Read Zone - LG
was the first manufacturer to launch a Quad-HD resolution display flagship
device globally with the LG G3. While its competitors like the Galaxy S5 and
the Xperia Z2 came with 1080p displays, LG G3 really pushed the envelope with
the Quad-HD resolution display.
Samsung announced
its Galaxy Note 4 at IFA this week with a Quad-HD screen and is a strong rival
to the LG G3. LG flagships hadn’t been very successful in the market in terms
of overall sales but with the G3, LG has really changed that by being a major
success. Recently LG released a press statement on selling 10 million units of
the G3 already. So whether or not Quad-HD has made a difference to the average
consumer, it has brought some great success to LG and it now is in a good
position to rival Samsung as far as sales of flagship models go.
So which Quad-HD
flagship should you get? The Note 4 or the G3? Let’s find out
Display
Smartphone
displays have been getting bigger and bigger over the years. And if we look
back, it was Samsung that actually pioneered the large screen phablet segment
with the original Galaxy Note. Continuing the trend, the Galaxy Note 4 comes
with a very large 5.7 inch Super AMOLED display. It is actually the only
smartphone in the world to come with a Quad HD Super AMOLED display of any
size. Samsung has been the leader when it comes to AMOLED displays on mobile
devices and that shows in the Note 4’s display. The display comes with a pixel
density of 515PPI, one of the highest in the industry. Not only do you get
razor-sharp visuals but also infinite contrast with the deepest blacks and also
good sunlight legibility. For added protection from scratches and damage
Samsung has utilized a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top.
The LG G3 has a
slightly smaller display at 5.5 inches but with the same resolution of 2560 x
1440 or Quad HD. That translates to a pixel density of 534PPI, which is
slightly higher than that of the Note 4. The screen is based on IPS technology
and offers wide viewing angles and detailed color reproduction. But it does
have a weakness, it simply cannot compare to the infinite contrast ratio of the
Samsung AMOLED display. The lower than average contrast ratio of the LG G3
display has been one of the few criticisms about the device.
Even though both
offer identical resolution, the screen on the Note 4 is definitely superior and
hence it wins this round.
Dimensions
LG has really
made a name for itself for coming out with the most efficient designs in the
market with regards to utilizing the maximum area for the screen with minimal
bezels around. The LG G2 was a revelation when it first launched this year and
boasted the highest screen-to-body ratio in the market. LG G3 takes that a step
further and has a 76.4% screen-to-body ratio. That is the highest for any
globally available smartphone in the market. Its dimensions are 146.3 x 74.6 x
8.9mm and weighs 149 grams. The weight is also quite impressive actually and is
lower than most other rivals. The ultra-small bezels do help it remain
manageable in one hand for most people out there.
The Galaxy Note 4
is also no slouch though and has a comparably high screen-to-body ratio.
Samsung has worked hard to keep the bezels down to a minimum on its latest Note
and laid more emphasis on the display. The Note 4 is thus less wide than its
predecessor, the Note 3. It is slightly thicker and taller though. The
dimensions of the device are 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm. So while do get a 0.2”
bigger screen with the Note 4, you have to compromise on the overall size of
the device. The Note 4 is also heavier than the LG G3 at 176 grams.
This round has to
go to the LG G3, with a more compact size.
Processor
When LG announced
the G3 earlier this year, the main question in everyone’s minds was if the
Snapdragon 801 chipset will be enough to run everything smoothly ay Quad HD
resolution. We did find out shortly after that the answer was a NO. The G3’s
Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.5GHz isn’t very different from last year’s
Snapdragon 800 in terms of real world performance. The Snapdragon 801 chip
mainly has higher clocked speeds, higher memory bandwidth, and a slightly
faster Adreno 330 GPU. Unfortunately all of these are not enough to handle the
Quad-HD resolution of the G3. A lot of G3 owners as well as reviews on the web
have been critical of the performance on the device. It is certainly not
disappointing by any means but just a little less smooth than competing
flagships from other manufacturers that run on 1080p resolution.
The Galaxy Note 4
is the first device to come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset. This new SoC
from Qualcomm consists of a Quad-Core 2.7GHz processor and Adreno 420 GPU. The
GPU is about 30% faster than the Adreno 330 on the LG G3, so it can handle the
higher resolution without breaking a sweat. The processor is also slightly
faster but is not a major jump when we look at the benchmark scores. Some
markets will be getting the Exynos 5433 chipset, which comes with a Mali T760
GPU. This particular chip is slightly more powerful than the Snapdragon 805
which the North American market will be getting, along with most of Europe.
An easy win for the Note 4 in this round
Memory
The LG G3 comes
in two variants – 16GB and 32GB. The 16GB model comes with 2GB RAM whereas the
32GB version has 3GB RAM. Memory is expandable on the G3, unlike its
predecessor. LG claims that the memory on the G3 can be expanded by up to 2TB
with the provided microSD card slot. 2TB microSD cards obviously not available
yet, but it’s good to know that the device will support them in future.
The Galaxy Note 4
on the other hand comes with 32GB of internal storage, with 3GB RAM. The Note 4
also comes with a microSD card slot and you can use it to expand the memory,
should you feel the need to do so.
So both smartphones are evenly matched in this area. A tie here.
Camera
LG has been a
little weak in the camera department traditionally but it changed that with the
G3. The G3’s 1/3.06” 13 megapixel camera performed admirably and provided
excellent low light shots as well. The lens features an aperture of f2.4. LG
was one of the first Android manufacturers to popularize the use Optical Image
Stabilization system with the G2 last year, and the G3 comes with it as well.
It can capture 4K videos (3840 x 2160) at 30 frames per second and there is
also a dual-tone LED flash at the back. The front camera is a 2.1MP f2.0 wide
angle unit with 1080p video recording at 30 frames per second.
The Samsung
Galaxy Note 4 comes with a 1/2.6”sensor with 16MP resolution and f2.0 aperture,
which captures more light in order to boost low light image quality. It is also
the first Samsung smartphone to come with OIS to avoid shaky videos and blurry
pictures. The camera is capable of 4K video recording, as is becoming the norm
in most high-end devices now. The front camera comes with 3.7MP resolution and
an f1.9 lens which allows for up to 120 degree wide-angle selfies. It can also
shoot video in 1080p at 30fps.
Both cameras are
pretty solid performers, but we have to give it to the Note 4 because of its
higher resolution and better front camera.
Connectivity
In terms of
connectivity, both the smartphones are very different from one another. The
Galaxy Note 4 comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chip and thus supports LTE
Cat.6 with download speeds of 300Mbps. It also comes with Wi-Fi
802.11a/b/g/n/ac MIMO dual band support, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC.
The LG G3 on the
other hand comes with LTE Cat.4 support for download speeds up to 150Mbps only.
That’s half of what the Note 4 supports. So if your network is planning to
launch faster 300Mbps LTE network anytime soon, the Note 4 is the one to
choose. And even if not, it still makes the Galaxy Note 4 the more future proof
device from a connectivity standpoint. The G3 does support the same Wi-Fi
networks though, but comes with Bluetooth version 4.0 and not 4.1 like the Note
4
In this round we
have a clear winner – Galaxy Note 4.
Battery
Life
The LG G2 was
praised for its exceptional battery life. Sadly the same cannot be said for the
LG G3. It comes with the same 3000mah battery capacity but because of the
significantly higher screen resolution, offers less impressive battery life.
Samsung’s Galaxy
Note 4 comes with a higher capacity 3220mAh battery but with more efficient
internals and a newer chipset which will draw less power as well. There is also
a Ultra-Power saver mode on the Note 4 that lets you extract the most out of
your battery when you want to use your phone only to make calls and send text
messages. The AMOLED screens are also more energy-efficient than LCD displays.
So thanks to the combination of these factors, the Note 4 will easily outlast
the LG G3. The Note 4 should last around 2 work days with moderate usage.
Another clear win for the Note 4!
Design
Both LG and
Samsung haven’t been known for the designs of their flagship Android
smartphones. They have played it safe in terms of design and haven’t really
experimented with premium materials so far on their flagships. But Samsung has
tried to change that with the Galaxy Note 4. It makes use of a solid metal
frame and a polycarbonate back with faux-leather. Overall the design is quite
similar to the Galaxy Alpha that was announced earlier. Not a drastic change
from the Note 3 but a subtle evolution with higher quality materials
The LG G3 follows
the design of the LG G2 and adds a shiny metal-finished frame at the bottom of
the device. Unlike the Note 4, there is no metal used for the construction. It
is made completely out of polycarbonate. It features rounded corners and a removable
back cover with LG’s proprietary rear control buttons.
It’s quite
difficult to pick a winner here due to the subjective nature of this round. But
due to the more premium materials used, we are declaring the Note 4 as the
winner of this round.
Operating
Systems
On android
smartphones, updates are a major concern for all buyers. With new Android
versions coming at a rapid pace, it’s important that you choose a brand that
has a proven track record in providing the latest updates and without much delay.
Samsung has been the best performer in this regard and has provided longer
software support to its flagship products than LG and other rival OEMs.
The Galaxy Note 4
comes with Android 4.4.4 out of the box with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top. It
also comes with a wide range of Samsung specific features like S-Health and the
S-Pen software suite.
LG G3 has been in
the market for some time now and continues to arrive with Android 4.4.2 KitKat.
The Android 4.4.3 and 4.4.4 updates are expected to arrive soon but no official
date has been communicated by LG so far. The G3 also comes with a custom UI
made specifically for the device by LG
This round also
goes to the Note 4
Price
As we mentioned
earlier, LG G3 has been in the market for a few months now and is available at
lower prices than its launch price. You can get the 32GB version of the LG G3
now for about 650 euros. The 16GB version is cheaper at about 550 euros. In the
US the LG G3 is available unlocked for about $600 for the 16GB version is
available at about $510.
The leaked Note 4
prices suggest that it will be available for about 799 euros in Europe and
around $799 in the US market. That is quite steep indeed but the prices should
drop soon after launch and settle around the 700 mark.
So at this point,
LG G3 has the advantage when it comes to the price. And that also makes it the
winner of this round.
Conclusion
So which one
should you really buy? As we’ve seen it has almost been a complete win for the
Galaxy Note 4 throughout this comparison. It has won most round easily and
brings a lot more to the table than the LG G3. We haven’t yet talked about its
other major features. The fingerprint sensor, heart-rate sensor, UV sensor, and
the S-Pen. Sure, you might not care about most of these but the S-Pen feature
is certainly very useful and makes the Note 4 a strong mobile productivity
device. The LG G3 also has the disadvantage of using an older chipset that
wasn’t really meant to be used in devices with 1080p + resolution. We felt LG
made a mistake by putting in a Quad HD screen on the G3 with the Snapdragon 801
chipset, and we feel the same today. The Galaxy Note 4 has got it right though,
the combination of the QHD screen and the Snapdragon 805 chipset makes complete
sense.
With the Note 4,
you don’t need to compromise on performance and battery life because of the
higher resolution display. That makes it a clear winner in our opinion and well
worth the premium. It also comes with future-proof LTE connectivity and the
promise of long software support from Samsung. All the additional software
features may not make you choose the Note 4 over the G3, but they are nice
value additions by Samsung.
Do you agree with
our verdict?
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