Still a worthwhile buy?

[Youloufy]

Greetings fellow Androidians,

I have been looking around for a new phone to purchase for a while now because my old phone (Lumia 535) was stolen, and the LG G3 has contantly been under consideration due to having pretty good performance and features for a price that practically makes it the best bang for the buck phone I can get where I live (Pakistan).

I read many reviews and had pretty much decided to purchase the phone until I looked it up on Reddit and saw that many people were having issues with reboot loops and that started making me question the thought to purchase it. Browsing around, going from Reddit post to forum post, I saw that a lot of people were facing reboot loops after using the phone for anywhere from 2 weeks to 10 months.

I wanted to ask the people here who have it or had it and if it's still working, and if so, for how long have they been using it? And if they ran into the reboot loop issue or any problem for that matter, how'd they solve it? Also, what version of Android are they running and how is performance holding up?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Do keep in mind that I plan to use this phone for 2-3 years, but don't mind doing a factory reset every couple of months or so.
If any reader has any suggestions as to any other phone that I could purchase for a similar price point, please do reply with your suggestion.

Thanks and cheers!
-Youloufy,

 

[Gbsa]

I bought mine used off eBay in December of last year, so far it's been great. I have the Verizon version running lollipop, there's been no boot loop or lag. Love the features of this phone, my previous phone which is now my backup phone is the note 3. The only advice I can give you is get an extended battery, I got the mpj extended battery from Amazon. Which is great, easily doubles my battery life without adding too much bulk.

 

[xocomaox]

I would not worry about a few people with boot loops. Most likely that is due to user error. This phone has been an excellent one for me. I used mine from July 2014 until march 2016. It has been excellent! I also have the same extended 6,000 mAh battery as Gbsa does. It's nice to be able to throw in on long trips or other times when you need twice the juice.

Screen is nice, you can squeeze 4-6 hours of screen on time with mixed usage including games. The device is also rootable and you can do some fun, safe stuff with custom firmware to maximize the phone';s potential and customization.

For the price, it's still a great phone even comparing to others that are more recently released. I had replaced mine with an S7 Edge, but only because I wanted something new and I had the opportunity to save a ton of money with my carrier by doing a Device payment Plan. If not for that, I would probably still be using it because it still runs fast and has one of the best screen-to-body ratios of any 5.5" phone TO DATE.

 

[Youloufy]

I bought mine used off eBay in December of last year, so far it's been great. I have the Verizon version running lollipop, there's been no boot loop or lag. Love the features of this phone, my previous phone which is now my backup phone is the note 3. The only advice I can give you is get an extended battery, I got the mpj extended battery from Amazon. Which is great, easily doubles my battery life without adding too much bulk.

Thanks for the reply dude.
How long had the phone been used for before you bought it? And what version you using, the 32GB with 3GB RAM or 16GB with 2GB RAM?
Sorry for asking so many question, it's just that I want to make sure that I don't make a mistake purchasing this phone cause I doubt I'll be able to get a new phone if this one gives up.

 

[Youloufy]

I would not worry about a few people with boot loops. Most likely that is due to user error. This phone has been an excellent one for me. I used mine from July 2014 until march 2016. It has been excellent! I also have the same extended 6,000 mAh battery as Gbsa does. It's nice to be able to throw in on long trips or other times when you need twice the juice.

Screen is nice, you can squeeze 4-6 hours of screen on time with mixed usage including games. The device is also rootable and you can do some fun, safe stuff with custom firmware to maximize the phone';s potential and customization.

For the price, it's still a great phone even comparing to others that are more recently released. I had replaced mine with an S7 Edge, but only because I wanted something new and I had the opportunity to save a ton of money with my carrier by doing a Device payment Plan. If not for that, I would probably still be using it because it still runs fast and has one of the best screen-to-body ratios of any 5.5" phone TO DATE.

But you see, the thing is the "most likely a user error" is what's messing with me because if it truly is a device fault, then I doubt I'll be able to purchase a new phone if it runs into the boot loop. I searched around quite a lot and found that the boot loop is a problem with the battery, and maybe the extended battery you have is why you and Gbsa haven't run into the issue.

I'm probably going to just be using the stock original battery because I still haven't found any website or store selling the aforementioned extended battery where I live. But I should be able to get through a whole day of use since all I pretty much use on my phone is WhatsApp, email, Yik Yak and Instagram.

 

[xocomaox]

But you see, the thing is the "most likely a user error" is what's messing with me because if it truly is a device fault, then I doubt I'll be able to purchase a new phone if it runs into the boot loop. I searched around quite a lot and found that the boot loop is a problem with the battery, and maybe the extended battery you have is why you and Gbsa haven't run into the issue.

I'm probably going to just be using the stock original battery because I still haven't found any website or store selling the aforementioned extended battery where I live. But I should be able to get through a whole day of use since all I pretty much use on my phone is WhatsApp, email, Yik Yak and Instagram.

I do not think this is the case with the battery. I use the stock battery far more often than the extended one (obtained a whole year after getting the G3). The only boot looping I've come across is for the G4. I think you'll be okay with this extremely well-price little powerhouse.

 

[me75006]

The owners that do not have a boot loop error (wonder about the history) don't post about that, obviously.
I have been satisfied with my G3.

 

[Youloufy]

The owners that do not have a boot loop error (wonder about the history) don't post about that, obviously.
I have been satisfied with my G3.

Yeah. I was thinking the same thing a while after posting this. Are you having any issues with the headphone jack?

 

[Youloufy]

I do not think this is the case with the battery. I use the stock battery far more often than the extended one (obtained a whole year after getting the G3). The only boot looping I've come across is for the G4. I think you'll be okay with this extremely well-price little powerhouse.

Thanks for the input. One last question: Have you had any issues with the headphone jack?

 

[Gbsa]

Thanks for the input. One last question: Have you had any issues with the headphone jack?

No problem I was just using it to watch videos while everyone else is still sleeping

 

[xocomaox]

Thanks for the input. One last question: Have you had any issues with the headphone jack?

Never had any issues with it on the G3! My Motorola RAZR Maxx used to have issues towards the end of it's life though (second half of the second year I used it). I guess it was a dust situation, and at first I thought it was bad headphones.

 

[Gbsa]

Thanks for the reply dude.
How long had the phone been used for before you bought it? And what version you using, the 32GB with 3GB RAM or 16GB with 2GB RAM?
Sorry for asking so many question, it's just that I want to make sure that I don't make a mistake purchasing this phone cause I doubt I'll be able to get a new phone if this one gives up.

That would be dudette, and it's the 32gb with the 3gb of ram. It's just a fantastic phone. Nice screen size without being huge in the hands. Mine is model #vs985. Really don't know the history of it bought from a company off eBay.

Thanks for the reply dude.
How long had the phone been used for before you bought it? And what version you using, the 32GB with 3GB RAM or 16GB with 2GB RAM?
Sorry for asking so many question, it's just that I want to make sure that I don't make a mistake purchasing this phone cause I doubt I'll be able to get a new phone if this one gives up.

 

[Klotar]

I've gotten new phones almost every year since my Motorola MicroTAC. I just HAD to have the latest/greatest (although back then, smaller was better!). That said, for the first time in many years, I did not get a new device last year. I was perfectly happy with my LG G3. Sure, I'd still like a new phone, and probably will in a few months; but I just did not feel I *HAD* to get a new phone last year like I had in previous years.

 

[xocomaox]

I've gotten new phones almost every year since my Motorola MicroTAC. I just HAD to have the latest/greatest (although back then, smaller was better!). That said, for the first time in many years, I did not get a new device last year. I was perfectly happy with my LG G3. Sure, I'd still like a new phone, and probably will in a few months; but I just did not feel I *HAD* to get a new phone last year like I had in previous years.

I felt the same way last year with my G3. The flagships of 2015 didn't really offer much... And the G3 was a strong phone for its time.