LG G3 smartphone and LG G Watch: tested in public

At the end of last year, we admired the latest at that time smartphone LG G2 - it's time to do the same with the next flagship from LG.

The G3 model, on the one hand, is the development of the previous model and work on minor flaws. On the other - a pumped smartphone, which is very different from the G2. And most importantly, the G3 bypasses all the top Android smartphones in terms of parameters. True, the key word here is: temporarily.




LG G3
price: 24 000 rub.

OS: Android 4.4.2
processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, 2.5 GHz
video: Adreno 330
screen: 5.46 '', 2560x1440 (Quad HD), IPS, 538 ppi
RAM: 2 GB
memory: 16 GB (+ microSD - up to 128 GB)
3G / LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC
cameras: 13 / 2.1 MP
battery: 3000 mAh
dimensions, weight: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm, 149 g

Stanislavsky, famous for his “I don't believe it!”, also claimed that the theater begins with a hanger. But smartphones begin with design. The first thing you pay attention to is “like a metal cover”. Why how? It is still plastic with a metal foil imprinted in it, having the texture of “polished aluminum”. Someone will call this a half-measure - they say, it’s no longer a “soap box” from Samsung, but also not metal from HTC. But in general, this solution gives charm and is more practical than bare plastic.



The design of the buttons on the back has also changed. Visually it can be seen very well. Feels the same. Although the main button has a distinct “click”.

By the way, when we did a review of G2There were doubts about the practicality of this solution. As it turned out, a person gets used to everything - after a month you begin to look for buttons on the back of other smartphones or try to turn on the device with a double tap on the screen. Nevertheless, such a move can hardly be called ideal. Original, yes.



The speaker was also transferred to the back surface - at G2 it was located at the bottom end. This is most likely due to a change in the internal layout. But such a decision did not affect the purity and volume of the sound.

Go to the screen. If in a word, then among the flagships he is the only one - 2560x1440 pixels. Naturally, with an unrealistic pixel density of 538 per inch. Otherwise, it's a Quad HD screen. True, Oppo Find 7 also boasts the same resolution. True, Oppa doesn’t have an FM receiver, and this solves a lot (sarcasm!).





In the case of G3, it makes no sense to talk about all kinds of screen parameters there - such as brightness, viewing angles, etc. They are great. And the image quality itself is compared with good printing. And indeed it is. However, when you brag about the new smartphone, do not forget to mention this - a layman is unlikely to notice the difference from Full HD.

What is the most interesting. The screen diagonal is 5.46 inches - in fact it is a phablet. But in size ... In width, it is only 2 millimeters wider than the S5, half a millimeter shorter than the Z2 and half a millimeter thinner than the HTC One M8. How did they succeed? Squeezed in!

The interface upgrade in G3 was taken very seriously - the company even released a video explaining the choice of a design concept. The color scheme has really become calmer. In addition, LG adopted the fashion for round icons. True, in the settings they still decided to restrain the riot of "round", which in the same Galaxy S5 are confusing.





There was a fitness application LG Health - it is more modest than the service from Samsung, but not the most demanding fans of healthy lifestyle may well come in handy. Switching between applications has changed - their icons are now displayed on the screen in the form of a "grid". Is it better or worse? Just changed. Here you can also display two windows, which can sometimes be really useful.







There are places for fans of interface settings for themselves. Of the interesting “tricks” are setting up on-screen icons (you can create your own image and resizing), changing the keyboard height (within fairly wide limits), and unlocking your smartphone using Knock Code taps (you must repeat a predefined sequence of “tapes” across 4 areas of the screen )







According to the filling, G3 is a real flagship. Snapdragon 801 2.5 Hz, 2 gigabytes of RAM, sixteen - user memory. By the way, in some places you can find gray models with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of user memory - pay attention.

You will not notice any lags or any brakes when using the smartphone, but the notorious FPS in the benchmarks may not be so high.







The resolution of both cameras has not changed. But there are innovations that simplify obtaining high-quality photos: firstly, the optical stabilization system (OIS +), and secondly, a dual LED flash and most importantly - ultra-fast autofocus. LG called it “laser,” but it is based on infrared technology. The sensor works in a third of a second and perfectly complements the traditional phase and contrast autofocus.





Settings - a minimum. And this is good. In the sense that you are invited to think less and trust the smartphone. The quality of the photos is excellent. Although in some frames the program processing could be more modest.

As a tribute to tradition, the function "magic autofocus" has appeared. It works simply - it takes several photos with different depth of field, and the user then selects the option he likes.



Other interesting features include the automatic HDR mode, shooting “selfie” by voice and using gestures. G3 can write video in 4K resolution, as well as in the mode of 120 frames per second.





And again about the back cover. Yes, it is removable. Under the cover is a 3000 mAh battery, SIM card and microSD slots up to 128 gigabytes. And in the lid is an inductive coil for wireless charging. This thing really works - the convenience is there. Cons - the device heats up and takes longer to charge.







Yes, despite the rather powerful battery, a miracle did not happen - the device still holds slightly less than G2 - a quarter of the subjective sensations. For those who love numbers, the G3 lasted less than 6 hours in video playback mode.

We also stockpiled an ace in the sleeve - or rather, on the wrist - especially for those who still hesitate in choosing a smartphone. The LG G Watch is finally on sale. This is the company's first experience in the smart watch segment - and in this situation, LG acts as a catch-up.



LG G Watch
price: 8 000 rub.

screen: 1.65 '', 280x280, IPS, sensor
OS: Android Wear
support: Android 4.3+
processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 1.2 GHz
communication: Bluetooth 4.0
RAM: 512 MB
memory: 4 GB
protection: IP67
battery: 400 mAh
dimensions, weight: 46.5 x 37.9 x 9.95 mm, 63 g

LG Watch perfectly complement the G3 - however, like any other smartphone, on Android 4.3 and higher. The clock is synchronized with the smartphone via Bluetooth, runs on a special version of Android - Android Wear - and can not only display any notifications on the screen, but also can be controlled by voice.



It’s enough to say “Ok Google,” and then say one of fifty voice commands so that the information you need is displayed on the screen - the data is first downloaded to the smartphone from the Internet and then automatically transferred to the LG Watch. Using this watch you can also dictate notes, write messages and letters. In general, the thing is not only funny, but also useful.





Design is rigorous. The housing is protected against moisture and dust. The watch is charged using a special magnetic mini cradle. Which, by the way, will have to be used quite often: the battery capacity of 400 mAh, alas, is only enough for half a day - perhaps this is due to the fact that we got a test copy of the G Watch, but in any case we have to state that such a gadget Call “long-playing” with all due respect to LG will not work.



To summarize. G3 is by far the most powerful and most interesting smartphone in terms of indicators. Naturally, this will not last long. But now this is perhaps the best investment. As the ancient Romans said - carpe diem, seize the moment ...

But do not go to the philosophers to understand - we live in an imperfect world. And the G3 has vulnerabilities. His strength and his weakness is a screen that takes away both processor power and battery capacity.

There is another minus - the lack of moisture protection. Unfortunately, I had a chance to feel the importance of this parameter myself: shortly before the review was prepared, the LG G2 smartphone was drowned - the device was dropped into a shallow pond and immediately removed and dried (the G2 has a non-removable battery). The smartphone continues to work, but, alas, does not respond to manipulations with the touch screen, and the hardware buttons work every other time. It remains to wish the readers of "Habr" dexterity, discretion and adequate behavior in water.

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