My Lg G3 Review

I’ve had the Lg G3 since it’s launch on T-mobile. Thanks to T-Mobile’s jump program I can upgrade my device every 6 months for the cost of tax (in my case 40 bucks). I’ve been waiting for another Android Flagship phone to replace my buggy Note 3 and was excited about the launch of the Lg G3. Next generation specs, such as the Snapdragon 801, 3gb of ram and 32gb of internal storage along with an sd card slot and removable battery and IR blaster (yes I use the IR blaster to control my TV, DVR and air conditioning). What sets the Lg G3 apart from other Android flagships is the screen and small bezels.

First Impressions

When I picked up the device the first thing that I noticed was how slippery it was. It feels extremely thin but it’s plastic. With plastic comes slipperiness. I opted for a slim case with grip which has solved the slippery issue. Setting up the device was the usual Android affair with logging into your account and so on, but the phone felt buggy during the process and once I logged into my Google account to grab all of my images and apps I had to restart the phone a few times due to weird download errors. But once I setup the device things started to normalize.

Screen

The screen looks amazing. While other reviews that I’ve seen have mentioned that you can barely tell a difference from Quad HD to 1080 I can say that you definitely can. The screen text seems sharper and images look crisp. I’ve tested the screen in direct sunlight and it out performs my Note 3 by leaps and bounds. While you couldn’t see shit with the Note 3 in direct sunlight I haven’t had a problem with the Lg G3 at all. While the screen isn’t close to my Lumnia 925 it’s doable. Not great, but good.

Software

Another reason behind my purchase was the software Lg put onto the Lg G3. I like the flat design, and circular look to the icons. It’s very clean and an actual addition to the user experience and not a distraction. One thing that I’m disappointed in was the dual window mode. You can only use a select amount of apps which include only a handful of useful applications such as Google Chrome and Youtube. I wish that I could have added any apps that I wanted. Last but not least the additions Lg has included on the G3 sound good on paper but the device lags allot. From opening the app drawer to multi tasking you see hiccups so much that you actually get used to them.

Battery Life

This is going to make it or brake it for most people interested in this phone and the reason it took me so long to get this review up. The idle (when the screen is not on) is amazing. Best idle that I’ve seen in a phone. The major let down is screen on time. You will literally see the battery drain 20-30% in a matter of a few minutes. On screen time is horrible. Most Android phones need about a week or so for it to settle in. I have seen a minimal improvement but not much. At least the battery is removable. You can carry another battery just in case.

Camera

I’m not a camera pro by a long shot. I take pictures and upload them to Facebook. Once in a while the wife and I watch some old pics of the kids but that’s pretty much what I use a camera for. I want the quality to be good but most importantly speed is the most important aspect of a phone’s camera. The camera on the Lg G3 does not disappoint. I was really happy with low light pictures and the general speed of the camera. What’s cool is that the camera uses a frickin laser beam to focus in low light conditions for more accurate low light shots.

Speakers

They suck and they’re on the back. While they’re loud, they’re not amazingly loud.

My Verdict

I’ve been here before too many times with Android phones. I love the power and customization of Android but there’s always something lacking. The software’s customization slow down the phone and cause unnecessary glitches that aren’t apparent in stock Android. While I enjoy the phone now in 6 months I’ll hate it because it won’t get updated and the glitches will get worse and worse and then finally piss me off to where I hate the phone entirely. That seems to be my trend with Android. Thank god for the T-Mobile jump program. In 6 months I’ll have another phone.

Tags

Android cellphones