LG G3 Unboxing and First Impressions

I never actually thought that I would get first dibs on experiencing LG G3 even before it’s officially launched in the Philippines. LG’s latest flagship device is set to be unveiled and launched on July 1, 2014.

Before I share my impressions on the said phone, let me first show you my unboxing experience.

The item I received is only for review purposes, thus the NOT FOR SALE note on the packaging. While it is for review, it is very likely the retail version would espouse the same look.

The device is placed inside a brushed gold-colored box. When I lifted the outer cover, it immediately revealed the LG G3 in full glory. Removing the sticker covering the screen was my first intention, but I had to save it for the final unboxing act. So, I placed it on top of the gold outer box and started to slowly take out the charger, cable, 3000mAh battery and manual.

The review unit I received did not include earphones for hygiene purposes. We contacted LG and they confirmed that it will come with LG earphones.

First Impressions

Calling this device ‘premium’ is an understatement. In fact, it is currently the best looking phone I’ve ever seen and held, effectively putting Xiaomi Mi 3 to 2nd place. It looks beautiful in all angles, visually toppling its predecessor, the LG G2, by a “mile”.

LG decided to stick with LG G2’s rear buttons, but are slighty redesigned to make it more “natural” to feel and hold. The sleep/wake button now has a circular shape, while the volume rockers have a different texture to distinguish it easily from the former. On top of the switches is the 13MP main camera with Advance OIS with Laser Autofocus and Dual LED Flash.

The phone has no edgy corners. Everything’s curved except for its quad HD screen, which I will describe further later. Because of G3’s teardrop hardware design, the phone feels very comfortable to hold.

In terms of ports and mics, its 3.5mm earphone jack, primary mic and microUSB port are placed at the bottom of the device; while its secondary mic and IR are located on top.

One of the most exciting new features of the LG G3 is its bezel-less edge-to-edge 5.5 inch quad HD display. The said display supports an astounding and retina-busting 538ppi, which is commonly used to print high-quality gallery artbooks. The screen’s glorious, and you’ve got to see it yourself to believe and to be amazed with how technology has gone far.

[alert style=” green”] Did you know that LG G3’s screen occupies 76.4% of its front panel? This allows you to experience the exquisite picture quality of Quad HD right in your palm.[/alert]

I am also particularly impressed with its Smart Notice feature, which intelligently suggested the things I need based on the status of the phone, behavior and location. A heavy downpour was expected when I got the phone, and G3’s Smart Notice advised me to bring out my umbrella when I go home.

Another celebrated new feature on G3 is its Laser Detection Autofocus. You just don’t know how amazed I was while taking pictures with the G3. As expected, its camera quickly and precisely focused on the subject of my choice with a single tap of the screen. It was efficient and comfortable at the same time.

There are also other camera available on the phone like Magic Focus.

I also noticed that LG drastically decreased the number of preloaded applications on G3 by merging similar apps into one. Call it “software diet”, but I thought that LG did an amazing job on this one.

And speaking of software, the device is pre-installed with Android Kitkat 4.4.2, with the latest LG Optimus UI sitting on top of stock. This is reason why LG was able to implement further enhancement to the phone, thereby enhancing the overall experience. Enhancements can be seen not just on the UI but also on the integrated software such as camera, notification, calendar, dialer, security (hello Knock Code), etc.

Now, speaking of performance, LG G3 has similar system chip with the Galaxy S5. This means that both have Quad core, 2500 MHz, Krait 400 processor with Adreno 330 GPU. G3’s edge in this department is its 3gb RAM vs Galaxy S5’s meager 2gb RAM. With LG’s prowess on software-hardware optimization, I feel that G3’s performance is much faster than Galaxy S5’s. Browsing through opened applications is much faster and playing games is a lot smoother on this phone.

Don’t get fooled with G3’s underscaled benchmark results below. I suspect that this is a result of G3’s automatic underclocking and frame rate capping. I may be hugely wrong on this.

A day is not enough to fully test the device. There are more things to cover like battery, HD to 4k video capture, etc. I cannot wait to get myself an LG G3 soon! If you wish to know more about this device, be sure to watch out for our full review next month… hopefully.

LG G3’s official prices (with LG Warranty) is PhP31,990 for 16gb variant and PhP35,990 for the 32gb variant.

LG G3 Specifications (vs LG G2)

Giancarlo Viterbo

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Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.