LG G3 s (Beat)

Instead of making a mini version of its G3, LG has instead launched the LG G3 s (Beat outside of Europe). It is in essence the same thing, however. “Smartphone manufacturers cannot ignore the  growing segment of consumers that wants the best balance of looks, features, performance and, of course, price,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president of LG Mobile. “The LG G3 Beat represents our commitment to the mid-tier smartphone market that demands mature technology, proven branding, great innovation and attractive price, all in a single device.” The LG G3 s will be released in South Korea on 18 July, with a global launch to follow. It will arrive in Europe and CIS countries in “the weeks that follow”. 

Mobile Fun is listing the G3 s for pre-order at £299, but no shipping date is provided. Although it’s smaller, the G3 s looks very much like the full-size G3 with the same floating arc design and Rear Key. It comes in black, white and gold. Possibly the reason LG decided not to call the handset the LG G3 mini is that it has a 5in screen. This screen is a 720p IPS display, and the phone has a high 74 percent screen to body ratio. Inside is a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. There’s just 8GB of internal storage, but a microSD card slot lets you add more.

The rear camera has a lower resolution than that of the standard G3 at 8Mp, but it retains the Laser Auto Focus. A 1.3Mp shooter can be found at the front. It has 4G support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC, but there’s no sign of an IR blaster. The G3 Beat runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat and has some of the same software features of the flagship G3, including the Smart Keyboard and Gesture Shot. Under the cover is a 2540mAh removable battery.