LG G3 vs Apple iPhone 5s

 Introduction

LG's flagship for the year, the G3, is stuffed to the gills with modern specs, and even throws a thrill or two, in the form of a display with record pixel density, and a unique laser autofocus system. Apple's iPhone 5s, on the other hand, offers a more manageable chassis, and a stellar Touch ID fingerprints sensor. As usual, we are staging a combat between the brushed looks of the 5.5” LG G3, against the slender metal-and-glass frame of the iPhone 5s, as this will be one of the heavyweights fight in the Android vs iOS championship for the immediate future. Which one will prevail? Let's find out...

Design

The plastic G3 feels less premium to hold, and is much harder to use with one hand than the iPhone 5s - those get traded for the large 5.5” display.

The phones are in entirely different categories when it comes to external design. Measuring at 8.9 mm, the 5.5” G3 is thicker than the 4” iPhone 5s (7.6 mm), and way larger, heavier, and cumbersome to use with one hand. Its plastic build sports a removable back cover, giving you access to the battery compartment and memory expansion slot – possibilities that the iPhone 5s doesn't offer. The iPhone is crafted in a very different way, with premium metal chassis.

LG has positioned the power/lock key, and the volume rocker, in its unique way on the back of the handset. Here they are easier to feel and press with your index finger only, and ensure good tactile feedback. The lock key and the volume buttons of the iPhone 5s are also breezy to use, on account of the small form factor of the phone, which lets your fingers reach everywhere without stretch gymnastics.

Apple shook the mobile phone industry with a unique Touch ID sensor embedded in the home key, which is the first (and only) fingerprint sensor on a mobile device done right. It lets you unlock the phone, and authorize iTunes purchases.

5.76 x 2.94 x 0.35 inches
146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm
5.26 oz (149 g)

LG G3 

4.87 x 2.31 x 0.3 inches
123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm
3.95 oz (112 g) 

Display

The Quad HD panel of the G3 overpowers the smallish display on the iPhone 5s with sheer size and record pixel density, but is less visible outdoors.

The G3 has a 5.5" Quad HD (1440x2560 pixels) IPS-LCD display with record 538ppi pixel density, while the 4" 640x1136 pixels IPS-LCD display on the iPhone has only 326ppi. You won't be able to notice the individual pixels on both displays from a normal viewing distance, but if you examine the screens closely, the G3 panel comes out significantly sharper.

The iPhone 5s has excellent color reproduction with very accurate colors. In comparison, the G3 display colors are less correct, which goes especially for the oversatured reds, but not something that the average user will notice, unlike with Samsung's tacky AMOLED displays, for instance. The color temperatures of both handsets are pretty close – we measured 7357K for the G3, against the iPhone's 7150K. Both are rather close enough to the 6500K white point standard, yet LG's phone leans more to the cold side of the spectrum than the iPhone.

When it comes to outdoor visibility, though, the iPhone 5s definitely has the upper hand, as it is capable to reach almost 600 nits of peak brightness, and has lower reflectance, while the G3 musters 376 nits only.

Display measurements and quality

• Screen measurements
• Viewing angles
• Color charts

	Maximum brightness (nits)Higher is better	Minimum brightness (nits)Lower is better	Contrast Higher is better	Color temperature (Kelvins)	Gamma	Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better	Delta E grayscale Lower is better
Apple iPhone 5s	587 (Excellent)	5 (Excellent)	1:1007 (Good)	7144 (Good)	2.21	3.36 (Good)	2.66 (Good)
LG G3	455 (Good)	9 (Average)	1:997 (Average)	7099 (Good)	2.26	3.60 (Good)	2.86 (Good)

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LG G3 vs Google Nexus 5 Exclusive Review

Introduction

The LG G3 is all the rage right now, and that's not surprising in the least. Boasting latest generation hardware, including a Quad HD (1440 x 2560 pixels) resolution display, there's a lot about the G3 that causes a drool to form at the end of the lips of fans. And while the G3 has already proved itself fit to compete with top shelf devices from rival manufacturers, how does it handle a device from its own camp?

Indeed, the LG-made Google Nexus 5 is a very different device from the LG G3 in a very major way: its price tag typically reads less than $350 nowadays. That's about half the asking price of the G3. As importantly, this massive discount doesn't entail as massive a sacrifice in overall performance, as the Nexus line is all about great hardware at affordable pricing.

So how do they compare? Let's check them out.

Design

The Nexus 5's gravitas is undermined by its relatively humble looks. The G3 is definitely the more stylish, but less practical choice.

While the Nexus 5 is far from a bad-looking device, it has no choice but to concede at the face of the G3. Indeed, the G3's metallic back makes short work of the rubberized rear on the Nexus 5, which feels decidedly less high end and is characterized by its oversized camera unit. And though there's no arguing that, it should be noted that, from a purely utilitarian point of view, the Nexus 5 is the better pick, as it's more grippy and comfortable to hold. And that's despite the more aggressively-rounded back of the G3, which is nevertheless a bit slippery.

But the N5's win in terms of ergonomics isn't simply a byproduct of a comfier rear shell – the affordable flagships' dimensions also come in play. Indeed, while the LG G3 has super-slim bezels all around, the Nexus 5 is not far behind, and its much smaller, 5-inch display means a more manageable footprint: 137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59 mm (5.43 x 2.72 x 0.34 inches) versus 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm (5.76 x 2.94 x 0.35 inches) for the G3.

The Nexus 5 also has the more rigid, uncompromising build of the two, and we especially like the use of ceramic for the power and volume rocker, both of which are conveniently placed on the sides of the phone. In comparison, the G3 makes use of rear-placed keys, and these will take some getting used to before you feel right at home. In terms of clickiness and overall feedback these provide, we tend to prefer the Nexus 5, though that's definitely not a con for the G3 – it's just that the N5 is in a league of its own when it comes to tactile feedback and travel.

Display

For all the extra pixels and inches the G3 has over the Nexus 5, the reality is that it produces a less color-accurate image, and one that you may altogether fail to make out under direct sunlight.

The LG G3's extraordinarily pixel-dense, 5.5-inch 1440 x 2560 (QHD) resolution display is by far its most standout feature. In reality, however, this super-crisp IPS panel falls short in certain regards when compared with the more standard, 5-inch 1080 x 1920 (FHD) resolution IPS display on the Nexus 5.

5.76 x 2.94 x 0.35 inches
146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm
5.26 oz (149 g)

LG G3

5.43 x 2.72 x 0.34 inches
137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59 mm
4.59 oz (130 g)

Google Nexus 5

 

 

 

 

 

For example, the G3's color temperature of nearly 7400 K (6500 K is the reference value here) is only 'passable', especially compared with the excellent 6800 K of the Nexus 5. This results in image reproduction with a notable bluish tint (especially noticeable with whites and grays) – an issue the N5 doesn't suffer from. What's more, the average error in color reproduction with the G3 is greater than that of the Nexus 5, resulting in colors that are over-saturated, especially compared with the very color-accurate N5. As for gamma, the G3's measurement reads 2.32, while the Nexus 5's reads 2.05. With 2.2 being the reference value, these discrepancies in practice mean that the G3's screen is more contrasty, while the Nexus 5 looks slightly washed out.

Moving on, outdoor visibility is another area in which the 5-incher of the Google Nexus 5 is ahead. Put in numbers, the maximum achievable brightness of the G3's panel clocks in at just 376 nits versus the healthy 485 nits for the N5. Speaking from experience, this makes the Nexus 5 a much better-suited device for use outside, and especially under direct sunlight.

Display measurements and quality

• Screen measurements
• Viewing angles
• Color charts

	Maximum brightness (nits)Higher is better	Minimum brightness (nits)Lower is better	Contrast Higher is better	Color temperature (Kelvins)	Gamma	Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better	Delta E grayscale Lower is better
Google Nexus 5	485 (Good)	10 (Average)	1:996 (Average)	6786 (Excellent)	2.05	2.88 (Good)	3.11 (Good)
LG G3	455 (Good)	9 (Average)	1:997 (Average)	7099 (Good)	2.26	3.60 (Good)	2.86 (Good)

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