LG G3 just died, looking for replacement under $500?

LJonc on 15/06/2016 - 16:41

Hi all, I just had my LG G3 die on me after under 2 years service :-( (rebooting all the time even during a firmware re-flash)

I'm looking for a decent phone replacement but under $500 if possible with the following features:

  • Good battery life (found the G3 struggled)
  • SDSlot for expandable memory (Min: 64GB+)
  • 32GB Internal storage
  • 3GB+ RAM
  • 1080P or higher resolution
  • 4G reception (currently with Vaya/Optus)
  • Snappy and speedy
  • Larger screen 'similar' to around the G3 size is fine (don't mind larger though)
  • Clean ROM (Eg, no spyware, addware..etc.. some of the cheap Chinese phones scare me with what they pre-install)

Nice to have features:

  • Fast focus and decent cameras
  • NFC for processing payments at times
  • Removable battery but I've noticed most new phones don't allow for this!
  • Quick charging (Already have Quckcharge 2.0 devices and car charges)
  • Ability Navigate (Google maps) whilst charging the phone without the battery draining.

Wow that is a fair list of features… I think most new phones already have this but I'm just trying to see what is actually good and worth considering at the moment… Eg, I know Galaxy Note 6/7 it due out soon and wondering if I should wait for Note 4/5 to drop once the new one is out along with an Ebay 20% promo..etc.. (also don't really like the build in battery as like now it's good to have a backup phone and I feel all these phones with built in batteries will not last long term without maintenance… which is a shame but out of our control)

Mobile

Comments

  • Savas on 15/06/2016 - 16:58

    I have been saying this a lot but I really recommend windows

    • Jonc on 15/06/2016 - 17:02
      +1

      Thanks for the reply Savas, I did have a look at Windows as well but I've got allot setup with Google already and share with Wife, and work partners as well… do you know if Windows phone can still access Google maps (including custom maps), Contacts, Calendar, Google photos, Gmail..etc..

      Also any idea if apps such as Google+ exist and more importantly social apps such as Whatsapp, Kakaotalk..etc.. Also how do you rate them compared to Android if you've used it before? Any other issues you've come across as I have read good things about Windows and I started out with the old Windows Mobile (PPC) phones many years ago so don't mind switching but just need to ensure access to apps is still good..etc

      • Savas on 15/06/2016 - 17:11
        +1

        In that case DO NOT buy a Windows phone, sorry

        • Jonc on 15/06/2016 - 17:15
          +1

          Hi Savas, thanks again for the reply, I'm quite interested in Windows but just the last time I checked apps it was not great but it sounds like it's still might be a bit of an issue which is a real shame as the OS and responsiveness really did feel great I though it was better and smoother than Andorid when I had a couple min play with one some time ago… Hope MS manage to get some decent app support as I think they 'could' be a good option if they get better app support.

        • Savas on 15/06/2016 - 18:24

          @Jonc: I have personally used Kakaotalk and WhatsApp on my WP without any issues. But there is a real lack of support for Google apps but I take that as a good thing because Google know WP could be real good and much more popular if Google made apps for WP. I find that the Microsoft Maps apps is pretty good any way.

  • supnigs super skids on 15/06/2016 - 17:03
    +1

    S5 is cheaper now or note 4

    • Jonc on 15/06/2016 - 17:19

      Hi supnigs,

      Thanks for that I will check into the S5 I actually did not look into it much but did look into the S6 and found it rather expensive still…

      P.S. My wife has an S5 and generally has been happy with it other than the 16GB version always running out of space but I see there is a 32GB version I might check into :-)

      • datafellows on 17/06/2016 - 16:20

        Add a MicroSD card? :p

        • Jonc on 21/06/2016 - 15:38

          Hi datafellows

          Yes, I currently have a 64GB SD card and got a 128GB I was planning on upgrade it with before the phone died as I store allot of movies..etc..on the phone for travel and the kids ;-)

          The major issue I have with 16GB internal storage is apps use up so much I simply run out very fast and applications won't update due to low space.. I've tried moving apps over to SD but it does not really help (my wife has this issue with her S5… so I've vouched never to buy a 16GB phone again as the LG 32GB was fantastic and not a single upgrade issue with any apps :-)

          It seems all the social apps and chat apps use so much storagw now days with no very much options in 'archiving' or cleaning up just history xxx months old..etc.. bit of a pain and I've sent feedback to most of the vendors that allowed me to to please include features such as this ;-)

    • ribze1 on 26/06/2016 - 23:02

      +1 for a S5

      • Jonc on 27/06/2016 - 10:03

        My wife has the S5 and storage for her is a huge issue (phone is constantly out of space and we really struggled to install the 6.0.1 Android update as we had to remove so much stuff off the phone before we could update it which is a real shame!)

        She has 32GB card were all her pictures and video's are saved to and we've moved as much apps as we can over to SD card but it's still only using less than 10% of that card and the phone is just struggling big time with 16GB ROM… I'm a heavier user than her unfortunately so unfortunately I don't think it's possible for me to use that phone… Would be great if Android would allow you to 'move' entire apps (apps, data, cache..etc) to the SD card and not just a minute fraction of the app as we have heaps of free space on the SD card but just simply cant use it as the OS does not allow for it.

        Appreciate the feedback and I agree 100% it's a fantastic phone especially with 6.0.1 (great improvement in speed) however the 16GB is just a deal killer for my needs/usage unfortunately.

  • sntran23 on 15/06/2016 - 17:40

    Have you had a look at any of the OnePlus phones? It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I've had a OnePlus One since pretty early on and still love it.

    • Jonc on 15/06/2016 - 23:13

      Hi Sntran23,

      I did some time back but not for a while until tonight. it seems there new phone has some great specs!..

      May I ask what it's not everyone's cup of tea? What do people not like about them as the current model with 6GB Ram 64GB Rom for around AU$600 that seems like a good deal to push the budget and save a little extra if it's a really good phone?

      • sntran23 on 16/06/2016 - 12:52

        I think it's to do with the brand name. Not many people would have heard of OnePlus (well, maybe a few on here have), and I guess they might feel that support for it isn't as good as say a Samsung or Apple phone (although the online community for OnePlus is pretty good, and I've had no issues with getting help when I need it).

        Also, it is a Chinese company made phone (not that that really matters) which might also deter some potential buyers.

        I've always liked to try new things and be a little different, so I've been thoroughly impressed with my OnePlus One. I've had a look at a few reviews for their Oneplus 2 and Oneplus 3, and it seems that it has generally been good feedback. Only problem now is that my OnePlus One is still kicking on strong, so I haven't had a reason to get the new one yet!

  • scrimshaw on 15/06/2016 - 17:52
    +1

    I would buy the upcoming Motorola G 2016. Price unconfirmed though.

    the base specs are not as nice as the LG G3, so you can't really say it's an upgrade:

    5.5-inch screen
    Full HD 1080p display
    Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor
    2GB RAM
    16GB storage
    SD card expansion (UHS1 speeds)
    3,000mAh battery
    13-megapixel rear camera
    5-megapixel front camera
    Android 6.0.1

    but you'll know what the 1080p display gives you — moar screen on time. A boatload of phones nowadays have quad HD displays which coupled with a not-so-big battery means slightly lower usage times.

    Here are about 60 other phones that match your criteria:

    http://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2014&nPriceMax…

    Here's a list of phones with removable batteries (the list is dissapointingly small)
    http://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2013&nPriceMax…

    • Jonc on 15/06/2016 - 23:15

      Thanks scrimshaw

      I'll check it out as well as the other phone lists :-)

      Yeah I agree rather sad to see most vendors moving away from removable batteries, such a shame…

  • uccoffee on 15/06/2016 - 17:57

    I got a AU 2nd hand note 4 + battery for about $500.
    How about a HTC M8 or A9?

    • jek on 15/06/2016 - 23:50

      Highly recommend the M8, an amazing phone with specs that rival today's flagships. Can be had now for $300~

      • datafellows on 17/06/2016 - 16:25

        If you don't care too much camera, buy HTC One M9. Much better performance over M8 and just a little bit more expensive.

        Their sales has been awful and there are good deals on eBay as sellers want to get rid off the stock.

  • PVA on 15/06/2016 - 19:04

    Go and buy a new battery, that fixed our G3 that was rebooting. Cheapy repair shop told me, but they didnt have a battery in stock.
    The battery didnt cost much via ebay, fixed the reboot prob instantly.

    • Jonc on 15/06/2016 - 23:18

      Hi PVA

      Thanks for looking out for me :-)

      However I unfortunately have already tried another battery, hard reset, reflash of official LG firmware as well as official LG Android 6.x firmware as well, nothing is working for me at the moment :-(

      • PVA on 16/06/2016 - 08:28

        Was it a new battery?
        The repairer I went to had an old battery to try but the phone still rebooted. He told me he was 80% sure it was the battery so I bought a cheap one off eBay, thought it was worth a shot and it worked.
        My son was happy .
        His phone started, originally, to reboot when he was doing cpu intensive things like face changes in snapchat. Weeks later it would just reboot from the start and cycle through reboot over reboot.
        Hey, it worked for us, thought I would share it.

        • Jonc on 21/06/2016 - 16:18

          Hi PVA, thanks for the details, I tried it from 2 other working LG phones we have so I 'think' it should have been a good test but if you recon a cheap battery is worth a try I might get that a go as never know might get lucky :-)

        • PVA on 21/06/2016 - 18:35

          @Jonc:
          Did you have the same symptoms as I mentioned?
          You can try with a new battery but you would think two batteries would show something though. Up to you to do it or buy à new phone.

  • belongsinforums on 15/06/2016 - 21:08

    If you loved your G3, G4 is excellent and has an even better camera. Some report poor battery life; they must be power users. Otherwise, try find a cheap Galaxy 6 or 7 if you want the latest and greatest features. Also consider LG V10 or G5

    • Jonc on 15/06/2016 - 23:35

      Hi tomkun01

      Interesting, never seen the V10 before, sounds like it's worth a look into if I can find one at a decent price :-)

      • windwai on 16/06/2016 - 01:44
        +2

        double check the 4G bands before buying V10.

        • Jonc on 23/06/2016 - 10:44

          Do you know what bands are used in Australia? (Simple list?) I've been looking around and found a bunch of bands but wanting to know what the main bands are and perhaps what bands are currently being rolled out/upgraded to help future proof it further perhaps?

        • Jonc on 23/06/2016 - 17:26

          @windwai:
          Fantastic, thanks for that ;-)

  • windwai on 15/06/2016 - 22:58

    If you are looking at Motorola G 2016, you may as well have a look at Moto X Play.

    If you really want a replaceable battery:
    Samsung Note 4, G5, Moto z with power pack are your ONLY options. Dont buy G4 due to bootloop.
    Otherwise you may look at Lumia windows phone.

    Moto X Style ticked all the boxes except 5.7" screen size and internal battery.
    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Motorola-Moto-X-Style-4G-32Gb-Min…
    or 20% off here
    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Motorola-Moto-X-Style-XT1572-Blac…
    You can also look at Song Z3+

  • Vampyr on 16/06/2016 - 08:16
    -1

    LG G3 was such a badly made phone.

    • Jonc on 16/06/2016 - 14:00
      +1

      Yes it seems so… also the early G4's seem bad as well but apparently it's been fixed in the later batches but who knows which one you will get if you purchase from a store/online… very sad and rather disappointing LG does not support people by repairing what seems to be hardware faults with the phone (not even 2 years old yet!)

  • Bill48 on 16/06/2016 - 18:18

    I have a G2 still going strong but as battery is not removeable I am interested.

  • datafellows on 17/06/2016 - 16:27

    HTC One M9. Not expensive and still good performance.

    Camera is just not that awesome.

    And heaps of cheap accessories because the phone flopped :)

  • dajackal on 19/06/2016 - 18:32

    I had the same problem with my G3 and ended up getting the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro for $273 delivered. Kills the G3 in build quality, performance and battery life but sadly the camera is alot worse.

    Is it worth getting it repaired under warranty?

    • Jonc on 20/06/2016 - 09:14

      Hi dajackal,

      Thanks for that I was just about to ask if any one has used those phones as I noticed a deal was just posted (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/253650) Good to hear all is going well with the phone (besides the camera)… have you noticed any strange apps/pre-loaded software with the version you purchased? Did you get it from Alliexpress or other source?

      In regards to warranty unfortunately it's out of warranty as it's the 32GB version which only has 1 year warranty, apparently only the Australian purchased version of the phone (16GB) came with a local 2 year warranty but international it seems warranty is all 1 year on the phones (must be something LG Australia is trying to do to help people purchase locally I'm guessing but I think you have to have 32GB+ ROM as 16GB is simply not enough with todays apps (very hungry on storage)

      • dajackal on 20/06/2016 - 14:02

        Hey mate I got mine from eGlobal and it had the official global ROM preloaded as it was HK stock. So no vendor ROM bs.

        I ordered another from aliExpress from the same seller as your link, for a friend. Requested for the global ROM to be loaded. Should be receiving it today. Will let you know if they put on official or vendor ROM.

        My LG is local stock (2GB RAM was fubar) and should be still under warranty. Been meaning to send it in so at least I can have a backup phone or flick it on eBay.

  • grem323 on 19/06/2016 - 18:42

    i'd highly recommend aiming the note 4. its got everything you've been looking for at decent price too

    quick look thru ebay or gumtree shud easily give you one in the perfect price range too.
    plus its got the screen, removable battery et all.

    Good luck with your search.

    • Jonc on 23/06/2016 - 10:53

      Hi grem323

      I think I'm starting to lean towards the Note 4 as you say, it seems to be a great package all round… just trying to find a great deal now and also wondering if huge discounts will start soon with the new Note announcement/availability in the next 1-3 months?

      It seems I can get a new one from Kogan $579 and eGlobal $533 both being the SM-N910C model rather than local SM-N910U model but from what I can gather it's just missing a band but otherwise a cheaper version of the same phone?

      If you know of any other sources for a new version I'm keen to know as I see it also supports quick charge even though it's not using a Snapdragon chip which is GREAT!

  • Jonc on 20/06/2016 - 09:13

    Hi All,

    Thanks for all the replies, still looking into options and trying to make a depression (also waiting to see what good deals come up as hoping for some rush end of financial year savings perhaps?)… Good trusy Galaxy S2 is holding me out as a basic phone for now (internal storage is absolutely useless with modern apps though) but will keep looking out for some good deals and also into all the options suggested!

    Many thanks!

  • CodeXD on 21/06/2016 - 02:46

    I'm still rocking the LG G2, but looking to upgrade due to the dying battery after 2.5 years. Personally, I'm waiting for the G5 to hit sub $500 and I will definitely get one. It ticks all your boxes plus more

  • Spending2Much on 22/08/2016 - 23:15

    My 29/09/15 QD-AU bought LG G4 just developed the dreaded boot loop issue tonight.
    It just froze and then got stuck on the LG logo screen.
    Removing the battery and inserting it just opens immediately to the LG logo.
    Have contacted QD-AU, now joining the queue of everyone else

    Any info on factory resetting the phone (wipe personal details) befor sending it back?

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join