LG G3, Metallic Black 32GB (Sprint)

by LG

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.9 x 0.4 x 5.8 inches ; 5.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00L9OWTZA
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: G3
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,217 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)
  • #13 in Cell Phones & Accessories > Contract Cell Phones

Product Description

Simple is the New Smart

Behold the latest smartphone in LG’s award-winning G Series. Now, with a larger, clearer display, a laser-precise camera and superior smart interactivity, we can confidently call the G3 the best smartphone that LG has ever made.

The First Quad HD Smartphone in the US with 4X HD TV Quality

The LG G3’s new 5.5" Quad HD (2560 x 1440) display transforms the smartphone visual experience at 4 times the resolution of HD. Stunning graphics and life-like colors seem to jump off the screen, showing imagery in its finest detail and clarity at 538 pixels per inch.

Advanced Camera

The World’s First Smartphone with Laser Auto Focus

Never miss a photo-op again! Capture the moment when it happens, even when the subject is moving or the lighting isn’t optimal. You’ll be able to take the photo faster due to the advanced Laser Auto Focus feature and streamlined camera UI.

13 MP OIS+ Camera

Capture true-to-life memories with the LG G3’s 13 MP OIS camera. The floating lens steadies the shot for sharp, focused imagery and the advanced sensor lets more light in. And, take perfect pictures without having to adjust a bunch of settings. Just point, shoot, and take your best shot.

Soft Light

Screen illuminates to take bright selfies even in dimly lit spaces.

Enhanced Security

Knock Code

Gain quick, secure access to the home screen by tapping your personalized 3 to 8 point pattern anywhere on the display. There are 86,358 possible code combinations.

Guest Mode

Let others use your LG G3 securely with unique unlock access*.

* Some owner/personal content and information may still be accessible to a user in Guest Mode.

Content Lock

Lock personal files so you are the only one who can access them.

Smart Notice

The LG G3 is a device that constantly learns and adapts to your ever-changing needs and interests, providing personalized suggestions that makes life easier and more productive. With contextual analysis, it helps you get organized, stay on task, keep in touch with friends, and won’t let you miss an important event.

Smart Cleaning

Receive helpful notifications of infrequently used apps to maintain a smooth performance.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 84 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Converted Galaxy Owner Loves The LG G3... July 17, 2014

By Tyler

Verified Purchase

I recently upgraded to this phone from the Samsung Galaxy S3. For months I was certain that I would be upgrading to the Samsung Galaxy S5. That was until I stumbled upon this little beauty.

The phone's x-large 5.5 inch screen is MUCH bigger than Samsung Galaxy S5's 5.1 inch screen. I was unaware of how much of a difference there is when comparing tenths of inches. But now I know 0.4 inches is a major difference. This phone is creeping into 'phablet' territory (see the Galaxy Note's 5.7 inch screen). But the Galaxy Note is much more expensive, even though it is basically a Galaxy S5 with a larger screen.

The screen is not only bigger, but it has a much higher resolution. The LG G3 comes in with a QuadHD 2,560 x 1,440 pixels and 538ppi against the Galaxy S5's HD 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and 431ppi. Again, the difference is apparent as soon as you turn on the phone. I place a lot of importance on the quality of the screen I'm going to be looking at 50-100 times per day.

The LG G3 has the same super fast 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor as the Galaxy S5. But the LG G3 comes with 3GB of RAM as opposed the Galaxy S5's 2GB of RAM. It also comes with 32GB of storage at no extra cost. The Galaxy S5 starts you at 16GB of storage or you can pay more and get one with 32GB.

Physically the phone is stylish and feels durable. Much more so than the GS5. One thing that is taking time to get used to is the location of the standby/volume buttons located on the back of the phone as opposed to the side. This is a minor inconvenience and I'm sure I will adapt as I have only had the phone for 2 days. I can see the advantages of having the buttons on the back. It's almost impossible to press them by accident and they are easier to reach. It's just a matter of breaking old habits.

My favorite feature so far is the Knock Code. Basically you can unlock your phone from a completely black screen without having to push any physical buttons first. It sounds like a small feature, but you'll be surprised how much more convenient it is to unlock your phone in one step instead of two.

The keyboard is also a dream. It's taken me a long time to get accustomed to software keyboards as opposed to hardware ones featured on the old blackberry's. But this one lets you customize it to your tastes. You can make it larger and you can even choose which buttons go where. Typing has never been easier. And for someone who texts and emails constantly throughout the day, that is an extremely important function of my phone.

Overall this is the best phone I have ever owned and I can safely say it is the best phone on the market right now. I did months of research before deciding to buy the LG G3 and I'm glad I did. So if you're on the fence between this phone, the Galaxy S5, the Iphone and the HTC One M8. I would recommend choosing this phone.

[...]

Thank you! Read more ›

54 of 62 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good fun but not a necessary upgrade July 11, 2014

By DP21 TOP 500 REVIEWER

Pros-

1. Gorgeous big screen.
2. Fast smooth performance.
3. MicroSD and removable battery.
4. Better looking user interface.
5. Nice camera.

Cons-

1. Additions are mostly useless or inferior copies of others.
2. Still plastic exterior.
3. No waterproof.
4. No fingerprint sensor.

Neutral-

1. Good battery life but inferior to predecessor.

I have been using this LG G3 for the past few days. I plan to give you an idea of what the phone is like and whether or not you should consider it when it comes time to upgrade your phone. I have used many phones over the last couple of years including the Galaxy S5, HTC One (M8) and the LG G2. I plan on using comparisons to some of these phones to give you an idea how the LG G3 stacks up against them.

DISPLAY

The LG G3 display is 5.5 inches in size and has an impressive resolution of 2560 x 1440. Most of the other high end phones on the market have a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Everything on the display looks sharp. The colors are nice but not as saturated as the Samsung AMOLED screens. LG has made a big deal about the resolution on this phone but to be frank I can’t tell the difference when I compare it side by side with the LG G2 or the S5. In fact, I like the screen on the S5 a little bit more. I like the colors in the S5 better. Doesn’t mean the G3 is bad though. It is simply a matter of preference. The LG G3 has the upper hand when it comes to videos because of the extra screen size. It is amazing that LG managed to cram that big of a display in a phone that is not much bigger than the HTC One.

One thing that troubles me a little bit is that the display is not as bright as others I have seen. During daylight I had to crank the brightness all the way up and even then I struggled to read web pages. It was readable just not very comfortable. Most smartphones require that you increase the brightness when under direct sunlight but usually it delivers a good performance. I can’t say that was the case with this one. Maybe there is a problem with my unit. That problem was not present indoors. Normally I keep the phone brightness at 60%.

PERFORMANCE

The LG G3 comes with Quad Core Snapdragon 801 CPU running at 2.5 GHz. The unit I am using comes with 3 GB of RAM. The phone runs very fast and smooth. Everyday tasks run very smooth without any stutters. The good amount of RAM memory allows me to have many open applications at the same time without causing the phone to stutter. The phone can handle all of the games available on the Play Store. I spent a couple of hours yesterday playing Grand Theft Auto San Andreas on the phone and it was buttery smooth. No stutters, no lag.

It is obvious to me that we are getting to point where hardware is getting ahead of the software. I have a hard time separating the performance from one phone to another. For example, the LG G2 is a year old phone. However, at this point the difference in performance is minimal at best. There is not a whole lot of difference. Everyday things like text messaging, making calls, opening and closing apps, playing games. They are all the same. The HTC One (M8) feels to me a little bit faster than the LG G3 but that is because the animations are quicker. Once again, the difference is minimal. All of the current crop of smartphone are fast, really fast.

DESIGN

I was completely fooled by LG when they started leaking pictures of the LG G3. I was ecstatic when I saw that the phone was going to be metallic. I was very disappointed when I saw it was nothing more than an imitation of metal. It is the same plastic design from last year but this time it has a coating that looks like it is metal. Now with that said, I like the fact that it is not nearly as fingerprint prone as the LG G2. It also feels less slippery than the G2. That is an improvement. The G2 is a fingerprint and oil magnet. It gets pretty ugly after a while.

The front of the LG G3 is made up predominantly of the display. The borders around the display are razor thin. Even thinner than the ones on the LG G2. There are no physical buttons like on the Galaxy line of phones or the IPhone line. There are no front face speakers like the HTC One. The very small borders in the display allows for easier handling of the phone. This phone is very big, there is no way around this but at least it is manageable. You will still require the use of two hands more often than not. The width of the phone is closer to the Galaxy S3 than the Note 3. After a few days you will get used to it and will be handling it like a pro.
Most phones have the power and volume button on the sides. The LG G3 has them on the back. Don’t hesitate to buy this phone because of this. It is going to feel a little weird for a couple of days but it will feel natural after that. The buttons themselves are very easy to find and the power button is only a small distance from your index button. I like this design that LG has implemented. Much easier to reach than that the top power button on the HTC One.

Another thing that disappointed me a bit on the LG G3 was that it was not waterproof and did not include a fingerprint scanner. Neither of those features are necessary but they are useful. I personally never dropped my phone in water but I like having the peace of mind that my phone can withstand it. As it is, the LG G3 will die if it drops in the water for more than a few seconds. A real shame. The Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Sony Xperia Z2 are both water resistant. The phone I was using before getting this G3 was the S5. I got used to the fingerprint scanner. It worked pretty well for the most part and it is safer than a pin code or the “knock code” password found on the G3. A fingerprint scanner is “guess” proof. LG dropped the ball by omitting these two features.

USER INTERFACE AND LG APPS

Many people criticized the LG interface found on the LG G2. I was one of them. Not because it was not useful but because it was ugly. The icons and the overall aesthetic were not pleasing. They looked like they were designed by an 8 year old. The LG G3 has received a fresh coat of paint. Everything found on the menus and the notification bar is pretty much intact. But all of the icons have been redesigned. Looks much better. The good thing about android is that you have many different ways to customize your experience. Even if you do not like the LG launcher and icons you can always install a third party launcher from Play Store. I personally recommend Nova Launcher Prime.

Along with the fresh coat of paint LG introduced a brand new keyboard. This one is more customizable than the one found on the G2. You can adjust the height of the keys to the one that pleases you. LG claims that the keyboard adapts to your use over time. The more you type on it the better it gets at predicting what you are going to say next. It is a good effort by LG. The keyboard doesn’t lag and it is generally functional. I like it better than the S5 keyboard. However, after a couple of days I ended up download Swiftkey. It is much better at predictions. The text in both English and Spanish. The LG keyboard kept getting confused. Swiftkey does a much better job balancing both languages.

Another feature they introduced was “Smart Notice”. It is basically an imitation of Google Now. It gives you weather reports, notifies you of upcoming calendar events and not much else. It is not nearly as useful as Google Now. I hope LG introduces more features in the coming month but I am not going to be holding my breath.

Multitasking on the phone has been improved. You can run two applications at the same time and place them one on top of the other. You have the option to resize the windows and switch them around. It is useful and a nice addition that was not available last year. If you do not like the dual windows you still have the LG QSlides that were present on the G2. The QSlides are like small windows of certain apps that do not take the entire screen and let you run other things on the background. For example sometimes I am browsing on a website and find a number that I want to call. Instead of having to go back and forth between the website and the dialer you can simply launch a small QSlide window of the dialer and dial the number while you still have access to the website on the background.

CAMERA

The camera on the LG G3 is one of its strongest features. The camera is fantastic. It is a 13 Megapixels camera with Optical Image Stabilization. This year LG has included a new IR laser auto focus that allows the camera to lock in on its target on a fraction of a second. I am thoroughly impressed by this feature. It is really fast. The laser tends to focus slower in darker environments though.
The user interface in the camera has been simplified considerably. When you turn on the camera app you don’t see anything on either side of the screen. If you want to take a picture the only thing you have to do is tap the screen with your finger. It is that simple. When you combine the new auto focus with the image stabilization you get a picture that is rarely blurry. Like most premium cameras it takes fantastic pictures during daylight but average pictures at night. When it comes to picture quality the LG G3 is in the same league to the S5. It is much better than the HTC One in daylight pictures. The HTC One takes better night pictures though.

When it comes time to take videos the LG G3 is fantastic thanks to the image stabilization. If you have ever taken videos with a smartphone you know that the videos come out shaky no matter how still you are. The LG G3 provides a less shaky experience. It is in a league of its own in this aspect. If you like taking nice pictures and videos this phone does not disappoint.

BATTERY LIFE

The LG G3 comes with a removable 3000 mah battery. If you ever run out of battery in the middle of the day you have the chance to remove the plastic cover on the back and change it with another one. The battery life on the G3 is on par with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One. It is enough for an entire day. It is a step back from the battery life found on the G2. I would say the G2 had 25% more battery life. The battery life on the G3 is great for web browsing, listening to music, and making calls. The standby time is fantastic. It went down 5% after letting it sit overnight. The Achilles heel is when you are watching videos. If you crank up the brightness at 100% and watch videos for an hour the battery life will drop about 25%. Over the last few days I have experienced a screen on time between 3 and half to 4 hours. Most of it is doing light stuff like web browsing, text messaging and a couple of calls. It is not bad, but I was getting between 5-6 hours of screen on time consistently on my old G2. This is while keeping the brightness at around 60%. I will be updating this review if I notice any change in the future. I am hoping that maybe with future android updates we might see an improvement.

STORAGE

The current model I am using has 32 GB of internal storage. LG decided to include a slot for a MicroSD card with a capacity of up to 128 GB. This MicroSD slot allows you to put music, videos, and picture without having to use the internal storage of the device. That way you can use the internal memory to download all the apps and games you want. Apps can take quite a bit of space and most of them can only be installed on the internal storage of the phone. The G3 came with about 24 GB of free storage out of the box.

CONCLUSION

The LG G3 is a marginal improvement on its very good predecessor the LG G2. It has a big beautiful 5.5 inch display with great resolution. It packs a top of the class processor and plenty of RAM memory. The performance is top of the line. The camera is great and very simple to use. The LG G3 now has a removable battery and a slot for a MicroSD slot.
There are some things missing like a fingerprint scanner and water proofing. There are phones that have a more premium construction like the HTC One and the Windows Lumia phones.

There are many phones right now on the market. All of them have their pros and their cons. The G3 is a solid improvement on the G2 but not a necessary upgrade in my opinion. In fact, I think right now at the moment the G2 offers a better value for your money. I have seen some retailers offering it for free with a two year contract. As far as performance is concerned they are pretty much identical. On paper, the resolution on the G3 is superior but in real life the difference in resolution is negligible. The battery life on the G2 is superior and the price is very attractive.

Last year I felt that the LG G2 was clearly superior to the Galaxy S4. This year, I actually like the S5 a little bit more than the G3. It just don’t feel LG placed emphasis on the right things. Most of the software additions are cheap imitation of better third party options found on the Play Store and most of hardware specs are improvements on paper not real life usage. They decided to bypass real tangible improvements like a metal covering, water resistance, and finger print scanner.
With all that said the G3 is an awesome phone but just not my favorite right now. I feel there are better options. I give it a 4 out of 5.
Before you make your purchasing decision I really suggest you go to a store and take a look at ALL of the handsets available. You will be surprised how many good options there are. Everybody has a different taste and I feel there is a right phone for everyone. I hope this review has helped you be more informed and prepared to buy your new phone. Read more ›

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best android phone out there July 11, 2014

By aguy

Conclusion:

The phone is absolutely wonderful. In my opinion its probably the best android smartphone out there, with some of features offered by this phone only.It has a top notch camera (with laser), 4K video recording, Quad HD screen, removable battery, wireless charging, expandable storage -- all tightly built into a gorgeous package.If you buy this phone, you will be hard-pressed to find any faults. I had samsung note 3 and loved it - I love G3 more. Highly recommended.

Details:

- Please note, the phone which I am reviewing is a South Korea version. However, the phone is unlocked and LTE works flawlessly with AT&T. The entire UI is in English, save for a few pre-installed Korean apps.
- When you first see the LG G3, it is a bit intimidating. Unless you are an existing phablet user (I am a big user of large phones and love samsung note 3, which I have been using until now) , a 5.5 inch screen is monstrous. However, LG has done a great job of minimizing bezels, so that it doesn't feel too big in the hand or pocket.
- Even if you are turned-off by a large screen, turning on that giant screen and seeing the display in use will quickly change your mind -- it is awe-inspiring. The Quad HD 2560 x 1440 display produces 538 pixels per inch. In other words, you will not be seeing any pixels. The screen comes alive with such vividness, that it will be impossible to go back; this is the new normal and I love it.
- The build quality is good, but it is all plastic. While this is not a bad thing, it is in stark contrast to the beautifully designed, metal HTC One M8. Plastic is totally acceptable however, as it is very durable. Unfortunately, with the LG G3 the plastic is also extremely slippery. If you buy this phone, you must also purchase a case.
- The LG G3 has two features that many Android users will be excited about -- a removable battery and a microSD slot.The expandable memory in particular is important, since the camera records 13MP images and 4K video.
- Even though it has removable battery, the battery life on the G3 is insane -- it is like the Energizer Bunny, it keeps on going.
- Speaking of volume, the speaker is loud and clear, but it is no match for the reigning sound-champion, the HTC One M8. Music, movies and games are clear, but the speaker placement is poor. You see, while holding the phone, I have on many occasions covered the speaker with my finger. It is extremely annoying to have the music muted every time my finger strays to that place.
- It has 13MP camera. The G3's camera has a unique trick up it's sleeve too -- a laser. Yes, the camera utilizes a laser for faster focusing. If you hate missing important shots while your camera focuses, please know the G3 alleviates this. It takes pictures fast. The dual flash helps to capture beautiful photos in low-light settings too.
- It allows for 4K video. Afaik, the only phone out there. Awesome !!
- LG has taken a proactive stance to security as well. Many people do not secure their smartphones, because unlocking it is a hassle. G3 lets users unlock the device by simply tapping on the screen in a certain pattern with the display off. This means that there is one less step involved in unlocking and the process itself is kind of fun. Of course, you can still choose to unlock with pins or passwords if you choose.
- If you lose your phone entirely, there is no need to worry. The device has a kill switch, which when enabled, renders it useless -- forever. Yes, it becomes a brick.
- It has dual split screen option like samsung note 3. Another awesome feature that lets you multi task !! beta news. Read more ›