One week with the LG G3 w/Verizon

[Section517]

Okay.  So I saw a deal last week on Craigslist that I couldn't pass up.  A brand new LG G3 was listed for $460.  I ended up meeting the seller who showed me the phone.  Sure enough, it was brand new, never activated.  Coming from an LG G2, the screen size is noticeably larger, though the phone is not that much larger in size.  LG did a solid job maximizing the space without making the phone as large as the Note 3.  When holding the G3 it feels slippery like it can fall out of my hand.  For me, this isn't an issue since I always keep my phones in a case.  For others who prefer their phones naked, this can be a concern.  The screen is phenomenal.  I watched several clips from the movie, Elysium in 1080p.  Using the BS Player app, the G3's processor played the movie flawlessly without lag.  

 

Call quality is solid with clear voice reception.  Of note, I was at the Doyer game last night.  My wife's iPhone 5 also with Verizon took minutes to send texts containing pictures (MMS).  Whereas, the LG G3 was sending picture texts within several seconds.  

 

There's more to discuss, but I'll try to leave it short for now.  Overall, this phone is amazing.  It's size almost puts in the phablet category, even though it's not much bigger than the Galaxy S5 or LG G2.  

[Jobu]

Thanks for this. My work is providing a G3 for me that I'll get tomorrow. What's your impression of the LG skin? It looked somewhat improved over the last gen.

[Section517]

Thanks for this. My work is providing a G3 for me that I'll get tomorrow. What's your impression of the LG skin? It looked somewhat improved over the last gen.

 

My initial impression of the LG skin was "Crap!  They are morphing into Samsung."  What i mean by that is Samsung has continued to add bloatware with each newly released phone.  But after looking at all the apps that came with the phone, most of the bloat was from my carrier, Verizon.  It's rather easy to disable, even uninstall, whichever apps a user considers "bloat".  Simply go into the Application Manager, select the app, and either disable or uninstall app.  I ended up disabling or uninstalling approximately 25 apps.  Here's a good thread on XDA discussing LG G3 battery life, and how to maximize battery consumption:  http://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-lg-g3/general/vg985-t2820703.

 

I prefer the LG G3 notification pull down menu from the G2.  Volume and screen brightness can be adjusted in the pull down menu; whereas, this could not be done on the Verizon LG G2 (unless your phone was rooted).  

 

Also, there can be noticeable lag when using the G3 because of its qHD screen.  To reduce, even eliminate, lag go into Developer Settings and turn Animation OFF on the following functions:

Windows animation scale

Transition animation scale

Animator duration scale.

 

My one complaint about the phone is that the battery life does not match the LG G2.  Both phones have the same battery size, so the obvious reason battery performance does not match its predecessor is the G3's larger screen display consumes more energy.  Where I used to average six hours of screentime on the G2, now it's down to roughly five hours on the G3.  And this is without changing the way I use my phone.  I still keep the screen at 60% brightness, send 100+ texts, 20+ emails, use Automatic Push for five email accounts, surf Chrome about an hour, use Poweramp with bluetooth earbuds to listen to music for about an hour, and surf Twitter throughout the day.   LG G3 battery performance is still superior to the Note 3.  But I certainly was spoiled with how awesome the battery is/was on the G2.  

 

Let me know what you like/dislike about the G3 when you get it.

[Adam]

500 bones for a phone? damn

[Section517]

Actually, my net cost was $235.

 

Bought the LG G3 on Craigslist for $460.

Sold my old LG G2 on Craigslist for $225.

[RePLAY]

thanks for the review.  heard this phone is the current "must have".

[Jobu]

Let me know what you like/dislike about the G3 when you get it.

 

I've only had it for a couple days, and because my office seems big on keeping work/personal separate, I haven't really loaded it up with daily driver apps. Just corporate e-mail and calendar.

 

I love the screen/bezel ratio. I purchased my current phone (Xperia ZL) for this quality, and the G3 is pretty much the best in the game. The screen is excellent. I tend to agree with the reviews that at this PPI, what are we even doing? It's ridiculous, and I do notice that during transitions - fades mostly - that there are aliasing artifacts. Not a huge deal, but kinda confirms that this is marketing above true technology advancement. I was worried about button placement, but truthfully, I've barely touched them. The knock-on/off feature is a UX game changer. The knock code is exactly the kind of innovation we need from OEMs, and is a real tangible benefit over competitors. That I can have screen security AND be able to eliminate a step to unlock...

 

The UI is improved over a previous iteration I used on an Optimus F3 and what I saw on the G2 demos. It's still not fully-baked - there are still unnecessary cartoonish elements and cruft - but it's a step in the right direction.

 

Also, I think I've found my phone size limit. I've got bigger hands, so I haven't been put off by the rapid flagship increases. This the first time I've really struggled to function the phone one-handed without compromising my grip. The layout adjustment settings help, but they don't help you in apps that still use the upper-right three-dot overflow menu.

[Lou]

Actually, my net cost was $235.

 

Bought the LG G3 on Craigslist for $460.

Sold my old LG G2 on Craigslist for $225.

 

now add in the amount you spent on the LG G2

[RallyMo]

now add in the amount you spent on the LG G2

I'm afraid that this won't be sufficient.

We're going to need a full accounting of phone transactions dating back to his first mobile phone. We'll then assess the net cost of the phone. Also, I'd like to see fuel purchase receipts relevant to any trips necessary in the acquisition of all phones.

[Section517]

now add in the amount you spent on the LG G2

 

Lou:

 

Your avatar is my all-time favorite.  Is that Whitney?  Or the other blond (whose name eludes me) from that 05-06 cheer squad?

[Vegas Halo Fan]

500 bones for a phone? damn

 

My last phone cost 99 cents. My next one won't cost much more. My iPhone 4 does more than I need it to, and I don't feel the need to drop five bills on a replacement when the time comes.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Vegas Halo Fan