LG G3 HANDS ON.

LG unveiled its G3 today as part of a coordinated global introduction event, and while the main announcement streamed out of London, we made the trek over to New York City to get the opportunity to go hands-on with the phone for ourselves. Does the 2K display live up to the hype? Does this hardware feel as good to use as the phone is pleasing to look at? Check out our encounter with the G3 for yourself to learn what we found.

While the G3 has a 5.5-inch display, LG’s done something very nice here with the phone’s bezels, and by optimizing the use of space the manufacturer has been able to put together a pahblet-sized device that’s not unfathomably wide; we found it to be a pretty nice fit in the hand. The rear controls are easier to interact with than ever, and though we might have preferred some One M8-style metal rather than mere “metallic” accents, the G3 still manages to feel quite nice.

The software, on the other hand, may be more of a mixed bag, and our initial run-in with LG’s new, flatter UI left us a little underwhelmed; sure, things are simpler, but they also appear a little drab. Luckily, the phone’s features are slightly more impressive, and we especially came away with a healthy appreciation for the LG Smart Keyboard and its easily resizable layout.

We also get to check out that focus-assist laser, andwhat once sounded like preposterous speculationhas been 100% confirmed. When it comes to the G3′s camera, the laser’s just the tip of the iceberg, and we also look at the OIS improvements and tweaks on the software side of things.

Expect more in-depth G3 coverage from Pocketnow, including our full-length review, in the days and weeks to come.