extra pixels. The only time I notice them is when I look at the resolution of screenshots from the G3.

The most impressive thing about this screen is not its otherworldly 538ppi pixel density, but how efficient the designers have been with the space around it. 76.4 percent of the G3’s front is occupied by the display, allowing it to fit a larger panel into the same dimensions as the 5-inch HTC One and 5.2-inch Xperia Z2. LG’s phone is also significantly lighter than the others, making it feel much more streamlined.

Color accuracy, contrast, and viewing angles are all very good. The black background behind the G3’s on-screen Android keys is dark enough to seem to melt away into the phone’s black frame. Additionally, unlike Sony’s Xperia Z2, which struggles outdoors, the G3’s IPS display is bright enough to remain useful on a sunny day. The extra pixels don’t make a difference, but the thin bezels do

As laudable as the display may be, and as much as the other flagship Android phones validate the G3’s size, it does make for an uncomfortably big phone. A 5.5-inch smartphone, no matter how thin its bezels, presents ergonomic challenges that smaller devices don’t have to deal with. I can’t just whip the G3 out of a pocket and single-handedly snap and tweet a photo the same way I can with something like the Moto X. Closer in ergonomics to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3, the G3’s sheer dimensions demand that it be used with two hands for safety. Unlike the 5.7-inch Note, however, LG’s latest has softer corners and a nicely curved back that can be cradled comfortably. Whereas the Note 3 feels like a small tablet, the G3 can still get away with calling itself a large smartphone.

In a briefing ahead of the G3 launch event, LG’s chief designer Chul Bae Lee said that his "personal aspiration is to make the phone out of metal." But, he continued, that would have scuppered LG’s efforts to mitigate the G3’s larger screen size and he had to choose between the thin bezels or a metal construction; he couldn’t have both. Nevertheless, LG is trying to at least recreate the look and feel of aluminum phones like the HTC One with a new "metallic skin." It’s still plastic, only now it’s mixed with an added layer of anti-scratch and fingerprint-resistant material.

I can attest to the scratch resistance (and the inherent awkwardness) of the G3 after dropping it a couple of times, but it’s the immunity to fingerprints that is most striking. No matter how oily my hands were, the G3 simply shrugged off contact with them and maintained an attractively clean appearance. That’s a complete reversal from the unpleasant feel of the G2’s glossy plastics, which would accumulate markings and smudges like they were going out of style.

The G3’s design is an improvement over its predecessor, but it isn’t honest, because it’s trying to fake out the user. Using a similar brushed effect to the HTC One, this phone can definitely be mistaken for being made out of metal, and calling it metallic only exacerbates that confusion. The reality is that you get a phone halfway between the One and the Galaxy Note 3. The G3 reflects light and gleams as invitingly as a real aluminum handset, but retains the utilitarian feel of a plastic phone. The Note 3 showed that faux leather can still feel good in the hand (if not authentic), and LG is doing the same with its new faux metal. Initially I found this tradeoff acceptable, however I don’t trust the G3’s thin removable cover to maintain its sheen or refined appearance over the long term. Plastic’s more susceptible to warping and cracking than metal, and whereas the One promises to age gracefully, the G3 could start to look decidedly pedestrian after a few months of regular use.

“LG’s renaissance continues with the G3, which could be the best Android phone of 2014. The G3’s stunning Quad HD screen, high-quality camera, and sleek design should put it on everyone’s wish list.”

Only a few years ago, when asked for recommendations on which smartphone to buy, the last name to pass my lips would be LG. The phones they produced weren’t terrible, just faceless, corporate machines seemingly designed to put people to sleep. However, things have changed at LG. For the last two years, it has taken mobile very seriously, and we’ve enjoyed using the G2, G Flex, G Pro 2, and of course, the Nexus 5. LG is in the middle of a renaissance, and its latest masterwork is the LG G3. It’s the first mainstream mobile to feature a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution screen, known by LG as a Quad HD panel. The pixel count, along with the 538ppi (pixels per inch) density, are big, impressive numbers. But Quad HD is an untested feature, and many question whether there is any need for it at all. We’ve been putting the G3 through its paces, so lets find out if it impresses beyond its spec sheet.

Bigger is better in the smartphone world. Therefore, a 2560 x 1440 pixel screen is better than one with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, right? Well, yes, and no. There is absolutely no question over the quality of the G3’s display. It’s crystal clear, super sharp, and a beautiful to look at, but then so is the screen on a Nexus 5, a Galaxy S5, and any other Full HD resolution smartphone. It’s obvious it looks good, but does it really look better? To see the difference, you have to do something that either takes advantage of the screen’s capabilities, or puts it alongside a phone of lesser resolution. Starting with the latter, we compared it to the Nexus 5, a 1080p smartphone made by the same company. Aside from the G3’s stock font being an improvement over the Nexus 5, there was little difference between the two at first glance. Get in close though, and the G3’s extra clarity could be seen.

However, comparing it to another phone isn’t exactly convenient, so how about shooting some video. The G3’s 13-megapixel camera can shoot in 1080p, and in UHD, which is 3840 x 2160 pixels. While the G3’s screen can’t show all the pixels contained in the UHD video, it’ll show more than the 1080p version. Here’s where it starts to make sense. The UHD footage is lush, full of color, and wonderful to behold, even on the small screen. We shot a video overlooking some train tracks, and zoomed right in on a sign next to the rails. In the UHD screenshot, the number is readable, but it’s all a bit of a blur in the 1080p image. The only frustrating thing, oddly, was finding compatible wallpaper. Yes, there are a few from LG, but if you like choosing a different image each week, the field is considerably reduced when you have to look for such high-res pictures. Obviously not the end of the world, but it did hurt to abandon all my 1080p pictures because they looked rubbish on the G3.

Prior to the G3’s announcement, there was a lot of talk about the phone having a metal body, something only HTC seems to have perfected with its One M8. LG hasn’t quite pulled it off, but it has reached a compromise with a “metallic skin” on the rear. Apparently, it’s made of a metal and plastic blend, but it’s a bit of a cheat, as the G3’s rear panel looks but doesn’t feel like metal. What it does do well is resist fingerprints, and the brushed metal finish has a sleek sheen to it, which reflects just enough light to catch the eye. It’s better looking than the Galaxy S5’s perforated rear panel, but isn’t up to the One M8’s high standards. If you’re wondering why LG hasn’t included the G Flex’s self-healing coating to the G3, it’s not for want of trying, and it comes down to the glossy finish. The coating would make the phone twice as shiny, which went beyond the designer’s wishes, and the problem couldn’t be solved before the deadline. However, the metallic skin will resist scratches, and the end result is a light (149 grams) phone without any design compromises to improve reception.

LG was keen to remove all distractions and unnecessary parts from the G3, and therefore has brought back the rear-mounted controls seen on the G2. They’ve been redesigned, so the curvy buttons are smaller and sit flush against the surface. Coming from a phone with a traditional sleep/wake key on the top or side of the phone, these take some getting used to, but LG has come up with an ingenious solution. I found using Knock On, where two taps wake the screen, was far more natural. Despite its 5.5-inch screen, the G3 is a compact phone, and barely larger than a Nexus 5 and the Galaxy S5. The curved shape is very comfortable, and the chamfered bezel around the screen ensures it doesn’t feel sharp against your palm.

More than anything else, LG really had to do something about its slow, dreary Android user interface. It has treated the G3 to a complete redesign, resulting in flat icons, muted colors, and simpler visual cues. LG called the color palette “mature,” which translates into creamy, solid pastels. It’s partially successful, but because this is Android, it’s all too easy to fill up your home screen with icons that don’t match LG’s style. Open the stock apps, or any of the settings pages, and you’ll notice they all have their own primary color, making it easier to identify different sections.

There are three primary new apps baked into the G3. LG Health, Smart Tips, and Smart Notice. The latter never really came into play during our test, but will remind you of birthdays, missed calls, and to add new contacts to your address book. I was obviously too efficient during my time with the phone. Prior to launch, we heard about the new software’s predictive ability, which sounded something like Google Now. For me, it never came close to matching Google’s service, and usually only added a line about how the weather would be during the day. Again, it may become more useful over time, but it didn’t make itself known over the first seven days. Smart Tips and LG Health both show up as a home screen. Tap the Smart Tips, and you’ll get advice on how to make the most of the G3’s features. LG Health works like a fitness tracker. It counts your steps, can record specific exercise routines, and keeps track of calories burned. By entering your own stats, it recommends how much exercise you should do each day in order to lose weight. Putting the pedometer up against the FuelBand saw different results, with the G3 recording more than 1000 additional steps than the wristband.

For LG Health to effectively track your fitness, it needs to be with you all the time, which isn’t always possible. It’s an interesting app, which does seem to work well, but it’s no replacement for a wearable tracker. The new look UI is a vast improvement over LG’s older software. It’s fast, smooth, and relatively unobtrusive. The standard email app, used for accounts other than Gmail, worked very well, but annoyingly wouldn’t send alerts to my Pebble smartwatch. Special mention should also go to Knock Code, where a series of screen taps unlock the phone, which proved to be an easy-to-remember and convenient way of securing the G3. It baffled everyone I showed it to, proving its effectiveness against casual snoopers. LG says it’s a true alternative to using fingerprint security, and much neater to implement.

All LG G3 phones use the latest quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, but the 16GB versions have 2GB of RAM, and the 32GB models have 3GB. Apparently, this won’t have much of an effect on the standard apps, which have all been optimized for 2GB, so any benefits may come with games and other third-party apps. Our test phone had 32GB of storage, and therefore 3GB of RAM. The phone speedily performed all basic tasks such as calls, messages, Hangouts, emails, and some Web browsing. The G3 felt faster here than stock Android, and has obviously been well optimized. Weirdly, it didn’t always feel that way when playing games. While the phone handled Taxi Drift without a problem, and Galaxy Defense Force HD played perfectly, the far more basic Hill Climb Racer stuttered and jerked about unpleasantly. This problem didn’t show up playing the game on the Nexus 5, or even the Moto G. Hopefully it’s a problem with the almost-final software installed on our review phone, and will be cured before the phone goes on sale.

LG has fitted a 13-megapixel camera on the G3, and the lens is mounted just above the sleep/wake key, which means it’s almost always covered in fingerprints. The big talking point is the laser-assisted focus, found in a sensor to the side of the camera lens. Apparently, this little tool – actually adapted from LG’s robotics division, and originally destined for use in a robot vacuum cleaner – measures the distance between the camera and a subject in 0.276ms, faster than the blink of an eye.

The laser-autofocus may sound gimmicky, but it works. Holding two phones alongside it – an iPhone 5 and a Nexus 5, in this case – the G3 was always fractionally ahead of both in identifying its subject, and being ready to shoot. In the real world, this means you’re less likely to miss important moments. Picture quality is great. Shots taken on a gloomy day in London revealed plenty of detail – making great use of the Quad HD screen – and were considerably better than those taken using an iPhone 5. Around the front is a selfie camera (LG wants to rebrand the front camera as this, ignoring its video abilities), which has been adapted to take pictures in low-light. The lens is also placed at a more flattering angle.

One cool feature is the gesture control for the front camera. Get in position, put your hand up in front of the lens, and once it recognizes it, a slow clench of your fist will set a three-second timer. Whip your hand out of the way, and there’s just enough time to prepare your best duck face. If selfies are your thing, the G3’s front camera is fantastic, and you’ll be very happy with the results.

The thought of a Quad HD screen drawing power from a humble smartphone battery is enough to strike terror into the hearts of most users, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it could have been. LG has fitted a removable 3000mAh battery into the G3, which on a good day returned around 50 hours of 3G use before needing a recharge. This included using the phone for a range of activities, including a Bluetooth connection to a Pebble, a few Wi-Fi hotspot uses, and the usual mix of email, messages, games, plus the odd call. This excellent performance is made possible by some clever LG software, which makes adjustments to the frame rate, CPU use, and the display driver to maximize the battery life. It’s all done in the background, and LG promised the phone would return a similar standby time to a 1080p phone. Using the camera did see the battery drain more quickly, and indicated the battery wouldn’t last beyond a day if you were snap-happy.

LG needed the G3 not just to be good, but fantastic. The company is riding a wave of goodwill, following some well-received mobile hardware, and it couldn’t throw it away with a substandard 2014 flagship phone. It hasn’t. The G3 is everything we hoped it would be. Rather than stuffing it full of features and flash, LG has shown restraint, and the G3 is all the better for it. It’s not without fault. There are slight concerns over how the screen or the processor is affecting the performance of some games, something which will only show up as a real issue over time, or disappear with a software update. LG Health isn’t a roaring success, and Smart Notice didn’t do its best work during our test. Thanks to a modern, sleek design that avoids any ungainliness, despite its size, along with a peerless screen and some genuinely handy little features, we won’t hesitate in recommending the LG G3 to you.

(Pocket-lint) - The LG G3 follows hot on the heels of the acclaimed LG G2, a device that really pulled LG back into focus at the top-end of Android smartphones. The G2 set the bar high, a tough act to follow, especially having been on the market for less than a year before the G3 made its debut.

However, the LG G3 launched with plenty of wow. Looking to strip the design glory from the HTC One M8, and hit more spec sheet highs than the Samsung Galaxy S5, the LG G3 is one of LG"s biggest phones to date, both literally and figuratively.

LG has thrown everything into the LG G3, looking to maintain the momentum of the earlier G2 and offer something that stands out from the pack. It achieves that with the Quad HD display, being the first of a new breed of super-high resolution smartphones.

We suspect that within six months, or certainly 12, the Quad HD display will be commonplace - but LG got there first, early adopters. Being first comes with some downsides though. The sample videos that LG has bundled on the G3 show the detail the display with give you, but you don"t really encounter that elsewhere just yet. We"re sure that will come with time, as richer apps and more data-rich content becomes the norm.

But while you"re waiting for a richer content era, the LG G3 offers a premium experience in the here and now. There"s a balance between features and clutter. We might not love the UI"s colour scheme, but there"s a lot of convenience packed in and LG has made better use of the screen size than some competitors. There"s more big-screen utility than HTC offers, rivalling and, in some cases, bettering some of the things that Samsung offers in the Galaxy S5. Excluding battery life, which we think LG could have handled better overall.

Overall the LG G3 strikes a balance between smartphone and phablet, which means it might be too big for some. To us it feels more like a smartphone because of good design, but with the big screen advantages of a phablet. It"s also competitively priced at £480 SIM-free, in part because of the plasticky build, but you"re not paying over the odds for that quality screen.

In previous years it has been easy to put phones into categorical boxes. The Galaxy Note kicked off phablets and larger screen devices were easy to lump into that category too. LG has blurred those lines a lot: the LG G3 has a 5.5-inch display - the same as the Galaxy Note 2 - so this is more phablet than smartphone.

The design maximises display space without bloating the G3 into a device that"s too big to handle though. Yes, this is still a large device by any definition. It measures 146.3 x 74.6 x 9.3mm, which is larger than its direct flagship rivals, but only just.

It"s only slightly wider than the HTC One M8, for example, but squeezes half an inch more display space overall. That"s a double-edged sword, because it"s good use of space, but reaching all over the display one-handed is tricky on the LG, which it isn"t on smaller displayed devices.

However, unlike Samsung or HTC - and many of the other manufacturers - LG"s decision to put controls on the rear of the G3 resolves some of the size issues. You don"t have to stretch your fingers to reach those controls, so the size is more manageable than something where the controls are out on the periphery.

The sculpted curves mean that the G3 fits into your hand well. There"s plenty of grip at the edges so we"ve had no problems securely handling the G3 - it"s less slippery than the metal of the HTC One. We think the design is nicer than the Samsung Galaxy S5 - it looks more refreshed and less kitsch - and the design is better than the Sony Xperia Z2 because this is an easier device to manage overall.

But at 153g you get a lot of phone for those grams with the LG - it strikes a nice balance between size and weight. Opting for a plastic removable rear cover also means easy access to the battery, so you can swap it out should you need.

The LG G3"s display also breaks new ground in being the first mainstream smartphone to step up from Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) to a "Quad HD" (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution. That packs in more pixels than its rivals, and on this 5.5-inch display means a pixel density of 538ppi. The HTC One M8, with a 5-inch display, offers 440ppi.

When viewing the same high-resolution images side-by-side on these two devices there is more visible detail on the G3, adding to the sense of depth and realism. The same is true of Ultra HD video, if you happen to have some. We played the same video and the HTC One showed the difference between these two displays: with content of the future, the high resolution display shines. Although, just to be clear, the G3 has a 2K rather than 4K display, so it"s not capable of displaying 4K content pixel-for-pixel.

We also found it was easy to view the G3 in bright sunlight and it doesn"t suffer from the problems when viewed wearing polarised glasses in the same way the HTC One or the Sony Xperia Z2 do. It offers great viewing angles and the colour reproduction is also very good. It"s a fantastic display.

LG has opted for a "simple" approach in many areas on the G3, so the user interface (UI) doesn"t really push the benefits of the display at a core level. There are some detailed wallpapers, but that"s about it. In making things simple, the UI would work perfectly well on a device with a regular 1080p or 720p display, so isn"t a bold showcase for the higher resolution display.

The same extends to movie content. We fired up Tron Legacy on Netflix and it looked stunning, but that"s largely down to the expanse of the display rather than the resolution, because it"s the same source content as you"ll see on a less resolute device - it"s just upscaled to fit the 2K panel.

Under the G3"s hood there"s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core chipset clocked at 2.5GHz, along with 2GB of RAM. There"s 16GB of internal storage and support for microSD cards up to 128GB. That"s a typical arrangement, matching rival devices and the experience is pretty much on a par.

That might be down to the different power saving options available on both devices, but could be the LG"s higher resolution display demanding more juice. Certainly, keeping a rein on display brightness will help prolong the battery life. We"ll continue to use the LG G3 long-term to see if our opinion changes regarding battery life over the coming months.

In many areas LG has avoided fuss that isn"t necessary, which is a positive. The device is refreshingly free from bloatware too, although LG has given most of the core apps - dialler, messages, music, gallery - a complete overhaul.

Easy controls such as a swipe to the right from the home screen will access LG Health and Smart Tips. The former - like S Health on the SGS5 or Fitbit on the M8 - is an integrated health tracker, for those who want to keep a rough eye on what they"re doing each day.

There are a lot of customisation options, which is when simple isn"t at the forefront of the mind. You can change the way the screen shutoff is animated. You can change the layout of the touch controls at the bottom of the display. You can change the fonts between six different options, with more to download thorough LG SmartWorld.

Customisation can be a great idea, but we"d like to customise other things to advance the experience. For example there"s a push for LG"s own QuickMemo app, which gets its own hardware shortcut from the lock screen via the volume up button. That"s the sorts of thing we"d like to customise with, say, a shortcut to Twitter. The camera activation occupies the down volume, which is a nice option to open it up and start shooting, but again this hardware button control could also be open to customisation.

We found the colour palette throughout looked a little unusual. There are some strange beiges, mustard yellow and a propensity for aqua blues. LG says it was a deliberate move to avoid primary colours to get something more mature. We think it"s a little odd, but maybe we"re just immature. We do like the simple look used for the Smart Notice widget (which incorporates the weather and clock) - that"s a successful blend of two graduated colours and embodies the simple equals smart mantra well.

Personal preference will determine whether you like LG"s UI or not. It"s layered over the latest version of Google Android (4.4 KitKat) so is simple enough to use, which is the important point, even if there"s a lot added that perhaps runs against the simplicity mantra.

LG has put its own keyboard into the G3 and, as time has gone on, all of Android"s smart keyboards have got better. This latest iteration gives you prediction, correction, trace entry and the option to move it left or right so it"s easier to use with one hand.

There"s a single external speaker on the rear of the G3 which provides a fair amount of volume, but lacks any real depth, easily bettered by the Xperia Z2 or HTC One"s front-facing speakers.

Many prospective G3 adopters, despite all the other features on offer, will be interested in the camera"s performance. There"s a 13-megapixel camera on the rear, offering optical image stabilisation, a dual tone flash and a new laser autofocus system.

LG has made lots of claims about the fastest focusing speed using the laser focusing - and it is fast. Although we can"t, hand on heart, say that it quite lives up to the impressive headline billing, especially as there"s still something of a delay when you touch an area before you"ve got the shot.

That"s a real plus point for the G3. Although it might not offer quite as many fancy features as others - yet there are some hiding in the menus, more on that in a moment - it focuses on what"s important: quality images achieved easily. For just pulling the phone out of a pocket and grabbing a shot the G3 has got it right.

Then there is UHD video capture: this 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution, better known as 4K, gives great results. So if you"re ready to embrace the next generation of resolution then the G3 is too. The results from standard Full HD video are impressive too, with great audio capture as well.

When the LG G3 came in at under £500 we were impressed. A year on and a phone that packs amazing features including a Quad HD display and a camera with a laser auto focus is one of the bargains of the market. The LG G3 is surprisingly small considering the 5.5in display and we like the more premium design. It’s another winner from LG, and well worth your consideration in 2015.

There is no point in hiding it: we love the LG G3. When first it launched in 2014 it was comfortably the best phone you could buy – a high-end Android powerhouse with the most amazing HD display. It looks great, handles well, and is built to last. And if ever you want to stand out with a smartphone, put the LG G3’s eye-popping display next to any other phone. It really is exception. Here’s our LG G3 review.

Update June 2016: It seems hard to believe that the LG G3 has now been out for longer than two years, but it has and we’re already starting to think about the LG G6. Although it’s been replaced by the G4 and G5, the LG G3 remains a decent option for those looking for a high-end smartphone without spending much money.

Expansys will sell you an LG G3 for £269 inc VAT. When you consider the spec of the LG G3, as well as its high-class of build and design, that is an amazing deal. A 2015 phone from the higher echelons would cost you around twice that (more if you want an iPhone). And the difference between 2014 and 2015 is not great, in terms of performance. We are at ‘peak smartphone’, in many ways.

But even though buying unlocked and outright is always the cheapest way to source your smartphone, not everyone can afford to do so. Here we will also look at the availability and price of the LG G3 on contract.

There are caveats for all of these deals, and you will have to pay more to limit your contract to 18- or 12 months, or simply to get more data and calls. But in a like-for-like comparison the LG G3 remains very cheap for a high-class phone. And it remains widely available. If you are looking for a flagship phone, and you can bear not to have the latest deal, the LG G3 is a genuine bargain in summer 2015.

The LG G3 is just 8.9mm which means it’s thinner than the G2 going by LG’s 9.1mm or our own 9.4mm measurement. Either way it’s impressive considering the sheer quality of tech that is squeezed in to that thin body. At 75 x 146mm in size, the G3 is a large phone due to its bigger screen size compared to its predecessor and other flagship devices.

That’s unsurprising but what is a surprise is how LG has managed to keep the overall size of the device down – it’s really no bigger than its rivals. Due to the screen, the G3 is marginally wider but isn’t as tall as the

Even though the phone is a similar size to rivals, that 5.5in screen is a large area to interact with – it’s difficult to reach to the top third of the display. This combined with the width of the device does make it a little unwieldy but we’re getting used to it. LG has thought about the size of the screen and implemented software features to help out – see software section.

As you can see, LG has stuck with its choice of placing the phone’s physical buttons on the back next to the camera. We weren’t sure about this when it was introduced on the G2 but it’s actually very comfortable and makes a lot of sense. The new buttons don’t stick out so much and have a textured finish.

While some devices on the market are dust- and waterproof, the G3 is not. LG says it didn’t want to make the device bigger and heavier to gain this feature. Overall though, we would say that the LG G3 remains a well build and classy handset. It is a big slab of screen – robust and stylish. We recommend purchasing a case for the LG G3, but mainly because LG has made the sensible decision to allow you to replace the thin back cover with a more robust case. Again, the best of all worlds.

We’re going to lead off with the screen on the G3 because it’s the most important piece of hardware on the device. The reason is that the device was the first to offer a Quad HD resolution – so far Full HD has been the standard.

Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2, HTC One M8 and other top-end smartphones max out at 1080 x 1920, the LG G3 cranks things up to a whopping 1440 x 2560. It’s named Quad HD because it’s four times the resolution of 720p.

The LG G3 has a 5.5in display (a little larger than the G2’s 5.2in) and so the handset has a massively high pixel density of 534ppi (538ppi according to LG). The previous record holder was the original HTC One with 469ppi.

The big question is ‘do we need or want Quad HD on a phone?’, and having used it our answer is ‘yes’. The LG G3’s screen looks absolutely stunning – and yes we’ve compared it to Full HD devices such as the Xperia Z2. LG says the display is comparable to a high-quality photo book. Everything on the screen is super crisp; no matter how hard you try, you just cannot see an individual pixel.

As you would expect from an IPS LCD panel, viewing angles are great. LG has struck a great balance with the colour too; it’s not in your face like Samsung’s displays tend to be but not overly soft either.

You can argue the toss all day long as to whether a display such as the LG G3’s is necessary. But use this phone for a while and you will grow to love the amazing display.

There were rumours of an Octa-core processor but LG instead went for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor instead which means the G3 matches rivals on this front. However, the chip is clocked at 2.5GHz which is the highest we’ve seen. It’s unsurprising that performance is smooth and nippy the vast majority of the time. See also

Living up to its name, the G3 has 3GB of RAM but only if you buy the 32GB, the 16GB model has 2GB. The software is designed for 2GB so the extra on the 32GB device simply gives headroom.

As with the LG G2, the G3 is available with 16- or 32GB of internal storage. It seems more and more smartphone vendors are ditching higher capacity 64GB models (apart from Apple that is).

A drawback of LG’s last flagship smartphone was a lack of expandable storage, but the firm has corrected this problem with the G3. To this end, it has a microSDXC card slot which can accept up to 128GB cards. It’s easily accessible underneath the rear cover without needing to remove the battery.

The connectivity on the G2 was strong with dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, NFC and an Infrared transmitter. It also supported 4G LTE networks but the G3 supports LTE-Advanced for faster speeds plus is has wireless charging (see battery life below).

The LG G2 was the first smartphone to come with 24bit/192kHz audio playback, pleasing audiophiles. Well now the G3 includes a 1Watt speaker with a ‘boost amp’ to improve sound quality when headphones aren’t plugged in. It’s impressively loud but the down side is that the speaker is rear facing and mono, not stereo.

There were rumours of the G3 getting a fingerprint scanner to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5s but this is one rumour which turns out not to be true. LG says it will not put this feature in a phone until it is easy to use – a dig at Samsung?

The resolution of the G3’s main camera remains at 13Mp as was the case on the G2 but there are a number of improvements which have been added. For starters there’s a dual-LED flash which should come in handy in low light situations.

More impressive is the inclusion of recording video in 4K resolution. That’s not a new feature for smartphones but the LG G3’s laser auto focus certainly is – it shoots a cone shaped beam to quickly f