Best value for money if you look for a top-spec phone with replaceable battery and microsd slot with excellent camera
The L3 G3 currently (April 2016) is simply the best top-spec phone that you can buy for less than 200 pounds (less than 150 if second hand). Comparable to a Samsung Note 4 for screen size, excellent camera and specs, but much lower in price, and smaller in overall size, meaning that it is easier to use with one hand (more phone than phablet, unlike the Note 4).
I would suggest to whoever is looking for a medium-spec, medium-price phone to look iat older top of the range models, rather than at the latest mid-range options. This offers far better quality, satisfaction, and value for money.
If you can spend 100 pounds more I would suggest looking also at the LG G4 (I also own one of these and I really like it), but the advantages would be limited mainly to the even better front camera for selfies (8 megapixels, rather than 2) and the 32 GB default internal storage, rather than 16. However, both cameras are already excellent in the G3, and if you are patient you can find on Ebay a less common 32 GB version of the G3 for about 30 pounds more (highly recommended if you are likely to install many big size applications, games, in particular, which cannot be stored on the sd card). The G3 and the G4 are both stylish and impressive, so you would not be losing much by choosing the G3.
Apple I-phones are incredibly over-valued compared to Android phones: you either love them or hate them, but it is a fact that an Iphone 6 would give you (overall) comparable performance and features to those of the L3 G3 at three times the cost. Also, you would NOT get microsd slot, access to the battery, and a 13 megapixels back camera with optical stabilization. I have bought a G3 for a friend who had just had his Iphone 6 stolen while on holiday and wanted to buy another one: once he got used to the Android interface he said that this was actually a big upgrade, and he would not go back.
Samsung phones were my favourites until the S3 (I still have various S2 and S3 as trusty spares units). The S4 was one big step back, slower with games, laggy (and "burning" sd cards, due to over-heating as happened to a friend). The S5 was O.K., but the charging socket lid is designed to break sooner or later, and the overall value for money is worse, compared to the LG phones (much worse camera, lower specs, higher cost). The very stylish S6 and the S7 followed the IPhone dark side by removing the option to replace the battery, which may suit other types of customers (the S7 apparently is very successful), but not me: I refuse to buy a very expensive phone, knowing in advance that the battery will get worse and worse, eventually forcing to replace the phone after a couple of years. You can argue that it is a personal choice and that in two years time there will be different newer models around, but I like the idea to buy a solid product designed to last for as long as I wish (like my S2 and S3), particularly if this is expensive.
I'm not paid by LG to write this review, but so far honestly I cannot find major faults in my LG G3 and G4 phones. The G2 is also very good and very cheap second hand, but lacks replaceable battery (and I believe, even sd card slot), so not worth saving those 20 - 30 pounds less, compared to the G3.
The new G5 just being released now will be very innovative, but also much more expensive: in a couple of years time it may be a must buy!
I hope that this helps.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned