LG G3 first impressions: Incredible display and camera knock off my Xperia Z2

LG announced the LG G3 a couple of weeks ago and sent along a Korean model for me to test out. Even though this device isn't optimized for the US and I can't read half of what is loaded on this device, the experience has been so good that I put my new Xperia Z2 up on Swappa for sale already.

When I get a hold of a US carrier model I will post a full review, but for now I included some product shots, a couple photos I took with the LG G3, and a few screenshots to give you a feel for the device. Please let me know if you have specific things you want me to try and I will make sure to answer those questions in my full review.

The LG G3 boasts one of the best displays we have ever seen before on a mobile phone. It's a 5.5 inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. With a 538 ppi, I doubt you can find a visible pixel anywhere on it and love the way that photos and movies look.

I bought my Z2 due to the high quality design and construction, 20 megapixel camera, and waterproof capability. In preliminary tests I found the camera performs better on the G3 than on the Z2, which is one reason I decided to make the switch. I am also finding it is better for me to buy an official T-Mobile device that supports Wi-Fi Calling capability.

Other reasons I like the G3 over the Z2 are the in-hand feel, edge-to-edge display (Sony wastes too much room at the top and bottom of the display), optical image stabilization, removable battery, and infrared port.

I almost bought a G2 last year, but didn't like the fingerprint magnet glossy plastic and the design of the rear buttons where I kept hitting the volume instead of the power button. Thankfully LG improved the back with a nicer quality plastic that has a brushed metal look and finish. I am testing out a white model and think it looks great.

The buttons are still on the rear, but they have been improved so that I no longer hit the upper and lower volume buttons while I can also easily find the center power button. I am becoming a back button believer as I find my fingers naturally lie on them when I hold the device. While I like having a dedicated camera capture button, you can hold the down volume button and rotate the G3 to launch the camera from a display off state.

The ability to tap and turn on the screen was also improved with Knock Code where you create a custom tap code from three to eight taps in four quarters that helps to make your device more secure.

There are plenty of settings and options on the LG G3 for you to fully customize the device. Settings are well organized and there doesn't seem to be too many to overwhelm the user. I hope to try out their QuickCircle case to test out this option and setting in the future too.

The one I am testing has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot. I am hopeful that the T-Mobile G3 has this capacity available too since no flagship Android device should launch with 16GB.