LG G3 Vigor Review

Name: LG G3 Vigor Review
Item: LG G3 s
Rating: 7.5
Author: John V.

Posted: 24 Oct 2014, 06:58 , posted by John V.

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Tags: AT&T -AT&T + Sprint -Sprint + LG -LG + Android -Android +

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Introduction

When a certain flagship smartphone is so unanimously acclaimed by industry folks and consumers alike, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to know that variants of that said handset are bound to arrive. Indeed, that’s exactly what’s happening to the LG G3 here in the US, as the LG G3 Vigor aims to reach a new segment with its low cost through carriers like Sprint and AT&T – while still giving users many of the familiar qualities of its flagship phone in the LG G3. Arguably a mini variant of sorts, can the LG G3 Vigor still attract consumers who have plenty of inexpensive options to choose from?

The package contains:

microUSB cable
Wall charger
Getting to know your phone guide
Product safety and warranty information user manual

Design

Everything we like about the LG G3’s design is present here, but it’s significantly more compact in size.

Aside from its overall size and weight, the LG G3 Vigor is an exact facsimile of the LG G3 – so it flaunts the same design language as its larger sibling. Still primarily constructed out of plastic, with a thin film of metal incorporated into its rear casing, which gives it that appearance of being brushed metal, the Vigor undoubtedly has a good design balance that comes off nice for an entry-level offering. Better yet, it’s comfortable to hold because of its compact size and the curved nature of its rear casing.

As we’ve detailed already, the Vigor employs the same design as the G3. Therefore, it packs all of the same ports and buttons as its sibling – including its IR blaster, laser auto focus, rear facing controls, removable battery, and microSD card slot. Generally speaking, “mini” phones tend to omit certain features, but we’re really glad that LG decided to keep many of them.

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+ 18 images

Front view | Side view

5.42 x 2.74 x 0.41 inches
137.7 x 69.6 x 10.3 mm
4.83 oz (137 g)

LG G3 s

5.57 x 2.78 x 0.43 inches
141.5 x 70.7 x 11 mm
5.26 oz (149 g)

Motorola Moto G (2014)

5.16 x 2.64 x 0.39 inches
131 x 67 x 10 mm
4.97 oz (141 g)

Sharp AQUOS Crystal

5.76 x 2.78 x 0.39 inches
146.42 x 70.67 x 9.85 mm
5.11 oz (145 g)

HTC One (E8)

To see the phones in real size or compare them with other models, visit our Visual Phone Size Comparison page.

Display

For an entry-level offering, the display actually sports some decent qualities that make it usable.

It’s certainly tough to believe, but it’s become the norm to find entry-level phones sporting 720p displays. Well, that’s exactly what the LG G3 Vigor is rocking – a sizable 5-inch 720 x 1280 IPS LCD display, which produces a pixel density count of 294 ppi. Details are enough to make out find text in the web browser, so it’s not much of a concern when looking at the screen from a normal distance.

Interestingly, the screen bears many of the qualities of the LG G3’s display – though, not its impressive quad-HD resolution, of course. Specifically, it achieves a maximum brightness output of 418 nits, exudes a colder look due to its color temperature of 8001 K, and even the same punchy looking color reproduction. All told, we can’t complain about what we’re presented here, mainly because other entry-phones tend to have really poor quality screens.

Display measurements and quality

	Maximum brightness (nits)Higher is better	Minimum brightness (nits)Lower is better	Contrast Higher is better	Color temperature (Kelvins)	Gamma	Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better	Delta E grayscale Lower is better
LG G3 s	418 (Good)	10 (Average)	1:1029 (Good)	8001 (Poor)	2.2	5.42 (Average)	5.46 (Average)
Motorola Moto G (2014)	390 (Average)	15 (Poor)	1:908 (Average)	8290 (Poor)	2.39	5.32 (Average)	6.78 (Average)
Sharp AQUOS Crystal	400 (Good)	6 (Good)	1:693 (Poor)	6456 (Excellent)	2.15	5.71 (Average)	3.33 (Good)
HTC One (E8)	524 (Excellent)	16 (Poor)	1:1045 (Good)	7914 (Average)	1.98	4.36 (Average)	6.28 (Average)

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The numbers below represent the amount of deviation in the respective property, observed when a display is viewed from a 45-degree angle as opposed to direct viewing.

	Maximum brightness Lower is better	Minimum brightness Lower is better	Contrast Lower is better	Color temperature Lower is better	Gamma Lower is better	Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better	Delta E grayscale Lower is better
Sharp AQUOS Crystal	79%	83.3%	79.4%	15.4%	0.9%	10.5%	91.3%
LG G3 s	84.9%	90%	89.4%	29.5%	16.4%	10.5%	53.7%
HTC One (E8)	85.7%	87.5%	72.8%	17.6%	1.5%	6.4%	26.9%
Motorola Moto G (2014)	86.4%	86.7%	77.1%	13.8%	0.8%	17.7%	18%

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The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x: CIE31' and 'y: CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.

These measurements are made using SpectraCal's CalMAN calibration software.

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Interface and Functionality

Related phones

PhoneArena rating:

7.5 Good

User rating:

8.3 Very good

LG G3 s Compare

Specifications News^[19]

Rivals Photos

Size it Videos

24 Comments

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posted on 24 Oct 2014, 07:21 2

1. ABDULGHAFOOR (Posts: 105; Member since: 04 May 2012)

Wow Compact Beauty

posted on 24 Oct 2014, 10:05 2

2. Captain_Doug (Posts: 1037; Member since: 10 Feb 2012)

Nexus 5 is more compact and higher end for $50-100 more. This does have a good look to it though.

posted on 24 Oct 2014, 12:02

3. magnifique (Posts: 1; Member since: 24 Oct 2014)

Hi, how does it compare with Xperia C3? The spec is pretty similar with this LG, i need your information. Please make an in-depth comparison PA. thanks :)

posted on 25 Oct 2014, 08:38

4. Captain_Doug (Posts: 1037; Member since: 10 Feb 2012)

Only major difference is screen size. That and software. Not sure of the C3 price.

posted on 28 Oct 2014, 20:28

5. stagwall (unregistered)

I've used a Blackberry Bold for the last 4 years. I begrudgingly need a new phone. The Vigor looks good but I read many negative reviews about the camera. Since my uses are email, web browsing and taking pictures of my kids vs gaming or streaming - I'm a bit nervous to get it. Thoughts?

posted on 29 Jun 2015, 14:05

23. javy108 (Posts: 1004; Member since: 27 Jul 2014)

I hold a LG G3s and trust me, its really great device.

posted on 28 Oct 2014, 22:13

6. HOOHH13 (Posts: 22; Member since: 25 May 2014)

Htc one e8 the best! It has the best specs compared to the related phone. But it is bulky... What you guys think?

posted on 29 Oct 2014, 07:10

7. Captain_Doug (Posts: 1037; Member since: 10 Feb 2012)

Too bulky. So much bezel.

posted on 29 Oct 2014, 07:51

8. HOOHH13 (Posts: 22; Member since: 25 May 2014)

But the speaker is excellent :)

posted on 29 Oct 2014, 07:51

9. HOOHH13 (Posts: 22; Member since: 25 May 2014)

And a super fast processor

posted on 30 Oct 2014, 06:25 1

10. Captain_Doug (Posts: 1037; Member since: 10 Feb 2012)

No argument there

posted on 31 Oct 2014, 07:05

11. HOOHH13 (Posts: 22; Member since: 25 May 2014)

So do you recommend me to buy this phone??? By your opinion

posted on 31 Oct 2014, 07:06

12. HOOHH13 (Posts: 22; Member since: 25 May 2014)

Or the Htc Butterfly 2 will be better? Or any other phones?

posted on 22 Nov 2014, 20:17

13. may_czos (Posts: 941; Member since: 22 Nov 2014)

So much bezel? It's one of the smallest 5 inch smartphones on the market.

posted on 23 Nov 2014, 08:26

14. Captain_Doug (Posts: 1037; Member since: 10 Feb 2012)

Just looks like a lot on the sides. I guess it doesn't add all that much.

posted on 24 Nov 2014, 07:37 1

15. HOOHH13 (Posts: 22; Member since: 25 May 2014)

the size increase because of it's dual front facing speaker

posted on 24 Nov 2014, 07:37

16. HOOHH13 (Posts: 22; Member since: 25 May 2014)

it is just too tall for a 5 inch phone

posted on 26 Nov 2014, 08:14

17. may_czos (Posts: 941; Member since: 22 Nov 2014)

Too tall? It's the shortest 5 inch phone on the market (except frameless Sharp AQUOS Crystal). All other 5 inch devices are taller!

posted on 28 Nov 2014, 21:51

18. HOOHH13 (Posts: 22; Member since: 25 May 2014)

U mean samsung galaxy S4 is taller? LOL

posted on 29 Nov 2014, 15:27

19. may_czos (Posts: 941; Member since: 22 Nov 2014)

It appears to be 1mm shorter. 1 milimeter. ONE!

posted on 30 Nov 2014, 21:48

20. HOOHH13 (Posts: 22; Member since: 25 May 2014)

haha :)

posted on 11 Dec 2014, 11:54

21. treehugger42 (Posts: 1; Member since: 11 Dec 2014)

How does this compare to the Iphone 5C?

posted on 12 Dec 2014, 13:15 1

22. may_czos (Posts: 941; Member since: 22 Nov 2014)

Screen is bigger and better, music and vids are not limited to itunes or Apple related formats, Android is pretty clean so it works smooth only in more demanding 3D games etc. you may notice that performance isn't the best .

posted on 03 Aug 2017, 09:38

24. skips (Posts: 387; Member since: 04 Oct 2015)

as a 2 year old user chiming in from the future i can say only one:
god it sucks and it wont stop overheating. screen is not up to par with iphones. who upvoted this? it doesnt even work that smooth. lollipop update killed the phone. custom nougat roms beat the dead horse even further. WOW needed to get that off my chest.

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LG G3 s

view full specs

PhoneArena rating:

7.5Good

Display	5.0 inches, 720 x 1280 pixels (294 ppi) IPS LCD
Camera	8 megapixels
Hardware	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, Quad-core, 1200 MHz, ARM Cortex-A7 processor 1 GB
Size	5.42 x 2.74 x 0.41 inches (137.7 x 69.6 x 10.3 mm) 4.83 oz (137 g)