Review-comparison of LG G3 and LG G2: flagship versus flagship. Comparison Samsung Galaxy S5 vs LG G3

There are two main reasons for creating this material. Firstly, from the point of view technical characteristics and updates to Android 5, the G3 is still a very relevant device in 2015. There are, of course, unexpected nuances here, which we will definitely talk about today in this material. Secondly, last year's model It’s interesting to compare it with a new device and draw a conclusion about the degree of relevance of its predecessor. Thirdly, it’s interesting to follow the struggle between these two smartphones and thereby get an impression of how far ahead the G4 has gone. Go!

Equipment

Both smartphones have specifications (official H818 for Russia) are boring and do not provide any additional benefits for buyers. Charging and cable Micro USB- everything that the manufacturer limited himself to when filling packages of his products.

Foreign modifications are supplied in an extended kit. So, some G3 are equipped with a wired headset to standard package accessories, and delivery from the native South Korean market also boasts a docking station with the function of recharging a second battery.

Foreign variations of the G4 have headphones and an additional golden cover.

Design

It would seem that there is a comparison here. G4 has a curved body, leather back cover, G3 is devoid of all these design delights. But no! It is not that simple. And we will begin our compare e, perhaps, from the size.

As it turned out, the new product is larger than its predecessor. Looking only at the weight-dimensional characteristics, the difference is not impressive, but it is very well felt when you pick up two smartphones at once.

The G3, despite using the same 5.5-inch QHD screen, is noticeably more compact than this year's flagship. It fits better in the hand, although if you don’t compare the devices head-to-head, the G4 has good ergonomics. Of course, to fans of other tiny devices, both devices will seem like monsters, but this is all a matter of habit.

Comparing the leather-topped G4 to the plastic G3 is pointless. The latter cannot be compared with the new product. “G4” looks more stylish, it is, so to speak, more glamorous than the old man from all sides. In sleep mode and in dimly lit rooms, it feels like the entire front of the device is a display. It almost completely merges with the frames around the screen.

If we compare the plastic modification of the G4, the difference becomes not so obvious. Yes, the new device has a curved body and pointed edges, but this does not change the essence. The feature of the new product is only the leather on the back side. Other changes are minor.

As for the rest of the appearance features, there is complete parity between the rivals. The buttons located on the back side are still comfortable and ergonomic. The solution does not look like a far-fetched idea and the manufacturer no longer needs to prove to its consumers the feasibility of this approach to the placement of control elements. Moreover, there were even manufacturers who were not averse to repeating LG's success in this direction. Do you know who we're talking about, but you can check for yourself.

The user still has access to the battery. You can remove the battery, see what’s under it, turn it in your hands, and all that jazz. The Koreans still pride themselves on maintaining the ability for the user to remove and remove the battery. Yes, in the native South Korean market, where the device can be supplied with two batteries included, this may make some sense. 95% of users in other countries of the world will not bother buying an additional battery and a docking station to charge it.

If previously there were two versions of G3: with one and two SIM cards on board, now only one modification is available for Russian users - Dual SIM G4. In this form, the model name is not used in our market. But at home in South Korea, only the version with one SIM card will be sold, just like in our test.

As for memory card support, it remains the same. Thanks to the guys from LG for this!

For some reason, many manufacturers consider this a rudimentary education and are slowly starting to get rid of the ability to expand memory in their devices, while simultaneously pushing their users to use the clouds to the delight of themselves, operators and the NSA. Most users don't like it, and manufacturers don't care. In general, they are fooling our brother!

Displays

Basic characteristics The screens on both devices are identical. Judge for yourself: both last year’s and the current flagship have a 5.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels (Quad HD) and a pixel density of 538 ppi.

However, both from the point of view of the technologies used and in actual use, the G4 screen is much better than that of its predecessor. Here are the main features that the manufacturer is proud of. Firstly, the sandwich panel is assembled using In-cell Touch technology, which means there is no air gap between the glass and a substrate with LEDs. Thus, virtual objects are perceived better: they are not recessed into the body, but seem to be located directly on the surface of the sensor layer.

And these are not just loud marketing shouts. Everything is actually exactly as the manufacturer claims.

The colors have become richer, and the screen contrast has increased significantly. It is clear that the difference can best be felt by direct comparison of both devices. Otherwise, there is a high chance that you will not notice any changes (in the photo below LG G3 on top, G4 on bottom).

With viewing angles, everything is as expected here. You can evaluate this and other parameters below using the examples of several photos taken in the dark (LG G3 above or left, G4 below or right).

Here you can see with the naked eye how the G3's screen turns a little green when the device is tilted, and the display itself is slightly less bright than that installed in the newest flagship. Another confirmation that the engineers’ work did not go down the drain.

In both smartphones, the front side is covered with glass with an oleophobic coating. However, in G4 it is incomparably better. It is really difficult to leave fingerprints on the surface of the new product, while they remain quite readily on the glass of the G3. Again, everything can be seen in the test photos below.

Comparison of technical characteristics of LG G4 and G3

There are not many changes, but the key components have entered a new stage of development. It's easy to keep track of all the improvements in the specification sheet below. I marked in green what has been improved in the new product.

As you may have noticed, the new product received new processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 808. Interestingly, this is not the highest performance solution currently available from the manufacturer. Most of the current year's flagships have received or are just getting the 810th version of the chip. We already talked about what this is connected with in the G4 review. I just want to say that Korean manufacturer I took, in my opinion, the right position. The race for gigahertz and other numbers with foam at the mouth does not always lead to a positive result. Only the very best devices achieve success in this regard; the rest of the products can only succeed at the expense of other features. LG understood this and decided to hook their customers to others.

There is only 3 GB of RAM. There is no version with four gigabytes and there never will be. The reasons for this decision are the same ().

Performance

Frankly, I don't like the way the G3 runs on the new OS (Android 5.0.1). If you have this device in your hands, then my advice to you is not to upgrade.

And that's why. Despite the fairly serious hardware, even by 2015 standards, the G3 slows down when working even with everyday tasks. The animation does not reach the 100 percent threshold that G4 shows. The latter has no problems with this. Everything is perfectly optimized and does not bug.

On Android Lollipop The G3 behaves like some mid-budget smartphone, and this is unacceptable for such a device. Nothing like this was observed on version 4.4.4. I don't want to say that everything is bad with the third version of the flagship. It’s just that in the case of the “four” the animation flies, but on the “three” it doesn’t. It works quickly, but is nowhere near the maximum speed it can deliver.

Obviously, the South Korean giant has no plans to update its 2014 flagship to OS version 5.1 and, most likely, the G3 will immediately receive Android M. This conclusion can be drawn based on how the company supports its long-released devices. So, released back in 2013, it recently received an update to five and this is commendable.

Otherwise, the G3 and G4 have no performance issues. Both devices run the latest and most sophisticated 3D games. Each device is capable of handling the load of such games even on high settings graphics.

Synthetic tests have shown that the successor is more powerful than its ancestor, but the difference is not so great even in virtual parrots. In practice (when devices are loaded with various heavy tasks), the differences are almost unnoticeable (test results G3 on the left, G4 on the right).

LG G3 result

LG G4 result

Unfortunately, I managed to catch the same glitch on both devices. At incoming call For some time, the ambient light sensor did not want to turn the brightness to maximum, which is why I had to pretend to be Korean (or Chinese) in order to distinguish under the bright sun who was calling me.

Front cameras

Previously we were dealing with a 2 megapixel sensor, now (the G4) has an 8 megapixel camera. What else can I say? More resolution(1080 x 1920 vs 2448 x 3264) - more detail. Selfies will be delighted.

Of course, the convenient features for creating self-portraits, beloved by many, have not disappeared anywhere. Shot by hand gesture (works great), self-timer, shutter release using volume buttons and other settings.

Examples of photos below (on the left are frames taken on the G3, on the right - on the G4).

Main cameras

The most complex and interesting section of our review. Both devices have excellent photo modules that can give even competitors released this year a head start. Not for everyone, of course (hello, ), but for the majority, for sure.

So let's start by comparing the specifications. The G3 has one of the best cameras 2014. The final resolution of the images is 4160 x 3120 pixels, which corresponds to 13 megapixels. The aperture value is f/ 2.4. A laser is located to the left of the lens, which helps the focusing system better and faster capture objects for shooting. On the right is a dual-LED flash.

The G4 has an updated photo module with 16 megapixels (photo resolution 5312 x 2988 pixels). To the left of the lens, in the same place, there is a laser, which is responsible for correct autofocus. On the right is a regular single-section flash, and the place of the second LED is now taken infrared sensor light spectrum. It is necessary for more correct definition colors and their shades.

The main innovations are a more sensitive f/ 1.8 aperture, which means more light enters the sensor in the same period of time. And the matrix itself has become larger - 1/2.6’’ versus 1/3.06’’ in its predecessor.

In G3 we talked about optical stabilization on two axes at once. There it was called OIS+. In G4 it's time to meet a new generation of image stabilization called OIS 2.0. Now, when compensating for hand shake, the Z-axis is also taken into account, which means you can expect more successful, non-blurred frames.

As before, the focusing speed on the object is very fast (0.27 seconds) and 99% always correct. There are no misses.

We've sorted out the characteristics. Now let's look at examples of pictures from the cameras of both smartphones. On the left will always be pictures taken on the LG G3, and on the right are pictures taken on the G4.

For even greater clarity, I suggest taking a look at 100% crops of the resulting images. If in the first case (on the left) we cannot discern what was in the frame at all, then in the right image the spider is already clearly visible.

100% G4 crop

A few panoramas (G3 results on top, new items on bottom).

All presented photographs can be taken from here in one archive for their detailed study.

I would like to note right away that the lens angle in the G4 has decreased compared to the G3. Slightly more objects fit into the field of view of the latter's photosensor. This has not been stated anywhere before.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that in the pictures taken with the 2015 flagship, we can, first of all, notice greater detail. Where in the G3 photo only dark spots and shadows are visible, the “four” shows us more details (foliage, paving slabs and other elements).

Secondly, the G4 brings out many more shades of flowers on plant petals where the G3 only shows two or three shades of pink.

As a result, we confirmed in practice that a wider aperture of f/ 1.8 and a light spectrum sensor are important, and most importantly, working improvements. However, I would not call the differences radical. Yes, the G4 shoots in some places and takes pictures a little more interesting, but the difference is not so great that you can completely abandon the G3 as a high-quality photography smartphone.

Now let's talk a little about the viewfinder interface. There were no drastic changes. In G4, the developers abandoned user choice of image resolution. You can only have a photo ratio: 16:9, 4:3 or one to one.

If previously the so-called “Magic Focus” was available from additional shooting modes, now LG has also abandoned this setting. Essentially a useless feature does not expand the possibilities for creativity. You can select focus and take a photo before releasing the shutter. Why do this later?

However, there is also a rather serious innovation - shooting in completely manual mode and in RAW format (DNG format, photos weigh on average 20 MB). Here everything is configured in the same way as on a large, serious SLR camera. ISO, lighting, exposure compensation, shutter speed, depth of field - all this can be adjusted manually for a specific scene and get the most out of the frame.

Video recording

As for recording videos, there is complete parity. HD, Full HD or even Ultra HD video recording is available (3840 x 2160 pixels at 30 frames per second). As an additional bonus, it is possible to create Slo-Mo video (120 frames per second at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels). You can’t watch such videos on all players - the Slo-Mo effect is recognized on the smartphone itself or in Quick Time. However, all these “videos” look pretty scary even on the phone itself. Serious pixelation of the image affects it: as if the VGA series was stretched to HD resolution.

It is only worth mentioning that the G4 has learned to record a higher quality audio stream. The sound is now more spacious, rich and, so to speak, obvious than in the G3.

Battery life

Both devices are equipped removable battery at 3000 mAh. Despite the fact that the G4 has a more modern and productive platform, it was found to last a quarter longer than its older brother.

Time battery life with a sufficiently dense load does not exceed one day. With average or low use of smartphones, both of them can last two days. G4 is a little longer, but nothing more.

So there are improvements, but they are minor.

Software shell

Despite the fact that the G3 received Android Lollipop, the design of the old shell seriously prevails in all places. You can’t get to the bottom of real Material Design here, although the software add-on still looks good and, as is now fashionable, flat.

On G4 they installed the most latest version LG UX 4.0 shell, which took all the principles of organizing space from its predecessor and was redrawn in the spirit of MD from Google. Some places operating system remained unchanged, such as the calculator or the quick settings curtain.

In the settings, we see the same principle of dividing parameters into categories, but all the icons have been seriously rounded and began to look fresh.

Nothing new was offered for organizing and customizing the keyboard. Really! Why change something that already works well. By the way, LG smartphones, in my opinion, have the best and comfortable keyboards in the category preinstalled from the manufacturer.

Bottom line

We only have to compare the last and, perhaps, the most main parameter smartphones - price. LG G3 has already slowly begun to disappear from store shelves, so finding a regular, non-Dual modification is becoming more and more difficult every day. However, in some stores the old man is still sold for 20,000 - 21,000 rubles. The version with two SIM cards on board will cost approximately 26,000 - 27,000 rubles. It is logical to compare this particular model, since the new G4 is initially equipped with two slots for SIM cards.

LG G4 now you can buy for 39,990 rubles and this price somehow did not suffer much from the general drop in prices that is observed on domestic market this summer. Occasionally there are proposals that are a little more interesting, but only a little. You shouldn’t expect a tasty price from this gadget, since LG has finally managed to create a status item and everyone understands it.

Having tested two smartphone models at once, I can say that the G3 is still relevant phone and will remain so for at least another year. Not a single device from the average price segment won't be able to match it in performance or camera or display quality until next summer. The G3 is a surprisingly balanced and functional gadget, albeit with a discreet design.

This paragraph is for those who already have G3 in their hands. Changing it to the LG G4 definitely makes no sense. If you're chasing maximum quality pictures, it's worth paying attention to another Korean electronics giant. If you really want to feel the skin, buy a high-quality and expensive case for your G-Tri and enjoy life. I personally wasn’t convinced by the G4 that I need to switch to it immediately, while getting rid of last year’s model.

The final part of our “total” is for those who have an extra 40,000 rubles on hand and do not have last year’s flagship from the Koreans. If mentioning brands like Samsung or Apple keeps your heart rate steady, then the G4 is for you. The smartphone turned out to be of very high quality, balanced in functionality and truly status-worthy. Be sure to try a new product before purchasing. Such a device should either make you fall in love with it immediately, or not touch a single string of your soul. The only way.

Already on sale Price: 21,450 and 39,990 rubles

Pros:

Camera, laser, autofocus
Iron. Good but not powerful

Minuses:

Overheat. You can feel it while playing heavy games, if you touch the Power button on the back of the screen.

General impression:

First of all, the smartphone pleased us with its camera, qhd display, and design. Simple interface. Not weak hardware, although due to the huge load on the video chip it is not that productive. I've been using it for 2 months. complete absence The buttons on the front are nice. The phone has only 3 buttons: 2 volume rockers and Power button. Antutu shows 30-33K performance. The battery is capacious, but does not last long as in all Android devices. In my opinion the best this moment phones are:
1st place Htc M8, the fastest. Synthetic tests show the highest results. The battery is capacious, the hardware is powerful. The only downside is the camera.
2nd place SGS5. Nothing special, but the optimization there is better than on the G3. I checked it personally. The camera is not particularly different from the G3. IP67 does not provide complete protection. Officially, it is not recommended to drown your phone in water. Will drown.
3 Sony Xperia Z2-3. Camera 20 megapixels, hardware like G3. Full water protection ip67(z2) ip65-68(z3). I advise you to take it because it came out later.
4. And finally Lg g3. Its main advantages are the camera, screen, dimensions, location of the main buttons (I liked it - very original). Overall satisfied. It’s just that the G3’s performance is slightly inferior to the above-mentioned competitors due to the QHD display - because of it the battery quickly drains and the phone heats up.
Adreno 330 is certainly a powerful video adapter, but the Koreans let us down with optimization.
I hope Android 5.0 will improve the situation. Time will show

Pros:

The camera is great. Display. Keyboard. Thin frames.

Minuses:

Battery optimization (thanks to the high-quality display) is the worst among branded flagships.

General impression:

After the iPhone, I knew what I was taking and therefore optimization didn’t bother me much. He took it from behind the camera. I've been happy with my purchase for two months now

Pros:

Quality! camera! comfortable and stylish! it has everything you need for a modern smartphone!

Minuses:

I haven't discovered it yet

General impression:

I recently bought this phone and I’m very glad, I didn’t spend it in vain and I’m not disappointed at all =) The first impression is stylish, fashionable, beautiful, very comfortable in the hands. . modern gadget. I’m absolutely delighted with the photos; they turn out bright and clear even in the evening! The camera also has laser autofocus, which is really very fast and instantly reacts to changes in distance. + double flash. The menu is pleasing to the eye with such colors, the sensor is very fast. It’s not stupid on the Internet, it loads quickly and navigates through the pages. My opinion 5+++

Pros:

Camera, display. 1) Screen - the size and quality of the image is truly amazing. 2) Camera - good quality 3) It's comfortable to hold, it's even nice to hold this phone.

Minuses:

It heats up and discharges, but all flagships are guilty of this) (Well, almost all) I bought it and after a couple of days I returned the phone to the store.
1. The battery drains phenomenally quickly
2. Perceptibility of lags.
3. It heats up as it does during normal use. With my load, the phone was constantly heated. (P. s usually phones heat up when you play demanding games... but this LG heats up even when you are on VKontakte or Odnoklassniki!((

Pros:

Screen 5. 5 clear colors Quad HD - responsive sensor - random access memory enough. Loud speaker, even has a flashlight. Good quality headphones that came with the phone. LTE runs fast. The quality of the case, although it is plastic, is high-quality plastic. Also the camera only called positive points Photos are of good quality, I didn’t even expect such quality

Minuses:

It gets seriously hot in the chamber area. When I launch a demanding toy, it heats up very quickly (((well, if you actively use applications to connect the Internet to toys, etc., the battery will hardly last for a full day

General impression:

I've been using it for a week, there are pros and cons.

General impression:

What can I say, lg is catching up with Samsung). External smartphone looks nice and solid! A huge screen, it probably won’t be convenient to carry it in your jeans pocket (but I carry such things in my bag). The price, of course, is a bit expensive; it is expected that in Russia it will cost about 27,000-30,000 thousand rubles. Watched video reviews on English language, according to the video, the juicy screen pleases the eye, the colors are very bright and clear! The games should all work, the hardware is good, but judging by the battery capacity, you won’t be able to play the toys for a long time (without recharging). I'm really looking forward to this flagship, because I bought the LG G2 in 2013 and it met all my expectations! Now I'm waiting for it to be on sale - G3, I'll buy it for any money!! =)

Pros:

Screen 5.5 inches, very high resolution 1440x2560! lg states this best screen 2014!! Lucky camera 13 mp. camera + flash, balanced design. There is laser autofocus, the photos should turn out great) Good hardware. Great inner power! Androy 4. 4. 2. The manufacturer claims that there will be no fingerprints on the display, let's see! There is also an antenna for television!

In my opinion, LG G2 was one of best smartphones last year, but this year a direct successor naturally appeared - LG G3. As is usually the case in the industry, the company is highly praising new flagship and people may get the false impression that last year’s device is completely worthless and terribly outdated. Let's find out whether G2 owners should switch to G3, whether it makes sense to overpay for G3, or whether the cheaper G2 will be enough for the average user.

LG G3 Specifications:

• Platform (at time of announcement): Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• Display: capacitive, 5.5” (5.46”), 2560 x 1440 pixels, IPS, 538 ppi
• Camera: 13 MP, dual LED flash in different colors, 6 lenses, laser focus, OIS+ stabilization, f/2.4, 4K@30fps video recording
• Front camera: 2.1 MP
• Processor: 4 core Krait 400, 2.5 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
• Graphics chip: Adreno 330
• RAM: 2/3 GB
• Internal memory: 16/32 GB
• Memory card: microSD up to 128 GB
• GPS and GLONASS
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g n/ac)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• microUSB
• 3.5mm jack
• Battery: 3000 mAh
• Dimensions: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm
• Weight: 149 g

LG G2 Specifications:

• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), WCDMA/HSPA (850/900/1900/2100 MHz), LTE (850/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz)
• Platform (at time of announcement): Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• Display: capacitive, 5.2”, 1920 x 1080 pixels, IPS, 423 ppi, Gorilla Glass 2
• Camera: 13 MP, autofocus, flash, f/2.4, optical stabilization(OIS), video recording 1080p@60fps
• Front camera: 2.1 MP
• Processor: 4 core Krait 400, 2.26 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
• Graphics chip: Adreno 330
• RAM: 2 GB
• ROM: 16/32 GB
• Memory card: no
• GPS and GLONASS
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g n/ac)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• microUSB
• 3.5mm jack
• Battery: 3000 mAh
• Talk time: up to 34.3 hours
• Standby time: up to 800 h
• Dimensions: 138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9 mm
• Weight: 143 g

Video review

Design

LG is increasing the diagonal, following the trend, but at the same time making the impossible possible, fitting displays into compact (relative to competitors) cases. So the LG G2 with a 5.2" screen has a body almost like a 4.7" one HTC One(M7) and 5" Samsung Galaxy S4, and smaller than the 5” Sony Xperia Z1. And the LG G3 with a 5.5" display made my eyebrows rise in surprise, being similar in size to the 5" HTC One (M8), 5.1" Samsung Galaxy S5 and 5.2" Sony Xperia Z2. In general, LG engineers are great for breaking down stereotypes regarding “shovels.” Both the G2 and G3 prove that smartphones can have larger screens and still be easy to use with one hand.

The convenience of one-handed operation is facilitated by the unique arrangement of control elements on the body - the volume buttons and the power key in both cases are located on the rear surface. Users do not need to move their palm over the body, feeling the buttons on the side faces - the keys lie under the index finger. But this is in theory. In practice, the G2 buttons did not seem convenient to me in daily use; I could not get used to them. But G3 did a great job on them and they are a pleasure to press (besides, they click great).

As for the materials used, the glossy G2 made of plastic, which collects dust, lint and fingerprints, is less practical than the G3, which is also made of plastic, but “tricky”. The G3's plastic-based lid looks like metal, feels like metal, behaves like metal, and appears to have a metal layer or coating. In addition, the cover of the G3 is removable and those who like to change batteries should mark this point with a plus sign.

The G2 has three colors - white, black and gold, and the G3 is announced in as many as five - white, black, gold, as well as pink and purple. Not all of them are on sale yet, and it is unclear whether exotic variations will ever appear in Russia (through official means, of course).

Screen

LG G2 has a 5.2" IPS panel with Full resolution HD (423 ppi), and the LG G3 is equipped with a 5.5” IPS screen with a resolution of 2K (538 ppi). I can’t call the displays ideal or the best in their classes. G2 has a very strong color inversion when tilted, and all the clarity of G3 is spoiled by software image processing (and I hope this will be fixed in updates), resulting in oversharpening (the letters seem to be doubled, surrounded by halos). In the sun, readability is higher with the G2 (although the G3 can be used outdoors), and the colors are richer with the G2. But personally, I also like the color rendering of the G3 - it is calm, balanced, suitable for reading, gaming, and video.

The advantages of a 2K screen over Full HD are obvious on paper, but are almost invisible in reality. Yes, in some games, due to higher resolution, the “ladders” are smoother, photos and videos look more interesting. However, I’m sure that if you didn’t tell a person that one model has Full HD, and the other uses 2K, then he wouldn’t have noticed the catch. Perhaps, without the excessive shabbyness of the G3, the impressions would have been different, but for now that’s how it is.

LG G3 screen

screenshots from LG G2 (Full HD) and LG G3 (2K)

Software

As of today, the devices are based on Android 4.4.2 KitKat. In terms of software features, everything is very similar. There is both unlocking by tapping and a locking function using a tap code Knock Code, and saving a screenshot of the entire page in the browser, and branded applications QMemo, QRemote, QSlide... There are enough programs in both. The main software difference comes down to the interface - the G3 is flatter, airier and more modern. I hope G2 will also receive it with the update.

Camera

The G3 uses an improved 13-megapixel camera with updated optical image stabilization (OIS+), laser autofocus, dual flash and video recording at a maximum resolution of 4K. Accordingly, the G2 has conventional optical stabilization (OIS), traditional autofocus, a single flash and maximum resolution The video is Full HD. The interface seemed more convenient and thoughtful to me on the G3. The shooting process is also more convenient with the G3 - the camera is much faster, focusing faster in low light conditions and when photographing with flash. And, probably, we should thank the laser focusing - those small objects that the G2 cannot catch are seen by the G3 camera (for example, the chain in the photo).

LG G2 - LG G3:

LG G2 - LG G3

With the photo results, not everything is so clear. The G3 makes some progress when shooting in low light (the viewfinder and focusing do not slow down) and photographing with flash (natural colors), but in good light the G2 more often produces the correct colors while maintaining detail (after all, 13 megapixel sensors). This is especially noticeable on contrasting objects - flowers, a red boat, which in G3 turned orange at one angle. If you own a G2 and expect to get a qualitatively different level of pictures from the G3, then you're in vain. Yes, the speed has increased difficult conditions It has become easier to take photographs, but until LG improves the processing algorithms of the G3, the G2 will not be inferior in a number of situations.

4K video from the LG G3 is certainly better than any Full HD. But on G2 you can enable this function using a mod. If we compare Full HD at 30 fps (the most popular mode) from these smartphones, I can say the following: G2 focuses faster, but jerkily (in G3 the process is smooth, artistic - some will like it more), stabilization is more effective in G3, colors more precisely in the G2, sound noise reduction is more aggressive in the G3.

Sound

The audio part is implemented based on the Qualcomm WCD9320 solution, which is part of the Snapdragon 800/801. The sound in the headphones is very comparable and a subjective advantage can be given to the G3 (it is a fact that it sounds no worse). The sound through the multimedia speaker is more expressive, deeper and louder in the G3, although you are unlikely to miss the ringtone in the G2.

Iron

LG G2 is equipped with a quad-core 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 800 chipset, graphics chip Adreno 330, 2 GB RAM, 16 or 32 GB internal memory(without microSD). The LG G3 comes in several versions, each of which is equipped with a quad-core 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 chipset, an Adreno 330 graphics accelerator and a microSD slot. The main modifications of the G3 carry 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of ROM, as well as 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of ROM (there are also intermediate operator variations with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of ROM). In Russia the younger version (2/16) is still on sale, but I have the older one (3/32). There shouldn't be a significant difference in performance. Unless in multitasking...

Introduction

Externally and in terms of characteristics, the new LG G3 turned out to be a very impressive flagship and while it is a rather intriguing device, in fact it is the first smartphone that received a display with a Quad HD resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels) and at the same time it was presented to the global market. But all other characteristics also look like those of a “monster” smartphone.

Due to the introduction of LG G3, Galaxy smartphone The S5 again came under criticism from both buyers and analysts, although its popularity is still unattainable for its competitors. It sounds strange to criticize the flagship, which appeared in April and its characteristics are at the same level as the flagship LG G3, except perhaps for the display resolution. Moreover, the S5 has protection from moisture and dust, an excellent 16-megapixel ISOCELL camera and a huge number of additional functions TouchWiz.

Today you will see the grip of two flagship smartphones that are extremely difficult to compare. We will try to be as objective as possible, since we ourselves are expecting the Galaxy S5 Prime (Galaxy F), which will be a “bomb” on mobile market.

Design

Samsung and LG have decided not to produce mid-size flagship smartphones anymore. The Galaxy S5 and LG G3 have long followed the rule of making each next flagship larger than the previous one. The design and even the choice of materials for device cases are also changing. For its part, LG uses polycarbonate with a matte finish and some metal elements inside. Of course, this option looks almost like metal, but it attracts fingerprints very strongly. Galaxy S5 also has plastic case, however, it has a special structure with imitation leather (to the touch) and perforation, which looks unusual, does not collect stains on the surface, and at the same time it is very convenient to hold such a smartphone in your hands. However, we admit that the LG G3 looks more expensive.

Despite the fact that the LG G3 has a 5.5-inch screen, the flagship still has almost the same dimensions as the Galaxy S5 - 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm. However, if you have small hands, you will have to handle the smartphone with only two hands to avoid dropping it. If you compare it with the Galaxy S5, the Samsung flagship is still more convenient. It is also worth noting that the Galaxy S5 is protected from moisture and dust, but its body still did not suffer at all from this - that is, it did not grow (142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm). Both devices aren't the lightest, but at the same time they don't feel particularly heavy - the LG G3 weighs 149 grams, and the Galaxy S5 weighs 145 grams.

Flagship smartphones differ greatly in the location of control buttons on the body. Last year, LG released the G2 with power and sound control buttons under the main camera, that is, on the rear panel. This is not the most logical solution, you will agree. LG G3 appeared with the same button layout. The Samsung Galaxy S5 is more traditional in this regard; moreover, it retains the central hardware Home button with two capacitive ones.

Display

The biggest difference between the LG G3 and the Galaxy S5 is its display. Firstly, it has a 5.5-inch display. Secondly, the display resolution has increased to Quad HD. Thirdly, LG G3 received LCD display, and the Galaxy S5 has AMOLED.

So, now more details about everything. The most important point in the characteristics of the LG G3 is its display, the resolution of which is 2560 x 1440 pixels. That is, the 5.5-inch display has a pixel density of 538 per inch. According to LG, this allows for a "true, real-life image."

Samsung Galaxy S5 is a little behind in this regard, as it still has standard definition The display is Full HD, which produces 432 ppi. To be honest, when comparing the screens of the LG G3 and Galaxy S5 from a normal distance, no difference is visible. In fact, I believe that increasing pixel density at similar screen sizes no longer affects anything.

In terms of color accuracy, we can't confirm LG's claim that the LG G3 displays colors accurately. Colorful temperature, for example, is only rated “good”, but not “excellent” - 7357K (with a standard of 6500K). However, even this is a more accurate indicator, since Galaxy screen The S5 shows 8183K (in standard mode), which results in significant blue oversaturation. Fortunately, the AMOLED screen is oversaturated with color and therefore this is not so noticeable.

More Galaxy display S5 wins maximum brightness– 442 nits versus 376 nits. In addition, the glass of the LG G3 reflects light too much, and the screen is not bright enough - this leads to big problems using a smartphone in direct sunlight. Working with the Galaxy S5 on a bright sunny day does not cause any problems.

Interface

In the past, Samsung and LG interfaces on flagship smartphones were even similar, in particular, even some features were similar in functionality. Now user shells have become very different and there have been significant changes in favor of more flat icons and simpler designs.

LG G3 interface

Interestingly, the LG G3 received an interface that is a little closer to stock Android, but as for the functionality of the shell, it tries to partially copy the capabilities of TouchWiz - there is even a mode in which you can place two windows on the screen different applications near. Works here as an assistant Google Now– that is, there is more bet on basic capabilities Android.

However, in terms of functionality, only the LG G3 is closest to the Galaxy S5, which has TouchWiz running on Android based 4.4 KitKat and due to the latest update it has undergone very strong changes both externally and functionally. Although there are not many new functions, the flagship is not so overloaded with unnecessary services.

Samsung Galaxy S5 interface

I note that the most attractive “goodies” in the Galaxy S5 are its fingerprint scanner (which is built into physical button Home) and monitor heart rate(located under the main camera on the back panel). There seem to be no complaints about the latest sensor, but the fingerprint scanner sometimes causes bewilderment with its inaccuracy, but it will still appeal to people who seriously think about the security of their smartphone and the information stored in it.

Galaxy S5 also has an app display mode multi-window mode, one-handed operation mode (the interface becomes smaller), Smart Stay (when the screen turns off if you are not looking at it), you can scroll through web pages or lists with your eyes without touching. In general, we would talk here for a very long time and you yourself probably remember all the features of TouchWiz on the Galaxy S5.

Processor and memory

We are looking at flagship smartphones from leading manufacturers on the mobile market that can afford the best hardware, but still Android does not always work as we would like - there is no ideal smoothness and frames get stuck.

As for the processor, both flagships run on a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974-AC with a frequency of 2.5 GHz, which allows you not to think about the lack of performance in the smartphone.

Both devices handle the most demanding applications without any problems, but the LG G3 still performs worse in synthetic tests, mainly due to the fact that it has a screen with more high resolution and this causes problems. Both smartphones can experience unexpected lag even on the main screen, but for the LG G3 this is more critical since there is not much additional options, which could require more performance.

In terms of memory availability, the LG G3 only has 16GB of internal memory and 2GB of RAM or 32GB of internal memory and 3GB of RAM. The Galaxy S5 has a fixed amount of RAM, but there is more choice in terms of internal memory capacity. Don't forget that both smartphones work with microSD cards.

Performance (benchmark tests)

Camera

Both smartphones have great cameras With large set filters and additional features that became the gold standard for smartphone cameras in 2014.

LG G3 camera interface

Let's start with the LG G3, which has a 13-megapixel camera with a 1/3.06" Sony IMX135 sensor and f/2.4 aperture. The LG G3's camera also boasts dual-tone LED flash, as well as new system autofocus using a laser (focusing time about 0.3s). The smartphone also received optical stabilization, which has improved significantly compared to the LG G2. Stabilization allows you to better handle shooting in low light conditions without using a flash.

Samsung's flagship also has an impressive 16-megapixel camera with a 1/2.6" ISOCELL module, which has proven itself in practice. New technologies have made it possible to reduce the speed of camera focusing - it already takes less than 0.3 seconds. The Galaxy S5's lens aperture is slightly wider than the LG G3's - f/2.2, but we admit that the Galaxy S5 has a problem with a lack of optical image stabilization.

Samsung Galaxy S5 camera interface

Let's not talk too much about the convenience of camera interfaces on smartphones. The LG G3 is just as simple and straightforward, but it doesn't have the feature set that the S5 offers. In turn, the camera interface Samsung flagship nevertheless, it is designed differently, and it has become simpler and more logical than we previously saw the interface in the Galaxy S4. What's frustrating about setting up the camera is that the whole process takes up most of the screen, whereas on the LG G3 it's not as cumbersome but still scattered across all edges of the screen.

I will not focus on my personal preferences and feelings from working with this or that flagship, since everything here will be too subjective. Your personal opinion will be objective if you take a closer look at the examples of photographs taken with the LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy S5 cameras.

And finally, we move on to assessing the quality of video shooting. If we talk about image quality, the Galaxy S5 shoots with more contrast. Recording quality audio track in the video camera of the Galaxy S5, although not as high, it is still better than that of the LG G3. On the other hand, the LG flagship shoots better during shakes due to optical image stabilization, as well as when shooting video with 4K resolution.

1. Example video on an LG G3 camera

2. Example video on Samsung camera Galaxy S5

Call quality

In terms of call quality, both smartphones don't bother us much, but the quality is still slightly better than average.

For its part, the LG G3 has noise-cancelling microphone settings that are moderately loud, but your voice will tend to sound muffled to the other person. The earpiece is powerful enough to provide maximum comfort during calls, but the voices still sound as if in the distance with a slight echo.

But the Galaxy S5 isn't much better. Its microphone is also moderately loud, but high frequencies are significantly amplified, which sounds a little unnatural. Concerning conversational dynamics, then voices can sound, as a rule, with a slight muffling.

Battery life

At first glance, the LG G3 seems to have the upper hand over the Galaxy S5, at least in terms of battery capacity alone, it has a 3,000 mAh battery compared to the Galaxy S5's 2,800 mAh battery.

Considering the huge number of pixels on the LG G3's screen, the flagship's battery is experiencing heavy load, however, the new smartphone from LG was still able to show excellent result– 8 hours and 50 minutes compared to 8 hours and 20 minutes for the Galaxy S5. This is a great achievement for LG.

conclusions

We got two amazing flagship smartphones, it will be very difficult to choose between them. Everything will directly depend on your personal preferences, since each of the rivals has quite a lot of advantages over the other. In terms of design, I can say that the LG G3 looks more attractive than the Galaxy S5. But the S5 is more practical in reality, and this is obvious, and it additionally has protection according to the IP67 standard - that is, it is not afraid of dust and moisture.

It would seem that the LG G3 has a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, but in reality there are no advantages from this - the pixel density of even the Galaxy S5 makes it possible not to notice individual pixels in the image. LG G3 also has problems displaying images in direct sun rays– it lacks brightness, while the Galaxy S5 is almost the leader here. Moreover, the huge number of pixels leads to problems with autonomy and performance. This can be noticeable even in synthetic tests, and even more so in real life. If you choose a smartphone based on the quality of its camera, the Galaxy S5 is a little better (both in photos and video), but it clearly needs optical image stabilization, which is present in the LG G3.

In general, there is no objective winner here, and if the rivals have shortcomings, they are too relative.