Galaxy S4 vs LG G2: A specs-wise comparison

The LG G2 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 are two of the best Android flagship smartphones available in the market from South Korea. Both these devices have been proven as multi-taskers especially with the specs the two phones are enabled with. Even though consumers may not be using all the innovations that each of the devices have to offer, the features are a good representation of the automation vision where users do not have to necessarily control the smartphones via touching and tapping the screen. This review is a battle between the two titans to see which one emerges victorious.

Design
Both the phones are made of polycarbonate. However, the plastic glossy faces should not be taken on face value as they have a lot underneath.

A powerful feature available in the S4 is the removable battery, which is not there in the LG G2 or the HTC One along with the external memory card. The specs offered by the S4 are top of the line as the 5” screen is fully HD with 1080p and has a Super AMOLED display and connectivity to LTE network. Moreover, an IR sensor has been included for allowing users to interact with the device using gestures. An IR blaster controls the home entertainment system too.

LG G2 has been transformed quite radically in terms of design. The volume and power buttons have been moved to the middle back from the sides of the phone. LG has claimed that this would make the phone more ergonomic and natural. As per the maker, most of the users make use of their index finger at the point where they hold the phone to their ear for voice calling.

Despite the same, glassy polycarbonate build, it is a few steps behind the S4 such as the non-removal of the battery. Even though this should not be a problem as the battery life of the S4 is quite good, but those who make use of their smart phones a little too much would have to carry around chargers. Compared to the HTC One, it is a lot better as an added micro SDXC card can be inserted for boosted memory.

Upon specs wise comparison, users would have to admit that the LG G2 matches the Samsung S4 quite well. The display is larger in the G2 by 0.2 inches and it has the identical 1080p full HD display. However, Samsung makes use of the super AMOLED technology whereas LG uses the IPS LCD display. There is much debate about the merits and LCD and AMOLED. However, users prefer the Super AMOLED panel over the LCD one.

Multi-Tasking

You can handle multitasking in the LG G2 through cascading or floating windows. It is similar to the way you run multiple windows within systems like the OS X by Apple or the Windows 8. The QSlide Apps can be opened on the screen. You can resize the apps opened and then move them on the screen. The transparency too can be adjusted for seeing through floating apps. You can actually run a normal application and twin floating apps side by side. The larger full screen window and the two smaller ones can be adjusted via transparency factor.

Galaxy S4 does have a multiple window view but not as advanced as the G2. In future, it can be expected that Samsung would bring such technology in. On G Flex, multi-window viewing can be activated by holding and pressing down the back button.

A lot of people overlook the multi-tasking system in LG because of the attention enjoyed by Samsung. However, the system is more robust in the LG model. Both these systems can be expanded beyond the system on Android for running single applications at one time while making way for opened application to continue operations at the background. Both Samsung and LG cause an expansion of this by permitting applications to operate simultaneously, that give the phone the feel of a PC. However, LG does seem to be ahead of Samsung in terms of variety. However, it takes time to adjust to the gestures.

Camera                      

The LG G2 camera is quite delightful to be used, once you get used to the user interface. The 13MP camera sensor along with the optical image stabiliser makes the camera one of the best ones available now. This technology permits the camera to work quite well even when the light is quite low, without the aid of the LED flash on the back. Videos too do not appear shaky when viewed after recording.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 also has a 13MP shooter but there is no optical image stabiliser in the phone. However, the user interface is more attractive on the phone and there are much more scene modes in the S4. Armed with their experience in camera and mobile phone development, Samsung should be able to produce intuitive and better camera menus.

The 13MP sensor can capture a lot of details and the performance is quite good. Daylight images look particularly gorgeous. In situations where there is less light available, the back LED flash burns bright and works well to illuminate subjects and retaining the scene’s mood. It is particularly helpful when you click portraits in restaurants in dim light.

Final Word

The Samsung flagship phone has finally met with its match in the LG G2. You should buy used LG G2 because of the features matches and bettered by the LG G2 compared to the S4. In a number of areas, the S4 has been edged out including inclusion of several advanced features for improved multi-tasking, user interface with home screen that works well in both portrait and landscape mode and smart software which makes the best use of sensors and cameras and a camera that has optical image stabilization.

However, there are a few features that Samsung has that you can’t buy used LG G2 and get. The S Health is such an app which is a pedometer and food log in the Galaxy S5. Moreover, the Samsung Hub allows you to get digital stuffs into your device if you have already purchased the Samsung ecosystem for your computing and home entertainment requirements.