We’ve made up a list of our favorite Android phones of 2014 and they are all some of the best phones that money can buy in 2014. Now that all of the major phones have launched for the year and the holiday shopping season is upon us, there is no reason not to help you find the right phone for you or a loved one.

LG G3

LG’s G3 is probably one of our favorite Android phones of this year for multiple reasons. This is because The LG G3 has a fantastic 5.5″ 2560 x 1440 display and a laser fast 13 MP (literally uses a laser for focus) camera that grabs fantastic photos in both light and dark scenarios. Any camera that can take great photos in the dark is going to be a great all around camera as a rule of thumb. The thing that makes the LG G3 so great is also the fact that the phone itself has almost no bezel on the sides of the phone which makes it feel like there is almost no phone and all screen. As such, the LG G3 has the same screen size as the iPhone 6+ but a much much smaller body and as a result is more comfortable to hold. In addition to having one of the highest resolution displays of any phone to date, LG also gives the LG G3 expandable memory and a removable battery which is a big deal to a lot of users.

The LG G3 also has a Snapdragon 801 and great battery life thanks to the 3000 mAh battery even though it does have a fairly large and power consuming display. On Verizon’s network the LG G3 easily lasts over a day of normal usage and with Wi-Fi could last you up to 2 days. The only drawback of the LG G3 is the fact that it lacks a good speaker or front-facing speakers like the HTC One M8, one of its competitors. However, the G3’s biggest weapon is also price… even though Samsung and HTC launched before LG did with the LG G3, LG’s pricing was so competitive (both on and off contract) that it forced Samsung and HTC to drop their prices in order to compete which immediately resulted in lower prices for consumers regardless of their choice.

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Last week, Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) held a press and analyst event in New York City, spread across the Plaza Hotel and the Hayden Planetarium. It was a combination of a wireless modem workshop with a 4K content push. The day began with presentations from Verizon, Ovum, JPR and Qualcomm. These presentations were followed up by a demo session showing off Qualcomm’s various wireless technological capabilities including their LTE Broadcast capabilities as well as WiGig, which was one of the focal technologies of the day. Later in the evening, Qualcomm held a press event with film makers to talk about 4K as well as the CTO of the MLB to talk about the importance of 4K to sports. Oh, and one of the guest film makers was none other than Guardians of the Galaxy Director, James Gunn.

Qualcomm’s presenters for the day were VP of Worldwide Marketing, Tim McDonough and SVP, Product Management at Qualcomm Raj Talluri.

Tim McDonough giving the opening presentation

Raj Talluri talking about the importance of Qualcomm’s wireless technologies

Most of these presentations covered the importance of technologies like LTE Broadcast (Verizon) and 4K video, with Jon Peddie’s presentation ensuring that you know that 4K is coming whether or not you like it. And he’s not wrong.

During the wireless demonstrations, Qualcomm showed off something that may be a taste of what’s to come with the integration of WiGig technology into their SoCs. The company formerly known as Wilocity has developed a very high throughput 60 GHz Wi-Fi technology also known as 802.11ad or WiGig. WiGig currently enables speeds of up to 2 Gbps, with the next generation doing 4 Gbps. At the demo room, Qualcomm showed off their upcoming Snapdragon 810 streaming a 4K video from one tablet to another, which would then display the 4K video on a TV in 4K. This is the first time they’ve shown the Snapdragon 810 SoC in public and the first time they’re showing 4K video streaming over WiGig with the Snapdragon 810.

WiGig Antennas and PCIe wireless card

Snapdragon 810 WiGig Test Device showing 802.11ad bandwidth while streaming 4K video

Currently, Qualcomm is the leading vendor of SoCs capable of creating 4K videos for consumers. It was the first to market with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Snapdragon 800. The Snapdragon 800 was the first chip that enabled 4K video recording and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 was the first phone to enable that. In fact, we took a video testing out that feature at this last CES just to test that out. In fact, at this moment, Qualcomm’s SoCs power 12 different Android devices that are capable of recording in 4K, which includes the featured phone of the night, the LG G3. In fact, two vendors that make these 4K capable phones, Sony and LG were on hand to give people hands on experiences with the LG G3, Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact.

The real key here is that Qualcomm is talking about 4K content creation to help satisfy the vacuum left by Hollywood. As of right now, there’s virtually no 4K content out there for people to enjoy on their 4K TVs unless they haven’t seen House of Cards or Breaking Bad before (both are available in 4K on Netflix). The reality is that 4K content creation on phones is already here and possible and that we already have TVs selling for under $999 that you can play that content on. Not to mention having 4K video quality means that you can always downsample and get even better quality 1080P and 720P videos as well.

The LG G3 was brought up a lot over the course of the press event in the evening, as Qualcomm had given both Nathan Silver and James Gunn LG G3 phones to use for 4K video recording. In fact, Nathan Silver made a quick and short film in 4K called “Family Affair” with the phone that Qualcomm gave him. Nathan Silver’s dad eventually came on stage and they talked about the short film, at which point James Gunn came on stage to talk with Tim about how 4K is important to him and how having a 4K phone is valuable for him in film making. Needless to say, none of them seemed disappointed with the LG G3’s 4K capabilities, especially when you realize that you can also play back and simultaneously zoom 4K footage as its playing back.

Tim McDonough with Nathan Silver and his dad.

Tim McDonough with James Gunn

Tim McDonough and Raj Talluri on stage with James Gunn and Nathan Silver talking about 4K movies and film making and doing Q&A to wrap up the event

To end the event, Qualcomm announced, with all of the men on stage, a new $25,000 contest for the best 4K video. All you have to do is the following:

Capture a 1-2min 4K Ultra HD video on an eligible Snapdragon powered device
Edit and Upload to your YouTube channel
Enter the contest with your video URL on the contest page

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In a conversation with Apple’s (NASDAQ: APPL) Senior Vice President of Design, Jony Ive, Vanity Fair’s Graydon Carter sat down and talked to Ive about the company’s latest products and even their competitors.

Ive brought up an interesting point when they were talking about how the iPhone’s design had moved from having curved edges, to sharp edges and then back to curved again. Then, Ive started to talk about the iPhone and numerous prototypes that they had made, including ones with large screens. You can listen right here.

Ive calls competitors’ phones ‘big and clunky’ and says that many of their competitors’ devices are in fact big and clunky when the reality for Apple is actually very similar. In fact, if you were to hold the 5.5″ iPhone 6 Plus and put it up against something like LG’s G3, then you would realize that Apple’s iPhone is actually a bigger and clunkier phone, noticeably so. The LG G3 actually has the exact same screen size as the iPhone 6 Plus, but has a smaller body and a higher resolution display. So not only do you get a smaller phone with the same size display, but the pixel density and image quality of that display is arguably better as well.

LG has done a fantastic job with the G3 and there’s no denying that they have. Jony Ive was smart not to mention any of their competitors, but he’s clearly calling out Samsung here since Samsung is Apple’s #1 competitor and still makes fairly ‘clunky’ phones with their Galaxy Note series of smartphones as well as the Galaxy Mega phones which are even larger and more unwieldy to the normal human hand.

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Typically, if you want to use your DSLR with a remote, you have to go out and buy some wireless remote that operates over RF or some other wireless communication protocol. There have been ways in the past to use attachments to your camera in conjunction with apps to remotely control your camera, but those all cost money. A new app called ShutterBOT DSLR Remote finally allows you to wirelessly take your smartphone and control your DSLR with it, without paying a penny. This free Android app allows you to once and for all control your DSLR with a smartphone app.

The great thing about having a DSLR Android camera app is that you have less equipment to carry around and you can take better long exposure photos without worrying about camera shake. The app itself supports a multitude of cameras and smartphones, but currently does not support the LG G2 even though it does have an IR blaster. The key for this free wireless camera app to work is that your phone has to have an IR blaster built into it, something that Apple’s phones simply don’t have. Thankfully, all three of the major Android smartphones launched this year, Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 and LG G3 all have IR blasters built in for TV purposes but can also double as camera controllers.

The app itself is very simple and very well designed, and has three ways of taking a photo. First, you can simply take a picture by pressing the on-screen button, second you can choose to have a timer and third you can choose to use voice activated shutter, which is also how the developer is able to monetize the app. This is the only in-app purchase that the developer is currently making available, but there’s a good chance that new features may also come in the form of in-app purchases. Perhaps something like an intervalometer or some other features that cameras might lack internally.

As of right now, the app supports the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Tab 3 & Tab 4, S4 & S5, HTC One and One M8, and LG G3. No word on Galaxy Note 4 support yet, but that may already be functional. The app states that it supports Canon, Fuji, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, and Sony, so we’ll be testing this out for ourselves shortly. The developer states that this app is designed to replace the manufacturers’ own IR remotes, specifically Canon’s RC-1, RC-5, RC-6, Nikon’s ML-L3, and Olympus RM-1. Considering that this app is free and a Nikon ML-L3 goes for $18 on B&H Photo, this app is almost a no-brainer for any photographer looking to use a remote in their photos.

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Classrooms at schools of all types are filling up across the nation this week, as students once again return for another year of classes.

As students prepare for another year of learning, retailers  slashing prices on the tools and toys that students will need to get through another school year.

To help guide your back to school purchases, VR World and Bright Side of News contributors have put together a back to school guide for 2014 to help you buy the top tablets, smartphones, dorm room TVs, premium notebooks, low cost notebooks, and gaming systems for your 2014 back to school shopping.

Top Five Back to School 2014 Smartphones

1) LG G3

With a quad-HD screen boasting a resolution of 2560 x 1440, the LG G3 is one of the best smartphones available for purchase today. The design of the LG G3 speaks volumes about the shift LG has witnessed in the way it handles product design. Although the G3 does not feature a metallic back, the brushed metal finish and the curved edges exude a sense of class that Samsung has thus far failed to achieve with its Galaxy S line of devices. Although the G3 features a 5.5-inch screen, the narrow bezels and the curved back design means that it is comfortable to hold and use one-handed.

A more interesting change from other mainstream handsets is the placement of the volume and power buttons, which are at the back of the G3. LG started this trend with the G2 last year, stating that the placement of buttons at the back of a device was “intuitive” and was more comfortable for users in the long run. As is often the case with such decisions, the placement of the buttons is subject to individual taste. There are many who like it and make the switch, and then there are users who cannot get accustomed to the change. What is clear is that it makes the device easier to use one-handed, as you don’t have to reach all the way to the side to switch on the device. It is likely that most users will not even bother using the power button to switch on the device thanks to LG’s Knock Code, which allows you to unlock the device by tapping on the display. The latest version of Knock Code allows you to set your own unlock combinations for switching on the screen.

Under the hood, the LG G3 features a Snapdragon 801 SoC, which has an Adreno 330 GPU and a quad-core arrangement of Krait 400 cores clocked at 2.5 GHz. In terms of memory, LG is offering two variants of the device, one with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage and the other with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage. The 13 MP camera sensor at the back features a laser focusing system that allows the G3 to focus faster than other devices in this segment, and comes with the ability to record 4K videos. In terms of connectivity, the G3 boasts LTE Category 4 (150 Mbit downstream, 50 Mbit upstream), Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, NFC, IR blaster and microUSB 2.0. The 3000 mAh battery is the only area of concern in an otherwise great smartphone. If you’re looking for the absolute best in terms of hardware, this is the device to get.

2) HTC One M8

Design is one of the key areas of interest with the One M8. HTC has won numerous awards with the aluminum design of the One M7 last year, and with this year’s flagship, the vendor focused more on tweaking the design than overhauling it. The result is that the One M8 features a curvier design, is taller but not much wider thanks to narrower bezels, and features an aluminium back that has 90% metal. The device is taller as it has to accommodate a larger 5.0-inch LCD3 full-HD display, which is backed by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3.

HTC has not sacrificed anything when it comes to internal hardware, and as a result the One M8 holds its own against other flagships of 2014, like the Galaxy S5 and the LG G3. Under the hood, the device features a Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB) SoC, which has a slightly lower clocked 2.3 GHz CPU instead of the 2.5 GHz variant found on the G3. The difference is barely noticeable, and is essentially negated considering the One M8 has a full-HD screen whereas the G3 comes with a quad-HD screen. The One M8 also has 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory, microSD card slot to extend memory to 128 GB, Wi-Fi ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, LTE Category 4 connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, USB OTG and microUSB 2.0.

The One M7 saw a paradigm shift in the way HTC tackled imaging sensors, with the Taiwanese vendor choosing to go with a larger sensor instead of one with a higher megapixel count. This time around, HTC has doubled the number of camera sensors in what is called Duo Camera layout. The second camera is used to add a layer of depth, which allows you to change focus to photos and videos. While Google and other vendors have started offering a software-based version of this feature, HTC has decided to go with the hardware route. At the front, the One M8 comes with a traditional 5 MP shooter.

HTC has continued its focus on design even in the software realm, with Sense 6 boasting numerous enhancements and feature additions. The user interface is more modern, and is a far sight better than what other vendors like Samsung and LG offer. Running on a base of Android 4.4.2 KitKat, manufacturer-level additions by HTC like BlinkFeed and Zoe are actually useful without feeling gimmicky. Also, the One M8 features on-screen navigation buttons, becoming the first HTC device to do so.

With the recent launch of the device for Windows Phone, you can now choose between the Android variant and the Windows Phone version. Not since the Palm Treo has this choice been available to consumers. Both versions of the device feature the same hardware as well as most exclusive HTC utilities (Zoe isn’t available for Windows phone yet), and if we were to pick one, we’d go for the Windows Phone version, just because the design of the handset ties in well with the tile-based interface of Windows Phone.

3) Motorola Moto X

If running the latest hardware isn’t as vital as ergonomics, the Moto X is the ideal device for you. Easily the smallest device in this list, the Moto X comes with a 720p 4.7-inch screen that makes the handset very comfortable to use one-handed day in, day out. The internal hardware in the Moto X is more similar to that of the Nexus 4, and may seem outdated by today’s standards, but the device functions with nary a stutter thanks to the way it is set up by Motorola. Instead of throwing in the fastest hardware available, Motorola decided to optimize the hardware so that it just works.

Therefore, while Motorola could have added a full-HD display to the Moto X, it chose not to, as that would mean considerable battery drain and undue strain on the GPU. For a device with a screen size matching that of the Moto X, the decision has paid off as the AMOLED screen is one of the best things about the handset.

Specs include a modified Snapdragon S4 Pro (MSM8960) that offers a dual-core 1.7 GHz CPU, Adreno 320 GPU and two additional cores – one for contextual computing and the other for natural language processing. These cores allow you to access Moto X exclusive features like Active Display, Quick Capture and Touchless Control, which allow you to issue voice commands even when the screen is off. The voice command feature and the ability to customize the device to your heart’s content via Moto Maker differentiate the Moto X from every other device available in the market today.

If a spec list is what you want, that’s what you shall receive: 2 GB RAM, 16/32/64 GB internal memory, 10 MP camera, 2 MP shooter at the front, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, LTE Category 3 connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 2200 mAh battery. Although the battery size may not inspire much confidence, the Moto X easily lasts a full day on a single charge. Still interested in the LG G3? Fine, but we suggest buying an external power bank just in case (that quad-HD screen needs a lot of juice).

As for the Moto X, a successor dubbed the Moto X+1 is scheduled to be unveiled next week, but that doesn’t meant that the original device is any less alluring. If anything, it’ll drive the price of the Moto X down, which is a good thing.

4) OnePlusOne

OnePlus created a lot of hype with the OnePlus One, and while most of the time the final device fails to live up to its expectations, the OnePlus One delivers on all fronts. Featuring a 5.5-inch full-HD display, Snapdragon 801 SoC (MSM974AC), 3 GB RAM, 16/64 GB internal storage variations, LTE Category 4 connectivity, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.0, 13 MP camera with a Sony Exmor IMX214 imaging sensor and a 5 MP front shooter along with a 3100 mAh battery, the OnePlus One is blazing fast.

The design of the device is understated, like the Nexus 5. There aren’t any manufacturer additions that are often found in high-end handsets, like the laser guided camera focusing system on the G3, or the fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S5. The OnePlus One is designed to be a minimalistic device, and as such does not offer any extraneous utilities that usually tend to make things harder at the manufacturing level (ahem, Duo Camera on the One M8).

On the software side of things, OnePlus has collaborated with Cyanogen in launching a custom version of CyanogenMod for the OnePlus One, called CyanogenMod 11S. Based on Android 4.4.2, the custom ROM comes with many additional features that are not included in the stock version of Android, like a theme chooser, secure messaging and slow motion video recording.

The $299 price tag for the 16 GB version is just the icing on the cake. Since OnePlus is selling the OnePlus One at near manufacturing cost, one avenue where the manufacturer is looking to make money is through accessories like back covers. Called StyleSwap covers, these back covers serve to customize the OnePlus One even further. A bamboo variant is scheduled to launch later this month, which will be priced at $49. While everything about the OnePlus One is stellar, whether it is in terms of overall design or the internal hardware, there is one drawback that is a huge cause for concern for potential customers: availability.

Instead of launching the OnePlus One on its store, OnePlus created an invite system, which makes getting hold of the device challenging. Since its launch, it has become easier to get a hold of a OnePlus One, but the additional effort required in getting one is unnecessarily cumbersome. It is worthwhile though? Yes. While other value for money devices like the Nexus 5 suffer from a bad camera and substandard battery life, the OnePlus One has no such shortcomings. It is a high-end smartphone that is being offered at a mid-tier price.

5) Lumia 930

In a world filled with Android handsets, the Lumia 930 aims to offer users something different. Launched earlier this year in the year as the Icon, Nokia has launched and international version of the device with a handful of enhancements and addition of global LTE bands.

The design of the Lumia 930 is not as flamboyant as other Lumia designs, although the device does come in various color variations. The sides, like the Lumia 925, are backed by aluminium, with the back featuring a polycarbonate construction. With a 5-inch full-HD display, the Lumia 930 boasts the highest pixel density of any Lumia device at 441 ppi. The contrast as well as viewing angles are great, and the inclusion of Nokia’s ClearBlack technology means that the screen is readable in bright conditions.

The Lumia 930 features a 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 SoC that excels at powering the device, seeing as how Windows Phone devices aren’t as harsh on system resources as their Android counterparts. Other specs include 2 GB RAM, 20 MP PureView camera with OIS, dual-LED flash and a 1/2.5-inch sensor size, 1.2 MP front shooter, Wi-Fi ac, LTE Category 4, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, microUSB 2.0 and a 2420 mAh battery.

The Lumia 930 is the first handset to come with Windows Phone 8.1 out of the box, which features a significant array of new features like Action Center, Cortana, customizable tiles in addition to Nokia’s exclusive suite of utilities that include Nokia Camera, Creative Studio, Storyteller and more.

Android has Google Now, iOS has Siri, and with Windows Phone 8.1, there is now Cortana. Lauded as the most natural sounding voice assistant, Cortana uses Bing’s search results to offer recommendations, weather results, nearby location information and a wealth of other data, with Microsoft steadily adding more features to the service. One of the main factors against recommending a Lumia was the lack of content available for the ecosystem, but that isn’t the case anymore.

The post Back to School 2014 Buying Guide: Smartphones appeared first on VR World.

LG’s turnaround appears to have completed with today’s earnings results. According to LG’s very own earnings announcement for the past quarter (2Q 2014), the company shipped 14.5 million smartphones, a record high for the company. This is primarily driven by the fact that LG finally knows how to not only make a great smartphone, but also how to market it and sell it to consumers, something they kind of lacked with previous phones like the LG Optimus G and the LG G2. Both the Optimus G and G2 were fantastic devices and pretty much owned the competition whenever they were introduced. However, with the G3, LG clearly learned their lessons from the Optimus G and G2 and were able to capitalize on those lessons to sell more smarphones than ever before. It also helps that LG is still the manufacturer for Google’s Nexus 5 which is still a quite popular phone.

LG has also learned quite a few lessons on how to make software and how not to ruin the Android operating system like some of their competitors have done (ahem, Samsung). So, when people take the LG G3 in their hands, they don’t feel like its a ‘slow’ phone relative to the others. LG’s decision to also go with a higher resolution display also helps the display look much sharper than the competition, which is a big factor when people are looking at a phone.

Obviously, $400 million in profit on $15 billion in revenue is nothing to run around the streets cheering about, as that is still a profit margin of less than 3%. However, it still reflects a 165% increase in profitability from the same period a year ago and is a result of stronger mobile and TV sales (LG’s profit numbers include all divisions together). The mobile unit alone, however, managed to pull in $3.5 billion in revenue and squeeze out about $83.4 million in profit. In fact, LG’s strongest business unit was their air conditioning and energy solutions company, which means that LG’s mobile and TV businesses still have a lot of room to improve upon, but clearly they’ve made some serious progress because $400 million in profit is still quite good.

This is a good turn around for LG’s mobile division and it will be interesting to see how they build on it after the G3, especially with Samsung and HTC following their every step. What I can tell you, though, is that LG is bringing some serious competition to Samsung and HTC and is forcing them to be more competitive on pricing as well. After all, the G3 actually launched at $99 on contract, forcing the Galaxy S5 and One M8 to also drop down to that price if they weren’t there already.

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In a somewhat unsurprising move, Verizon will be offering the LG G3 on their network starting July 17th. They will also be offering LG’s G Watch as an accessory to the LG G3 as well. However, thanks to the awesome 2-year contract price of the LG G3, of $99.99 the LG G Watch will actually cost most consumers more than double the money up front.

The LG G Watch (below) will retail on Verizon’s network as an accessory to the LG G3 (or any Android phone) for $229. Both this watch and the smartphone have been highly anticipated since their initial launches a month ago. Details about the LG G Watch have been slowly trickling out thanks to Google, as LG appears to have been holding a lot about the watch back until Google talked about Android wear features at Google I/O.

LG G Watch on Verizon

This means that LG’s G3 is likely going to bring some serious competition to Samsung and HTC who both currently sell their phones on Verizon at $99.99 as well (after originally selling for $199-ish back in April). The awesome part is that the G3 is already coming in at a lower retail price ($599) which enables it to come in at a more competitive on-contract price of $99.99 at launch. Additionally, you can also get this phone on an Edge plan for $30 a month, but then you’re basically paying a ton of money not to even own the phone. And yes, it will be XLTE (carrier aggregation) which will combine Verizon’s 700 MHz and AWS spectrum to deliver more download capacity.

Overall it should be great to see the smartphone companies competing with another and giving consumers really good choices. And it is also good to see that the carriers are also giving more affordable on-contract prices, which may make selling something like an iPhone 6 even more difficult at $199 or even the rumored $299 on contract.

The post Verizon Gets LG G3 and G Watch July 17th appeared first on VR World.

LG has finally announced their new LG G3 smartphone/phablet. As many had expected, the LG G3 does indeed sport a 5.5″ QHD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, resulting in a 539 PPI pixel density. LG, however, rejects the claims that this phone is a phablet as they believe that the overall smaller bezel size makes this phone feel like a standard 5.1″ phone. It also has the expected Snapdragon 801 (not the faster Snapdragon 805 we just benchmarked) and LTE and 802.11ac/b/g/n connectivity. It will ship with Android 4.2.2 just like the LG G2 that came before it, and frankly I wouldn’t expect it to run much if any faster than the Snapdragon 800 in the G2 because of the much higher resolution display.

The LG G3 in many colors

LG has also improved the camera on the phone greatly by reducing the focus time to 276 miliseconds, so essentially in 1/4 of a second. They also improved the camera’s optical image stabilization (OIS) by 20% which means that it will be even more stable in taking long exposure photos or when recording videos. The G2 already did this pretty well with the 13 MP camera it had (which the G3 also apparently has). There are also some software improvements in the G3 to make using the LG G3 more photography friendly, but merely in incremental ways.

The back of the LG G3, with the dual LED camera and buttons and speaker

The LG G3 also sports the same battery as the G2 had, with a 3000 mAh battery, however, LG opted to include MicroSD card support in the G3, which means that you can use an SDXC memory card up to 128 GB in your phone if you absolutely find it necessary. Just keep in mind that SD card corruption is possible with Android phones and any data you have on there that isn’t backed up elsewhere could easily be lost and be completely unrecoverable. The phone will come in 16GB and 32GB variants, still without a 64GB variant, which is fine considering that users that really want serious capacity can spring for a microSD card slot.

LG G3

In terms of design itself, the phone is still made of plastic but has a ‘polished metalic skin’ that makes the phone appear as though it is made of metal like the iPhone or HTC One M8. It also follows HTC’s design cues by making the back of the phone curved so that it fits more comfortably inside of users’ hands and simultaneously provides for more space to fit things inside of the phone. This is a welcome improvement from the G2, but isn’t necessarily anything groundbreaking in terms of design or functionality. The buttons are still on the back of the phone, and they are also improved over those that were found on the G2.

LG also completely redid the software on the LG G3, by completely overhauling the G3’s UI to appear much cleaner, refined and simple. They’ve added some unique features to the phone that are designed to compete with some of their competitor’s unlock features. The LG G3 features a knock code feature which allows you to unlock your phone with a specific series of taps. This is obviously more complicated than HTC’s double tap, but it also allows for the phone to be completely unlocked from a sleep state. However, this is still not anywhere as nice as Apple’s or HTC’s simple fingerprint sensor which works with a single swipe. The LG G3 will also feature a Kill Switch, which we’ve been opposed to from a perspective of misuse by security agencies, but you can kill your phone remotely if you lose it or it gets stolen. While many details about the LG G3’s Kill Switch weren’t given, they did say it would allow for the phone to be ‘disabled’, locked, and wiped remotely but didn’t talk about how such features would be managed.

And yes, the LG G3 will have wireless charging capabilities, which means that even though the phone has a ‘metalic skin’ it will still be able to charge and may actually be one of the reasons why LG went with a plastic body and metal skin instead of a solid metal construction like HTC and Apple. Speaking of that, today we also got news that LG is officially the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world as of Q1 2014, which indicates the company’s efforts are paying off and that their quality products and design are resonating with a global audience. Hopefully we’ll get our hands on a G3 soon so that we can review it and let you know how fantastic that display really is and whether or not the Snapdragon 801 inside of the phone is capable of coping with a 2560 x 1440 display.

The post LG Announces LG G3 with Stunning 538 PPI Display appeared first on VR World.

It seems as though May is going to be a pretty busy month in the smartphone industry, much like April was. This month we saw the Launch of the HTC One M8 as well as the Samsung Galaxy S5, after their announcements in the months before. Now, it appears to be Motorola’s and LG’s turn as Motorola is rumored to be announcing the Moto E and Moto X+1 on May 13th and LG is expected to launch the LG G3 on the 27th, an update to the G2 from last year. The G2 last year was a fantastic phone and really cemented LG’s platform in a way that got Google to borrow from it for the Nexus 5, which is made by LG for Google. The G2 is actually a renaming of the original line’s naming as the Optimus G series, but LG had already made an Optimus G2 phone, so they dropped the Optimus name and now we’re coming up on the G3.

LG G3 Launch Invitation

With LG’s G3, the expectations have mostly been that the company will launch a phone in the 5-5.5″ ballpark since the LG G2 is already a 5.2″ nearly bezel-less phone. The expectation is that LG will continue this trend with the G3, which means no buttons on the sides of the phone and all of the buttons on the back of the phone. The big deal about the G3, however, is that it is rumored to be bringing a 2560 x 1440 (or 2560 x 1600) resolution display to the smartphone formfactor which is eagerly awaiting a phone with that kind of resolution from a mainstream manufacturer. OPPO’s Find 7 is supposed to have a 2560 x 1440 display, but that phone isn’t quite available yet in most markets and it isn’t necessarily a mainstream/tier 1 manufacturer. It will probably have a pretty impressive camera like the G2 did and it will probably have an even bigger battery than the G2 did, which was already a massive 3100 mAh lithium polymer battery. I don’t really know what LG can do that’ll be considered innovative outside of the new display, but anything they introduce should be received well, even if their phone does come a bit later than Samsung’s and HTC’s. I think the 2560 x 1440 resolution is worth waiting for, purely because of the quality of the display and because it may also mean a Snapdragon 805 as opposed to a Snapdragon 801.

Motorola Launch Invitation

In terms of Motorola’s announcement, the rumored devices that are expected to be announced are the Moto E and Moto X+1 which are essentially a new budget phone (Moto E) and a new flagship phone (Moto X+1). However, one must remember that Motorola is technically now a Lenovo division and this may affect where they try to position the Moto X+1 because frankly, the Moto X was overpriced for what it offered and as a result, I don’t think they sold as many as they had thought. Perhaps they’ll realize this with the new Moto X+1 and offer it at a lower price like the current Moto X is, at $299 tomorrow. Their business model should be to offer the bare experience at $299 and then to offer various premium experiences of that phone at $349, $399, $449 and $499, encouraging people to spend more money for a better looking phone but lure them with the base price. Heck, its what all the car manufacturers have been for decades.

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