LG G3 shows off high-res screen, metallic back (pictures)

The G3 is LG's latest flagship smartphone, and it boasts a dizzying set of specs. Its 5.5-inch screen has a 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution, it has a supercharged quad-core processor and a camera that uses lasers to focus.

The device comes in five colors: black, gold, white, violet, and red, but some of these variants are region-specific. You’ll need to check with your carrier to see what is available in your market.

The G3 debuted globally in the UK, US, and Australia. For the UK, the phone launched July 1 for about £490.

In Australia, the 16GB version of the phone will go for AU$799, and in Singapore, the 16GB model will retail for S$868 without contract, while the 32GB will go for a slight markup of S$928.

For the US, AT&T and Sprint customers will be able to nab the G3 first, on July 11. Then, on July 16, T-Mobile users will be able to purchase it for the full prepaid price. Verizon will pick it up a day later on July 17.

On contract, the handset can run about $100 to $200 in the US. Without a carrier agreement, the G3 can cost as much as $600.

Like the G2, the power and volume buttons are on the back of the phone, rather than on the side. It takes some getting used to.

The idea is that the buttons are placed exactly where your finger will naturally rest when you're using the phone.

The 1440p screen is pin-sharp, of course, but even up close, you can't really tell much difference between it and a 1080p screen, such as that of the Samsung Galaxy S5.

The bezel is extremely thin and allows for maximum screen real estate.

The G3's QHD screen has more natural color tones than the S5's screen (which has a warmer color cast). In the end, though, having a 1440p display is more about bragging rights for marketing than any actual visual improvement.

On the bottom edge lays the Micro-USB port for charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The back of the phone is made from plastic, but the metallic finish makes it very hard to tell it isn't metal.

The back of the phone is also where you'll find the 13-megapixel camera.

The camera uses a laser to focus on objects, which LG reckons allows it to lock on faster than any other phone.

The laser also helps the camera to achieve a sharper focus in low-light conditions.

The camera interface has been stripped down to make shooting as simple as possible.

There's a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. For selfies, obviously.

The G3 is running the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat software.

LG has skinned the interface quite heavily. Like the Galaxy S5, there are so many added features that the settings menu has had to be split into four sections.

Multitasking seemed trouble-free in my hands-on time, thanks to the 3GB of RAM.

The interface is quite attractive. LG has used what it calls "mature" colours as background for key apps.

I'm not a big fan of mustard yellow, but I'm sure some of you will like it.

The keyboard can be made bigger, which should help speed up typing on such a vast screen. You can make it smaller too, if you'd rather see more of what's on screen.

Powering all these features is a robust 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor and a 3,000mAh battery.

The battery has wireless charging capabilities and an estimated talk time of 21 hours.

There are no physical navigation buttons on that golden chin, only the onscreen ones above.

The speaker is around the back, unlike the front-facing noise-makers you find on HTC's One M8.

Another look at the headphone jack and Micro-USB port. I'd personally prefer the headphone port be on top.

It's not the skinniest phone ever made, but it's far from fat.

The back cover is removable, allowing you to swap out the battery.

As for its memory capacity, the device has up to 32GB of internal memory, but you can expand that up to 128GB if you have a microSD card.

A closer look at the microSD card slot underneath the battery door.

LG also threw in a number of its signature software features, such as KnockCode. Knock Code lets you both wake and unlock your touchscreen with a customizable tapping motion.

Though the G3 is LG's current flagship handset, you can check out more of the Korean company's handsets here on CNET.