LG G3 Review: QHD High Res Android Power
Camera And Battery Life Performance
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An HDR mode is available for the G3, as are Panorama and Dual Shot modes. Dual shot employs both the 2.1MP front and rear camera simultaneously. Similar to the GS5 and HTC One M8, the G3 also has a "Magic Focus" setting for the camera that combines multiple shots into a single image and allows selective refocusing of foreground and background objects in an image. In practice it works pretty well, about as good as what Samsung has achieved with the Galaxy S5, maybe a touch better. However, it doesn't quite measure up to the bokeh effects HTC's Duo Camera depth sensor can achieve with the One M8.
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Regardless, still shots with the LG G3 were extremely fast to snap and easy to setup with the camera's laser auto-focus system. The device was definitely very responsive, though it's hard to say if it's noticeably faster than say a newer device like the GS5. We would offer that it's at least as fast and responsive as any smartphone camera to date, perhaps even a touch faster, just in terms of general "feel." However, what's impressive is that you can pull excellent shots from this phone with very little setup and effort. Low light performance as well, with stills, is exceptional. Finally, the G3's UHD video setting also grabs fantastically sharp footage, though lighting responsiveness here isn't quite as good as the G3 is in still shot mode.
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The battery within the GS3 is a removable and user-accessible 3000mAh cell that's about as big as you can find these days in a 5.5-inch device. In addition, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 processor and associated battery saver software, allows the chip to power down significantly when idle and absolutely sip power. That said, powering the G3's 5.5-inch 2560X1440 display, even at 50 percent brightness can take its toll.
In the following AnTuTu Battery Test, we'll be looking at a worst case test condition that ramps CPU usage up to 100 percent with the display set to 50 percent brightness. It's tough on any smartphone power delivery subsystem but all devices are on a level playing field in this test.
Here, unfortunately, the G3 comes in dead last versus many of the flagship Android phones on the market. The G3 wasn't outlasted by a huge margin but it's a significant enough delta. In general use, we found the device could hang on to a charge long enough for a full day of calling, browsing and texting but it was definitely pulling down the juice, especially if you keep that high res screen lit brightly. It's a concern but not a huge one in our opinion. You just might find yourself being more mindful of settings and power management with the G3 in certain scenarios or use cases.
