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LG G3 vs. LG G2: How does LG’s hot new phone compare to last year?

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lg g2 vs g3 lgg3vsg2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While companies like Samsung and Motorola fight for headlines in the Android war, LG quietly put together one of our favorite smartphones with the LG G2. Now, the company has unveiled the updated version of the device and appears to have every intention of knocking down the doors to the court of Android royalty. We decided to put the LG G3 alongside the LG G2 to see how the newest offering from LG stacks up against the company’s previous flagship phone.

 

LG G3

LGG3
Image used with permission by copyright holder
 LG G2
LGG2
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Size 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 (mm) 138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9 (mm)
Weight 149g 143g
Screen 5.5-inch LCD 5.2-inch LCD
Resolution 2560×1440 pixels 1920×1080 pixels
OS Android 4.4.2 with LG UI Android 4.2.2 with LG UI
Storage 32GB 32GB
SD Card Slot Yes No
Processor Quad-core Snapdragon 801 Quad-core Snapdragon 800 
RAM 3GB 2GB
Connectivity Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+, NFC Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+, NFC
Camera Front 2.1MP, Rear 13MP Front 2.1MP, Rear 13MP
Bluetooth Yes, version 4.0 Yes, version 4.0
Battery 3000mAh 3000mAh
Batt. Removable? Yes No
Quadrant Score N/A 17,700
Charger Micro USB, Wireless Micro USB
Marketplace Google Play Store Google Play Store
Ave. Price $200+ (with 2-year contract) $200 (with 2-year contract)
Availability AT&T, Sprint, T-Mob, Verizon in June AT&T, Sprint, T-Mob, Verizon
DT Review Score 4.5 out of 5 4.5 out of 5
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Display

You spend a lot of time looking at the screen of your phone, and LG’s stocked the G3 with one of the best displays you could ask for. The 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution – that’s nearly 3.7 million pixels – blows away just about everything we’ve seen in on smartphones so far. It’s an aggressive approach and will likely shine best when seen in person where the differences between it and a lower resolution screen are clear. We quite liked the display on the LG G2, and our initial moments with the G3’s screen have been very crisp, and positive.

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Processing Power

The internals on the LG G3 aren’t a huge step up from the LG G2 or any of the other flagship phones on the market. Though there were rumors of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 inside, the G3 is powered by the Snapdragon 801, which is the newest offering from the company but is already in other devices. It’s a move that makes sure LG is keeping up with the Joneses. The G3 does have 3GB of RAM, which we usually find in larger devices. It doesn’t go above and beyond, but the G3 reaches the bar for top tier smartphone power.

Camera

On the spec sheet, the cameras in the LG G3 are no different than the ones found in its predecessor. But the LG G3 has a first among smartphone when it comes to cameras: a laser autofocus system. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s a pretty practical feature. The laser is used to detect depth of the subject of the photo. This minimizes the time between tapping to snap a shot and actually capturing the photo, eliminating the long stutter as the camera lens focuses. The front-facing lens also received some tweaking, including a wider aperture and gesture detection that allows users to take a selfie by clenching a fist.

G3 is looking good

The LG G3 seems primed to take the G2’s spot among our favorite Android devices. A full review and hands on will come soon, but the spec sheet and features list shows a considerable upgrade over its predecessor.

The LG G3 will be available on over 170 carriers starting in June 2014. It is available May 28, 2014 in South Korea.

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AJ Dellinger
AJ Dellinger
Contributor
AJ Dellinger is a freelance reporter from Madison, Wisconsin with an affinity for all things tech. He has been published by…
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