Looking for new phone. LG G4/LG G5/One Plus 3

Forums › Android › Looking for new phone. LG G4/LG G5/One Plus 3

olivernz

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#199016 1-Aug-2016 10:44

Hey,

My wife's Nexus 5 is slowly giving up (frequent restarts, oversensitive off button). She needs something new. Main use is reading (kindle) and photos aside from the usual stuff. I have a LG G4 and am VERY happy with it. Now the question is what to get her. Id get her an LG G4 but since tech has moved on was looking at the LG G5 but I read a LOT about bad quality. Only other handset that comes to mind is the One Plus 3 but is a little hard to come by.

So anyone out there that can make a call on the LG G5? Is it really that bad? Any other ideas? Oh and I won't buy Samsung.

Cheers & Thanks for any help!

Oliver

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#1602083 1-Aug-2016 10:49

I just got my Mum an LG G4, it's still a good phone and it's pretty good value, so maybe it is a good option.

Consider a kindle paperwhite for reading if it's a key use. They're smallish, slim, light, and MUCH better for reading both in the sun and in bed. Phones emit lots of blue light which inhibits sleep, the kindle doesn't emit so much and it's not quite as blue. If kindle is the main use then get one of them ($200) and a basic phone. The phone app and hardware kindle sync reading position between them.

olivernz

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#1602104 1-Aug-2016 11:21

Actually leaning towards the LG G4. I already know it's a good phone and don't have to take a gamble. As for the kindle, been there done that. She doesn't really use it. It's just another device. She is German and that means she reads everywhere and anywhere. Yes, fully aware of the blue tint (SAD suffere here ;-) )

olivernz

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#1604860 5-Aug-2016 10:25

Ok, so just as an update, my LG G4 just died yesterday. Aparently a known boot-loop issue (hardware). So that went off to get fixed. In the meantime I now ordered a One Plus 3. See how that goes...

jonathan18

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#1604872 5-Aug-2016 10:42

So between Monday and today you've purchased a G4 that's already developed that @#$@# fault? That's really bad luck...

I had planned on getting the G4 for my wife but then found out about this boot loop problem so looked elsewhere (we got her a Huawei P8 when NL's had them for $349 the other day). I had planned on replacing my G3 with a newer version of the same series when the time came, but given the problems with both G4 and apparently G5 I may have to go back to square one! Not sure if I'm yet ready for a Chinese-sourced phone, given the irritations caused with my wife's previous phone (Xiaomi Redmi Note 2).

timmmay

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#1604876 5-Aug-2016 10:47

jonathan18:

So between Monday and today you've purchased a G4 that's already developed that @#$@# fault? That's really bad luck...

Already owns it, read p1.

jonathan18

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#1604886 5-Aug-2016 10:53

timmmay:

jonathan18:

So between Monday and today you've purchased a G4 that's already developed that @#$@# fault? That's really bad luck...

Already owns it, read p1.

Ah! My bad... Still, a p!sser his phone's developed this fault; long may your mother's phone remain free of it!

It really does seem the G3 was the last decently reliable LG flagship phone. Mine's still going fine, touch wood, and fast enough for me.

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#1604896 5-Aug-2016 11:05

How do they get fixed in NZ? I got Mum's from a store in Auckland, suspect it's parallel imported. Probably just ask the store.

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#1604924 5-Aug-2016 11:16

I took a risk with the G5 and I love it. Best phone I've ever used. Camera is great, and additional wide angle camera is AWESOME.

Better than my wife's G4.

Consumer guarantees act man - take a risk on it. It's dropped to about $650 retail, I'd buy this phone again in a heartbeat

olivernz

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#1604968 5-Aug-2016 12:28

Hi,

The original question was to replace my wife's phone an aging Nexus 5 (which has had a LOT of use and is OK to break down). I've found out that it's a known issue with the on/off button sticking. So I ordered some from china and will have a soldering job when they get here. But I still intended to replace it. Anyway then my LG G4 broke yesterday. Bought from Harvey Norman (ex 2degrees stock) in December. They took it back on warranty with absolutely minimal red tape! Kudos! They said LG had a great service so should be back in about a week (instead of two like most other manufacturers). So hoping that all works out. But I realised yesterday I can't work withouta phone for a week. I grabbed back our ex phone (iPhone 4S) from the kids for the next days and then decided to go ahead and order the One Plus 3 which should be here tomorrow. Once the LG is back from service we can then decide, who gets what phone.

Although the LG giving up is annoying I would have bought it again. HN has it on again for $799. The One Plus 3 is next gen though with a Snapdragon 820 and set me back $769. So I thought I'd give it a shot. The OP3 has three drawbacks for me. No QHD screen (which I can survive), no microSD slot (but has 64GB which is enough but really??? No microSD) and no FM radio (the surprising bonus feature on the LG G4 which I found great). Not so sure I can do without the latter but I think there are these things called single-use devices... ;-)

Anyway The OP3 has great reviews as opposed to the LG G5. Both are about the same price atm and both are only available as parallel imports. Most of the tech is the same too. I just thought I'd try Chinese after dining Korean. The only other device that was in the race was the Nexus 5X. The big advantage being fast Android releases and compatibility. But it soon fell out of competition as same gen as LG G4 at lesser specs.

Oliver

olivernz

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#1606345 8-Aug-2016 14:15

Ok. Feedback time. Got theOne Plus 3 on Saturday (thanks PBtech for putting in the effort there!!). Nice phone! Design is impecable. Yes, the camerahump is a nuisance but physically inevitable. And on that note the camera is definitely better than the one on the LG G4. And I thought that one was stellar. The camera app though is definitely not as good.

The screen is weird. It is OLED so it has these poppy colours and deep blacks. Actually makes movie vieweing worse imho. You can switch to sRGB though. We'll see. I also note the step down from QHD to FHD. I can see pixels. But maybe it's a figment of my mind.

Love the fingerprint sensor, the speed, The fact that it doesn't heat up at all. Battery looks long lasting at least compared to the LG. Microphones are a bit meh. Struggling a bit on skype. But that might just be noise cancellation being overzealous. Did I mention the GREAT feel and design? It's not inspirational but they just got it all right. I also like that it feels a lot like the Nexus 5. Basically stock Android and not much else.

Still downsides are a missing FM radio, no microSD, no QHD, no wireless charging.

But for the price ($769) it's a great buy and I'd be torn between the LG G4 and this. I'd probably go with the One Plus 3 eventually.

Also amazing, since it's a parallel import it comes with a US plug. PBtech put in a surge protected adapter to AU AND they put a dual USB AU 2A charger into the packet too. That IS thoughtful. Oh and the OP3 doesn't come with earbuds. So need to buy those extra if you need some.

Cheers Oliver