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LG G2 or iPhone 5s? What to Buy.

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We took a look at the Nokia Lumia 1020 and the iPhone 5s earlier this week, and now we’re going to turn attention to LG’s late 2013 flagship, the G2. The LG G2 has an impressive, but often overlooked camera, and we want to explore how this under-rated competitor stacks up against not only the best camera phones on the market today, but the best smartphones out there. Given that in our review of the LG G2 we dubbed the smartphone a worthy Galaxy S4 challenger, and given that Samsung is gunning for the iPhone with its flagship Android device, the LG G2, by proxy, then is also a rival to Apple’s iPhone. So let’s see how the Android-powered G2 measures up against Apple’s iconic iPhone 5s.

Camera

The best camera is the one that you always carry with, whether that’s a professional-grade DSLR or a 1-megapixel flip phone camera. Fortunately, though, if you have the cash to spend on either an iPhone 5s or an LG G2, you’ll not only get two amazing smartphones, but ones with highly capable cameras to preserve your memories.

LGG2_003-575x383LG G2. The LG G2 has an impressive camera with a 13-megapixel resolution sensor–or the same one that rival Samsung is using on the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3. What makes the LG G2 stand out is optical image stabilization, which will make videos look more stabilized and less shakey and will allow for brighter images when captured in low light situation. The former is good for when you want to record video and play it back on a 50-inch HDTV and not get seasick from all the camera shake and the latter is excellent for when you’re at a dark bar and don’t want to look touristy by using a flash.

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In reality, performance by the LG G2 is great, but not excellent. Slower times to lock focus and a slower shutter speed still led to motion blur, which is different from camera shake. Motion blur is when you’re trying to take a picture of someone moving, and the slower shutter blurs the movement of their motion rather than freezing it in the shot. The OIS engine is on par with the HTC One, but still pales to the Lumia’s excellent OIS mechanism.

On its own, the LG G2 is a very capable camera that allows users to do more in more settings. You can literally take the camera out from dawn to dusk and not have to use the flash and still have a good image. It’s a very impressive camera, and LG is already promising a better OIS and camera experience on its next LG G Pro 2 phablet, which means that the LG G3 later this year will have an even beefier camera than the G2’s.

iPhone 5s. As the iPhone is the most popular photography tool today, it’s what most camera phones will be compared against. The iPhone 5s doesn’t have a mechanical OIS mechanism like its rival, it does have digital image stabilization, which does a decent job for video shake. In low light situations, the LG G2 does a better job of gathering in available light to brighten an image taken in a dark bar or restaurant without having to activate the flash. That said, if you do need a flash, the dual LED flash module on the iPhone 5s is superb as it renders accurate, more natural skin tones.

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Apple does an admirable job of simplifying technology for the user, and it shows with the camera experience. Though you won’t get the best in class performance of competitors, like the Lumia 1020, the easy to use camera provides the best quality for what it is, and perhaps this is why iPhone users capture, share, and upload more photos to the web than users of any other smartphone model. The LG G2 tries to be better, but it doesn’t do enough to truly challenge the camera experience of the iPhone 5s.

Performance

With the latest specs and processing power, both the LG G2 and the iPhone 5s are worthy of their flagship statuses. However, does either device push far enough to deliver powerful performance that power users can appreciate?

LG G2. The LG G2 is powered by Android and runs on a powerful quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with enough RAM to give it fluid, instant response. There is nothing to complain about–fast processor, vivid 1080p display in a still manageable 5.2-inch package, and great sounding speakers.

LGG2_011-575x383What LG does well is it enhances its own experience on top of Android, but does in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the user. With the LG experience, you can have floating windows of applications so you can multitask, you can have transparent windows, and the device could intelligently detect if you’re looking at the display or away to automatically pause video playback or turn off the screen to conserve battery life. Additionally, users can also use the home screen in landscape orientation, which would make the LG G2 a great car computer for GPS navigation and just docked to a dashboard or windshield in landscape, rather than portrait view.

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These simple enhancements may not sound much, but coupled with the ability to simultaneously multitask with cascading floating windows on a 5.2-inch screen, users will be able to do more with their G2 smartphone throughout the day.

iPhone 5s. Apple’s latest A7 processor is fast and provides for a zippy experience around iOS 7 on the iPhone 5s. TouchID, iMessage, and unrivaled iTunes/App Store ecosystem really helps the iPhone standout. However, through the years, little has changed functionally about iOS. It still provides plenty of power, but iOS really is showing its age when mated to a still small 4-inch display of the iPhone 5s. And given the small display, it may be of little sense to allow for simultaneous multitasking. In these areas, both LG and Samsung are blowing Apple out of the water, though some of the other smaller enhancements on the G2 may seem a bit gimmicky to iPhone owners.

Ecosystem

A smartphone isn’t just about the hardware, but it’s also the sum of the surrounding parts, including the networks that it connects to as well as the apps and contents that it has access to. Google Play is rapidly catching up to iTunes and the App Store, but is there more to the story than two apps ecosystem that are largely on par with each other?

LG G2. The problem with the openness of Android is that manufacturers get creative, and sometimes their thinking is years ahead of Google’s. Take for instance tablets–Samsung had released its Galaxy Tab 7–the original edition–ahead of Google’s optimized Android Honeycomb for tablet. This leads to a rather poor experience with third-party apps that have to scale up, but don’t offer any real value to the end users, to the tablet’s larger display. The same could be said with phablets. With 5-inch or larger devices, these phablets run the phone version of Android, so third-party apps run with a phone user experience. It would be nice to see if users could force apps to run in their tablet experiences, which provides for more columns and a more desktop-like interface. By doing this, users won’t have to click and go back as often, jumping between screens.

And while the apps ecosystem on Google Play is largely catching up to the App Store on iOS, digital content on the Google Play Store–like movies, TV shows, magazines, and e-books–still are lagging behind the content selection on Apple’s iTunes. That said, with what’s available, I think you’ll be able to enjoy the content more with a larger display, and one at a high 1080p full HD resolution.

iPhone 5s. Though Google may be catching up to Apple in terms of apps, selections on iTunes cannot be beaten still in some cases. What really sets the iPhone apart from the competition is the quality of apps. Rather than force developers to create apps for different screen experiences, Apple has a few screen sizes to choose from, allowing for more consistent and elegantly created apps. Retina iPhone display, Retina iPad display, normal iPhone, and normal iPad displays are just the few resolutions that are available, and developers know that their apps are built to work for a 4-inch, 3.5-inch, 7.9-inch, or 9.7-inch screen size.

In reality, you won’t find apps that are meant for smaller phones that are now stretched to fill a larger display. Everything just feels like they fit better together.

The downside about the iPhone 5s is that though both it and the LG G2 connect to supported 4G LTE networks in the U.S., the LG G2 on Verizon could handle simultaneous talking and web browsing at the same time whereas the single antenna on the iPhone 5s limits users to either talking on the phone or surfing the web. Not only will you not have the simultaneous multitasking of apps that is present on the LG G2, but iPhone users on Verizon’s and Sprint’s CDMA/LTE network are more confined to just talking or web access. GSM iPhone owners on AT&T and T-Mobile don’t have this issue, but it’s something to keep in mind none the less in your decision to buy a phone.

Accessories

The new rage these days is not accessories to personalize and customize your phones. Though simple, colorful, and trendy cases are still hot, power users will likely look at accessories that extend the usefulness of their phones.

urlLG G2. The LG G2 benefit from a number of cases as well as first-party covers from LG that protect the screen while also giving you access to quick information through a small window on the cover. It’s a nifty idea that allows you to check notifications without having to constantly flip open the cover.

iPhone 5s. Apple has done an excellent job in not only courting software developers, but also makers of accessories to extend the ecosystem and support of its phone. With the iPhone 5s, you’ll find a number of interchangeable lenses for the camera–like Olloclip’s snap-on lenses to extend your photography to the next level–as well as specialized cases. From rugged Otterbox cases to waterproof Lifeproof cases, there is something that will fit in with your lifestyle. There are also wallet cases, ISIS-approved mobile payment cases, and battery cases that combine an extended battery with a hard shell for added protection, like those made by Mophie.

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Dedicated docks, customized holders, colorful and playful cases, and skins and covers, you’ll find a lot of accessories at varying price points from the cheap to the luxurious with the iPhone 5s.

Conclusion

So while the LG G2 excels ahead of the iPhone 5s in a few areas, general smartphone owners who may not need all the powerful features may find more value in the iPhone than Android. Nice sounding speakers, crisp and large display, OIS camera, and strong multitasking show where the LG G2 shines, but where Apple trails, it makes up for in apps that are beautifully built, a more robust ecosystem of apps and accessories, and more digital content. Depending on where your needs lie, you can’t go wrong with today’s powerful selections of phones.

8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Chris

    02/07/2014 at 6:03 pm

    Ummm… Maybe a year ago I would agree with the apple ecosystem of apps and accessories stuff, however after hunting through pages of different cases for a recently purchased G2 from otterbox to no name whatever cases, looking at exterior clip on lenses for a nexus 4 Or trying to figure out which of several to several hundred apps for whatever I might need on the Google play store… I have realized there is a TON of support for android devices, whatever the flavor. As for movies, music or books, not only is the Google store brimming with content, but there is Amazon, vudu, etc.etc. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a fandroid… I think apple makes great stuff, but the standby fallback of, “well this android whatever trounces the iphone in all these ways, but apple still has so many more options in its ecosystem.” Is becoming tired. Most new android handsets are 5″+ and therefore most apps have started updating there format to utilize this. I have seen a vast improvement over the last year among the upper tier and most used apps in this regard. I would say the 64bit architecture on the 5s shows forward thinking, this is going to open the world of mobile computing to great things. The 5s camera is snappy and takes good photos, the 5s has a more premium build than the G2… However there is one glaring failure to the iPhone, multitasking and app communication. If you have used both, you know what I’m talking about.

  2. kumar

    02/07/2014 at 7:22 pm

    What about battery life? How do the 2 phone compare?

  3. Joshua

    02/09/2014 at 9:42 am

    Lg g2 has about a 3000 mah battery. It’s a beast that will definitely last you the whole day with about 8 hours of moderate use on screen time.

  4. TechShingami

    02/10/2014 at 2:12 am

    LG G2 more than a day of battery life for moderate to heavy use. 5s not even half a day.
    2. The G2 camera is the best for your INFO. It’s on par with the nokia lumia. But the lumia edges it abit

    • thomas tagle

      08/14/2017 at 3:46 am

      that is not true because i have iphone 5s been using it for a month now.. it depends on how you use it… from 100% charged i am using it now playing music on my stereo speakers for 1 hour & 20 minutes now but surprisingly still battery is still in 100%.. i just turned on the low power mode.. ofcourse if you use it for internet online gaming with data on then it is power hungry it will drain any smartphones battery.. i use my iphone 5s for texting, phone calls, occasional surfing, facebook app, messenger, little gaming, mostly listening to music.. battery last 1 to 2 days with still having 20% to 15% power on it before charging.. not to mention i bought my iphone just a refurbished condition from san juan greenhills manila philippines that is the main shopping center for all kinds of gadgets bnew or 2ndhand here in philippines.. where all gadgets are like bnew even it is categorized as 2ndhand.. i used to own so many types of android from china made to branded but all of them are turning slow & lagging because the android OS are all not perfected.. it is very prone to viruses, running background apps that are not in use.. i always see files in my folder that i did not even downloaded that i suspected viruses because it cannot be deleted.. i have to use ram booster, battery booster, etc.. all that bulky troublesome tool app just to keep my android system clean & fast.. it so frustrating!!.. i love my iphone 5s so much because it is so simple to use, clean, so private & personal.. so elegant piece of alluminum sleek smartphone.. a definitely compact but big on capabilities.. & it scores 62k plus on my antutu app..

  5. Evilcowhunter

    02/10/2014 at 3:54 am

    The writer is clearly out of sync with tech changes but also consumer changes.

    These catogeries would have matter few years back but this does not highlight the change in trend from iPhone to s4 (not a fan of s4 with its too many features)

    What matters are mot highlighted in this article at all.Why has moto achieved a huge sucess of moto g and moto x despite being outdated specs.Who knows in few years everything will change and everyone will understand the importance of cloud computing then where will the tech market shift.

    And that is called writing to stay ahead of the curve.

  6. WorldTraveler

    02/10/2014 at 1:43 pm

    I’ve had iPhones 4, 4s and I deal in 5, 5C/S — thought I was hooked onto IOS having had most of my smartphone experience with iPhones. Well, I was “forced” to take the LG G2 by my company who furnishes my phone and pays for my service. After 3 weeks, overall I am very happy with the LG G2 even though I didn’t think I would be. I don’t completely agree with the writer about apps, the only thing I think iOS excels is in its virtual keypad. One simply makes less “mistakes” typing on iPhone’s self-correcting keypad. Typing on LG’s keypad is overall a bit slower; could be it’s due to sloppiness one picks up using the IOS self-correcting keyboard. Maybe this is not a fair comparison since I am not fully familiar with LG’s keypad. There are however keyboard apps that correct this, even one that mimics the iPhone keypad, for Android!

    I think Google’s version of “Siri” on this LG model is just as good if not better. I remember an older Motorola flip phone a few years ago that I think was actually more accurate than Siri on phone functions only..that flip phone didn’t have internet connectivity.

    So, which is better iPhone 5S vs. the fastest Android today the LG G2? In my opinion the larger screen tilts the balance. Even you nearsighted people who see details very clearly will not be able to tell the difference between the retina display and LG G2’s display; both are super duper!

  7. Tom

    07/23/2014 at 5:25 pm

    A full HD screen on the lg and near edge to edge dislay the iphone Not full HD and the bezels are much larger. I used a lg g2 the other day and have decided to buy! The screen is simply incredible! after useing it for an 1hr picking up an iphone was like a childs toy! i juat didnt want to use it anymore! yes it fits in your hand and it feels prenium. But reality is Apple better start opening up there system or they will tumble and hard! Already now there going to finally have larger iphones! All files downloaded like movies and music straight to a usb flash drive just like a pc is what i always look for on a phone. No matter where you go you can just put it in the telly and watch or listen.

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