LG G Flex 2 vs LG G3: What Buyers Can Expect

Last week at CES 2015 LG Mobile announced an all new smartphone coming to carrier shelves in the next few months, called the LG G Flex 2. Replacing the first curved and flexible smartphone that was released last year, the new LG G Flex 2 has a lot to offer along with a big 5.5-inch HD display. Here we’ll compare it to its similar but flat sibling, the popular LG G3.

The LG G3 was announced and released in Mid 2014 as a flagship smartphone that would replace the original LG G2 and the first phone from LG with the buttons around back. It was instantly successful and still a popular device, so much in fact that the new LG G Flex 2 is more like the LG G3 than the original G Flex itself.

Read: LG G3 Review

Last year the LG G Flex hit the market offering a large 5.7-inch screen that was both curved and flexible thanks to the plastic OLED display. It wasn’t the best phone released in 2014, but was still rather neat, and now a new model is back to actually entice customers. Read on for more details about the new LG G Flex 2, and how it stacks up to the LG G3 from last year.

The original G Flex was more to show off LG’s progress in the curved display market, and the device wasn’t quite a top-tier phone aimed at all carriers. The screen was large at 5.7-inches but only 720p resolution, and it wasn’t quite the premium device many were hoping for. This year though, the new G Flex 2 is very similar to the LG G3, only curved, and improved across the board in an attempt to take on the Galaxy S6 and anything else that arrives in 2015.

LG’s G3 is still a great phone coming in with a 5.5-inch Quad-HD 2560 x 1440 display and a powerful processor, but it isn’t quite as capable as the new G Flex 2. They look similar at first glance, but actually have a lot of differences which we’ll go over below.

Display

The LG G3 has a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad-HD screen, and extremely slim bezels to keep the physical size down. LG took this from the G3 and added to the new G Flex 2, giving users a more pocketable device. It’s only 5.5-inches rather than 5.7 like last year, has a higher resolution, and has been improved across the board.

This isn’t a comparison with the original though, it’s about the LG G3 users may have now, who are pondering the switch to the LG G Flex 2.

The G Flex 2 has the same size screen as the LG G3, only it is only 1920 x 1080p resolution. The density is slightly lower, but it still looks great, and its curved. This is the biggest difference. The G Flex 2 has a curved and flexible Plastic-OLED screen. It can handle wear and tear, and can slightly bend without breaking.

It appears as if the bezels on the LG G3 are still slightly smaller, but only by a hair. The LG G Flex 2 is still an extremely slim and small device considering the large 5.5-inch display, and the curve shouldn’t make it take up much space either.

Of course the LG G3 screen is slightly better, but if you want the latest technology the curved screen is rather neat. That, and it feels excellent in your hands or curved around your face while on a call.

Design

The LG G Flex 2 stole most of its design from the G3 last year. The edges are more squared and the curve is a bit more subtle than last years, but that aside it looks like an LG G3. Everything from the laser autofocus and physical buttons on the back are all similar to the flagship G3 from last year.

Read: LG G Flex 2 vs Nexus 6: Quick Comparison

The new G Flex 2 has the same brushed metal look, even though it’s built from plastic, and comes in three different colors. The design is overall more squared off than the LG G3, but only by a little bit. Those who enjoyed the LG G3 (or the original G Flex) will absolutely love the new G Flex 2. It is better in almost every way, runs the latest version of Android, and has some of the best specs we’ve seen in a smartphone.

There isn’t much to say about the design, aside from the screen which we mentioned above. The phone looks, feels, and is constructed like an LG Mobile smartphone. If you’ve ever used one before, you know exactly what to expect from the G Flex 2. This isn’t a good thing or a bad thing. Some like the aluminum of the HTC One M8, others enjoy the lightweight durable plastics of LG. To each his own.

All said, it still isn’t what we’d consider a “small” phone, and the comparison above shows it’s still somewhat large sitting next to the huge 5.96-inch Nexus 6.

Specs

The small print and each set of specifications aren’t extremely important, but are something that buyers look into. Most just want a good experience and a smooth smartphone, and the G Flex 2 will do that. The LG G3 is still a powerful device, but the G Flex 2 has all the latest and greatest technology that should make it one of the best devices released in the first half of 2015. Here’s the numbers for those interested.

LG G Flex 2 Specs

• 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080p full HD Curved Display
• 2.0 GHz Octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with 2GB of RAM
• 16/32GB of storage and micro-SD support
• 13 Megapixel OIS+ rear camera with laser auto focus, 2.1 front camera
• Android 5.0 Lollipop with 64-bit support (thanks to Snapdragon 810)
• 3,000 mAh built-in battery
• Size: 149.1 x 75.3 x 7.1-9.4mm
• Rear facing buttons
• more

LG G3 Specs

• 5.5-inch 2560 × 1440 Quad-HD display
• 2.5 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 801 with 3GB of RAM
• 13 Megapixel camera with OIS+, laser auto-focus, 2.1-megapixel front camera
• 32GB storage and microSD card slot with up to 128GB support
• Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• 3,000 mAh battery with wireless charging
• WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, 4G LTE, FM Radio, IR Remote
• DLNA and Miracast support
• Metallic Black, Silk White, Gold Shine, Moon Violet, and Burgundy Red color options
• 146.3 x 74.6 x 9.1mm

As you can see they are somewhat similar, but there are some noteworthy differences. The LG G Flex 2 features one of the first 8-core 64-bit processors. Meaning it’s extremely powerful and the 64-bit support in Android 5.0 Lollipop will benefit. That, and it’s already running Lollipop, while all LG G3 owners are waiting for updates from Android 4.4 KitKat to Android 5.0.

The LG G3 has more RAM coming in with 3GB, but the 2GB of DDR4 RAM and 8-core processor should be more than enough on the G Flex 2 once it arrives. They have similar cameras, micro-SD expansion, likely the same battery with a few changes to curve it with the body of the Flex 2, and very similar rear facing buttons.

The G Flex 2 is a few millimeters taller, and almost the same thickness and width. You’ll barely notice the difference holding the two in your hand though.

Release Date

Now that you’ve seen how the LG G Flex 2 looks and read the impressive specs on board, including the latest Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, you’re probably wondering when you can get one. LG announced the new LG G Flex 2 at CES earlier this month but weren’t able to reveal pricing or a release date. That said, three carriers in the United States are already on board to offer it soon, and more could make announcements soon.

AT&T didn’t have much to say, but confirmed they’ll be offering the G Flex 2 later this year. That being said, Sprint confirmed the new LG G Flex 2 will be on its network before the end of the first quarter of 2015, meaning we can expect it to arrive within the next 2-3 months.

The first quarter of 2015 ends on March 31st, which is well ahead of when we’re expecting to see the new LG G4, or smartphones from many other manufacturers, so the LG G Flex 2 may be the first flagship smartphone released in 2015. Then of course you could always spring for the LG G3 now, as it was released last year, but a new LG G4 is on the horizon.

Final Thoughts

We only had a few minutes to use and enjoy the new LG G Flex 2, but if it’s anything like the LG G3 it should be an excellent phone, and that seems to be the case. It’s designed extremely similar, has the same buttons and camera, only has a uniquely curved flexible display and some of the latest cutting edge hardware. Like that Octa-core processor under the hood.

The first LG G Flex wasn’t a widely used or popular device, but from what we saw of the LG G Flex 2 LG Mobile is looking for a much wider audience this time around. They’ve improved the phone across the board while adding AT&T, Sprint, and US Cellular to the list of carriers in the United States, and we’ll be finding out about the release date soon enough.

Our only concern was the somewhat laggy and slow experience, but most likely that was due to the circumstances of it being on the showroom floor, and LG confirmed it was running non final pre-release software. Expect an excellent smartphone once it arrives in March or April of this year.