Comparison between "The Laboratory" and "My Last Duchess"
But eight months older and wiser we can't possibly be surprised by its successor, the G3. After all, we're ready for it now; expecting great things from it, even. Plus, with phones of the calibre of the HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy S5 already on the shelves, it faces tougher competition than last year's model.
That's the theory at least - but it's all rubbish. Because somehow, the G3 has surprised us again. It's surprised us with its pixel-crazy 2K screen, with its bezel-less design, with its lovely metal-that's-really-plastic build. And most of all, it's surprised us with just how much of an improvement over the G2 it is.
Update 24/06/14: The handset initially tested was the Korean model. We've since spent time with the UK version, and have updated any relevant sections of the review accordingly.
Sophie Charara and Esat Dedezade contributed to this review.
The G3 is one hell of a big phone, but you'd never guess just from holding it. It has a 5.5in screen - up from 5.2in on the G2 - which puts it firmly into phablet territory, but it somehow fits that display into a smartphone-sized body.
How does it do this? By all-but doing away with the bezels. The G2 was already pretty good in this regard, but the G3 takes it to a new level; from the front, it's almost all glass.
It's also surprisingly easy to hold and use despite that big screen. That's thanks to the noticeable curve round the back, which makes it easier to grip and fools your hand into thinking that it's smaller than it is. You won't need to stretch your fingers in order to reach the top of the screen.
Speaking of the back, it's a mostly plastic affair but again you might well be fooled into thinking otherwise. Though the G3’s body is technically 80% polycarbonate, the 20% of metal mixed in with it gives it a premium look, even if it can't quite match the HTC One (M8)’s premium feel. We'd certainly choose it over the Galaxy S5's plaster-like back, and while the Sony Xperia Z2's
That's the theory at least - but it's all rubbish. Because somehow, the G3 has surprised us again. It's surprised us with its pixel-crazy 2K screen, with its bezel-less design, with its lovely metal-that's-really-plastic build. And most of all, it's surprised us with just how much of an improvement over the G2 it is.
Update 24/06/14: The handset initially tested was the Korean model. We've since spent time with the UK version, and have updated any relevant sections of the review accordingly.
Sophie Charara and Esat Dedezade contributed to this review.
The G3 is one hell of a big phone, but you'd never guess just from holding it. It has a 5.5in screen - up from 5.2in on the G2 - which puts it firmly into phablet territory, but it somehow fits that display into a smartphone-sized body.
How does it do this? By all-but doing away with the bezels. The G2 was already pretty good in this regard, but the G3 takes it to a new level; from the front, it's almost all glass.
It's also surprisingly easy to hold and use despite that big screen. That's thanks to the noticeable curve round the back, which makes it easier to grip and fools your hand into thinking that it's smaller than it is. You won't need to stretch your fingers in order to reach the top of the screen.
Speaking of the back, it's a mostly plastic affair but again you might well be fooled into thinking otherwise. Though the G3’s body is technically 80% polycarbonate, the 20% of metal mixed in with it gives it a premium look, even if it can't quite match the HTC One (M8)’s premium feel. We'd certainly choose it over the Galaxy S5's plaster-like back, and while the Sony Xperia Z2's