Connect with us

Android

LG G4 vs Galaxy S6: What We Know So Far

Published

on

Last year the LG G3 wowed us with its sleek bezels and impressive 5.5-inch Quad HD display, but this year the company is promising to deliver a similar device that’s better in every way imaginable, the LG G4. And it will need to be if it wants to take on the completely redesigned and impressive Samsung Galaxy S6 that was released back on April 10th.

With the LG G4 launch event near, set to be announced on April 28th, here we want to take a look at how LG’s latest phone stacks up to the Galaxy S6 based on what we know so far, leaks, rumors, and some of the details LG has confirmed about the LG G4 ahead of the release.

Read: LG G4 Release: Everything We Know So Far

The Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 are both readily available and two excellent smartphones, but the LG G4 is shaping up to be an excellent alternative. It will have a lot to offer, and have to compete with both of these devices all while being released over a month later, if not more. Read on for more details about the LG G4, and how it’ll compare to Samsung’s latest.

The Galaxy S6 Edge fingerprint sensor is the best I've used on an Android phone and on par with Touch ID.

Lately all of the attention has been on the Galaxy S6, and LG has quietly been lurking in the background building a rather impressive phone that should potential steal some of Samsung’s sales, even if it arrives nearly two months later. The launch is set for April 28th, and we’re hearing a release will follow in May, and these will be two of the best Android phones available in 2015.

When it comes to which smartphone is actually “better” between the Samsung Galaxy S6 or the LG G4 there are a lot of things that come into play. User preference, software or hardware needs, and of course the size of the device are all things each user will decide on. While we don’t have all the answers, nor know what every user needs or wants, below are a five or so key features or differences that separate the two and may help consumers make the right choice.

Display

Many consumers these days are choosing a smartphone based on screen size. One example of that being a leading factor is shown by Apple finally moving the iPhone like to a bigger 4.7-inch display with the iPhone 6. This year both Samsung and LG kept the screen the same size as last year, but improved them overall.

Read: Top 13 Galaxy S6 Settings to Change

The Samsung Galaxy S6 has a 5.1-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad HD AMOLED display. To be honest, I feel it’s the best display of any smartphone I’ve used to date. The colors, saturation, clarity, viewing angles, and natural whites just makes it a stunning device. Last year the G3 had a 2560 x 1440 Quad HD screen, but it was washed out, had poor viewing angles, and wasn’t the best. But that’s set to change in 2015.

The curved edges of the Galaxy S6 Edge look great.

According to an LG press release this new 5.5-inch Quad-HD display for the G4 achieved a “quantum jump” in color gamut and brightness. They’re calling it a “Quantum HD display”. The new LG G4 screen will be brighter, feature extremely rich and stunning colors. All while being more efficient and easier on battery life. Not to mention be thinner, and deliver improved touch function and precision.

It has a new advanced In-Cell Touch technology that allows it to react to touches, even with water on it. Finally, it’s expected to show even more accurate colors over last year’s QHD panel in the G3 by offering a 120% color gamut, 50% increase in contrast, and 30% jump in brightness. It may not be as good as the Galaxy S6, but we’ll have to wait and see. Those numbers make it sound like it could be, but we won’t know until we see it on April 28th.

Read: LG G3 Review

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 is as stunning as ever, and having a smaller display with the same Quad-HD display means more pixels per inch, and potentially more clear and crisp text and images. The S6 will probably have a better screen, but LG’s made huge strides in this department, so be on the lookout for a comparison once it’s unveiled.

Design

Both Samsung and LG have been making plastic smartphones for years, ones that “look” like they’re aluminum but not. The ring around the Galaxy S5 is actually plastic, but looks like chrome, and the brushed aluminum design on the LG G3 is pretty but added to a plastic shell. This year the Galaxy S6 was completely redesigned and is made of aluminum, with strengthened glass on both the front and the back. It’s the most premium Galaxy smartphone ever released, and so far it’s receiving lots of praise. That said, the battery is no longer removable, and there’s no micro-SD slot to expand storage. A big problem for many potential buyers.

Read: Samsung Galaxy S6: First Impressions from an iPhone User

LG on the other hand, didn’t do anything like that. The G4 (according to leaks and LG’s own teaser images) will retain the same plastic design with a neat diamond-designed aluminum look, but still be plastic. However, they’ve introduced and teased six genuine leather stitched rear battery covers, ones that are removable. It still has a removable battery and user expandable storage with a micro-SD slot. The leather looks nice in some colors, but poor in the other. We’ll have to see if the same design with some small tweaks will be enough to give it an edge over Samsung’s latest.

This is the new leather-clad LG G4

This is the new leather-clad LG G4

However, there’s a few major differences between both these phones. One being the LG G4 has all the buttons on the back, and the second being Samsung’s Galaxy S6 doesn’t have a removable battery or expandable storage, as we mentioned above. This is key for many buyers, and will instantly give the LG G4 an edge once it hits carrier shelves.

Samsung nails it with the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Overall the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are both stunning devices, in our opinion, but we’ll reserve judgement until we get our hands on the new leather-clad LG G4 at the end of the month.

We’ll have to see if leather options, removable storage, and a few other small changes will be enough for buyers to choose LG over Samsung.

Specs

While specs aren’t as important as having a device that’s fast, fluid, and will work for years to come, it’s still something many consider while making a purchase. Below are the hard numbers for those interested, but it all boils down to these devices being nearly the same under the hood with a few small changes, and software will play the biggest role in how each device performs.

Galaxy S6 Specs

  • 5.1-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad-HD S-AMOLED Display
  • 8-core Exynos 7420 processor (Two Quad-cores) and 3GB of RAM
  • 32/64/128 GB storage options, no micro-SD slot.
  • 16 Megapixel f1.9 camera and 5MP front shooter
  • Android 5.0 Lollipop with a new TouchWiz
  • infrared port for remote
  • Fingerprint and heart rate sensors
  • Wireless Charging
  • 2.550 mAh battery
  • Aluminum and glass design

The Galaxy S6 Edge fingerprint sensor is the best I've used on an Android phone and on par with Touch ID.

LG G4 Specs (Rumored and some Confirmed)

  • 5.5-inch 2560 × 1440 Quantum-HD display
  • 6-core Snapdragon 808 or 8-core 810 processor with 3GB of RAM
  • 32GB internal storage (Micro-SD expansion)
  • 16 Megapixel f1.8 camera with OIS+, laser auto-focus, 8 megapixel front camera
  • Android 5.0 Lollipop with a new LG UI
  • WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, 4G LTE, FM Radio Antenna, and Infrared laser for remote
  • Reportedly will have wireless charging
  • Three colors in plastic, six all-new Genuine leather back choices
  • 3,000 mAh battery (removable)

As you can see from the breakdown above, these devices are extremely similar. Essentially buyers main concerns should be on the the camera, screen size, or simply which manufacturer has the best software and design. And those are in no particular order. Any one of those could and can be the deciding factor. The G4 may not be as premium, even with the leather, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Camera

The Galaxy S6 has the best camera of any smartphone we’ve used to date. The 16 megapixel lens features a fast f.19 aperture rating, image stabilization, and some of the best software tweaks yet. It takes stunning images, and will give any device a run for its money. However, LG claims to have one-upped Samsung, and its 16 megapixel camera has an even faster f1.8 shutter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZdWPqpVbEk

Most phones are over 2.0 with the f-stop, which is the speed of the sensor and how well it captures details and light. Meaning both Samsung and LG are leading the pack here. Today LG even released a bunch of G4 sample photos taken with the camera, which are obviously professional and under the best circumstances possible, so this doesn’t represent real-world usage, but are impressive nonetheless.

The G4 has the laser auto focus and this is the third year they’ve delivered optical image stabilization, while OIS on the Galaxy S6 is the first Galaxy S phone with such a feature. These should technically be two of the best camera phones in 2015, so choose wisely.

Price

We won’t talk about software much, as that is a personal preference. Both run Android 5.0 Lollipop, but have a manufacturer skin covering up everything. Meaning this comes down to what you prefer, and a comparison won’t do much good until we have both in hand.

lg-g4-leak-all

So, last but certainly not least is the price. Sadly there’s no winner here either and you’ll have a tough choice to make. That being said, the LG G4 will be the cheaper of the two, simply because it only comes in 32GB for what we’re assuming will be $199 on contract, and has a micro-SD slot. Then of course all carriers offer monthly payment plans if you’d like to get the phone free, and pay it off month by month.

Verizon will try to undercut the others with contract and outright pricing, but nothing has been announced. That said, the Galaxy S6 is $199, $299, and $399 with a 2-year contract for the 32, 64, and 128GB storage options. So the only touch choice is choosing the 32GB model, as they’re the same price. For anyone that chooses LG, just get a cheap 64GB micro-SD card and you’re set, rather than giving a carrier another $100 or more.

lg-g4-leak

Both the Samsung Galaxy S6 and new LG G4 will likely be two of the best smartphones of 2015, so you really can’t go wrong with either option. That aside, read everything mentioned above and try them both out yourself before making a decision.

Final Thoughts

In closing, the only major advantage Samsung has is the Galaxy S6 is available now from carriers around the globe, while the LG G4 hasn’t even been announced. The launch date is April 28th, and we’re hearing a very late May release date, one that may end up being pushed into June.

Potential buyers will need to decide if the Galaxy S6 is right for them, or if they’d like to wait a month or two for the LG G4 to be released from all major carriers in the US, and around the globe. The Galaxy S6 Edge is another viable option, something LG cant’ compete with unless you look at the LG G Flex 2. We’ll update once the LG G4 is announced next week.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. James

    04/22/2015 at 5:02 am

    One being the LG G4 has all the buttons on the “pack”. I think you meant “back.”

    Also the SnapDragon 808 is not 8-core. It is 6-core.

    • Evan

      04/22/2015 at 10:15 am

      Read it again, he said 6-core

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.