Another week, another flagship phone hopeful. This time, LG has stepped up to the plate and delivered what it hopes will be a home run in the G2. Though LG has taken a back seat over the last few years to the new top dogs, the company is thinking that life will be good again when thanks to the G2 and it’s impressive display, powerful processor, and uniquely placed back-panel controls. The buttons on the back of the device may be the feature that makes it stand out the most in handling it, but will the numbers stand out for LG’s G2 in a Spec Showdown? We place it against two top dogs in the mobile world to see how it compares.
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iPhone 5  |
Galaxy S4  |
LG G2  |
|
| Size | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 (mm) | 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 (mm) | 127 x 71 x 8.9 (mm) |
| Weight | 112g | 130g | 140g |
| Screen | 4.0-inch LCD | 5.0-inch Super AMOLED | 5.2-inch LCD |
| Resolution | 1136×640 pixels | 1080×1920 pixels | 1,920×1080 pixels |
| OS | iOS 6.1 | Android 4.2 with TouchWiz UI | Android 4.2 |
| Storage | 16/32/64GB | 16/32/64GB | 16/32GB |
| SD Card Slot | No | Yes | No |
| Processor | Dual-core A6X | 1.9GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 600 | 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 |
| RAM | 1GB | 2GB | 2GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+ | Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+ | Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, EV-DO Rev.A |
| Camera | Front 1.2MP, Rear 8MP | Front 1.9MP, Rear 13MP | Front 2.1MP, Rear 13MP |
| Bluetooth | Yes, version 4.0 | Yes, version 4.0 | Yes, version 4.0 |
| Battery | 1440mAh | 2600mAh | 3000mAh |
| Charger | Lightning connector | Micro USB | Micro USB |
| Marketplace | Apple App Store | Google Play Store | Google Play Store |
| Price | $200+ | $200+ | $N/A |
| Availability | AT&T, Sprint, T-Mob, Verizon | AT&T, Sprint, T-Mob, Verizon | AT&T, Sprint, T-Mob, Verizon |
There’s no denying LG’s G2 packs a pretty powerful punch in the specs department. With a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor that clocks in at 2.26GHz – it’s one of the first phones to use the chipset – speed should be no issue for the G2. It also sports a huge 5.2-inch, end-to-end 1080p display that pumps out a pixel-per-inch count that rivals Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and a camera that equals the S4’s megapixel count. It’s pretty clear where LG has set its scopes on its Korean rival. While both phones seem to leave the iPhone behind in the numbers department, there’s something to be said for iOS and the staying power its had even with powerful Android handsets like the G2 and S4 leapfrogging one another.
Of course, the most polarizing feature of the G2 – the one that might act as a deterrent for those looking to pick up one of the flagship phones this summer – is the volume and power controls set on the back of the device. This does allow for new gesture controls on the G2 that LG promises will lead to improved navigation, but you’ll have to get your hands on the device and play around with it to see how well that claim holds up. (Read our LG G2 hands-on impressions.)
