DHAKA: With the launch of LG’s new G3 smartphone, all major Android smartphone makers have now released their 2014 flagship devices to the market. 

By virtue of being the last of the four to be announced, the South Korean tech company’s newest device, which will compete against the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One (M8) and Sony Xperia Z2, has the added benefit of boasting the latest and fastest hardware, including a super sharp 5.5-inch Quad HD 2560 x 1440 pixel screen (538 pixel per inch), powered by a 2.5GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with up to 3GB of RAM.

These specifications match and even exceed some of the hardware benchmarks adopted by the competition. While it packs a standard 13 megapixel camera that can record 4K resolution video clips, a new camera hardware upgrade, which is the first of its kind on a smartphone, involves the use of a special Laser Auto Focus sensor which aids with speedy autofocusing on objects.

A big change in the way photos are taken with the LG G3 is that instead of the usual two-step process, of tapping the screen to focus the lens and then tapping it again to snap the picture, photo taking is now a one tap operation.

One tap will simultaneous trigger the near instantaneous focus with the laser, as well as the camera shutter.

Though early leaks of the LG G3 showed off a lightweight metallic skin on the rear panel, the final product has a removable rear plastic panel with a metallic-looking finish.

The G3 will be available in Singapore from June 28 at $868 for the 16GB model and $928 for the 32GB model. Pre-orders will begin from June 14 to June 21.

BDST: 1411 HRS, MAY 28, 2014