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LG G3 Vigor Review
24

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.

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

Dimensions
5.57 x 2.78 x 0.43 inches
141.5 x 70.7 x 11 mm
Weight
5.26 oz (149 g)
Compare these and other phones using our Size Comparison tool.
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 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) |
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% |
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 Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display's measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance (balance between red, green and blue) across different levels of grey (from dark to bright). The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones, the better.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.
These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.

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