LG G3 officially announced: Offers world's sharpest phone display and laser autofocus camera

The LG G3 was officially unveiled today during a special press conference in London. The newest Android flagship from LG comes with the "Simple is a new smart" slogan, a sleek new design and a brand new user interface.

LG is the last of the three major Android manufacturers to launch a flagship device, and coming in last has given in the advantage of preparing a really spectacular looking device.

In terms of design, the LG G3, embodies the essence of being called a flagship, building on top of the industry-leading, compact footprint of last year's LG G2, with an impressive 76.4% screen-to-body ratio. Despite its generously large 5.5 inch display, LG has managed to keep the device very compact. It measures in at  146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm (5.76 x 2.94 x 0.35 inches), and weighs 149 grams (0.35 oz). This will help LG customers have a large size display, without the mass that usually comes with phablets.

Despite sporting a very metallic look, the LG G3 comes with a matte plastic design with rounded edges and curves. The G3 definitely is a rich leap forward from its predecessor. At the back, we have another set of changes, with the G-line's now signature rear buttons sporting a new, less-pronounced look and tactile-friendly mesh texture finish. The device will be offered in five different colors, including Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet, and Burgundy Red.

Display

Clearly one of the most beautiful aspects of this device is its 5.5 inch LG-made IPS display with offers  a breathtaking 1440 by 2560 pixel (QHD) resolution. This results in a 538 ppi pixel density which offers astounding picture clarity. What's more, the company claims the unit is 100% true to the sRGB color space, meaning that, in theory, it can reproduce every color packaged into the standard.

While there have been several discussions that the detail on QHD resolution smartphones won't be a difference our eyes can recognize, LG is confident that there will be a clear difference for users on its 5.5 inch panel.

The display of this size will require some immense processing power, and that is handled by a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974-AC version 3) processor. By pushing the processor to run at this high speed, your device will require more power and LG claims that the 3000mAh removable battery in the G3 is ready for the challenge. With the G3, LG has gotten rid of some of the metal inside the battery, and has replaced it with graphite instead. This, along with alleged further optimizations, will apparently let it keep you powered through half the day.

Camera

The LG G3 comes with the very same Sony IMX135 camera sensor as last year’s LG G2. The IMX135 is a 1/3.06” sensor (which is around the average size for a smartphone), which means that the size of each individual pixel is 1.2µm. LG has outfitted the camera with laser beam-guided auto focus that will help it measure the distance between an object and itself, thus outputting properly-focused shots in a a more consistent manner. Even in low light scenarios. As far as we're aware, this is an industry first, and we are excited to see how well the results will pan out.

The G3 camera also comes with the OIS+ optical image stabilization, which debuted on the LG G Pro 2. LG has gone on to further improve the technology (promising it to be 20% better) over its predecessor.

Additionally the camera will now instantly snap a photo as soon as you tap on the screen, eliminating the two step process, where you have to tap to focus and then tap to capture.What's more, the 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera also uses a Sony image sensor, which which has an aperture size of (f/2.0), though LG didn't go into too many specifics. Lastly, LG claims the software will use the G3's microphones to analyze the environment and pick an optimal audio level when shooting video in order to provide clearer sound with clips.

Software

LG's user interface for Android has been one of its weakest selling points, but the company seems to have put a lot of work into this for its G3. The new UI looks flatter, cleaner and neater overall. The new software is based on Android KitKat 4.4.2, and also brings a few new features and improvements.

Firstly we have Smart Notice, which was previously identified as LG Concierge during the G3 rumor phase, Smart Notice is something of a context-aware personal assistant with natural language capabilities. In simpler terms, the feature will remind you of things like missed calls and that you'll probably want to return them, or suggest you grab an umbrella, as you're in for a rainy day.

LG also took the chance to advertise its improved keyboard, which it now calls Smart Keyboard. This virtual QWERTY keyboard is so intelligent is that it learns how you type. For example, if you usually type the letter "S" when you mean to hit the "A" key, the keyboard on the LG G3 will stretch out the "A" key sensor so that you are typing the correct word. This is the same feature available on the BlackBerry 10 QWERTY keyboard. The size of the LG G3 keyboard can also be changed to better fit the size of the user's fingers. The keys can be stretched out or compressed, and the symbols on the side of the space bar can be changed. The experience of typing on a touchscreen phone has improved over the years, mostly due to the larger screen sizes available on Android and Windows Phone models. Now, virtual QWERTY keyboards are learning more about your typing skills and how they can adjust to make typing easier, no matter how big or small your fingers are.

Lastly, LG's security layer, now dubbed Smart Security, will include features like the G Pro 2's Knock Code (lets you unlock the device when you correctly reproduce a pre-set pattern of taps anywhere on the screen), Content Lock (hides files you deem important from prying eyes), and Kill Switch. As its name suggests, the Kill Switch is a last resort, anti-theft mechanism that will see your G3 completely disabled, and its contents wiped remotely.

Release and Pricing

LG wasn't willing to disclose their pricing plans during the event, nor were they descriptive when it came to a proper release time frame, either. However it is known that the LG G3 will be available in two versions starting May 28th in South Korea, and eventually across 170 carriers around the world. One version of the LG G3 will come with 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM, while the other model will feature 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM.

In the US, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile have confirmed that they will be offering LG's new flagship device and will be announcing release dates and availability in the coming weeks. In Europe, the Bulgarian market is expected to get access to the G3 on June 26, while carriers like O2 and Three along with retailer Carphone Warehouse will have the device on July 1st.

source - LG | Verizon | AT&T | Sprint | T-Mobile | AnandTech