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Post in here once you get your LG G3 and let us know what you think of your new device!
The Official "I got my LG G3" Thread!
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scottysize
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Ok. Just remember, you asked.
This is the second phone I’ve purchased without seeing it first. I have to say it’s a great phone, but if you’re looking to pay full price to keep your unlimited data, then I do not feel it’s worth the $600+ if you already have a premier device. I’d go so far as to say, if you have a G2, I wouldn’t upgrade to the G3. The differences between the two are not that big in my opinion. Since I was able get the phone for $99+ activation fee and tax, I do feel that it is well worth that price to upgrade from any device that you are unhappy with.
Screen – If you love AMOLED, you’ll hate this screen. It’ll seem washed out to you and not as crisp. If you hate AMOLED, you’ll love this screen. It’s that simple. AMOLED screen always seem to have that “In Your Face” feeling to me. They actually hurt my eyes and I’ve never been a fan of them. After spending years in the Motorola line, I never got used to a sharp display. The toned down QHD display of the G3 is perfect for my eyes even when it’s 100%.
Battery – A lot has been said about the battery life on this phone. The screen does pull down the battery more than other phones, but it still lasts all day. That’s all I care about. Can I get through an entire day with the phone? If so, then the battery is good. I typically watch a little NetFlix, read some emails, play a few games, maybe turn on the hotspot for a little browsing with my tablet, then go to bed with it around 20-30%. As far as I’m conserved, that’s good battery life.
Size – My opinion, this is one of the best features of this phone. The 5.5” display does not feel like it’s that big because the phone is not that much bigger than its predecessor the G2. The thin bezels are a thing of beauty and most of what you see is the screen, not blank real-estate. However, the bottom bezel is just big enough that it works great for holding the phone while playing games without touching the screen.
Software – While the Android software is pretty much the same 4.4.2 that LG put out for the G2, they have added a few features that work well with the bigger screen. QSlide is a nice feature and one, which if you remember it’s there, can be very useful. It allows you to open an app in front of the current app as a window. Of course there’s only certain apps this works with. I am mixed about the SmartTips. I haven’t seen anything that is useful to me, but maybe I don’t need anything “Smart” enabled? As for Smart Bulletin Screen, I turned it off. It would have been better if they had designed a “Blinkfeed” style window here instead of a combination screen for SmartTips and LG Health.
IR Blaster – This one is finicky. I found that the IR port had to be directly facing the equipment to work. I most cases, you have to point it right at the device and not in the general direction. For me, it’s not a big deal as I really never used it on the M8.
Camera – I love the camera. It’s basically the same one from the G2 and I loved the G2’s camera. I haven’t really noticed any difference in the focus speed of the camera, so I am not sure if the laser focus is a gimmick or not, but the camera itself works just as you’d expect and it is right up there with the premier phones of today.
Signal – I do wish LG had improved the radios. I went around with the G2 and G3 reading decibels in different areas. I saw no difference between the two phones leading me to wonder if they even did anything to the G3’s radios. SpeedTest were also identical and I live in an xLTE environment. I have even had the G3 slip into 3G mode where the G2 always stayed in 4G. I’d have to say this is the biggest disappointment for me. (If it continues to slip into 3G mode in certain areas, then I will consider switching back to the G2.)
Conclusion: If you’re looking to move from the latest and greatest phone (IE: HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, or even the LG G2), I would advise against it. There’s just no noticeable upgrade from today’s premier devices. However, if you’re unhappy with your current phone, then the G3 is one to consider. I do believe that this phone will be my main carry device for the next year or so. Well, maybe until the iPhone 6 is released…
This is the second phone I’ve purchased without seeing it first. I have to say it’s a great phone, but if you’re looking to pay full price to keep your unlimited data, then I do not feel it’s worth the $600+ if you already have a premier device. I’d go so far as to say, if you have a G2, I wouldn’t upgrade to the G3. The differences between the two are not that big in my opinion. Since I was able get the phone for $99+ activation fee and tax, I do feel that it is well worth that price to upgrade from any device that you are unhappy with.
Screen – If you love AMOLED, you’ll hate this screen. It’ll seem washed out to you and not as crisp. If you hate AMOLED, you’ll love this screen. It’s that simple. AMOLED screen always seem to have that “In Your Face” feeling to me. They actually hurt my eyes and I’ve never been a fan of them. After spending years in the Motorola line, I never got used to a sharp display. The toned down QHD display of the G3 is perfect for my eyes even when it’s 100%.
Battery – A lot has been said about the battery life on this phone. The screen does pull down the battery more than other phones, but it still lasts all day. That’s all I care about. Can I get through an entire day with the phone? If so, then the battery is good. I typically watch a little NetFlix, read some emails, play a few games, maybe turn on the hotspot for a little browsing with my tablet, then go to bed with it around 20-30%. As far as I’m conserved, that’s good battery life.
Size – My opinion, this is one of the best features of this phone. The 5.5” display does not feel like it’s that big because the phone is not that much bigger than its predecessor the G2. The thin bezels are a thing of beauty and most of what you see is the screen, not blank real-estate. However, the bottom bezel is just big enough that it works great for holding the phone while playing games without touching the screen.
Software – While the Android software is pretty much the same 4.4.2 that LG put out for the G2, they have added a few features that work well with the bigger screen. QSlide is a nice feature and one, which if you remember it’s there, can be very useful. It allows you to open an app in front of the current app as a window. Of course there’s only certain apps this works with. I am mixed about the SmartTips. I haven’t seen anything that is useful to me, but maybe I don’t need anything “Smart” enabled? As for Smart Bulletin Screen, I turned it off. It would have been better if they had designed a “Blinkfeed” style window here instead of a combination screen for SmartTips and LG Health.
IR Blaster – This one is finicky. I found that the IR port had to be directly facing the equipment to work. I most cases, you have to point it right at the device and not in the general direction. For me, it’s not a big deal as I really never used it on the M8.
Camera – I love the camera. It’s basically the same one from the G2 and I loved the G2’s camera. I haven’t really noticed any difference in the focus speed of the camera, so I am not sure if the laser focus is a gimmick or not, but the camera itself works just as you’d expect and it is right up there with the premier phones of today.
Signal – I do wish LG had improved the radios. I went around with the G2 and G3 reading decibels in different areas. I saw no difference between the two phones leading me to wonder if they even did anything to the G3’s radios. SpeedTest were also identical and I live in an xLTE environment. I have even had the G3 slip into 3G mode where the G2 always stayed in 4G. I’d have to say this is the biggest disappointment for me. (If it continues to slip into 3G mode in certain areas, then I will consider switching back to the G2.)
Conclusion: If you’re looking to move from the latest and greatest phone (IE: HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, or even the LG G2), I would advise against it. There’s just no noticeable upgrade from today’s premier devices. However, if you’re unhappy with your current phone, then the G3 is one to consider. I do believe that this phone will be my main carry device for the next year or so. Well, maybe until the iPhone 6 is released…
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts Scotty! Mine comes in today and am upgrading from the S4.
rubiksc00p
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Thanks Scotty! Very nice rundown.
Wicked, be sure to fill us in too when yours comes in!
Wicked, be sure to fill us in too when yours comes in!
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Scotty ..great job and I agree with you ...I ran the phone thru the paces ..I've visited every carrier and spent plenty of hours comparing and playing with the phone as much as possible ..I was running videos side by side with my M8 ...obviously the speakers on M8 blow it away but I did find that G3 speakers good enough ..some videos were same size as my phone others you could enjoy the extra screen ... I for one like the screens on S5 and M8 but again it's everyone tastes ...the phone is solid for sure ...no lag in my observations...I didn't play games so can't comment on that part ...some reports of stuttering with a few games ..also I forgot where I read (it could be here on DF lol ) where you can adjust the color of the screen on the G3 to your liking ...overall I think most will be really happy and with software updates it will improve ...sd card and swappable battery could also sway folks for the upgrade from G2...
Edit: Screen contrast change ..let us know if ya try it ..
http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g3/themes-apps/super-amoled-contrast-g3-display-t2817248
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Edit: Screen contrast change ..let us know if ya try it ..
http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g3/themes-apps/super-amoled-contrast-g3-display-t2817248
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Saw that posted by DL yesterday and that's the first thing I'm going to do when I get my G3.
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Saw that posted by DL yesterday and that's the first thing I'm going to do when I get my G3.
Let us know how it flows ...and give us your thoughts on the phone and experience after you run it thru the paces ...
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Nice review Scotty! 
Looking forward to yours Wicked.
tap'n on my S5
Looking forward to yours Wicked.tap'n on my S5
mslaceyrose
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Thanks, Scotty. I have a question regarding the screen, if you don't mind. I've seen professional reviews, but I'd love a real user's opinion about the visibility of the screen in direct sunlight.
Thanks so much
Thanks so much
mslaceyrose
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Thanks to you too bkdodger. Interesting about the color adjustment for the screen. That sounds good.
Thanks to you too bkdodger. Interesting about the color adjustment for the screen. That sounds good.
The contrast adjustment makes a world of difference imo, takes out the "washed out" look and can provide rich dark blacks. I'd put my G3 up against a S5 any day. How bright do u really need the display to be, as long as it's visible? (unless ur trying to blind someone on the space station)
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It's on the G2 also.Thanks to you too bkdodger. Interesting about the color adjustment for the screen. That sounds good.
Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk
scottysize
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I have seen those reviews as well. It functions just like any color screen in the sunlight. I had the M8, and that screen was dim in the sunlight. My wife has the S4 and she can't see anything in the sunlight. The G3's is on par with both of those. I haven't noticed any worse. I did use it yesterday in the sun and was able to see my screen just fine. Do I want to watch a video in the sun? Nope. Can I make calls in the sun? Sure.Thanks, Scotty. I have a question regarding the screen, if you don't mind. I've seen professional reviews, but I'd love a real user's opinion about the visibility of the screen in direct sunlight.
Thanks so much
scottysize
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Oh wow. Ok, that's a huge difference without root. LOL. Like I said, I'm a fan of the softer colors, but if you want the sharp "in your face" look, this works and works very well! I take back what I said about those who like the AMOLED screens. Just do the color adjustment above if that's the look your going for! Wow. I put it against my wife's S4 and it looks identical now. Even hurts my eyes
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Great to hear it works y'all ..thank you for testing ...I find with my last phone Note 3 and M8 when on auto brightness the phones look good enough in the sun...if y'all can test that in the G3 ..I kinda think it will be the same ...like Scotty says good enough but I've not seen many phones that great in direct sunlight...
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