Review: LG G3

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/","20140727180340","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1406484220"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <title>Review: LG G3</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"/> <meta name="robots" content="index,follow"/> <meta name="description" content="LG’s latest handset isn't looking to rewrite the Android book, but it does want to make it easier to read with its huge, ultra-sharp display. Read on as Giz..."/> <meta name="keywords" content="LG,lg g3,Smartphones,Reviews,Android,Mobile Technology"/> <meta name="news_keywords" content="LG, lg g3, Smartphones, Reviews, Android"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@gizmag"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Review: LG G3"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="LG’s latest handset isn't looking to rewrite the Android book, but it does want to make it easier to read with its huge, ultra-sharp display. Read on as Gizmag takes an in-depth look at the LG G3."/> <meta name="twitter:image:src" content="http://images.gizmag.com/hero/lg-g3-review-13.jpg"/> <meta name="twitter:domain" content="gizmag.com"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/"/> <link rel="image_src" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/lg-g3-review-13.jpg"/> <link rel="alternate" media="handheld" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://m.gizmag.com/article/33017"/> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340cs_/http://files.gizmag.com/static_styles.min.css?x=1406473222"/> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/web/20140727180340cs_/http://www.gizmag.com/css/dynamic_styles.php?x=1406473222"/> <script src="/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/css_browser_selector.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/xml/" title="Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/web/20140727180340im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/favicon.ico"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/web/20140727180340im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/apple-touch-icon.png"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="/web/20140727180340im_/http://www.gizmag.com/images/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png"/>   <script type="text/javascript"> var googletag = googletag || {}; googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; (function() { var gads = document.createElement("script"); gads.async = true; gads.type = "text/javascript"; var useSSL = "https:" == document.location.protocol; gads.src = (useSSL ? "https:" : "http:") + "//web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js"; var node = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node); })(); </script>  <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { gpt_leaderboard = googletag.defineSlot('/1007667/ca-pub-1607124478120364/MobileTech_Leaderboard_Top_728x90', [728,90], 'leaderboard') .addService(googletag.pubads()); gpt_hmpg_970 = googletag.defineSlot('/1007667/ca-pub-1607124478120364/pushdown', [[970,90], [970,250]], 'pushdown') .addService(googletag.pubads()); gpt_islandtr = googletag.defineSlot('/1007667/ca-pub-1607124478120364/MobileTech_IslandTop_Right_300x250', [[300,250], [336,280], [300,600], [300,1050]], 'island_top_right') .addService(googletag.pubads()); gpt_islandbr = googletag.defineSlot('/1007667/ca-pub-1607124478120364/MobileTech_IslandBottom_Right_300x250', [[300,250], [336,280], [300,600]], 'island_bottom_right') .addService(googletag.pubads()); gpt_skyscraper = googletag.defineSlot('/1007667/ca-pub-1607124478120364/MobileTech_Skyscraper_Right_160x600', [160,600], 'skyscraper_right') .addService(googletag.pubads()); gpt_article_fllwr = googletag.defineSlot('/1007667/ca-pub-1607124478120364/Article_300x600_Follower', [300,600], 'article_follower') .addService(googletag.pubads()); gpt_bottom_inc = googletag.defineSlot('/1007667/ca-pub-1607124478120364/bottom_include', [1,1], 'bottom_include') .addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().setTargeting('re', '1'); googletag.pubads().setTargeting('pt', 'a'); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.pubads().set('page_url','https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/'); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script>  <script class="kxct" data-id="JG_lk_oI" data-timing="async" data-version="1.9" type="text/javascript"> window.Krux||((Krux=function(){Krux.q.push(arguments)}).q=[]); (function(){ var k=document.createElement('script');k.type='text/javascript';k.async=true; var m,src=(m=location.href.match(/\bkxsrc=([^&]+)/))&&decodeURIComponent(m[1]); k.src = /^https?:\/\/([a-z0-9_\-\.]+\.)?krxd\.net(:\d{1,5})?\//i.test(src) ? src : src === "disable" ? "" : (location.protocol==="https:"?"https:":"http:")+"//web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://cdn.krxd.net/controltag?confid=JG_lk_oI" ; var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(k,s); }()); </script>  <script src="//web.archive.org/web/20140727180340js_/http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.7.1/jquery.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/global_public.js?1404869523"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> $jqr(function () { $jqr('#mobile-link').click(function(){ document.cookie="view=; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT; path=/"; location.reload(); }); $jqr('#desktop-link').click(function(){ document.cookie="view=desktop; path=/"; location.reload(); }); }); </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/articles_public.js?1404869523"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/jquery.sticky.js"></script> <script> $jqr(document).ready(function(){ $jqr("#article_follower").sticky({topSpacing:15, bottomSpacing:835}); }); </script> </head> <body> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/login_comments.js?1404869523"></script>  <div id="fb-root"></div> <script> window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({ appId: '38456013908', status: true, cookie: true, xfbml: true, oauth: true, channelUrl: window.location.protocol + '//web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/fb_channel.php' //channel file to avoid cross domain communication issues }); FB.Event.subscribe('auth.logout', function(response) { if(response.authResponse===null){ //user is logging out of facebook logoutUser(); } }); }; // Load the SDK Asynchronously (function(d){ var js, id = 'facebook-jssdk', ref = d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement('script'); js.id = id; js.async = true; js.src = "//web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js"; ref.parentNode.insertBefore(js, ref); }(document)); var $jqr = jQuery.noConflict(); $jqr(document).ready(function() { var fbuser = checkFBUser(); }); </script>   <script> window.Krux||((Krux=function(){Krux.q.push(arguments);}).q=[]); (function(){ function retrieve(n){ var m, k='kx'+n; if (window.localStorage) { return window.localStorage[k] || ""; } else if (navigator.cookieEnabled) { m = document.cookie.match(k+'=([^;]*)'); return (m && unescape(m[1])) || ""; } else { return ''; } } Krux.user = retrieve('user'); Krux.segments = retrieve('segs') && retrieve('segs').split(',') || []; })(); </script>  <script type="text/javascript"> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-2235360-4']); _gaq.push(['_setCustomVar', 1, 'Section','Mobile Technology',3 ]); _gaq.push(['_setCustomVar', 2, 'Writer', 'Chris Wood', 3 ]); _gaq.push(['_setCustomVar', 4, 'PPV_test3', '1', 3 ]); _gaq.push(['_setCustomVar', 5, 'ArticleID', '33017', 3 ]); _gaq.push(['_setCustomVar', 3, 'View', 'Article', 3 ]); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageLoadTime']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://' : 'http://') + 'stats.g.doubleclick.net/dc.js'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(ga); })(); </script>  <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/ga_social_tracking_min.js"></script>  <div class="index" id="top_index"> <div class="index_center"> <ul class="header_links float_left"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.youtube.com/user/gizmag" title="Gizmag's YouTube Channel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/layout/icons/iconmonstr-youtube-icon-48.png"></a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://twitter.com/gizmag/" title="Follow Gizmag on Twitter"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/layout/icons/iconmonstr-twitter-icon-48.png"></a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.stumbleupon.com/to/stumble/stumblethru:gizmag.com?utm_source=GizMag&utm_medium=StumbleThru&utm_campaign=StumbleThruButton" title="Explore Gizmag" rel="nofollow"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/layout/icons/iconmonstr-stumbleupon-icon-48.png"></a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/xml/" title="Subscribe to Gizmag's RSS feed"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/layout/icons/iconmonstr-rss-icon-48.png"></a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://store.gizmag.com/" title="Shop at the Gizmag store"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/layout/icons/iconmonstr-shopping-cart-3-icon-48.png"></a></li> </ul>   <div id="search_form_top"> <form action="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/search/" id="cse-search-box-top"> <div> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="partner-pub-1607124478120364:cf1bgg5f284"/> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:11"/> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="ISO-8859-1"/> <input type="text" name="q" size="28" class="gsearch"/> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search"/> </div> </form> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.google.com/cse/brand?form=cse-search-box-top&lang=en"></script> </div> </div> </div>  <div id="top_strip"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/product-comparison/" target="_blank">Shopping? Check out our latest product comparisons</a></div> <div class="center" id="main-content"> <div id="header"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/" id="logo"></a> <div id="leaderboard" data-cb-ad-id="Leaderboard"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("leaderboard"); }); </script> </div> </div> <div id="pushdown" data-cb-ad-id="Pushdown"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("pushdown"); }); </script> </div>  <div id="top_stories"> <ul> <li id="top_story0"> <a class="ts_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/razor-crazy-cart-uk/33112/" title="Hilarious Razor Crazy Cart drift machine set to hit the UK"></a> <div class="ts_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/razor-crazy-cart-uk/33112/">Hilarious Razor Crazy Cart drift machine set to hit the UK</a> </div> </li> <li id="top_story1"> <a class="ts_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/air-waveguides-light-data-transmission/33109/" title=""Air waveguides" used to send optical data through the air"></a> <div class="ts_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/air-waveguides-light-data-transmission/33109/">"Air waveguides" used to send optical data through the air</a> </div> </li> <li id="top_story2"> <a class="ts_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/cycleat-motorcycle-bicycle-tire-pressure-monitoring-system/33108/" title="CycleAT transmits real-time pressure readings from bike tires"></a> <div class="ts_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/cycleat-motorcycle-bicycle-tire-pressure-monitoring-system/33108/">CycleAT transmits real-time pressure readings from bike tires</a> </div> </li> <li id="top_story3"> <a class="ts_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/nasa-atlast-hubble-james-webb-space-telescope/33106/" title="NASA begins to plan successor to the Hubble and James Webb deep space telescopes"></a> <div class="ts_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/nasa-atlast-hubble-james-webb-space-telescope/33106/">NASA begins to plan successor to the Hubble and James Webb deep space telescopes</a> </div> </li> <li id="top_story4"> <a class="ts_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/boogio-foot-tracker/33107/" title="Boogio tells users everything they could want to know about their feet "></a> <div class="ts_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/boogio-foot-tracker/33107/">Boogio tells users everything they could want to know about their feet </a> </div> </li> </ul> <div id="more_top_stories"> <a id="mts_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/top_stories/"></a> <a id="mts_txt" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/top_stories/">more top stories</a> </div> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="content" class="narrow_content"> <div id="article_top" class="summary_details" data-article="33017">  <div class="sd_top"> <a class="vsmall" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/mobiletechnology/" style="float: left; margin-right: 9px;">MOBILE TECHNOLOGY</a> <a class="article_label" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/reviews/">REVIEW</a> </div>  <h1 id="ar_title">Review: LG G3</h1> <div class="summary_details_left"> <p>By <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/author/chris-wood/" rel="author">Chris Wood</a></p> <p><em>July 18, 2014</em></p> </div> <div class="summary_details_right"> <div class="has_comments"><a href="lg-g3-review#comments">1 Comment</a></div> <div class="has_pictures"><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures">14 Pictures</a></div> </div> </div> <div id="article_share_rail"> <div class="as_button"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/" data-send="false" data-layout="box_count" data-show-faces="false"></div><script type="text/javascript">_ga.trackFacebook();</script></div> <div class="as_button"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="vertical" data-via="gizmag">Tweet</a></div> <div class="as_button"><div class="g-plusone" data-size="tall" data-href="http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/"></div></div> <div class="as_button"><iframe style="overflow: hidden; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340if_/http://badge.stumbleupon.com/badge/embed/5/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gizmag.com%2Flg-g3-review%2F33017%2F" width="50" height="60" id="iframe-stmblpn-widget-1"></iframe></div> <div class="as_button"><div class="pin-it-button" data-url="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340oe_/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/" data-image="http://images.gizmag.com/hero/lg-g3-review-13.jpg" data-description="LG’s latest handset isn't looking to rewrite the Android book, but it does want to make it easier to read with its huge, ultra-sharp display. Read on as Gizmag takes an in-depth look at the LG G3."></div></div> <div class="as_button"><script type="IN/Share" data-counter="top"></script></div> <div class="as_button" id="reddit_button_rail"><script type="text/javascript">reddit_newwindow='1'</script></div>  </div> <div id="hero_box" style="width: 530px;"> <a id="hero_link" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/lg-g3-review-13.jpg" title="Gizmag reviews the LG G3, easily one of the best smartphones of 2014" width="530" height="298" alt="Gizmag reviews the LG G3, easily one of the best smartphones of 2014"/> </a> <div class="pic_caption"> <p>Gizmag reviews the LG G3, easily one of the best smartphones of 2014</p> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures" id="gallery_link">Image Gallery</a> (14 images) </div> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div class="article_body"> <div id="top_unit"></div> <p>LG’s latest handset isn't looking to rewrite the book on smartphones, and we aren't even sure if that's possible at this stage. What it does want to do is dazzle your eyes with its huge, ultra-sharp display. Is that display, a more restrained take on Android and some genuinely useful features enough to make this one of the best smartphones of the year? Read on, as Gizmag reviews the LG G3.</p> <ul id="gallery_images"> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#1" class="image"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_tn/lg-g3-review-0.png" title="This picture was taken in overcast conditions" alt="This picture was taken in overcast conditions"/></a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#2" class="image"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_tn/lg-g3-review-1.png" title="The rear camera performs particularly well in bright sunlight" alt="The rear camera performs particularly well in bright sunlight"/></a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#3" class="image"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_tn/lg-g3-review-2.png" title="The camera performs well inside as well as out" alt="The camera performs well inside as well as out"/></a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#4" class="image"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/gallery_tn/lg-g3-review-3.png" title="Like the G2 before it, the G3 features completely smooth top and sides" alt="Like the G2 before it, the G3 features completely smooth top and sides"/></a></li> <li id="view_all"><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures" class="blue">View all<br/></a></li> </ul> <div class="clear_both"></div> <p>When you power on the G3 for the first time, the first thing that hits you is just how impressive its display is. At 5.5-inches, with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440, it's big, beautiful and easily one of the best smartphone/phablet displays we've seen. It's damn near ideal for things like video, browsing the web or thumbing through pictures you've snapped.</p> <p>That bigger screen space also means you can comfortably fit five icons across a single home screen. It’s a small thing, but it makes organizing your apps and widgets that much easier. Another nice bonus is that you can tell the device to hide the "home touch buttons" (navigation bar) in certain apps, giving you even more usable screen space. It's a very <em>phablety</em> screen, but the device itself doesn't feel like your typical run-of-the-mill phablet.</p> <div style="width: 530px; height: 298px; " class="article_img"><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#6" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/inline/lg-g3-review-5.png" width="530" alt="The display on offer here outputs at an impressive 2,560 x 1,440"/></a></div> <p>That's because there’s a lot less bezel here than on most competing handsets. The display extends closer to the top and bottom of the handset than is often the case. Putting it next to an <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/htc-one-m8-review/31420/" target="_blank">HTC One (M8)</a> or a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/galaxy-s5-review/31699/" target="_blank">Samsung Galaxy S5</a> reveals a big difference in display size, and you couldn't really accuse either of those devices of having diminutive displays. What’s most impressive is that, despite having a 16-21 percent bigger screen, the G3 isn’t much larger than those rivals. Thanks to its tiny bezels, it’s actually a hair shorter than the HTC One (M8).</p> <p>The contrast on the display isn't as impressive as the resolution, with blacks looking just a little grayer than we’d like (if you're looking for contrast and deep blacks, nothing beats a Super AMOLED, like you'd find on the Galaxy S5). Despite this, colors appear bright and vibrant, and the handset is great for viewing media thanks to that large screen. While you might struggle to find video content that actually matches the display’s impressive specs, HD content from Netflix and Google Play Movies still looked great on the handset. LG also pre-loads the device with a couple of promo videos that play in the phone's full resolution. Needless to say, they're great showcase pieces that <em>really</em> show off how many pixels are packed into the display.</p> <div style="width: 530px; height: 298px; " class="article_img"><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#5" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/inline/lg-g3-review-4.png" width="530" alt="You get significantly more screen real estate with the G3 than the HTC One (M8)"/></a></div> <p>If you ask me, one the biggest problems with Android is manufacturers’ insistence on putting their own stamp on the experience. Sure, you get the occasional useful feature that you wouldn't otherwise get, but these UI overlays too often muck things up and get in the way of providing a great experience. Luckily, LG’s changes aren't all that significant, and are mostly aesthetic.</p> <p>Aside from its flatter look and slightly muted palette, LG’s version of Android offers a number of features not found in the stock OS. Text messages pop up on top of the UI, and provide the option to reply without opening the app. The customizable drop-down menu integrates quick settings and notifications in a similar way to Samsung’s treatment of the OS. It’s not a huge change from stock Android, and the design language is consistent throughout the experience.</p> <p>Knock Code is a terrific feature that lets you tap a secure pattern on the display to unlock the handset. Combine that with a tap-to-unlock feature and you have a genuine improvement over competing solutions. The ability to wake and lock the display with a few taps makes the placement of the power button on the back of the device less of an issue, though I did struggle with the rear positioning of the volume keys (LG actually pitched this back button placement as a breakthrough feature when it launched <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g2-announcement/28614/" target="_blank">last year's G2</a>). The lack of any buttons on the top, bottom or sides of the handset, however, does make for a clean and slick look, similar to the G2 before it.</p> <div style="width: 530px; height: 298px; " class="article_img"><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#7" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/inline/lg-g3-review-6.png" width="530" alt="The handset features the same rear button configuration as its predecessor "/></a></div> <p>The front of the device is dominated by the large screen with its tiny bezel, while the back looks a bit square-shouldered. The faux-metal finish (it's a plastic backing with a metallic film on top) is pleasant but doesn't look or feel quite as premium as competing aluminium-built handsets. On the other hand, there is at least one nice perk to that, as it's 8 percent lighter than the HTC One (M8).</p> <p>The G3’s 13 MP rear camera is one of its strongest features. The secret sauce is that the device actually uses a laser to measure the distance between the phone and its subject. Tapping the screen to focus the shot instantly snaps a picture, removing a step in the process and making it easier to take quick pictures. There’s advanced image stabilization tech on board as well. It all combines to make it much easier to quickly snap sharp images, even of moving objects.</p> <div style="width: 530px; height: 298px; " class="article_img"><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#2" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/inline/lg-g3-review-1.png" width="530" alt="The rear camera performs particularly well in bright sunlight"/></a></div> <p>I tried the camera out in a number of lighting conditions, mostly sticking with the “auto” setting. The results were some of the best-looking smartphone photographs I've ever taken, with great (but not over-the-top) contrast and vibrant colors. The 5 MP front-facing camera also produces some great results, and is indeed, perfect for selfie-loving consumers.</p> <p>The device shoots video in 2,560 x 1,440, with some fairly impressive results. Shooting video on a smartphone rarely produces great results, with often shaky image stability and significant motion blur. That said, in good lighting conditions the G3 produced some really good footage, with the resulting video packing in a lot of detail and vibrant colors. When it comes to shooting video on a smartphone, you could definitely do worse than the G3.</p> <div style="width: 530px; height: 298px; " class="article_img"><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#3" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/inline/lg-g3-review-2.png" width="530" alt="The camera performs well inside as well as out"/></a></div> <div style="width: 530px; height: 298px; " class="article_img"><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#1" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/inline/lg-g3-review-0.png" width="530" alt="This picture was taken in overcast conditions"/></a></div> <p>If you’re the kind of consumer that’s willing to open your wallet for the latest smartphone tech, then you’ll likely expect top tier performance for your money, and this is where the G3 falters a little. The device’s performance certainly doesn't qualify as sluggish (gone are the days of the trademark Android lag), but it’s noticeably less snappy than some other leading smartphones.</p> <p>Whenever you tap an icon or open an email, there’s a small but noticeable delay. Using the handset side-by-side with an HTC One (M8), when tapping icons at the same time on both devices, the LG routinely lags behind the HTC handset. The slower performance on the LG handset was consistent across the entire experience.</p> <div style="width: 530px; height: 298px; " class="article_img"><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#13" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/inline/lg-g3-review-12.jpg" width="530" alt="Out of the box, the G3 has a bit of lag, but that can be easily remedied by changing a key..."/></a></div> <p>It’s worth noting that this issue isn’t nearly as noticeable against my Samsung Galaxy S4, and the G3 doesn't feel slow when you’re using it, but it does suffer in comparison. The handset has the same Snapdragon 801 CPU powering things as the One (M8), along with many other recent flagship devices.</p> <p>The slightly slower performance is likely due to the combination of LG’s custom UI and the strain of animating all those pixels on its quad HD display. It’s worth noting that I'm reviewing the 16 GB version of the handset, fitted with 2 GB RAM. The 32 GB version, which we also have in house, packs a meatier 3 GB of memory. We noticed some lag there as well, though it wasn't especially dramatic.</p> <div style="width: 530px; height: 298px; " class="article_img"><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#11" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/inline/lg-g3-review-10.jpg" width="530" alt="At a glance, the G3 might look like a metallic phone, but it's actually plastic – with a m..."/></a></div> <p>If you want to blast all lag to timbuktu, there is one (relatively) easy solution: switch from Dalvik to Android runtime (ART). If that sounds like Martian to you, bear with me. Just go to Settings>General>About Phone>Software information and tap on Build until it tells you you're a developer. Then open the new "Developer Options" menu and change the runtime option from Davlik to ART. After about a 10 minute reboot period, the G3's performance will sing like a bird. It's too bad you have to go through that process to unleash the G3's full performance potential, but at least the option is there.</p> <p>Luckily, the quad HD display and high-powered components don’t translate to poor battery life. I was easily able to get through a full day of moderate use, including recording video, taking photos and watching the occasional video. Call quality was solid, but the device’s speakers are a little disappointing. LG has opted for a single speaker on the rear of the device, and while it isn't the worst we've heard, it can’t compete with front-facing stereo speakers we've seen on some competing devices (most notably, our old friend, the HTC One).</p> <div style="width: 530px; height: 298px; " class="article_img"><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/pictures#4" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/inline/lg-g3-review-3.png" width="530" alt="Like the G2 before it, the G3 features completely smooth top and sides"/></a></div> <p>LG’s new flagship has a lot going for it. Its quad HD display is undoubtedly its killer feature, and it’s all the more impressive when you consider that the device is only a little wider than HTC’s latest. I did feel that, aside from its tiny bezels and button-less sides, the design of the G3 is a little ... <em>safe</em>. It doesn't have the cold, hard touch of a premium aluminium build and it’s not quite as thin as some devices. That said, it certainly doesn't feel cheap, and once again, only really shows in direct comparison.</p> <p>The G3's screen is big enough to call it a "phablet," but its form-factor is closer to that of a standard smartphone. It's a terrific combination. The handset’s minor issues, chief among which is its ever-so-slightly laggy performance (at least before switching to Android runtime), tend to fade into the background when you’re staring at its huge, ultra-sharp display. Small touches, like the ability to fit more icons across a single home screen, or the tap-to-unlock feature, make the device feel distinct from the competition. And its super-quick auto-focusing makes it great for photography. On the whole, it's an absolute pleasure to use.</p> <p>If you’re in the market for a sizable Android handset with a great camera and display, then the G3 might be just the device for you. For more on how the smartphone measures up to the competition, check out our comparisons with the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/htc-one-m8-vs-lg-g3/32333/" target="_blank">HTC One (M8)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/galaxy-s5-vs-lg-g3/32314/" target="_blank">Samsung Galaxy S5</a>, and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-vs-amazon-fire-phone/32675/" target="_blank">Amazon Fire Phone</a>.</p>  <span class="title share_bar">Share</span> <div id="article_share_bar" class="dotsontop share_bar"> <div class="as_button fb_as_button"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/" data-send="false" data-layout="box_count" data-show-faces="false"></div><script type="text/javascript">_ga.trackFacebook();</script></div> <div class="as_button"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="vertical" data-via="gizmag">Tweet</a></div> <div class="as_button"><div class="g-plusone" data-size="tall" data-href="http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/"></div></div> <div class="as_button stumble_as_button"><iframe style="overflow: hidden; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340if_/http://badge.stumbleupon.com/badge/embed/5/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gizmag.com%2Flg-g3-review%2F33017%2F" width="50" height="60" id="iframe-stmblpn-widget-2"></iframe></div> <div class="as_button"><div class="pin-it-button" data-url="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340oe_/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/" data-image="http://images.gizmag.com/hero/lg-g3-review-13.jpg" data-description="LG’s latest handset isn't looking to rewrite the Android book, but it does want to make it easier to read with its huge, ultra-sharp display. Read on as Gizmag takes an in-depth look at the LG G3."></div></div> <div class="as_button"><script type="IN/Share" data-counter="top"></script></div> <div class="as_button" id="reddit_button_bar"><script type="text/javascript">reddit_newwindow='1'</script></div>  </div>   <div id="fm-well-zone" data-cb-ad-id="Content Well 1"> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340js_/http://static.fmpub.net/zone/7980"></script> </div> <div id="bottom_unit" data-cb-ad-id="Content Well 2"></div>  <div style="margin-bottom: 20px"> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340oe_/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/" data-widget-id="AR_1" data-ob-template="Gizmag"></div> <script type="text/javascript" async="async" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340js_/http://widgets.outbrain.com/outbrain.js"></script> </div>  <span class="title clear_left">Buy this on Amazon</span> <div class="dotsontop" id="amazon_products"> <ul> <li>  <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L9OVC94/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00L9OVC94&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwgizmagcom-20" class="ap_img" rel="nofollow"> <img border="0" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00L9OVC94&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=wwwgizmagcom-20"/> </a>  <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L9OVC94/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00L9OVC94&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwgizmagcom-20" class="ap_title" rel="nofollow">LG G3, Metallic Black 32GB (AT&T;)</a> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwgizmagcom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00L9OVC94" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/> </li> </ul> </div> </div>  <span class="title clear_left" id="author_byline_title">About the Author</span> <div class="dotsontop" id="authorcontainer">  <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/author/chris-wood/"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/author_profiles/172.jpg" alt="Chris Wood" id="bio_pic"/> </a>   Chris recently graduated from the University of Exeter with a degree in Politics and Ancient History. Based in the U.K., he has an enthusiasm for technology of all kinds, specializing in mobile tech and games. In his spare time you might find him running, playing music, following NFL (Pats fan) or fueling his ever growing Swiss watch obsession.   <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/author/chris-wood/">All articles by Chris Wood</a> <span id="author_byline_links">   </span> <br class="clear_both"> </div>  <div id="tags"> <span class="title">Tags</span> <div class="dotsontop"> <ul> <li>» <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/android/" rel="tag">Android</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/lg/" rel="tag">LG</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/lg-g3/" rel="tag">lg g3</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/reviews/" rel="tag">Reviews</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/smartphone/" rel="tag">Smartphones</a></li> </ul> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> </div> <div id="bing_unit"></div>  <span class="title" id="comments">1 Comment</span> <div class="dotsontop"> <div id="comment-325018" class="a_comment"> <p>I have the Sprint G3 and it almost feels like a different device from this review in some respects. For one, there's simply no lag whatsoever. It could be that the 3GB is making all the difference. Plus I'm using Nova Launcher. Whatever the reason, there is not even an iota of lag on this phone so far. I have only had it for a couple of days, but I'm using it with all the apps that I normally use. The screen is fantastic. The physical feel and handling of the phone is superb. I like it much much better than the HTC One M8 I returned. </p> <p></p> <p>But on the downside, the battery is draining very fast. I always use my phone at 100% brightness with all services on. No point in having a smartphone if you are going to have it work like a feature phone and manually turning things on and off. </p> <p></p> <p>The speaker volume is very low. I'll trade the front speakers for the extra screen any day. But I don't understand why the volume is so low even with headphones. And I have some excellent Harmon Kardon ones. </p> <p></p> <p>The screen brightness I feel is lower than both the One and the S5. But I'll trade the display with either. </p> <p></p> <p>The one really disappointing thing with the phone is the quality of the rear camera. The detail is awful. I can't make out anything from the photos in the review. But take a 100% crop of a photo of a carpet and see how much detail you get. For a 13 MP camera, it's rubbish. I think however, that it might be the software. It's probably over smoothening the image in order to remove noise to the point that there is no detail remaining. Since there is no capabilities of saving in RAW yet, no way for me to check. It's also possible that I may have a bad unit. I think once more people start taking photos we'll see. Taking photos of flowers outside is less likely to demonstrate the problem. But I can also see this in over blurring portraits. So of them end up looking like mannequins. </p> <span class="name">Andy Roberts</span><br> <span class="date"> 20th July, 2014 @ 01:44 pm PDT</span> </div> </div> <span class="title">Post a Comment</span> <div class="dotsontop" id="comment_form_div"> <div id="comment_form" data-article="33017"> <div id="comments_login"> <form action="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/index.php" name="login_form" id="login_form" onsubmit="return false;"> <p class="bold">Login with your gizmag account:</p> <p id="login_status"></p> <label for="email">Email</label><input type="text" name="email" id="email" value=""/> <label for="password">Password</label><input type="password" name="password" id="password" value=""/> <input type="submit" value="Log In" class="med"/> <div id="options"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/register/">Register here</a><br> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/new_password/">Forgotten your password?</a> </div> <input type="hidden" id="expired_comment" value=""/> </form> </div> <div id="facebook_login"> <p>Or <span class="bold">Login with Facebook:</span></p><br/> <div class="fb-login-button" data-scope="email" data-max-rows="1" data-onlogin="loginFUser(33017);" data-autologoutlink="true"></div> </div> </div> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div>  <span class="title">Related Articles</span> <div id="related_articles" class="dotsontop"> <ul> <li> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/galaxy-s-iii-mini/24516/" title="The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini "> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/galaxysiiimini.jpg" alt="The Samsung Galaxy S III Mini "/> </a> <a class="rel_title" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/galaxy-s-iii-mini/24516/">Samsung announces Galaxy S III Mini smartphone</a> <p class="rel_date">11th October, 2012</p> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/samsung-galaxy-beam/21606/" title="The Galaxy Beam is a smartphone with its own built-in pico projector"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/samsunggalaxybeam.png" alt="The Galaxy Beam is a smartphone with its own built-in pico projector"/> </a> <a class="rel_title" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/samsung-galaxy-beam/21606/">Samsung shows off latest Galaxy Beam projector phone</a> <p class="rel_date">26th February, 2012</p> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/sony-xperia-sp-l-announcement/26695/" title="The Xperia L (left) and SP (right)"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/sony-xperia-sp-l.jpg" alt="The Xperia L (left) and SP (right)"/> </a> <a class="rel_title" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/sony-xperia-sp-l-announcement/26695/">Sony announces Xperia SP and L smartphones</a> <p class="rel_date">18th March, 2013</p> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/samsung-z-tizen-smartphone/32355/" title="The Samsung Z - a Tizen-based smartphone with a lot to prove"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/samsung-z-tizen-smartphone.png" alt="The Samsung Z - a Tizen-based smartphone with a lot to prove"/> </a> <a class="rel_title" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/samsung-z-tizen-smartphone/32355/">Samsung unveils first Tizen-based smartphone</a> <p class="rel_date">2nd June, 2014</p> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/yota-e-ink-smartphone/25419/" title="Yota's first mobile phone will feature a second E-Ink display on the rear of the device"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/yotaphone.jpg" alt="Yota's first mobile phone will feature a second E-Ink display on the rear of the device"/> </a> <a class="rel_title" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/yota-e-ink-smartphone/25419/">Yota announces smartphone with rear-facing E-Ink screen </a> <p class="rel_date">12th December, 2012</p> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-mini/27719/" title="Samsung's new handset is a more pocket-friendly alternative to the full-size S4"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/samsung-galaxy-s4-mini.jpg" alt="Samsung's new handset is a more pocket-friendly alternative to the full-size S4"/> </a> <a class="rel_title" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-mini/27719/">Samsung unveils Galaxy S4 Mini ahead of London event</a> <p class="rel_date">30th May, 2013</p> </li> </ul> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div>  <div id="search_form_bottom"> <form action="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/search/" id="cse-search-box-bottom"> <span class="title">Looking for something? Search our 27,816 articles</span> <div class="dotsontop"> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="partner-pub-1607124478120364:bqw4wo-1udf"/> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:11"/> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="ISO-8859-1"/> <input type="text" name="q" size="60" id="search_input"/> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search"/> </div> </form> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.google.com/cse/brand?form=cse-search-box-bottom&lang=en"></script> </div> <div data-cb-ad-id="Content Well 3"> </div> </div> <div id="right_cols"> <div class="island" id="island_top_right" data-cb-ad-id="Top Island"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("island_top_right"); }); </script> </div> <div id="right_col_a"> <div id="right_col_b"> <div class="ad" id="skyscraper_right" data-cb-ad-id="Skyscraper"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("skyscraper_right"); }); </script> </div> <div class="ad"> <span class="title">Sections</span> <ul class="dots" id="sections_list"> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/features/" class="features_reviews_list">Features</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/reviews/" class="features_reviews_list">Reviews</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/aircraft/">Aircraft</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/architecture/">Architecture</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/aroundthehome/">Around The Home</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/automotive/">Automotive</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/bicycles/">Bicycles</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/children/">Children</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/computers/">Computers</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/digital-cameras/">Digital Cameras</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/electronics/">Electronics</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/environment/">Environment</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/games/">Games</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/goodthinking/">Good Thinking</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/health/">Health and Wellbeing</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/destinations/">Holiday Destinations</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/homeentertainment/">Home Entertainment</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/remarkablepeople/">Inventors and Remarkable People</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/laptops/">Laptops</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/marine/">Marine</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/medical/">Medical</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/military/">Military</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/mobiletechnology/">Mobile Technology</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/motorcycles/">Motorcycles</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/music/">Music</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/outdoors/">Outdoors</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/pets/">Pets</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/robotics/">Robotics</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/science/">Science</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/space/">Space</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/sports/">Sports</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/telecommunications/">Telecommunications</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/urbantransport/">Urban Transport</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/wearableelectronics/">Wearable Electronics</a></li> </ul> </div> </div>  <span class="title">Recent popular articles in Mobile Technology</span> <ul id="recent_popular" class="vertical_sprite recent_popular_29"> <li id="story0"> <a class="vs_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-vs-galaxy-s5/33068/" title="Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. LG G3: A Closer Look"></a> <div class="vs_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-vs-galaxy-s5/33068/">Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. LG G3: A Closer Look</a> </div> </li> <li id="story1"> <a class="vs_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/galaxy-s5-vs-iphone-5s-comparison/32009/" title="iPhone 5s vs. Galaxy S5: A closer look"></a> <div class="vs_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/galaxy-s5-vs-iphone-5s-comparison/32009/">iPhone 5s vs. Galaxy S5: A closer look</a> </div> </li> <li id="story2"> <a class="vs_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/how-to-install-google-apps-kindle-fire-hd-hdx/30736/" title="How to install Google apps on Kindle Fire HD or HDX"></a> <div class="vs_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/how-to-install-google-apps-kindle-fire-hd-hdx/30736/">How to install Google apps on Kindle Fire HD or HDX</a> </div> </li> <li id="story3"> <a class="vs_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/phablet-comparison-2014-1/33026/" title="2014 Phablet Comparison Guide"></a> <div class="vs_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/phablet-comparison-2014-1/33026/">2014 Phablet Comparison Guide</a> </div> </li> <li id="story4"> <a class="vs_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/tablet-comparison-2014-1-ipad-vs-galaxy-tab-vs-kindle-fire-vs-nexus/32959/" title="2014 Tablet Comparison Guide"></a> <div class="vs_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/tablet-comparison-2014-1-ipad-vs-galaxy-tab-vs-kindle-fire-vs-nexus/32959/">2014 Tablet Comparison Guide</a> </div> </li> <li id="story5"> <a class="vs_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/best-cydia-apps/26065/" title="The best jailbreak apps in Cydia"></a> <div class="vs_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/best-cydia-apps/26065/">The best jailbreak apps in Cydia</a> </div> </li> <li id="story6"> <a class="vs_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/smartphone-comparison-2014-1/31787/" title="2014 Smartphone Comparison Guide"></a> <div class="vs_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/smartphone-comparison-2014-1/31787/">2014 Smartphone Comparison Guide</a> </div> </li> <li id="story7"> <a class="vs_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/iphone-5s-vs-iphone-5c-vs-iphone-4s/29214/" title="iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c vs. iPhone 4s"></a> <div class="vs_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/iphone-5s-vs-iphone-5c-vs-iphone-4s/29214/">iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c vs. iPhone 4s</a> </div> </li> <li id="story8"> <a class="vs_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/" title="Review: LG G3"></a> <div class="vs_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-review/33017/">Review: LG G3</a> </div> </li> <li id="story9"> <a class="vs_img" href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/amazon-fire-phone-review-initial/33105/" title="Early impressions: Amazon Fire Phone"></a> <div class="vs_title"> <a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/amazon-fire-phone-review-initial/33105/">Early impressions: Amazon Fire Phone</a> </div> </li> </ul> <div class="clear_both"></div> <div class="island" id="island_bottom_right" data-cb-ad-id="Bottom Island"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("island_bottom_right"); }); </script> </div> <iframe src="/web/20140727180340if_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/gizmag-store.html" id="store" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div id="article_follower" data-cb-ad-id="Article Follower"> <script type="text/javascript"> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("article_follower"); }); </script> </div>   </div>  </div> <div class="clear_left"></div>  </div>  <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/footer_tabs.js?1404869523"></script> <div id="footer_outer"> <div id="footer">  <div class="footer_item" id="footer_popular"> <span class="footer_title">Most Popular Articles</span>  <div class="tabbable"> <ul class="nav nav-tabs" id="most_popular_tabs"> <li class="active"><a data-target="#popular_today" data-toggle="tab" data-period="day">Today</a></li> <li><a data-target="#popular_week" data-toggle="tab" data-period="week">Last week</a></li> <li><a data-target="#popular_all" data-toggle="tab" data-period="all">All time</a></li> </ul> <div class="tab-content"> <div class="tab-pane active" id="popular_today"> <ul class="popular_articles"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/swash-dry-clean-only-clothing/32948/">Swash is made to "refresh" dry-clean-only clothes</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/self-cooling-solar-cells/33061/">Stanford researchers develop self-cooling solar cells</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/amazon-fire-phone-review/33122/">Review: Amazon Fire Phone</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/mclaren-p1-gtr-preview/33117/">McLaren teases P1 GTR ahead of Pebble Beach reveal</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/razor-crazy-cart-uk/33112/">Hilarious Razor Crazy Cart drift machine set to hit the UK</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/lg-g3-vs-galaxy-s5/33068/">Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. LG G3: A Closer Look</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/drinkpure-water-filter/33119/">DrinkPure water filter shows promise for worldwide use</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/bunch-o-balloons-water-bombs/33099/">Bunch O Balloons fills water bombs in bulk</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/smartphone-comparison-2014-1/31787/">2014 Smartphone Comparison Guide</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/2014-macbook-air-vs-retina-macbook-pro/31842/">2014 MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro with Retina Display</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="tab-pane" id="popular_week"> <ul class="popular_articles"> </ul> </div> <div class="tab-pane" id="popular_all"> <ul class="popular_articles"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="footer_item" id="footer_commented"> <span class="footer_title">Most Commented Articles</span>  <div class="tabbable"> <ul class="nav nav-tabs" id="most_commented_tabs"> <li class="active"><a data-target="#commented_today" data-toggle="tab" id="commented_today_tab" data-period="day">Today</a></li> <li><a data-target="#commented_week" data-toggle="tab" id="commented_week_tab" data-period="week">Last week</a></li> <li><a data-target="#commented_all" data-toggle="tab" id="commented_all_tab" data-period="all">All time</a></li> </ul> <div class="tab-content"> <div class="tab-pane active" id="commented_today"> <ul class="commented_articles"> </ul> </div> <div class="tab-pane" id="commented_week"> <ul class="commented_articles"> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/gotenna-radio-network/33039/">goTenna lets you send text messages when there's no network available</a> (16)</li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/quant-e-sportlimousine-approved-europe-roads/33020/">Salt water-powered Quant e-Sportlimousine gets European approval</a> (14)</li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/random-linear-network-coding/33038/">New technique could boost internet speeds tenfold</a> (13)</li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/elytron-s2-tiltrotor-civilian-aircraft/33036/">Elytron 2S: The out-of-the-box tiltrotor concept</a> (13)</li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/sponge-structure-steam-solar-energy/33054/">Sponge-like structure generates steam using lowest concentration of solar energy yet</a> (13)</li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/spacex-falcon-9-landing-video/33065/">SpaceX releases video of powered booster landing</a> (12)</li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/fitrider-arm-powered-bicycle/33046/">FitRider bike puts those lazy arms to use</a> (12)</li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/hoverbike-kickstarter-drone/33057/">Drone version of Quadrotor Hoverbike hits Kickstarter</a> (12)</li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/2015-mustang-engine-options/33028/">Ford lifts the hood on 2015 Mustang</a> (10)</li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/diesel-gas-rcci-engine-saturn/33024/">Experimental diesel/gas engine could give 2009 Saturn a big boost in fuel efficiency</a> (10)</li> </ul> </div> <div class="tab-pane" id="commented_all"> <ul class="commented_articles"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="footer_item nomargin" style="margin: 0px;" id="footer_subscribe"> <div> <form id="footer_email_form" class="form-inline" action="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/index.php"> <span class="small">Subscribe to Gizmag's</span><br/> <span class="large">Email Newsletter</span> <input type="text" name="email" class="email" value="Enter Your Email Address ..." onclick="this.value=''; this.style.color='#999'" id="footer_email"/> <button type="submit" class="bootbtn" id="footer_subscribe_button">Subscribe</button> </form> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/subscribe_footer.js?1404869523"></script> <div class="subscribe_options"> <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://twitter.com/gizmag/" class="twitter_footer greytitle"> <span class="small">Follow Gizmag on</span> <span class="large">Twitter</span></a> </div> <div class="subscribe_options"> <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.youtube.com/user/gizmag" class="youtube_footer greytitle"> <span class="small">Subscribe to Gizmag's</span> <span class="large">YouTube channel</span></a> </div> <div class="subscribe_options"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/xml/" class="rss_footer greytitle"> <span class="small">Subscribe to Gizmag's </span> <span class="large">RSS feed</span></a> </div> <div class="subscribe_options"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://www.stumbleupon.com/channel/Gizmag/" class="su_footer greytitle"> <span class="small">Follow Gizmag on </span> <span class="large">Stumbleupon</span></a> </div> <div class="subscribe_options"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/https://plus.google.com/105149739082983197804" class="gplus_footer greytitle"> <span class="small">Follow Gizmag on </span> <span class="large">Google Plus</span></a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div id="copyright"><em>All content copyright © Gizmag 2003 - 2014</em></div> <div class="clear_left"></div> </div> <div class="index" id="footer_index"> <div class="index_center bottom_strip"> <ul> <li><a href="#top">Top</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/about/">About</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/contact/">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/privacy/">Privacy</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/termsofuse/">Terms & Conditions</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20140727180340/http://www.gizmag.com/advertise/" class="brighter">Advertise</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/web/20140727180340cs_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/jqmodal/jqModal.css"/> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/jqmodal/jqModal.js"></script> <div id="subscribe_overlay_container" class="jqmWindowModSize"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20140727180340js_/http://www.gizmag.com/inc/subscribe_overlay.js?x=1406484220"></script>  <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340js_/http://static.getclicky.com/js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript">clicky.init(110681);</script> <noscript><p><img alt="Clicky" width="1" height="1" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340im_/http://in.getclicky.com/110681ns.gif"/></p></noscript>  <script type="text/javascript"> var _sf_async_config={uid:4159,domain:"gizmag.com"}; _sf_async_config.authors = "Chris Wood"; _sf_async_config.sections = "Mobile Technology"; (function(){ function loadChartbeat() { window._sf_endpt=(new Date()).getTime(); var e = document.createElement('script'); e.setAttribute('language', 'javascript'); e.setAttribute('type', 'text/javascript'); e.setAttribute('src', '//web.archive.org/web/20140727180340/http://static.chartbeat.com/js/chartbeat_pub.js'); document.body.appendChild(e); } var oldonload = window.onload; window.onload = (typeof window.onload != 'function') ? loadChartbeat : function() { oldonload(); loadChartbeat(); }; })(); </script>  <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20140727180340js_/http://s3.amazonaws.com/new.cetrk.com/pages/scripts/0008/8786.js"> </script>   <div id="bottom_include"> <script type="text/javascript">googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("bottom_include"); });</script> </div>        </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

Review: LG G3