LG has raised the curtain on its latest high-end smartphone offering. The flagship device features top tier specs including an impressive Quad HD display, that should help it compete with top Android handsets like Samsung’s Galaxy S5 and HTC’s One (M8). Despite its branding as a “simple” device, the G3 holds some very impressive specs.
The brand new smartphone features a 5.5-inch 2,560 x 1440 display with a ppi of 538, runs on a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, and is backed up by 2 GB of RAM. The handset features a choice of 16 or 32 GB internal storage, as well as a microSD slot for expandability. There's also a 1W speaker with Boost AMP on board, and the phone is wireless charging compatible.
On the optics front, the G3 packs a 13 MP camera on the rear and a 2.1 MP shooter on the front. The company has a lot to say about the new phone’s cameras, claiming that its Laser Auto Focus technology, which measures the distance between the lens and the subject, can take pictures “in the blink of an eye” (literally).
Like some of its rivals, LG has worked on its front-facing camera tech, enhancing it with a larger sensor and aperture – something that the company claims will lead to near perfect selfies.
As you might expect, the G3 runs on Google’s latest KitKat flavor of Android and features LTE connectivity. The large handset is kept running by a 3,000 mAh battery. The device measures 8.9mm (0.35-in) thick and weighs in at 149g (0.33lb). The device includes back-facing buttons similar to those we saw in 2013's G2, and exhibits an understated design with a curved back and no side buttons.
The new smartphone has a few more tricks up its sleeve. There’s a smart keyboard that learns user typing habits, reportedly reducing errors by up to 75 percent over time, and a Smart Notice feature that provides suggestions to the user based on how they use their device. For example, the feature will notify users of unused files or apps, asking whether they should be deleted. Smart Notice is also able to make contextual suggestions, such as commenting that the user should take an umbrella out with them after it checks the weather.
The device features the company’s Knock Code pattern-based unlocking option we've seen in other LG devices, as well as the more established tap-to-wake KnockON choice. Other security features include Content Lock, which lets users hide certain files and apps, and Kill Switch – a tool that lets owners disable and wipe the data of their handset remotely.
The handset will be available in five colors (black, white, gold, violet and red) and will launch on May 28 in South Korea. No pricing details just yet, though it will likely vary by carrier anyway.
Source: LG
It feels like they are only offering a 16GB model just to up sell people on a $50 more expensive 32GB version. Their cost for the 32GB version is probably another $8.
In a post OnePlus One and Moto E/G world I think $600 phones are a harder sell an neither the 538 PPI or 16GB storage are doing much to convince me otherwise.
$600 that is often buried in the contract, so if people are smart they will likely get it for next to nothing through the right carrier. eg my 32 Gb 5s for $300 on a 24 month contract.
Sub $300 phones might even be thrown in for free.
Combined I pay in $600/24 months on top of the $250-300 extra I pay for the device.
I agree there isn't much point in spending under $400 on a phone unless you have to buy one out of contract but in my case they refuse to subsidize phones for people still on unlimited data plans (I had to pre-order S5 to squeek by last time) and the availability of cheap backup phones like Moto E/G means there is less need to pay $100/year in insurance as you could just self insure by moving to a cheaper phone until your contract is up for renewal if needed.
You are leaving money on the table by buying a $130 phone on contract with ATT and Verizon but $400 is probably the sweet spot for now till T-mobiles growth eventually pressures them to offer cheaper off contract pricing as an option.
If they offered people a ~$25 cheaper plan that required people to just pay for their own phones I suspect many people would do it. I am sure they don't wan't to do that but currently T-mobile is the fastest growing carrier in the US and they can't afford to sit idly by on their old business model forever.