Updated: LG G3 release date, news and rumors

LG G3 release date, OS, screen and camera

LG surprised us all with last year's LG G2. It combined top flight specs with innovative features and alongside the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 it really put LG back on the mobile map.

But the company faces a bigger challenge now as it's got to keep that momentum going with an even more impressive successor - the LG G3.

Little is known about that successor, though a number of rumors are starting to bubble up. We've scoured the web for all the juicy gossip and put it in one place to start to paint a picture of the LG G3.

First of all, to get the completely unsurprising bit out of the way, it looks like the handset will indeed be called the LG G3, as LG has applied to trademark 'G3'. With that said, let's get down to business.

LG G3 release date and price

One release date doing the rounds is May 17, a date which comes from Korean site asiae.co.kr, which in turn heard it from "industry sources."

The LG G2 didn't arrive until September, so a launch as early as May seems a little unlikely, but reportedly it's being done to allow the G3 to better compete with the Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2 and new HTC One.

For what it's worth the same source claimed the LG G Pro 2 would be launched in February, which it was right about, so there could be something to its LG G3 claims.

On the other hand German site Giga Android is claiming a "source close to the matter" has quoted a June launch, while an anonymous user of the ortud.com forum claimed the device will probably launch in July. Whatever the case it looks like it might arrive earlier in the year than the LG G2 did.

There's no word on what it might sell for yet, but this is a flagship phone we're talking about, so it will cost a lot. However LG's flagships have tended to slightly undercut Samsung and HTC rivals, so keep your fingers crossed.

LG G3 display

The LG G3 will apparently have a 1440 x 2560 QHD display, according to the same "industry source" as the May release date rumors. Apparently it will be 5.5 inches, which if true would amount to 534 pixels per inch.

We're somewhat skeptical about that though, it feels more like wishful thinking than anything grounded in reality, although LG has told PC Advisor that it will launch a Quad HD smartphone in the second half of 2014. Could it be referring to the LG G3? Quite possibly.

Meanwhile a user agent profile leak has listed a QHD display on a handset sporting the LG D850 model ID and a "source at LG" told Phone Arena we'll see a 2K screen on the G3.

1080 x 1920 is the current go-to resolution for flagship phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2, but if the LG G3 intends to stand out from the crowd a QHD screen could certainly help.

LG G3 processor and RAM

The LG G2 has a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, which is still pretty impressive, but LG is said to be improving its in-house Odin processor and an octa-core version of it is tipped for the LG G3.

The latest octa-core version of the processor will apparently have four cores clocked at 2.2GHz and the other four clocked at 1.7GHz, which should give it a sizable boost over the LG G2.

It's worth noting that most new flagships get tipped for octa-core processors at the moment and it doesn't always pan out, while it could equally be that only certain variants of the handset will get octa-core power, as we've seen in the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

If this does turn out to be true though it would mean a move from the Snapdragon chipset in the LG G2 to LG's own chipset.

There's no word yet on how much RAM the LG G3 might have. The G2 has 2GB, but the LG G Pro 2 upped it to 3GB, so here's hoping for the same in the G3.

LG G3 operating system

A benchmark for a mystery Android handset believed to be the LG G3 due to its model number of LG-D830 (which is similar to the G2's D802 model number) showed that it ran Android 4.4 KitKat. No surprise there, this is a flagship after all.

It seems a safe bet that the G3 will use LG's Optimus UI and include recent innovations like Knock Code, which takes KnockOn to the next level by allowing users to tap a pattern on the screen when it's off, to both turn it on and unlock it.

LG is tipped to be overhauling its smartphone UI especially for the G3, with a screenshot appearing online claiming to be the firm's next generation interface.

If legit, you can expect the LG G3 to sport a flatter user interface which looks less childish than the overlay on the G2, while the clock and weather widget has an air of Samsung's TouchWiz about it.

According to a Phone Arena source the new LG G3 will have advanced personalization features, allowing it to learn your usage patterns and adapt the interface based on your needs at any given time.

That sounds similar to features we see on Samsung, Sony and Motorola handsets which can trigger certain settings at particular locations or time of day, but perhaps LG is going to take things a step further on the G3.

LG G3 camera

Initial rumors coming out of ZDNet Korea pointed towards a 16MP sensor, but more recent leaks suggest a 13MP one.

What will probably be the first of many photos supposedly taken on the handset appeared the other day. The picture was an impressively detailed image of a cat and had a resolution of 4260 x 2342 according to the EXIF data.

That equates to 9.6MP at a 16:9 aspect ratio, which would mean the camera should be capable of taking 13MP photos at a 4:3 ratio.

The photo was posted on the ortud.com forum by someone going by the name 'Geek'. The poster claimed their friend was testing the phone and that it had a 13MP camera with optical image stabilization plus (OIS+) and that it's very similar to the snapper in the LG G Pro 2.

The posters megapixel claims match those revealed by the EXIF data, but that's something that's very easy to fake. Not to mention the fact that the device is listed as an LG-D972, which isn't a model number that we've ever come across.

If it does turn out to be real then it will have the same number of megapixels as the LG G2, but given the quality of the leaked image it looks like it could still be capable of taking significantly better photos.

Phone Arena also received a User Agent profile from an anonymous source which showed a device going by the name LG D830 (the same device as appeared in benchmarks) as having a 13MP camera along with support for 4K video playback and 120fps slow motion video.

Chassis, security and what we want

LG G3 chassis

The actual design of the LG G3 is one thing which LG has managed to keep very quiet. We'd take an educated guess and say that it will probably keep the buttons on the back, as love it or loathe it it's a design decision which helped the G2 stand out.

It also looks like the LG G3 might have a water and dust proof body, according to a source who spoke to ETNews.

It's a feature that seems to be all the rage these days, with both Samsung and Sony building flagships that can withstand the elements, so it wouldn't be surprising if LG did the same. Beyond that you know as much as we do.

LG G3 fingerprint or eye scanner

Back in January we heard from South Korean site ETNews that the LG G3 might have a fingerprint scanner.

It would make sense, as the iPhone 5S, HTC One Max and Samsung Galaxy S5 all sport one and you'd think LG would want to be part of the club.

Still, we'd take the rumor with a pinch of salt as the same report claimed that the LG G Pro 2 was likely to feature a fingerprint scanner and it didn't.

But the rumors don't end there. More recently ZDNet Korea reported that LG was considering biometric authentication (specifically either fingerprint or iris scanners) in its future products.

Expressing interest in something is hardly a confirmation that it's happening, but that hasn't stopped certain corners of the internet from concluding that it will be a feature of the LG G3.

5 things we want to see

That's all we've heard so far, but while we wait for more rumors to emerge here are five things that LG really should include in the G3:

1. A metal chassis

There was a time when it was only Apple making truly stunning smartphones, but now HTC and Sony have got in on the act too.

Samsung might be stubbornly sticking to plastic but then it's got enough market share that it can pretty much do whatever it wants. LG doesn't have that luxury and if it wants to turn heads an all-metal LG G3 would be a good start.

2. An iris scanner

There's the ghost of a whisper that this might happen, but we're far from convinced. It should though.

If done well it could be an even slicker alternative to the fingerprint scanners that manufacturers are currently going mad for and it would put LG ahead of the game, rather than playing catch-up.

3. A beastly battery

The LG G2 has pretty great battery life as it is, so we're hopeful that the LG G3 will follow suit. Battery life is one of the last remaining hurdles manufacturers need to overcome, but it's a big one.

We'd take a battery which can last several days between charges over increased power or screen size in a heartbeat.

4. A 64-bit processor

There was talk that Samsung might include a 64-bit processor in the Galaxy S5, but that didn't happen, which now gives LG the chance to beat Samsung to the punch.

It's debatable how useful a 64-bit processor would even be right now, but it would help to future proof it at least.

5. Bulked up storage

We're not too sold on microSD cards, but we are fans of plenty of storage space, so a bigger hard drive would be great. The iPad Air comes with up to 128GB, as does a phone in China, so why not the LG G3?

• Like LG but want something a little smaller? Check out the LG G2 mini