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iPhone 6 Plus vs LG G3: What Buyers Need to Know

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When it comes to big, beautiful screens the iPhone 6 Plus and the LG G3 are at the top of the list. Anyone looking for an incredible display, loads of features and a beautiful design definitely needs to compare the latest options from Apple and LG.

The iPhone is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone market, but LG is not a newcomer. LG’s long history in making smartphones culminates in their best smartphone to date — the LG G3.

After using the LG G3 and the iPhone 6 Plus you can’t go wrong with either of these devices, but there are definitely some areas where one is better than the other.

See how the iPhone 6 Plus vs LG G3 compare in key areas.

See how the iPhone 6 Plus vs LG G3 compare in key areas.

LG and Apple’s latest and greatest smartphones are available on all major U.S. carriers and are on sale now, but it is still very hard to find the iPhone 6 Plus in stock at a local store. If you choose the iPhone 6 Plus, your best bet is to check stock at a local Apple Store or place an order and wait until it is delivered in a few weeks.

Read: LG G3 Review from an iPhone Owner

Get ready to pay a premium for the iPhone 6 Plus, which is $100 more than the LG G3 at carrier stores and [easyazon_link asin=”B00L9OVC94″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”gbm-ea-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]as low as $99 at Amazon.[/easyazon_link]

The $299 iPhone 6 Plus includes only 16GB of storage while the $99 to $199 LG G3 includes 32GB of storage.

Here are the most important things that buyers need to know about the iPhone 6 Plus vs LG G3 comparison.

Screens

At first glance you might think the LG G3 and the iPhone 6 Plus screens are the same, there is a big difference even though they are both 5.5-inch displays.

Both of these displays are much giant steps up from the iPhone 5s, which is one reason I really enjoyed using the LG G3 review unit. Higher-resolution displays deliver more detail on the available space.

While both of these devices are 5.5-inch in size the LG G3 features a higher Quad HD display that packs in more pixels in the same size.

The LG G3 and iPhone 6 Plus both include 5.5-inch displays, but LG packs in a higher resolution.

The LG G3 and iPhone 6 Plus both include 5.5-inch displays, but LG packs in a higher resolution.

This allows the LG G3 display to show more details on photos than the iPhone 6 Plus. Apple isn’t slacking this year though. The iPhone 6 Plus includes a 1080P display that also looks very nice.

  • iPhone 6 Plus – 5.5-inch 1,920 x 1,080 – 401 pixels per inch
  • LG G3 – 5.5-inch 2,560 x 1,440 – 538 pixels per inch

On paper and with a close side-by-side comparison the LG G3 display looks better than the iPhone 6 Plus display, but in every day use, most buyers will be happy with both screens.

The video above shows the close up detail that you can see on the LG G3 display.

There are growing pains for both devices. There is not a lot of video or apps optimized for the LG G3 display, but with more high-resolution displays coming this should be over soon. There aren’t a lot of apps updated for the iPhone 6 Plus display either, which leads to blurry apps and changes in the keyboard size and key location, but updates should solve this issue in the coming weeks and months.

Size

Even though the LG G3 and iPhone 6 Plus share the same size display, the LG G3 is a smaller device. This is thanks to the large bezels on the iPhone 6 Plus which make the device quite tall.

The LG G3 size is noticeably shorter than the iPhone 6 Plus.

The LG G3 size is noticeably shorter than the iPhone 6 Plus.

Here’s a look at how the two devices measure up. Although the LG G3 is thicker, the curved back makes it fit in the hand better than a phone that is almost 9mm thick normally would.

  • LG G3 – 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.95mm – 149.7 grams
  • iPhone 6 Plus – 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm – 172 grams
The LG G3 is thicker, but still a nice size.

The LG G3 is thicker, but still a nice size.

The shorter and narrower design makes the LG G3 easier to use with one hand and it balances a little better while you are holding it as well. The iPhone 6 Plus works with one hand in some situations, but most of the time you need to commit to two-handed use.

Features

Apple and LG pack in a lot of new features to the LG G3 and iPhone 6 Plus. Apple is able to stay ahead in one key areas, but for the most part they share many features that consumers enjoy using.

Here’s a look at the iPhone 6 Plus vs LG G3 features buyers should take a closer look at before buying a new smartphone.

  • Mobile Payments – The iPhone 6 Plus includes Apple Pay and the LG G3 supports Soft Card and Google Wallet. These options use NFC to let you store a credit card on the phone and tap it to a credit card reader to make payments.
  • Touch ID –  Apple includes Touch ID, a fingerprint security tool that lets users log in, make app purchases and more. There is no fingerprint security option on the LG G3.
  • Storage – The iPhone 6 Plus is available in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage options. The LG G3 is only available in 32GB, but it supports a Micro SD card to add up to 128GB of storage.
  • Call Quality – Calls sound good on the Verizon LG G3 I used and on my Verizon iPhone 6. The AT&T iPhone 6 Plus also delivers good call quality. Calls sound better on the iPhone 6 using Verizon VoLTE than the other devices. VoLTE is Available on the iPhone 6 Plus as well.
Here's how the LG G3 and iPhone 6 Plus cameras compare.

Here’s how the LG G3 and iPhone 6 Plus cameras compare.

You might think a 13MP camera is hands down better than an 8MP camera, but that’s not the case. The LG G3 features a 13MP camera with laser focusing and optical image stabilization that LG claims is faster than traditional OIS. The iPhone 6 Plus features a 8MP camera with OIS and focus pixels to help it focus faster.

At the end of the day, both cameras focus quickly and take great looking photos. The iPhone 6 Plus can shoot 240 FPS slow motion video and the LG G3 can take 4k video.

Specs

Here is a spec, by spec breakdown of how the iPhone 6 Plus vs LG G3 comparison shapes up. These specs enable the features listed above, and offer a closer look at what’s inside these two smartphones.

iPhone 6 Plus Specs

  • Apple A8 64-bit Processor
  • iOS 8
  • 5.5-inch display – 1920 x 1080  – 401 pixels per inch
  • 16GB / 64GB / 128GB storage options
  • 1.2MP front-facing camera
  • 8MP rear-facing camera with Optical Image Stabilization
  • 2915 mAh battery
  • 4G LTE
  • 802.11ac WiFi
  • Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor
  • NFC
Two thin and powerful smartphones with big displays.

Two thin and powerful smartphones with big displays.

LG G3 Specs

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Quad-Core Processor 2.5 GHz
  • 5.5-inch display. 2,560 x 1440 pixels, 538 pixels per inch (ppi)
  • 32GB storage
  • micro SD Slot –  Accommodates up to 128GB
  • 13MP rear-facing camera with Optical Image Stabilization
  •  2.1MP front-facing camera
  • 3,000 mAh, user replaceable battery
  • Android 4.4.2 KitKat
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
  • Bluetooth 4.0 LE
  • NFC

Software

Some of the bigger differences arrive when you start to look at iOS 8 on the iPhone 6 Plus and Android 4.4.2 on the LG G3. This isn’t the latest version of Android, but it’s close and LG includes several smart customizations that users will enjoy.

This year the iPhone and Android both support third-party keyboards, but one way the LG G3 stands out is with the option to change the overall size of the keyboard.

Apple and LG both know that a 5.5-inch screen is tough to use with one hand, so Apple adds Reachability and LG a one-handed mode. Apple’s option slides the top of the screen down so you can tap with your thumb, while the G3 simply shifts the keyboard right or left.

The series of videos above covers the many LG G3 software features. This includes the ability to connect controllers and storage over Micro USB, use the LG G3 as a remote control and the various camera features.

In the video below you’ll see many of the new iOS 8 features that Apple adds to the iPhone 6 Plus this year. The iPhone 6 Plus also includes support for landscape mode, operating almost like a smaller iPad mini with two areas of view on the screen.

Apple delivers more frequent updates than most Android devices, but we expect the LG G3 will see an update to the new version of Android L, that changes the overall look of Android similar to how Apple changed things up last year with iOS 7.

Apple also delivers a collection of other interesting new software features for the iPhone 6 with iOS 8 including better support for group messages, a new health and more. You can see many of these features in the slideshow below.

What’s New in iOS 8

iOS 8 vs iOS 7 Walkthrough - Home Screen

iOS 8 vs iOS 7 Walkthrough - Home Screen

We start our iOS 8 vs iOS 7 walkthrough with the iPhone home screen, which is where you'll start your iOS 8 experience after an update this fall. 

These screens are incredibly important as you see them anytime you turn on the iPhone or need to choose an app to launch. There is no way around using them, so Apple needs to make sure they work just right. 

As you can see in the iOS 8 vs iOS 7 comparison above, there is no change between the home screen in the new iPhone software. Apple changed the status bar and some other small visual changes in iOS 7, but there are no updates for iOS 8.  

We could see Apple change the home screen slightly for iOS 8 for the iPhone 6. The new iPhone will feature a larger 4.7-inch display with a higher resolution. This is something Apple may use to add more icons to the screen. Or they could stick with the current layout, it's tough to tell.  

8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Fuzzy

    09/27/2014 at 11:35 pm

    Someone’s an android fan. Biased much?!

  2. Dustin

    09/28/2014 at 4:32 am

    I was thinking the exact opposite.

  3. Sage

    09/28/2014 at 7:30 am

    Android’s flagship devices have absolutely demolished any apple device in almost every way as far as physical specifications. Coming from someone who has used both; their operating system is infinitely better if you know how to use it and now they pioneer nearly all new features to smartphones leaving apple in the dust to copy what they do. You basically create your own operating system the way you want it. Unlock the bootloader and you actually can flash your own operating system. I know I’m biased, but nobody needs to be to see the obvious advantages Android and its physical devices have.

  4. BAPPON

    09/29/2014 at 12:56 am

    SONY

  5. Alistair

    09/29/2014 at 3:57 am

    I use the lg g3 and love the form factor and amqzing screen. It shoots both 4k video and slow motion at 120fps. It is also only slightly bigger than the iphone 6 and at least 1cm smaller than the 6 plus despite having the same size or smaller screen. Only issue is there is a small amount of lag at times. Is the clear pick over the iphone in my view in terms of form and the superior screen.

  6. sto

    10/04/2014 at 1:01 am

    Please anyone: What is maximum resolution, for driving an EXTERNAL MONITOR?

  7. jeff

    10/18/2014 at 3:06 pm

    IPhone 6 plus is nice and very bendable

  8. Steven Moller

    12/15/2014 at 9:23 pm

    In my humble opinion, Apple has a huge ego, and needs to come down to Earth. They are no longer the innovative force that Steve Job’s gave them. In fact, can not thing of one thing that Apple has come out with that would be considered revolutionary since he passed away. The only thing Apple has going for them is that they can connect many of their devices. The erasability to move files from one device to another. Other than that, I am going with the LG. The Apple plus is exactly that … plus in size that is getting difficult to handle. So between the size, and the fact that Apple does not offer 32 GB (due in part to their ego I am sure), and the lack of micro storage ability, for me it is a no brainer … get the LG. Anything but an Apple.

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