Updated on 05-26-2014 by Andy Boxall: Pictures showing the new QuickCircle case leak, along with a press-style shot of the phone itself, while LG gets ready for the big launch event with more teaser videos and images.
It'll be called the LG G3
Reports from the end of 2013 said LG hadn't settled on the G3 name, and that the phone was under development using the codename B2. However, with the release of a teaser video promoting the phone and an accompanying website, LG has confirmed the phone will be named the G3 by using it in the title and site URL.
Various model numbers have also been attached to the G3. For example, one leak claims the phone will be the LG-D851, while the Verizon version will be reclassified as the LG-VS985. The LG-D972 is another possibility, along with LG-D830. A Sprint document may have revealed the network-specific version will be the LS990, following on from the G2′s LS980 model number. For the record, the regular, unlocked LG G2 wears the model number LG-D802, while the Nexus 5 is the LG-D820.
LG confirms event for May 27, releases exciting teaser videos
LG has sent out invitations to a new product launch event which will take place on May 27. As usual, the star of the show isn't explicitly mentioned, but the letter G in Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote "To be simple is to be Great" is highlighted, and in LG's G series font. It's almost certain we'll be meeting the LG G3 on the day. Further proof the event is for something big is its global reach. The event will primarily take place in London, but there will also be satellite events taking place around the world, including in New York, San Francisco, and Seoul.
With hours to go before the event begins, LG tweeted a last minute image showing the G3 inside the new QuickCircle case, accompanied by the words Simple is The New Smart, just like several of its teaser videos. It also gives another hint about the G3′s brushed metal-look rear panel, thanks to the burst of light on the right-hand side of the phone.
Two weeks before the official unveiling, LG released a teaser video for the phone, confirming in the title its name would be the LG G3. Unusually, LG doesn't make the whole thing too abstract, and provides us with some tantalizing shots of the phone itself. A brushed metal look rear panel is hinted at, along with a powerful set of speakers, and a cool, new-look lock screen. The video concludes by saying "simple is the new smart."
The LG G2 was announced in August 2013, so the G3 could arrive before its predecessor turns one year old. Early rumors pointed to a July launch date, however, some sources also claimed LG was aiming for June instead. A report published in January said LG was originally targeting May 17 as the release date for the G3.
In mid-April, Korean sources claimed LG wanted to reveal the G3 smartphone near the end of June, and subsequently on sale in July. A July release would put it several months behind the Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8, two if its strongest smartphone rivals.
LG has continued to release teaser videos for the LG G3. They highlight specific features, such as the camera and design, or discuss how the 5.5-inch device will feel surprisingly compact in the hand.
What will it look like?
Considering the amount of rumors surrounding the LG G3, it took surprisingly long for an image of the device to leak out. Our first look at the phone came from a Bulgarian site, where a mockup of the phone was created using notes made by someone who had some hands-on time with the device. According to the report, the phone had similar dimensions to the Galaxy S5, despite the likelihood of it having a larger screen, and was wrapped in a polycarbonate body shell. The shell may have a brushed metal finish, making it look like the HTC One M8.
The image shows a dual-LED camera flash, and what could be an infrared blaster, flanking the camera lens on the rear. The G2′s trademark rear volume and power buttons should make a return, and with a slightly revised design if the mockup is accurate. We'll have to wait until the official unveiling to find out for sure, so in the meantime, treat this as a fan-made picture which may give us a vague taste of what's to come.
At the end of April, the G3 was leaked in a shadowy image, showing the rear of the device. It looked relatively similar to the mock up, in that flanking the camera lens is an unknown sensor, and what looks like a dual-LED flash. However, the volume controls below the lens are rounded, and the center button has a chrome finish. The sensor is a mystery, and looks a little small to be a fingerprint scanner, and not very conveniently placed either.
Following LG's confirmation of a May 27 launch event, the image you see above leaked on a Korean website, potentially giving us our first look at the real device. It's wrapped in white plastic, and the rear panel has the now familiar redesigned volume buttons, plus a camera lens with a flash on one side, and an unknown sensor on the other. Around the front, the phone is devoid of hardware buttons. PhoneArena received several press renders, which give us the best look we've had of the G3 to date.
Infamous phone leaker @evleaks published a series of press-style glamor shots showing the LG G3 from all angles, and in multiple colors, one being named titanium. It's still not absolutely clear whether the G3 will be metal or metal-look, and there are some rumors LG has two versions of the phone, one with a "premium" metal body. The phone leaked this time is apparently one headed for the Sprint network.
LG unveils the QuickCircle case ahead of the G3′s launch
A week before the G3′s launch event, LG revealed the QuickCircle case for the phone. It takes the shape of the familiar folder-style cases introduced by several manufacturers recently, but is differentiated by its circular window, which not only shows the time and date, but also allows you to control certain aspects of the phone. A promo video shows you'll be able to take pictures without opening the cover. The press release also talks about managing music, making calls, and even sending SMS messages.
Following the announcement, a set of photos showing the real QuickCircle case leaked online. It's possible to see the Qi wireless charging connections, along with others that apparently make the NFC feature work more reliably inside the case. Although it's not shown in action, the round window has a light inside, which will glow when a message is received. A set of six shortcut buttons are shown on the screen – settings, calls, messages, music, the camera, and one for health monitoring, a new feature we're expecting to hear more about at launch. There's also a choice of clock faces, including a highly realistic analog option.
Qi wireless charging system visible inside the QuickCircle case
A highly realistic analog clock face option for the LG G3 QuickCircle case.
The options menu on the LG G3′s QuickCircle case.
A 1440p touchscreen is almost certain
This has been one of the longest running rumors regarding the G3. In August 2013, LG showed off a prototype 5.5-inch smartphone screen boasting a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, which it referred to as Quad HD. LG didn't provide any indication on when the screen would be fitted to a smartphone we could buy, but as it didn't show up on the G Pro 2, the G3 is the next bet. 1440p screens are no longer science fiction, and are fitted to a pair of Chinese smartphones, the Vivo XPlay 3S and the Oppo Find 7.
At the end of December 2013, a Korean news source said the G3 would be the first phone to use the Quad HD panel, but it also said we'd see the device launch during Mobile World Congress. Almost a month later, another report from Korea repeated the rumor, adding the screen size could increase to a monster 5.9-inches. Subsequently, the G Pro 2 was announced with a screen that size, suggested the wires were crossed somewhere.
This is LG's new 1440p super HD screen.
More recently, a tweet from the @evleaks Twitter account showed a screenshot taken from a User Agent Profile (special documents created by manufacturers which contain information relevant to content providers), which listed an LG phone with the model number D850 as having a 2560 x 1440 pixel display.
Another User Agent Profile was discovered in April, this time on Sprint's website. It lists an LG phone with the model number LS990, and shows it sporting a 2560 x 1440 pixel screen resolution. Additionally, the OS is shown to be Android 4.4.2 KitKat, and that the phone will be powered by a Snapdragon processor with 3GB of RAM. The document also reveals the phone has a 13-megapixel camera on the rear, and a 2.1-megapixel camera above the screen. There's no proof this is the rumored LG G3, and the LS990 model number is one which hasn't been seen before. However, Sprint's version of the LG G2 was also known as the LS980, so it's not a massive stretch to assume this is its sequel.
A photo, claimed to show the LG G3 passing an AnTuTu benchmarking test, was published around the same time as the Sprint UAP profile was discovered. Once again, it showed a display resolution of 2560 x 1440, with a pixel density of 640ppi. This figure is almost certainly wrong, as it equates to a screen size of around 4.6-inches, far smaller than we're expecting. Before dismissing the image entirely, this could be an anomaly with the AnTuTu system.
Android Authority reported that the slides above were shown to an unspecified Korean retailer as part of a pre-announcement by LG. According to the slides, the G3 will have a 5.5″ 2560×1440 QHD display, giving it a pixel density of 558ppi. A neat feature of the display is it covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut, so colors should be extremely accurate.
The G3 looks to be powered by a Snapdragon 801 processor that will be coupled with 3GB of RAM. There will be a 13-megapixel camera on the back and a 2.1-megapixel camera on the front, with the rear-facing camera having OIS+. It will be powered by a removable 3000 mAh battery and Android 4.4 KitKat, though no mention was made of any Micro SD support. Finally, based on the slides, LG will equip the G3 with a 1 watt external speaker and, likely, other sound-related improvements.
If LG does equip the G3 with such a high-res display, it'll successfully kick sand in the face of Samsung, which has gone with another 1080p panel for its Galaxy S5, Sony's Xperia Z2, and probably HTC's All New One too.
A new user interface, and "advanced personalization" features rumored
A screenshot, supposedly giving us a preview of the LG G3′s user interface, has been leaked. It's of particular interest because it shows a new look for LG's Android skin, with a flatter, more modern look than before. What's more, the image apparently had a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, seemingly confirming the reports LG will use its Quad HD display on the phone.
In mid-March, a rumor circulated LG was working on custom, intelligent software features for the G3. These could take advantage of Google Now's abilities, and add in learning capabilities to adapt the device to the way you use it. These are supposed to make the phone more personal, and you more productive, although we're not sure about a series of "helpful ideas" LG wants to provide on the device. This just gives us flashbacks to Microsoft's Clippy.
These three screenshots, given to DT by a trusted industry source, show the new redesigned LG G3 interface.
On April 22, we published a report based on a set of leaked screenshots taken from the LG G3. The images, sized at 2560 x 1440 pixels, revealed a very clean, updated Android user interface, along with a sneak preview of LG's Concierge service. This is the basis of the intelligent software feature mentioned above, and is said to be something like Google Now, but taken to the next level. You'll find more information on the screens in our full report here.
An octa-core processor is on the cards
In the same December 2013 report which claimed the G3 will have a 1440p screen, it was also suggested the device would be powered by an octa-core processor running at 2.2GHz. This would be a change from the G2, which used a Snapdragon 800, and like the screen resolution, would see the G32 stand apart from the competition.
However, which octa-core chip will it use? Opinion seems to be split between it being the MediaTek MT6595, and LG's own Odin chipset. The MediaTek "true octa-core" processor is seen as a cheap alternative to Qualcomm's chips, which probably isn't the impression LG wants to give potential buyers about the G3. MediaTek is keen to gain a wider international audience though, and any offer it made to LG may have been hard to resist.
MediaTek is one of several chip makers that could power the G3.
If it's not the MediaTek chip, what about the Odin? LG hasn't confirmed its existence, and unlike Samsung, isn't known for its mobile processors. Rumors first circulated in November last year. Apparently, LG is developing both a quad-core and an octa-core version, the latter running Cortex A15 and Cortex A7 cores at 2.2GHz. In late December, a reference to an LG Odin chip appeared on a benchmarking website, but running at a slow speed.
On April 10, a Korean report said LG had enlisted the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to build the Odin processor, and that it would start doing so soon. The rumor is it'll be built using a 28nm process, but adds that it won't be powering the LG G3 when it's released.
The leaked photo mentioned above, which apparently shows an AnTuTu benchmarking result, also suggests the phone has an Adreno 330 GPU, which is used by both the Snapdragon 800 and the Snapdragon 801 processor.
The other option is the use of the new Snapdragon 805 processor. It's Qualcomm's update to the immensely popular Snapdragon 800, and we're expecting the 2.5GHz, quad-core chip to find its way into smartphones during the summer. Failing all that, the Snapdragon 801 would fit in nicely too.
A 16-megapixel camera with OIS+ is possible
LG fitted a 13-megapixel camera to the G2 and to the G Pro 2, and it looks like it'll do the same with the G3, should the information given with this leaked picture be correct. When camera test shots are leaked, it's often of something boring like a desk or wall, but for the G3, we got an awesome picture of a cat. It was shared at the beginning of March through an online chatroom, and according to the poster, comes from the G3's 13-megapixel camera.
This pic may have been taken by an LG G3.
LG added OIS+, a tweaked optical image stabilization system, to the G Pro 2, along with a depth of field adjustment tool, so it's possible both will also be included on the G3.
However, if LG does stick with a 13-megapixel camera, it'll fall behind the Galaxy S5. Last year, a rumor did emerge LG was planning to add a 16-megapixel camera to the G3, which would match that of its arch-rival.
LG could make the G3 waterproof
Waterproofing flagship smartphones is all the rage, with both Sony and Samsung making their high-end hardware resistant to the wet stuff. A report from Korea says LG will do the same with the G3, and it's apparently working on a new way of keeping the phone dry. No specifics were shared on what this technology could be though. A week earlier, an additional report also spoke about a waterproof and dust proof G3, adding weight to the rumor.
LG considering fingerprint or retina scanning features
During a February press conference in Korea, LG's VP of Europe, Cho Seong Ha, was quoted as saying the company is considering the possibility of adding fingerprint or retina scanning technology to the G3. Fingerprint scanning is another Galaxy S5 feature, and is also present on the Apple iPhone 5S.
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