Korean manufacturer LG says it hopes to attract a different audience with the 5-inch LG G3 Beat. It’s aiming the device at busy women on the move – but the Beat will be attractive to anyone who prefers a handset that’s not quite as massive as the 5.5-inch LG G3 and just that little bit less pricey.
It’s worth noting that the Beat isn’t a mini version of the G3. While it has many of the same high-end features as the G3 – including a beautiful design, laser autofocus, touch and shoot, gesture shot, and smart keyboard – certain aspects are a little less impressive.
The G3 Beat has a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and runs Android KitKat 4.4.42. It has 8GB onboard storage and a 16GB microSD card included. While this is less powerful than the LG G3, it still gives you a great user experience.
When it comes to display, the G3 Beat has a 5-inch HD 720p display featuring 294 pixels per inch. This is a lot lower than the G3’s 538 pixels per inch, but you're unlikely to notice the difference. The LG G3 Beat’s display is bright, clear and crisp.
The 8MP rear camera (the LG G3 has a 13MP camera) has laser auto focus and the same ‘gesture shot’ function as the LG G3, which lets you take selfies with a three-second timer triggered by your fist. This is a fun feature we really enjoyed. It also has a ‘virtual flash’ that gives you a white display overlay for better nighttime selfies.
We really love the long-lasting removable 2 540mAh battery, and a final nifty feature on the LG G3 Beat is the ‘quick circle’ function which works with the official phone cover. It lets you access six different functions from the display without even needing to open the cover.
Also new: LG G Pad LTE and G Watch R
Coming to the Vodacom network in November is LG’s first tablet, the G Pad LTE. The 8-inch tablet will pair with Android smartphones via Q Pair 2.0, which lets you see notifications from calls and messages and respond directly.
The G Watch R, unveiled at IFA in Berlin in September, will also make its way to Vodacom next month, powered by Android Wear. It has a 1.3-inch OLED screen, which can be customised with up to 11 different looks. It has a 1.2GHz processor, 512GB of RAM and 4GB of storage. Battery life is 410mAh, and it can be submerged into 1 metre of water for up to 30 minutes.
