LG G3 QuickCircle, Slim Guard, Slim Hard, wireless charger and USB stick review

The LG G3 is one of the phones to shape the industry landscape in the short 12 month tenure before the next iteration comes out and so far it’s shaping up quite good.

LG did well to tone down the K Pop look of the Optimus UI in its latest release and the redecoration continued with the set of accessories. We’re about to check out the LG QuickCircle flip cover, the Slim Guard back panel, the wireless charging dock and the USB stick.

You all know, flagship smartphones aren’t just expensive silicon nowadays and all the bells and whistles of this or that platform. No, style is very much involved – these phones cost a pretty penny and are made to impress. They come duly accessorized as manufacturers try to maximize their appeal and, in most cases, that goes well beyond the fashion statement.

Accessorizing them has become the next fad but it’s a trend we don’t object. Just on the opposite, we enjoy it. So let’s look at the LG G3 trinkets that came in the mail this week.

Retail box

The LG QuickCircle flip cover, the Slim Guard back panel, the wireless charging dock and the USB stick all came in a dedicated review kit box that has each lying in its own compartment. The box probably won’t be available to the general public and is most likely meant as a stylish press kit.

LG G3 accessories box

QuickCircle case

OK, let’s open the treasure chest. The first thing that will catch your eye is the QuickCircle flip case.The rear has a textured finish that’s not glossy like the standard LG G3 battery cover and feels more durable. It will come in five colors – Silk White, Shine Gold, Aqua Mint, Indian Pink and Metallic Black. Ours, as you might have guessed is the latter.

The QuickCircle case uses the popular Qi standard to charge the LG G3 wirelessly. It’s important to note that the battery cover of the international LG G3 supports wireless charging anyway – in other words the accessories are not adding an extra feature. But if you happen to have the Korean or US-friendly model, it’s the optional case only that enables wireless charging.

The flippable front has a circle that allows a peek at the display below. But before we move on to the actual circle in the QuickCircle case, let’s go over the hardware side of things.

To begin with, the front of the case has a fabric finish on top with precision made cutouts for the earpiece and proximity sensor. This makes sure the QuickCircle case does not interfere with phone calls.

The inner lining is very soft so that the display it covers doesn’t get scuffed. The circular window on the front has a glass or a see-through plastic lining on the inside edge of the circle. It lights up in a really attractive way. .

LG G3 QuickCircle case

The QuickCircle case has a swipeable interface. When you double tap in the circle to unlock, the first thing you’ll see is a digital watch face. It can customized with a large number of additional ones. The analog ones have a moving second hand.

All the clock faces show you the date and little icons for notifications such as calls, messages, etc. Upon a swipe in either direction you’re taken into a carousel of 6 shortcuts – music, camera, messaging, call log, settings (for the circled interface and not the phone) and the LG Health app.

The music app allows you to play the songs on the G3 with music controls and the album art. The LG Health app shows you how many calories you’ve burnt on how many steps. The camera will allow you to snap pictures and review them (but only if you haven’t locked the device), it won’t show you the phone’s gallery. The messaging and call log apps are self explanatory.

You can receive and make calls all without lifting the flip cover off the screen.

LG G3 FlipCircle case

Perhaps you will get the functionality better, by watching this a quick walkthrough video that we shot.

LG has released an SDK so that developers can create third party apps for the circled interface. All of this might not matter, however, as LG is asking $45 for the QuickCircle and that’s a tough one to swallow. Still, rival Samsung has a $50 price tag on its wireless charging S Cover flip case for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 without having any added abilities.

Slim Guard case

The Slim Guard case is a backup back panel with embedded wireless charging abilities. It comes with protective rubber edges and allows for a much better grip. The back offers a welcome contrast to the LG G3′s slippery-feeling back panel with a hard, textured finish.

LG G3 Slim Guard case

When the Slim Guard case is on, the phone feels more rugged. All the components on the body become slightly recessed and thus better protected from rough srfaces – the camera lens, the back-placed buttons, the laser autofocus sensor and the LED.

LG G3 Slim Guard case

Slim Hard case

Next comes the LG G3 Slim Hard case. It’s a very slim plastic case for the LG G3 but unlike the Slim Guard case attaches to your back panel and doesn’t replace it. The Slim Hard case retains wireless charging functionality due to it being so thin.

LG G3 Slim Hard case

It comes in four colors – black, dark purple, orange and beige and includes specific cutout for the G3′s camera lens, back-placed buttons, infrared autofocus sensor, dual LED and speaker grille. The case also has an etched out LG logo.

The finish is leather-like, although the case is made out of plastic. The beige one looks exactly like leather at first glance and you’d be surprised when you touch it and find out it isn’t. It makes the LG G3 comfortable to hold and we can tell the case is well made. The only drawback we can find is that the case feels a little slippery.

LG G3 Slim Hard case

The Slim Hard case by LG is difficult to find at the time of writing and there are very few retailers that have it on offer, none of which have a price for it.

Wireless charger

The LG Wireless charger doubles as a dock for your phone. It folds so it becomes more portable to carry. When unfolded, it accommodates the LG G3 perfectly and also other wireless charging-supported smartphones.

Folding the charger into a dock position makes it unlike most wireless charging pads we’ve seen. With those the phone lies flat on a surface, whereas with the LG G3 wireless charger the phone sits erect so it’s more practical to use on your desk allowing you to see notifications as they come in without the need to pickup the device from its charging point.

LG G3 wireless charger

The wireless charger performed really good. It draws 1.2 A from the socket and 0.9 A from the PCs USB port. One drawback is that it doesn’t come with its own USB cable but as the accessory is designed for the LG G3 we’re going to assume you have the phone (or any other phone with wireless charging) and have a microUSB cable on hand.

Mobile USB

One of most useful accessories for the LG G3 is the mobile USB. It’s a flash drive with 16GB of storage (14GB of which are accessible) and offers two extensions – microUSB and a USB 3.0 connector. Both are hidden recessed inside the drive’s body and there’s a lever, which you can use to pop either one out.

The convenience here is that this drive can be used on your PC or as an on-the-go drive on the LG G3 (or any other device with USB on-the-go abilities).

The drive isn’t the most compact we’ve seen but is compact enough. We like the fact that it houses both USB ends without leaving them exposed to dust on the outside. This makes the mobile USB drive ideal as a carry-on accessory.

LG G3 mobile USB

Summary

The LG G3 accessories will make your spanking new flagship a little more secure, a little more functional and a little more comfortable to charge. We liked the wireless charger dock the most as it doesn’t confine your smartphone to a flat on its back position, allowing you to use it while charging on your desk.

The QuickCircle case will be ideal for those that don’t like working with the full screen estate for calls and notifications. Heck even the occasional photo snap is doable without the need to operate the full screen canvas. The added bit of protection is also a welcome change.

The Slim Guard feels right on the LG G3. It makes it feel like a more rugged device, it enhances the grip and unlike most bumpers won’t encompass the screen with its rubber claws resulting in dust-filed edges all around the front.

And the mobile USB drive – functionality-wise that seems like a great little accessory to have on the go – while LG has made sure its practicality is transferred to the clean and functional physical design as well.