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LG Unveils the 5.5-Inch G3, Comes with 2K Display and Laser Auto Focus

By Sidney Wong - on 28 May 2014, 1:12am

LG Unveils the 5.5-Inch G3, Comes with 2K Display and Laser Auto Focus

 The LG G3 comes in five colors: metallic black, silk white, shine gold, moon violet and burgundy red. <br>Image source: LG

LG officially announced the G3 flagship smartphone at a launch event in London. 

Similar to what we've seen from the leaks, the G3 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor with clock speeds up to 2.5GHz. The main highlight of the G3 is the 5.5-inch Quad HD (QHD or 2K) display. It is said to offer sharper and clearer images than conventional smartphone displays.

LG proved that the human eye is able to spot the difference in pixel density among the three display panels with different resolutions.

LG touted the superiority of the QHD display on the G3 over competing screens in the market.

Anticipating users' concerns over the battery life of the G3, LG gave the assurance that the smartphone is able to keep up with the power demands of the QHD display by three methods: adaptive frame rate, adaptive clocking and adaptive timing control. The metal in the removable 3,000mAh battery cathode is also replaced with graphite, which will extend its lifespan.

LG uses a combination of advanced optimized technologies and an improved battery cathode to ensure that the G3 stays powered up throughout the day.

It sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization plus - first seen on the G Pro 2 - and laser auto focus - the first of its kind in the smartphone industry. LG claims that the laser auto focus enables the G3 to capture sharper photos in 0.276 seconds.

The LG G3 can take photos faster than the HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy S5.

The metallic-looking casing is actually a metallic skin with matte finish. LG states that it helps to give a better grip and keeps the phone free from fingerprint. LG also redesigned the power and volume keys on the rear of the G3 for better feel and access. 

The new LG user interface will have matching themes for the different colors of the G3.

The G3 also ships with LG's new user interface that adopts a minimalistic approach with flat graphics. Similar to HTC Sense 6, LG adds color coding to different apps for easy identification. There are three key UX features introduced on the G3 which are the Smart Keyboard, Smart Notice and Smart Security.

Different apps in the LG G3 are color coded for easy reference.

LG's Smart Keyboard draws inspiration from BlackBerry 10 OS where you can swipe up to complete a word. The keyboard also learns your typing habits and customize the size of the keys accordingly. Frequently used symbols will also be featured on the keyboard for easier input. 

The sizes of the keys are tailored to fit the user's typing patterns.

Smart Notice functions like a personal assistant and seems to be a mash up between ASUS's ZenUI and Google Now. It will provide suggestions and recommendations based on user behavior, phone usage patterns and location to offer user information.

Smart Notice will remind you to respond to a missed call or add a new number to the phonebook.

Smart Notice also helps you to optimize system resources on the LG G3 for optimal performance.

Smart Security consists of three tools - KnockCode, Content Lock and Kill Switch - to help users protect their personal information on the G3. The Kill Switch gives the users an option to disable their phones remotely in the event of theft and erase personal information. It also has antivirus scanning function.

LG may not have included a fingerprint sensor on the G3, but it comes with a kill switch to wipe personal data off the device in the event of theft.

Despite its 5.5-inch form factor, the G3 is relatively thin at 8.9mm and light at 149g. Its other specs include 4G LTE connectivity, NFC, and a microSD memory card slot that supports up to 128GB. 

The G3 is available in two models: one with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage and the other with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. Specifications may vary depending on markets. The device will be available today in South Korea, and will be rolled out worldwide to over 170 telcos. Additional details will be announced locally at the time of availability. Below is an overview of its specs compared to its predecessor, the G2: 

LG G3 vs LG G2
  LG G3 LG G2
  LG G3 LG G2
Launch SRP
  • From S$868
  • From S$898
Operating system
  • Android 4.4.2 KitKat
  • Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean (at launch)
  • Android 4.4.2 KitKat (updated)
Processor
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core up to 2.5GHz
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.26GHz
Built-in Memory
  • 2GB/3GB RAM
  • 2GB RAM
Display
  • 5.5-inch / 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (538 ppi) / IPS
  • 5.2-inch / 1,920 x 1,080 pixels / IPS
Camera
  • Rear: 13-megapixel with optical image stabilization plus and laser autofocus
  • Front: 2.1-megapixel
  • Rear: 13-megapixel with optical image stabilization
  • Front: 2.1-megapixel
Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth Smart Ready (Apt-X), NFC, A-GPS/Glonass
  • Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP and LE, DLNA, micro-USB 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack
Storage Type
  • 16/32GB internal storage
  • microSD expansion up to 128GB
  • 32GB internal storage
Battery
  • 3,000mAh
  • 3,000mAh
Dimensions
  • 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm
  • 138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9mm
Weight
  • 149g
  • 143g

Source: LG

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