Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs LG G3 Specs Battle

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs LG G3

LG was the first manufacturer to launch a Quad-HD resolution display flagship device globally with the LG G3. While its competitors like the Galaxy S5 and the Xperia Z2 came with 1080p displays, LG G3 really pushed the envelope with the Quad-HD resolution display.

Samsung announced its Galaxy Note 4 at IFA this week with a Quad-HD screen and is a strong rival to the LG G3. LG flagships hadn’t been very successful in the market in terms of overall sales but with the G3, LG has really changed that by being a major success. Recently LG released a press statement on selling 10 million units of the G3 already. So whether or not Quad-HD has made a difference to the average consumer, it has brought some great success to LG and it now is in a good position to rival Samsung as far as sales of flagship models go.

So which Quad-HD flagship should you get? The Note 4 or the G3? Let’s find out

Display

Smartphone displays have been getting bigger and bigger over the years. And if we look back, it was Samsung that actually pioneered the large screen phablet segment with the original Galaxy Note. Continuing the trend, the Galaxy Note 4 comes with a very large 5.7 inch Super AMOLED display. It is actually the only smartphone in the world to come with a Quad HD Super AMOLED display of any size. Samsung has been the leader when it comes to AMOLED displays on mobile devices and that shows in the Note 4’s display. The display comes with a pixel density of 515PPI, one of the highest in the industry. Not only do you get razor-sharp visuals but also infinite contrast with the deepest blacks and also good sunlight legibility. For added protection from scratches and damage Samsung has utilized a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top.

The LG G3 has a slightly smaller display at 5.5 inches but with the same resolution of 2560 x 1440 or Quad HD. That translates to a pixel density of 534PPI, which is slightly higher than that of the Note 4. The screen is based on IPS technology and offers wide viewing angles and detailed color reproduction. But it does have a weakness, it simply cannot compare to the infinite contrast ratio of the Samsung AMOLED display. The lower than average contrast ratio of the LG G3 display has been one of the few criticisms about the device.

Even though both offer identical resolution, the screen on the Note 4 is definitely superior and hence it wins this round.

Dimensions

LG has really made a name for itself for coming out with the most efficient designs in the market with regards to utilizing the maximum area for the screen with minimal bezels around. The LG G2 was a revelation when it first launched this year and boasted the highest screen-to-body ratio in the market. LG G3 takes that a step further and has a 76.4% screen-to-body ratio. That is the highest for any globally available smartphone in the market. Its dimensions are 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm and weighs 149 grams. The weight is also quite impressive actually and is lower than most other rivals. The ultra-small bezels do help it remain manageable in one hand for most people out there.

The Galaxy Note 4 is also no slouch though and has a comparably high screen-to-body ratio. Samsung has worked hard to keep the bezels down to a minimum on its latest Note and laid more emphasis on the display. The Note 4 is thus less wide than its predecessor, the Note 3. It is slightly thicker and taller though. The dimensions of the device are 153.5 x 78.6 x 8.5mm. So while do get a 0.2” bigger screen with the Note 4, you have to compromise on the overall size of the device. The Note 4 is also heavier than the LG G3 at 176 grams.

This round has to go to the LG G3, with a more compact size.

Processor

When LG announced the G3 earlier this year, the main question in everyone’s minds was if the Snapdragon 801 chipset will be enough to run everything smoothly ay Quad HD resolution. We did find out shortly after that the answer was a NO. The G3’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.5GHz isn’t very different from last year’s Snapdragon 800 in terms of real world performance. The Snapdragon 801 chip mainly has higher clocked speeds, higher memory bandwidth, and a slightly faster Adreno 330 GPU. Unfortunately all of these are not enough to handle the Quad-HD resolution of the G3. A lot of G3 owners as well as reviews on the web have been critical of the performance on the device. It is certainly not disappointing by any means but just a little less smooth than competing flagships from other manufacturers that run on 1080p resolution.

The Galaxy Note 4 is the first device to come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset. This new SoC from Qualcomm consists of a Quad-Core 2.7GHz processor and Adreno 420 GPU. The GPU is about 30% faster than the Adreno 330 on the LG G3, so it can handle the higher resolution without breaking a sweat. The processor is also slightly faster but is not a major jump when we look at the benchmark scores. Some markets will be getting the Exynos 5433 chipset, which comes with a Mali T760 GPU. This particular chip is slightly more powerful than the Snapdragon 805 which the North American market will be getting, along with most of Europe.
An easy win for the Note 4 in this round

Memory

The LG G3 comes in two variants – 16GB and 32GB. The 16GB model comes with 2GB RAM whereas the 32GB version has 3GB RAM. Memory is expandable on the G3, unlike its predecessor. LG claims that the memory on the G3 can be expanded by up to 2TB with the provided microSD card slot. 2TB microSD cards obviously not available yet, but it’s good to know that the device will support them in future.

The Galaxy Note 4 on the other hand comes with 32GB of internal storage, with 3GB RAM. The Note 4 also comes with a microSD card slot and you can use it to expand the memory, should you feel the need to do so.
So both smartphones are evenly matched in this area. A tie here.

Camera

LG has been a little weak in the camera department traditionally but it changed that with the G3. The G3’s 1/3.06” 13 megapixel camera performed admirably and provided excellent low light shots as well. The lens features an aperture of f2.4. LG was one of the first Android manufacturers to popularize the use Optical Image Stabilization system with the G2 last year, and the G3 comes with it as well. It can capture 4K videos (3840 x 2160) at 30 frames per second and there is also a dual-tone LED flash at the back. The front camera is a 2.1MP f2.0 wide angle unit with 1080p video recording at 30 frames per second.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 comes with a 1/2.6”sensor with 16MP resolution and f2.0 aperture, which captures more light in order to boost low light image quality. It is also the first Samsung smartphone to come with OIS to avoid shaky videos and blurry pictures. The camera is capable of 4K video recording, as is becoming the norm in most high-end devices now. The front camera comes with 3.7MP resolution and an f1.9 lens which allows for up to 120 degree wide-angle selfies. It can also shoot video in 1080p at 30fps.

Both cameras are pretty solid performers, but we have to give it to the Note 4 because of its higher resolution and better front camera.

Connectivity

In terms of connectivity, both the smartphones are very different from one another. The Galaxy Note 4 comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chip and thus supports LTE Cat.6 with download speeds of 300Mbps. It also comes with Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac MIMO dual band support, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC.

The LG G3 on the other hand comes with LTE Cat.4 support for download speeds up to 150Mbps only. That’s half of what the Note 4 supports. So if your network is planning to launch faster 300Mbps LTE network anytime soon, the Note 4 is the one to choose. And even if not, it still makes the Galaxy Note 4 the more future proof device from a connectivity standpoint. The G3 does support the same Wi-Fi networks though, but comes with Bluetooth version 4.0 and not 4.1 like the Note 4

In this round we have a clear winner – Galaxy Note 4.

Battery Life

The LG G2 was praised for its exceptional battery life. Sadly the same cannot be said for the LG G3. It comes with the same 3000mah battery capacity but because of the significantly higher screen resolution, offers less impressive battery life.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 comes with a higher capacity 3220mAh battery but with more efficient internals and a newer chipset which will draw less power as well. There is also a Ultra-Power saver mode on the Note 4 that lets you extract the most out of your battery when you want to use your phone only to make calls and send text messages. The AMOLED screens are also more energy-efficient than LCD displays. So thanks to the combination of these factors, the Note 4 will easily outlast the LG G3. The Note 4 should last around 2 work days with moderate usage.
Another clear win for the Note 4!

Design

Both LG and Samsung haven’t been known for the designs of their flagship Android smartphones. They have played it safe in terms of design and haven’t really experimented with premium materials so far on their flagships. But Samsung has tried to change that with the Galaxy Note 4. It makes use of a solid metal frame and a polycarbonate back with faux-leather. Overall the design is quite similar to the Galaxy Alpha that was announced earlier. Not a drastic change from the Note 3 but a subtle evolution with higher quality materials

The LG G3 follows the design of the LG G2 and adds a shiny metal-finished frame at the bottom of the device. Unlike the Note 4, there is no metal used for the construction. It is made completely out of polycarbonate. It features rounded corners and a removable back cover with LG’s proprietary rear control buttons.

It’s quite difficult to pick a winner here due to the subjective nature of this round. But due to the more premium materials used, we are declaring the Note 4 as the winner of this round.

Operating Systems

On android smartphones, updates are a major concern for all buyers. With new Android versions coming at a rapid pace, it’s important that you choose a brand that has a proven track record in providing the latest updates and without much delay. Samsung has been the best performer in this regard and has provided longer software support to its flagship products than LG and other rival OEMs.

The Galaxy Note 4 comes with Android 4.4.4 out of the box with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI on top. It also comes with a wide range of Samsung specific features like S-Health and the S-Pen software suite.

LG G3 has been in the market for some time now and continues to arrive with Android 4.4.2 KitKat. The Android 4.4.3 and 4.4.4 updates are expected to arrive soon but no official date has been communicated by LG so far. The G3 also comes with a custom UI made specifically for the device by LG

This round also goes to the Note 4

Price

As we mentioned earlier, LG G3 has been in the market for a few months now and is available at lower prices than its launch price. You can get the 32GB version of the LG G3 now for about 650 euros. The 16GB version is cheaper at about 550 euros. In the US the LG G3 is available unlocked for about $600 for the 16GB version is available at about $510.

The leaked Note 4 prices suggest that it will be available for about 799 euros in Europe and around $799 in the US market. That is quite steep indeed but the prices should drop soon after launch and settle around the 700 mark.

So at this point, LG G3 has the advantage when it comes to the price. And that also makes it the winner of this round.

Conclusion

So which one should you really buy? As we’ve seen it has almost been a complete win for the Galaxy Note 4 throughout this comparison. It has won most round easily and brings a lot more to the table than the LG G3. We haven’t yet talked about its other major features. The fingerprint sensor, heart-rate sensor, UV sensor, and the S-Pen. Sure, you might not care about most of these but the S-Pen feature is certainly very useful and makes the Note 4 a strong mobile productivity device. The LG G3 also has the disadvantage of using an older chipset that wasn’t really meant to be used in devices with 1080p + resolution. We felt LG made a mistake by putting in a Quad HD screen on the G3 with the Snapdragon 801 chipset, and we feel the same today. The Galaxy Note 4 has got it right though, the combination of the QHD screen and the Snapdragon 805 chipset makes complete sense.

With the Note 4, you don’t need to compromise on performance and battery life because of the higher resolution display. That makes it a clear winner in our opinion and well worth the premium. It also comes with future-proof LTE connectivity and the promise of long software support from Samsung. All the additional software features may not make you choose the Note 4 over the G3, but they are nice value additions by Samsung.

Do you agree with our verdict?