The LG G3 Review
by Joshua Ho & Anand Lal Shimpi on July 4, 2014 5:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- LG
- Mobile
- Laptops
- G3
Camera Architecture
For those that are familiar with the LG G2’s camera, much of this will seem like old news. After all, OIS and a 13 megapixel camera are both things that have already been done, but LG did focus upon adding new elements to the camera system that are well worth investigating. The key new features this go around are laser autofocus, and OIS+. It doesn’t appear that anything significant changes between the G2 and G3 in terms of optical stack. As far as I can tell, the LG G3 does appear to be using a new front facing camera, as the Sony IMX208 is a sensor that I’ve never heard of before. There’s not a lot of public information on this sensor, but we do know that it has a 1.4 micron pixel size and 2.1 megapixels. I’ve put the details on the G3’s camera system below in a table. Outside of the camera itself, LG has also added a dual-tone LED flash much like the system on the iPhone 5s and One (M8), which improves color rendering when the flash is on. This means that the flash can complement the lighting of a scene rather than fighting it.
| Camera Architecture | ||||
| LG G3 | ||||
| Front Camera | 2.1MP | |||
| Front Camera - Sensor | IMX208 (1.4µm, 1/5.8") |
|||
| Front Camera - Focal Length | 1.8mm | |||
| Front Camera - Max Aperture | F/2.0 | |||
| Rear Camera | 13MP | |||
| Rear Camera - Sensor | IMX135 (1.12 µm, 1/3.06") |
|||
| Rear Camera - Focal Length | 3.97mm (29mm eff) | |||
| Rear Camera - Max Aperture | F/2.4 | |||
The first “new” feature isn’t actually particularly new, although we’ve learned more about it since it was first announced. The LG G Pro 2 introduced OIS+, which was stated to be OIS with EIS to improve stabilization. The LG G3 uses the same OIS+ system, and we now know that the plus at the end indicates that the camera is now stabilized along the z-axis. In practice, the effect is rather subtle, although it’s clearly there. Overall, the image stabilization locks on to target better than before. LG leverages this to achieve a maximum integration time of 1/9 seconds. Low light will also push ISO/sensor gain as high as 2900.
The actual new feature is the laser autofocus. While I talked about it back in the launch article, I’ve gained a more nuanced understanding of the system. The laser appears red to my eyes, but a camera with a poor IR filter sees the laser as purple, which suggests a spread of spectrum rather than a single wavelength. This system is likely to be a much more refined version of a proximity sensor. While it’ll take a more nuanced look at focus latency, subjective testing shows that the G3 is very fast to focus on low contrast targets, and is much more consistent in its low light focus performance compared to contrast-detection based systems. I haven’t found any evidence of this subsystem in the kernel, so I suspect that this system is integrated into the camera rather than as a discrete device.
While during some initial investigation it seemed that the G3 might actually use the IMX214 sensor, after some more digging it’s clear that this is using the Sony IMX135. I suspect that LG may have considered using this sensor at some point in the past but changed the spec without changing the software. Despite this, it's worth going over what the advantages of the IMX214 are. These advantages are effectively summed up with reduced z-height requirements, better sensitivity, less color crosstalk, and true video HDR. Reduced z-height requirements are a function of the better light collection capabilities despite off-center collection angle. Better sensitivity was also achieved by reducing the distance between the microlenses and the photodiode on the sensor. This same change also reduced the amount of color crosstalk, so this means that the red pixels will have less blue or green light detected and so on. Finally, the upgraded sensor means that two different exposures can be taken simultaneously for video HDR integration. Sony states that this new sensor can do this HDR combination up to 13 megapixels at 30 fps, 2160p30, or 1080p60. The IMX135 is still capable of doing the same at 1080p30, so I suspect that there wasn't enough improvement from the IMX135 to the IMX214 to justify a more expensive sensor.
To see how well this new system really performs, we have to turn to our array of camera tests. This will also serve as a good benchmark for how LG has improved image processing in general, as the OEM has a significant impact on the final image quality. This is because post-processing techniques done poorly such as excessive noise reduction, artificial sharpening, or failure to correct for various types of aberration can have severely impact final image quality.
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akdj - Sunday, July 13, 2014 - link
"...and sure in the heck are not paying $60 for a stupid case for that."That made me laugh. You're unwilling to throw down $60 on a case while 'considering' dropping/dumping or upgrading from one of today's 'Flagship' phones! Thanks though for the Sunday chuckle but WOW. Color me silly, but that's a helluva 'first world' challenge you've got going there! Anand posted an(other) excellent, well written review. Another flagship handset. Innovative display and yep...as so many others before you have mentioned... All at the expense of a bit of brightness (typically a 'non issue' as we use our phones most often indoors, and outdoors the measurements are still just 'fine' for usage & snapshots), wireless charging? Really, you're basing your purchase decision on an unproven, completely niche and rare...without common specification technology? I own a Note 3 & an iPhone 5s. The former, solely for my business. The latter, my personal phone. I love them both and honestly feel like we've hit that 'plateau' in performance. Almost a year in, I'm wondering if I'll even take advantage of the NEXT deal at AT&T. They're both still fast as hell, no way I'd notice any differences between those and today's offerings (iPhone TBD, obviously) from Android. While Sammy has improved its AMOLED technology in the S5 even more than the S4-->Note 3, I've used both and honestly, even as an almost three decade professional audio and video production company business owner and operator, the differences to me were hardly distinguishable. They've come a LONG way with AMOLED in comparison to the long time king of displays, the LCD, to the extent in many (possibly more than) measurements, it's taken over as the 'better' technology. Longevity? We're yet to see, but without Samsung innovating their technology, and listening to the detractors...or paying attention to reviews, numbers and measurements each generation, they'd have 'pulled out'. You've got a damn sweet phone NOW. There's not a single phone available today that's going to 'better' your M8 if you bought it knowing its strengths, and more importantly it's limitations. If you're looking for the all around 'best' camera, you made the wrong choice. If you take few photos or primarily shoot in low light situations ...you made the right choice. Hard to bitch about HTC's UI. It's excellent! While I'm one of the very few that actually 'like' T/W, you're probably best taking my GUI opinion with a grain of salt but other than your issue with contrast (valid complaint, IMHO as a 'visual geek'), I know I took a long time to get to the point, so ....
Tl/Dr, that's silly. Don't even THINK about replacing your M8 today. Unless you're A) still within the 'return period' and/or
B) not happy with the phone for some reason (why did you buy it? It's a bad ass hand set! Don't 'chase' specs, the genesis of technologies or 'absolutes' when it comes to a 'smartphone' --- in the end, you'll be underwhelmed, disappointed and you'll lose money EVERY time you do something so 'silly')
Ultimately today's smartphone market is awesome. With over two million apps between iOS and Android, Windows making their own moves (& certainly, while late to the game with the SP3, ousting of Balmer, and it's iOS MS Office suite 1.0 release...Win 365 subscription family package @ $10/month for five tabs and five computers and five users, EACH with a TB of their own storage accessible via OneNote from anywhere, anytime, GRAND SLAM! Go to Best Buy and save $40 for the year, about every other week they've got the bundle on sale...& it's completely 'cross platform' with an Android full release imminent, I'm an OSx user primarily but also own a pair of Windows machines. As well, being a Note 3 user, I'm very excited to see where MS is going...)
Yep. LG took a leap at this resolution. But they're one of very few display manufacturers. Most OEMs use Samsung, LG, or Sharp displays. Makes sense to me at least they'd be the ones aiming for the 'ultimate' resolution for human visual acuity. Is THIS the version to buy? If you're an original LG 'g1' owner, maybe switching out of an S3 contract, or not exactly crazy any longer with iOS and considering upgrading a 4s or iPhone 5 that you purchased almost two years ago, ABSOLUTELY! If you're an owner of a 2013 flagship, either iOS or Android, from those measurements (other than PPI/display technology and size preference), it's very obvious 2014 to this point had been 'iterative' with refinements to UIs (Samsung has definitely worked in TouchWiz instead of adding 'more' they've refined existing features, ala S-Pen/features and it's recognition when the pen is out ... Better overall ability to 'control' the OEM's pre-installed software (carrier bloat, different story but ubiquitous regardless of Android choice) -- point being they've succeeded with UI improvements and that's a BIG end user 'upgrade' IMHO. While the UI needs a refresh, a launcher of choice is a simple and cheap addition. The A7 hit Qualcomm like a ton of bricks. While indeed Apple is still a ways away from utilizing its full power due to RAM, the A8 instruction set, new memory management and the 7.1 'update' were HUGE. Obviously still keeping computational pace with significantly 'faster' clock speeds on half the cores with half the memory. As well - the dated IT graphics solution Apple used on the A7 will certainly be updated on the A8. Qualcomm will be ready with 64bit SOCs next year, or late this year. I guess my question would be 'why' HTC, Samsung, and LG aren't using the faster 805/420s today? Sorry to ramble but ultimately, I'm extremely excited to see this type of evolutionary improvement from one of today's largest display manufacturers. I'm glad to see the transition from '3D' to HiDPI from the 2011/12/13 CES shows to the '4K' and HiDPI displays shown off this past January in Vegas, and actually 'affordable' 1.0 releases @ Best Buy half way through '14. IMHO, display resolution rules the roost. With resolution, comes ALL the primary factors that make ANY resolution 'good' vs 'great". Attributes that come FAR before resolution updates, you're correct ...kind of. Brightness while important, especially in a cell phone is pretty important. Though as you can plainly see, it's still 'good' and easily visible outdoors. Contrast = Huge. Color and gamut/calibration as well as grey scale, gamma, display technology used, viewing angles, saturation and 'response time'. If you're gaming, you're looking for fast refresh rates, you'd hate my new Eizo. Soooo many factors that go into a good display and they're each (OEMs) beginning to 'get it'. Pre sale calibration. Options for, albeit limited post purchase calibration (TouchWiz and the display adaption option). Pushing barriers is good. My dream is to have 4k displays and a delivery system for the content in place by 2020. HiDPI displays are ubiquitous on computing displays. (Hard to explain my passion and 're' invigoration for using my computer, my laptop ...daily, since purchasing my first rMBP in 2012. We've now got seven, five for the business, two personal 15" 2013 rockets! PCIe TB storage that is faster than anything I've used in my life, a display that blows my mind EVERY time I turn it 'on' ...its I/O options, TB2 has become a GodSend for us, as have the new docks and the ability to literally turn it into a 'desktop' workstation (- the Xeon procs and enterprise RAM, you'd never know. It's truly THAT fast!)). I could go on and on but I guess I'm blown away by the 'reasons' some folks come up with to not replace their five month old bad ass pocket computer. Nor do I understand the backlash from our 'geek' community against LG for pushing the barriers AND using scientific reasoning to explain human visual acuity, how much density is 'truly' necessary to be indistinguishable from the sharpest photo, the finest print (especially for many traditional Asian writing/text/characters and alphabets)... Or and while I so hate the cliche itself; "Like looking through a window" ...IOW, his explanation was pertaining to the ability to 'see' in a display the 'same' visually your eye would see in a 'real world' scenario.
Again, all my opinion. Yours is different, I respect that. But I don't respect spec chasing, bullshit reasons to upgrade every three months to chase specs and bragging rights. That's dumb. It's not what you make, it's what you save. From your comment, I'm assuming your young (ya know what they say about assumption though). If I'm wrong, I'm sorry. If I'm correct, the difference in you saving that extra three to six hundred a year you're dropping on cell phones when you're 30, 40, 50...65 and ready to retire, is HUGE! Say you're 25. Without interest, that's $12-$24,000. With that cash each year and another $150/month stashed away starting at 20 instead of thirty in a fund that nets you an 8% average yearly increase (over 40 years) is 3.9 million @20 vs 2.2 million at 30 years old. At 40, you'll be lucky to hit a million. Figure out today what tomorrows 'Apple' stock will be and throw all that out the window. Buy all ya can and sell in a decade. You and the next six generations of your family won't have to work ;)
anishannayya - Tuesday, July 15, 2014 - link
No one has the time or energy to read your massive wall of text...tenaciousjesse - Tuesday, July 29, 2014 - link
Wow. You may have priceless knowledge. U DO ramble, but it's not just random idiotic rambling. Email me-jesse30135@Gmail.comsoldier4343 - Thursday, July 17, 2014 - link
Ignorant.TechShark - Monday, November 17, 2014 - link
I have a Sprint US G3 and the screen is super bright and colors seem very close to my iphone 6. I actually prefer the G3 display. I've heard that LG tweaked the display for the US version of the phone after some of the brightness and calibration criticisms about the Korean model such as was reviewed here. In fact on reviewer said he thought it might be a different panel altogether. Maybe Anandtech can look into this and see if recent US spec G3 models are in fact getting an improved display because mine is simple gorgeous and very bright.soldier4343 - Thursday, July 17, 2014 - link
Having the top of the line is all about bragging rights over actual benefit of a higher resolution.vr4africa - Friday, May 1, 2015 - link
I do not agree, with VR becoming big, I for one are big fan of VR, you need at least a 1440p screen. For proper VR you actually need a 4k screen. That is one of the reasons LG has pushed for the 2k screen. So if you were living under a rock the last 2 years and do not even know about VR, you should not make comments and judgement!hughlle - Friday, July 4, 2014 - link
And how do you arrive at that conclusion? It is stomped over by the G2 in the majority of the battery life tests.cylemmulo - Friday, July 4, 2014 - link
did you mix up the words G3 and G2?ASEdouard - Saturday, July 5, 2014 - link
I don't know. Brightness/viewing angles in a photo display is very important to me. I'd take that over the higher pixel count. I think I actually like the G2 better than the G3.