Welcome to mid-2014, and LG has just stolen a march on the entire industry with the LG G3. This is a technical showpiece that packs a massive 5.5-inch display into a body that feels no larger than a standard 5-inch phone, thanks to microscopic bezels and rear-mounted buttons. It’s finished in a ‘Metallic Skin’ plastic that mimics brushed aluminium, allowing for a removable 3000 mAh battery and a microSD slot. In the UK, it has arrived as the ‘thinking man’s’ flagship, offering more pixels for a more competitive price.
The technical headline is the 5.5-inch Quad HD display (2560 x 1440). At 538 PPI, it was the sharpest screen on the market at launch, making text and high-res photos look etched onto the glass. Powering this is the 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor and up to 3GB of RAM. The camera is equally innovative, combining a 13-megapixel sensor and OIS+ with a world-first: Laser Autofocus. A tiny infrared laser measures distance to the subject, allowing the G3 to focus in just 276 milliseconds, even in near-total darkness.
Connectivity is exhaustive, featuring 4G LTE, Wi-Fi ac, and integrated Qi wireless charging. The G3 also supports high-fidelity audio through its 1W ‘Boost Amp’ speaker. It is a daring, high-resolution pioneer that proved LG was capable of leading the technical charge with features that were truly ahead of their time. It remains one of the most ergonomically impressive large-screen phones ever built.