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LG announces G3 Stylus phablet with an "exceptional price"

by Mark Tyson on 26 August 2014, 11:45

Tags: LG Electronics (066570.KS), Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), PC

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LG today announced a new variant of its flagship G3 smartphone, dubbed the G3 Stylus. As you would expect, it features stylus-enhanced functionality making it a device likely to rival Samsung's Galaxy Note range of smartphone/tablet crossover devices (AKA phablets).

The company will be debuting the device at IFA in Berlin which kicks off next week. The LG G3 Stylus will join the likes of the G3 Beat, and the G Vista in LG's lineup of G3 variations for 2014. The G3 Stylus will sport the same 5.5-inch sized display and 13MP rear-facing camera as the flagship G3. However, the front-facing camera is reduced from 2.1MP on the G3 to 1.3MP here, and there is also a downgrade in processor from G3's 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor to an unnamed 1.3GHz quad-core SoC.

Other specs of the device include Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS, a 960x540 pixel 200ppi display, 8GB of memory expandable via microSD, 1GB RAM, a 3,000mAh battery, and dimensions of 149.3 x 75.9 x 10.2mm, weighing in at 163g. Due to slight step-down in specs compared to the original G3, primarily the screen resolution, processor and the amount of RAM and built-in storage, the G3 Stylus looks like a fairly mid-range handset.

LG is boasting that the device will have an "exceptional price", and the stylus is said to be "perfect for effortless jotting, doodling and sketching with precision". This largely indicates that it will undercut the price of Samsung's Galaxy Note 4, which is also set to be unveiled at IFA. Moreover the specs suggest that it should undercut any new Samsung Galaxy Note by quite a margin.

Initial target markets are those that are often associated with budget and entry level smartphones. The G3 Stylus will start shipments in Brazil in September, followed by countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. However, a US and/or Europe launch has yet to be detailed. More information about the pricing, specifications, and availability of the handset should be forthcoming at IFA. (As will LG's new round faced smartwatch)



HEXUS Forums :: 6 Comments

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I'm waiting for the Nexus 6 / X :)
I got a G3 on pre-order and while it's a fine device, I don't think I'd rush out to buy the Stylus variant. The drop in hardware spec is one cause, but also I kind of like the way that Samsung implemented the S-Pen (got one of those on my Note 10.1).

So much for the “Stylus” being the 805-powered G3. :(

PS given that the Stylus - which is called a “phablet” - has the same screen size as the normal G3, does this mean that my G3 is really just a stylus-less phablet rather than a large-screen phone? Not sure at what point a device gets the “phablet” moniker.
Why hobble the device with a screen so low res for it's size? That's lower PPI than the Galaxy S2! While perfectly usable I'm sure we expect much more from a phone in 2014, 300 dpi mimimum really, which makes this rather disappointing and in no way a contender against the Note 3 / 4
cptwhite_uk
Why hobble the device with a screen so low res for it's size? That's lower PPI than the Galaxy S2! While perfectly usable I'm sure we expect much more from a phone in 2014, 300 dpi mimimum really, which makes this rather disappointing and in no way a contender against the Note 3 / 4
…no way a contender against the Note 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 :D
Nah, Galaxy Note 4 for me. Been waiting ages to upgrade my Note 1.