LG G3 with 5.5-inch Quad HD display & 13MP camera goes up for pre-order for Rs 46,990 in India

After being unveiled in May this year, LG Electronics' G3 smartphone is now up for pre-order in the Indian market. A successor to the company's flagship G2 smartphone, the device sports a 5.5 inch Quad HD display that the company claims provides four times the resolution of HD and almost two times higher resolution than a full HD display. It also has a floating arc form factor that incorporates the design heritage of the 'rear key' and a polished metallic skin on the rear cover.

While the company has not officially launched the device as of now, you can pre-order it on e-commerce site Infibeam.com for Rs 46,990 and Rs 49,990 for the 16 and 32GB models respectively. According to the site, the device will be available starting July 25 (so expect an official launch by LG around the same time).

Here is a look at the specifications of the device.

The smartphone sports a 5.5 inch Quad HD IPS capacitive touchscreen display (2560×1440 pixels resolution) with 538ppi pixel density. It runs on the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system and is powered by a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor. Users can select between 2 and 3GB of RAM. They will also get an option of choosing between 16 and 32GB of internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 128GB with a microSD card.

LG G3 has a 13 megapixel autofocus rear camera with dual LED Flash that can also record full high definition videos (1080p) at 60 frames per second, as well as a 2.1MP front facing camera that can also record full HD videos (1080p) at 30 fps. The Optical Image Stabilizer Plus (OIS+) camera also has 'Laser Auto Focus' which LG claims can shoot sharp images in a fraction of the time required by conventional phone cameras. On the connectivity front, it has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G LTE (depending on the region), as well as a microUSB port and microSD card slot.

The dimensions of the device are 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm and its weight is 149 gm. The company has provided a removable 3,000 mAh battery in the device, which also has GPS (with A-GPS support), and Near Field Communication (NFC). It will be available in metallic black, silk white, shine gold, moon violet, and burgundy red colours. Starting today in South Korea, LG G3 will begin rolling out worldwide.

Here is a video introducing the device.

Additional UX features

Smart Keyboard: According to LG, the Smart Keyboard reduces input errors by up to 75 percent by tracking and analysing typing habits and intuitively 'knowing' what word the user intends to type. Individual keys can also be customised with frequently used symbols for even faster input.

Smart Notice: Like a personal assistant, Smart Notice provides suggestions and recommendations based on user behaviour, phone usage patterns and location. It can remind you of a call you declined earlier and ask if you would like to call that person back, or if you have a large number of unused files/apps on the G3, Smart Notice will ask if you would like to delete/uninstall them.

Knock Code: Enables users to unlock their device with a pattern of taps. Merging security and convenience, users can create a personalised code that can be entered anywhere on the screen.

Content Lock: Keeps personal files safe and hidden from view when sharing the G3 with friends. When the G3 is connected to a PC, Content Lock prevents file previews so the data is still safe.

Kill Switch: Gives G3 owners the ability to disable their phones remotely in the event of theft. The Kill Switch also allows content on the G3 to be wiped so personal information won't be compromised.

Considering its high-end specifications, we feel that the Rs 46,990 price tag is decent for the smartphone, especially since its competitors were launched for much higher in the market. Samsung had launched its flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone for Rs 51,500 in India (now available for as low as Rs 37,990), while HTC's One M8 was launched for Rs 49,900. In addition, Apple's iPhone 5S is available for a starting price of Rs 47,999.