LG G3 hands-on

Introduction

The LG G2 is a living legend for its razor thin bezels but it's time to pass on the torch. The compactness spell worked once again and the LG G3 fits a massive 5.5" QHD screen in a body that's barely bigger than that of its competitors. Who need phablets when you can have a phone like the G3?

The LG G3 is finally officially announced

Another trick LG is repeating from last year is to launch later than its chief competitors, so it can have a technological advantage. If the QHD screen (1,440 x 2,560px) isn't enough, the 13MP OIS camera with a LG's proprietary new laser auto focus should tingle your "future tech" sensory organs.

LG G3 at a glance

• Dimensions: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm
• Screen: 5.5" True HD-IPS+ screen with 1,440 x 2,560 resolution, 538ppi; Gorilla Glass 3
• Chipset: Snapdragon 801, quad-core Krait 400 at 2.5GHz, Adreno 330, 2/3GB RAM (depending on internal storage)
• OS: Android 4.4.2; Optimus UI
• Camera: 13MP with Optical Image Stabilization, laser autofocus; 2.1MP front-facing camera
• Video camera: 2160p recording
• Battery: 3,000mAh
• Storage: 16GB/32GB built-in; expandable via microSD card slot
• Connectivity: Cat. 4 LTE (150Mbps down, 50Mbps up), Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0
• Misc: 1W speaker on the back (1.5W with boost) with a redesigned amplifier, wireless charging, Knock code

The LG G3 is the first smartphone (or phablet from that matter) from the established makers that hits the QHD screen resolution mark. The sharpness may sound over the top, but LG claims this is what it takes to achieve print-like quality.

The LG G3 possesses a spectacular screen-to-body-size-ratio. Keep in mind the Sony Xperia Z2 measures 146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2mm, while the HTC One (M8) is 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 mm. And those two have only 5.2" and 5" screens respectively. It's the total size that distinguishes the phablet from a regular smartphone, not the screen size. And in this respect the LG G3 is still on regular smartphone territory even though it has a screen that's as big as the one in the LG G Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Note II phablets.

    
LG G3 official images

Sony and Samsung went with big camera sensors, but neither managed to implement OIS. Even HTC dropped it from its new flagship camera, leaving the LG G3 to contend with only the Nokia Lumia 930. The new Korean super star has a 13MP shooter with 2160p video capture and a one-of-a-kind laser focus. It accurately measures distances even in the dark so you'll get fast, accurate focus even for low-light shots.

The camera magic extends to the front-facing shooter too - designed for the selfie generation it has a 77° lens and a 2MP sensor with larger pixels and brighter lens than the main camera. It will also light the screen a carefully chosen color to make sure your face is well lit.

While LG didn't reuse the self-healing plastic from the G Flex, the LG G3 body is molded from a brand new material with metallic looks that is both scratch and fingerprint resistant.

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The GSMArena tablet buyer's guide

The GSMArena tablet buyer's guide: June 2014

It's been a while since we published the last edition of our tablet buyer's advice series. That's mainly down to the lack of much movement in the market since March. But we've been keeping a close eye on all developments and we are now ready to present you the latest edition of our tablet buyer's guide.

Tablets may not be as prominent on this website as smartphones but we are equally passionate about both. And as much as we enjoy testing the latest gadgets in and out, we hope too that while doing that we help you make informed buying decisions. That's what these buyer's guides are for.

We cater to a quite diverse international audience, so most of the times we won't be mentioning specific prices but we're sure you'll recognize a deal when you see one. Our job would be to list what we think are the best tablets out there, so you'd be safe whichever of these you go for.

We've broken down our tablet recommendations into three distinct categories: compact, midsize, and full-size. As of this issue, we will be catering to mainly Wi-Fi-only devices, but we'll make sure to mention 3G/LTE-enabled options as we go. On each page the different options will be listed according to their price range - from affordable to ridiculous, each with their own merits.

We get things started in the compact tablet category. Compacts are growing in popularity not only in casual living room environments, but also out in the open and even in corporate scenarios, thanks to their versatility and portability. This category also offers the cheapest way to get into tablets in the first place so we assume there would be a lot of first-time buyers here. What may be surprising is that our recommendations list is the shortest in the compact category.

Moving on, mid-size tablets are for people who want a bit more screen estate all the while maintaining portability. There is not a clear-cut definition for a mid-size tablet - it can range from anywhere between 7.5 to 9 inches. We'll make sure to give you plenty of choice when it comes to finding the right combination of size, features, and price. This is the newest category of the three and it might as well attract new tablet users who have been so far unwilling to commit to either of the two extremes of the tablet range - the 7-inchers and the 10-inchers.

Finally, full-size tablets are those that touch or cross the 10" mark. This is where top manufacturers like Samsung, Sony, and Apple will duke it out for dominance. Some of these tablets are just a keyboard away from compact laptop territory, so that's another way you may want to go.

For each section, we order our recommendations starting with the cheapest, most worthwhile tablets available from a reputable manufacturer. While so-called "whitebox" offerings from lesser-known makers are surging and account for a huge portion of the tablet growth - particularly ones running Android. However, their affordable price is oftentimes the result of using low-cost components and they simply don't offer a reliable and consistent user experience (let alone regular software updates).

Above all, we value tablets with high-grade screens, robust performance, good build quality and rich connectivity options. We consider a poor screen to be a deal breaker and having wide viewing angles with no serious shift in colors and contrast is a must for a solid tablet user experience. Where possible, we would always pick a higher resolution screen as well.

We don't consider cameras to be important on tablets and if you are only going to view your photos on the tablet's screen, then a high resolution camera is hardly a must. Still, we'll try and mention when a particular tablet has a camera worthy of using.

We like seeing tablets with card slots to cheaply top up the built-in storage but we reckon 16GB is the minimum built-in memory you should consider. For modern day tablets without card slots, we always recommend getting the 32GB version, as a mere 16GB of storage simply doesn't cut it anymore.

On the next page we get started with our compact tablet recommendations but you can jump right to what you're looking for using the links below:

• Compact tablets (Wi-Fi & 3G)
• Mid-size tablets (Wi-Fi & 3G)
• Full-size tablets (Wi-Fi & 3G)

Or, just sit back and enjoy the June 2014 edition of our tablet buyer's guide page by page.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 v. Sony Xperia Z2

Introduction

The flagship Android segment has always been a battlefield but you wouldn't want to be around when these two are in their most violent mood. The Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 are two of the most advanced smartphones to ever sit on a store shelf. Both make big claims regarding screens and cameras (staples for both companies) and brag about practically each of their features. And to say that it's a long list would be a massive understatement.

Samsung is in its prime, in large part due to the enormous commercial success of its phones. Sony is ailing and cutting off businesses to focus more tightly on its core competencies, especially smartphones. The outcome of this matchup will have a great impact on the fates of the two tech giants.

Here's a quick blow by blow of where each phone bests its opponent. Keep in mind those differences are on paper only and the advantage might shift from one side to the other in the actual tests.

Galaxy S5 over Xperia Z2

• Screen with great color accuracy, better sunlight legibility
• Higher CPU clockspeed - 2.5GHz vs. 2.3GHz
• More compact, lighter
• Faster phase-detection autofocus (just 0.3s to lock)
• Fingerprint scanner, PayPal certified
• Heart rate sensor
• IR blaster
• Better ingress protection - IP67, dust tight
• Faster USB - v3.0 vs. v2.0
• 32GB of built-in storage is an option

Xperia Z2 over Galaxy S5

• Bigger, higher resolution camera sensor - 1/2.3" 20.7MP vs. 1/2.6" 16MP
• Higher water resistance level - IP58, immersion beyond 1m
• More RAM - 3GB vs. 2GB
• Stereo speakers
• Slightly bigger screen - 5.2" vs. 5.1"
• Bigger battery - 3,200mAh vs. 2,800mAh
• Newer MHL version - 3.0 vs. 2.1

Sony and Samsung are competing in the camera market - from point-and-shoot through mirrorless to DSLR - so of course they put their own sensors in their flagship phones. Smartphones have been outselling traditional cameras for years now.

The two companies are also among the biggest TV makers and some of the biggest display makers for screens big and small. You can bet your bottom dollar their flagship phones are going to serve as a promotion of the two respective screen business.

Sony made water resistance a trademark for the flagship Xperia devices, but this year Samsung jumped on it too after dabbling with Xcover and Active devices.

    
Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2, ready to face off

One way or another, flagship smartphones have become the calling cards, pocket-sized posters of the companies that make them. With good reason too, no other digital segment sells in the hundreds of millions units and keeps growing year after year. In fact, cameras, TVs even computers are in decline.

So it should come as no surprise that the two tech giants are putting on their Sunday best for the two flagships - that means the best screen, camera, chipset and other goodies they could get their hands on, plus the best design they could dream up.

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GSMArena smartphone shopping guide

Introduction

We intentionally delayed this edition of our phone shopping guide, waiting for all flagships to come out. With the last one out and reviewed, time to see how the market evolved since our last edition in March.

Flagships define the upper bound and push everything below them down in price, especially last year's flagships. They certainly improve on last year's offerings but it's open for debate if they offer enough to justify their fresh flagship price tags or if their predecessors offer the better value after the price cut they took.

Curiously, the €100-€200 segment proved the most hotly disputed. This is because the Motorola Moto G redefined what you can get for €200 and plenty of lesser-spec'd devices suddenly look overpriced. The Moto G has come down in price and got a new sibling, the Moto E, which stirred things up even further when it comes to affordable quality.

We sort phones by price segment but inadvertently ended up with most devices falling into use-case categories. Here are the price categories, followed by brief explanations of what to expect there.

• Under €100
• €100-€200
• €200-€300
• €300-€400
• €400-€500
• Over €500

The sub-€100 gets your foot in the door of smartphone functionality (feature phones over €30 are not worth it anymore). These phones won't offer you much comfort or quality, but they get the job done. Depending on timing, some higher-up phones fall into this category with temporary promotions.

The €100-€200 segment proved very fruitful with phones moving beyond basic functionality. They have good screens (some 720p), good cameras (several 8MP / 1080p shooters can now be found under €200) and even good chipsets with quad-core processors running an up-to-date OS. Even LTE is no longer out of reach in this category.

The €200-€300 category is where things start to specialize. There are phablets, a mini and even a handful of high-end phones barely a year old. This is what we meant - with sub-€200 phones being this good, a €200+ device must offer something special to make it worth your hard-earned cash.

The €300-€400 segment is like the last one but in overdrive. Virtually all 2013 flagships are here as well as a number of powerful phablets.

The €400-€500 price range has only a few phones worth your bucks, mostly the flagship phablets that came out late last year.

Finally, €500 gets you a brand new flagship phone that was announced just months ago with all the cutting edge technology under its hood. It's how the release cycle has shaped the market.

Flagship phones come out early in the year and drop noticeably in price by the same time next year (when their replacements come out). Phablets meanwhile typically launch in the second half of the year as a sort of flagship plus after the buzz of the phones have died off. Thus phablets are fairly new and have dropped to halfway between 2013 and 2014 flagship phones.

Note that this smartphone shopping guide is intended for an international audience and we've omitted phones that are highly regional. We have included a couple of offers of a fairly limited availability, but those were just too good to pass up.

You can read the guide page by page or just to a price category within your budget. Also check the conclusion for more info on why we chose what we chose and why we skipped some phones.

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HTC One (M8) vs Sony Xperia Z2

Introduction

There haven't really been sparks flying between Sony and HTC. It doesn't look like a rivalry capable of producing the kind of ripples one would expect of a clash involving Samsung and Apple, or LG and Samsung. Yet, HTC and Sony have been contributing to the platform no less - and are the two brands that make Android look its best, both on the inside and the outside.

You do know better than take this as a beauty pageant, don't you? These two have bigger things on their mind - and we don't mean world peace. Standard-setting build and finish are matched by just as premium internals. The very first flagships to break cover this year, these two still have what it takes to be season-shapers: connectivity, screen resolution, audio, imaging and processing power.

There seem to be the right dose of respect each way but not without a dash of envy in those looks they throw at each other. After all, what we have here is probably the best Android has to offer in terms of industrial design. Two unibody smartphones by makers that have taken the skill of molding aluminum and metal and glass to an art form. Both have quality stereo speakers, great displays and both are powered by the cutting edge in chipset technology. The very latest Android experience is available right out of the box.

Sounds like a level field, but let's look at what may tip the scales one way or the other.

HTC One (M8) over the Sony Xperia Z2

• Metal unibody
• Built-in amps for the stereo speakers
• 5MP front-facing camera
• Dual LED dual-tone flash
• Dual rear camera setup for depth-of-field effects
• IR port and remote functionality

Sony Xperia Z2 over the HTC One (M8)

• Water resistant and dust proof glass-coated unibody
• Bigger display - 5.2" over 5.0"
• Higher still image resolution- 20.7 MP over 4 MP
• Higher resolution video - 2160p over 1080p
• More RAM - 3GB over 2GB
• Bigger battery - 3200mAh over 2600mAh

OK, even those pretty evenly composed lists seem to give the Sony Xperia Z2 the upper hand. A bigger screen (at pretty much the same body size overall), bigger battery, higher-res stills and videos and more RAM carry more value perhaps than a higher resolution selfie cam and an IR blaster. And even if the HTC One (M8) should turn on the offensive, the water-resistant Sony Xperia Z2 can always take it where the enemy wouldn't venture.

The lack of IP certification and the questionable choice of camera are potentially HTC's biggest disadvantages. On the other hand, 4K videos spell storage trouble while stereo speakers in a water-proofed body are no match for an identical setup where each has its own amplifier. There're a lot of things to consider - is it raw image quality that matters the most or is it image sharing and creative effects? Is it audio you care the most about or protection against the elements?

    
HTC One (M8) and Sony Xperia Z2

If you're looking to get the very best Android has to offer, these two are definitely in the running. In terms of style and feel, Sony and HTC are not making it easier on anyone. But hey, we would be disappointed if they did. Yet, there's nothing more subjective than good looks - we'll try to get them out of the equation (but not out of the story) and hope it's still going to be a tight game.

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LG G3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5

Introduction

Samsung's Galaxy series has been showing no signs of slowing down and Samsung's shift into the limelight of modern technology can in large part be attributed to the emergence of the world's most successful smartphone line. A winning combination of R&D, production, and marketing, the S5 and its predecessors have become a measure for an entire industry to go by.

They say that excellence is contagious, and that's exactly where the LG G3 comes in. Crosstown rivals recently unleashed the G3 a whole two months after the S5, but did so with quite a splash. The G3 is the first device from a major manufacturer to sport a QHD screen, and it immediately ups the ante by rewarding those of us patient enough to wait until the second half of 2014 with a future-proof and robust competitor that can stand its own.

They say the greatest minds in history were spurred on by their most competent rivals, and that couldn't be truer than in the case of these two tech giants. Let's see if the G3 has enough to make up for lost time; below are the key features that set each apart. Keep in mind those differences are on paper only and the advantage might shift from one side to the other in the actual tests that we are about to undertake.

G3 over Galaxy S5

• Bigger screen - 5.5" vs. 5.1"
• Higher resolution screen - 1440p vs. 1080p
• Updated Snapdragon 801 chipset - MSM8975AC vs. MSM8974AC
• Improved low-light laser-assisted auto focusing
• 32GB version has more RAM - 3GB vs. 2GB
• Bigger battery - 3,000mAh vs. 2,800mAh
• FM radio (only for the Euro version)
• The back cover has wireless charging support

Galaxy S5 over G3

• Screen has superb contrast and sunlight legibility
• Higher resolution camera sensor - 16MP vs. 13MP
• More compact, lighter
• Bigger camera sensor - 1/2.6" vs. 1/3"
• Fingerprint scanner, PayPal certified
• Heart rate sensor
• Ingress protection - IP67, dust tight
• Faster USB - v3.0 vs. v2.0

Korean ingenuity has resulted in features we never imagined we'd see on a portable device - from heart rate sensors and fingerprint scanning to compact screens with resolutions greater than our TV at home. Smartphones have become the pinnacle of technology, an industry that sells in the millions and continues to grow each year.

    
The LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy S5 get ready to square off

Now we'll be pitting the top devices by two Korean companies at different stages of success - one at the head of the pack with no chance of slowing down; the other clawing its way up, trying to make its mark without necessarily emulating someone else's. Does the G3 have enough to put LG in the fast lane, or will the Galaxy S5 prove too hard to dethrone? Let's find out.

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LG G3 vs. HTC One (M8)

Introduction

How do you compare phones that are so different - the LG G3 and HTC One (M8) barely have a common feature between them. As we found out though, even different specs can create a similar user experience, it's more than just a numbers game.

Going into this article we had a certain idea of how things will work out but a series of tests once again proved that specs rarely tell the whole story. The 5.5" QHD screen should handily beat the 5" 1080p screen, right? And the contest between a 3,000mAh battery and a 2,600mAh one should be fairly straightforward.

It should but the LG G3 proved less dominant than it sounds on paper. The HTC One (M8) on the other hand, still has downsides it found hard to overcome. Here's a quick blow by blow of where each phone dominates its opponent.

LG G3 over HTC One (M8)

• Larger, sharper screen - 5.5" QHD over 5" 1080p
• Practically the same size, lighter
• 13MP camera with OIS over 4MP camera; Laser autofocus
• 2160p video capture over 1080p video
• More powerful chipset, 3GB of RAM over 2GB (32GB model only)
• Bigger battery - 3,000mAh vs. 2,600mAh; user-accessible to boot
• The back cover has wireless charging support

HTC One (M8) over LG G3

• Aluminum unibody
• Front-facing stereo speakers vs. a single 1.5W speaker on the back
• Dual camera with Zoe
• 5MP front-facing camera over 2.1MP
• Google Play Edition version

The LG G3 is a budding illusionist. It looks deceptively small, almost the same size as its opponent despite having a 20% larger screen. The back looks, and to a certain extent feels, like metal, but is actually a specially coated plastic. The screen, of course, is the first QHD unit (1,440 x 2,560 pixels) from a major manufacturer.

The HTC One (M8) has a true metal unibody - it's difficult to tell by looks, but touch is a dead giveaway. HTC focused on the experience, a lot of which comes from software features including a revamped Zoe backed by a new dual camera and improved stereo speakers on the front.

    
HTC One (M8) and LG G3 go head to head

UX has become one of the 21st century buzzwords yet a lot of it comes from the past, our preconceptions. This means users will scoff at the plastic "metal" of the LG G3 even if they won't notice it until you tell them.

It's a matter of how well each company managed to read their consumers - the 4MP camera of the One (M8) stands little chance against the muscled up 13MP shooter of the LG G3, but a 5MP selfie camera is a perfect match for the social networks that rule the day, same goes for the effect-laden Zoe.

So, proceed with an open mind to the next page to see if HTC's traditional strength - design - has been countered by LG's newfound creativity.

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