Samsung Galaxy S5 vs LG G2 Comparison

Introduction

This has been going on for a while now but, as both makers are keener than ever to outdo each other in the race to the Android top, their flagships are only getting more and more alike. The biggest difference is now in the timing, which is also part of the game - and that's what's made it actually more interesting to watch. The two rival Korean flagships are travelling in different orbits - only to meet on one's way down and another's way up.
Back when it launched, the LG G2 was the embodiment of LG's determination to better the Samsung Galaxy S4 in every way possible. The HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z were reduced to collateral damage - the eyes of the LG G2 set on the main target alone.
Fast-forward a few quarters, and the G2 is on its way ... out. We wouldn't say down unless it's down in history as one of the best things to come out of LG's handheld labs for quite a while. And it sure is going to try and cash in one last time, especially now that it's still in perfectly good shape and the new crop of flagships are charging big buck.


On the way in, or up, or whatever you think fits, the Galaxy S5 has leapt ahead of its predecessor with water resistance, a superior camera, slightly bigger screen, a fingerprint scanner, beefier battery, the new Snapdragon 801 chipset and 4K video recording among other things. That means the LG G2 is, at least in some departments, lagging behind as well.

Samsung Galaxy S5 over LG G2

  • Snapdragon 801 over Snapdragon 800
  • 16 MP 1/2.6" camera over 13 MP 1/3.06"
  • Faster, phase-detect autofocus
  • 2160p video recording over 1080p
  • MicroSD card slot
  • IP67-certified for water and dust resistance
  • Fingerprint scanner
  • Heart-rate sensor
  • Thinner - 8.1 mm over 8.9 mm
  • Wireless charging (varies by market)

LG G2 over Samsung Galaxy S5

  • Bigger display: 5.2" over 5.1"
  • Smaller and lighter body
  • Optical image stabilization
  • FM Radio
  • Bigger battery - 3000mAh over 2800mAh
  • Much cheaper
The Samsung Galaxy S5 has the advantage of time. The tables have turned and it's now the LG flagship's turn to be outsmarted. Without being a dramatic step forward, the chipset is a tad faster than the older generation. The camera is a serious improvement though, with a much bigger sensor, higher resolution, the world's first phase-detect autofocus in a smartphone and the stellar 2160p video recording. The microSD card is consistently a point in Samsung's favor and water resistance is a nice touch. The heart rate monitor may not be appreciated by everyone but the latest TouchWiz UI has received a fresh coat of paint under Android KitKat, while keeping the impressive feature set.
One would think that such a long list of pros spells a walkover for the Galaxy S5 but we wouldn't be so sure. LG's creative design and excellent ergonomics are still an important asset against an opponent whose styling is a major source of controversy. The G2 is slightly thicker but only just - and it's got a bigger screen to show for it. The impressively slim bezels secure the G2's lead in terms of screen per surface ratio.
The G2 is a solid cameraphone too and one of the few to offer optical image stabilization. We'll be testing how well the digital variety compares to OIS in our camera comparison. Then there's the higher battery capacity, which will also be put to the test now that both contenders are running KitKat. Ultimately though, the G2's biggest advantage comes down to money. The flagship has been out for a while and goes for half the S5's price.

Design and handling

The Samsung Galaxy S5 carries on in the footsteps of its predecessors and aims to improve instead of change. The physical home button is pretty much set in stone (Samsung is doing it in tablets too), the capacitive button that used to launch the context menu now handles recent apps. Other than that, nothing has dramatically changed. The screen is only just bigger at 5.1" (up from 5 inches sharp) but the new water resistant design has required the tight-seal flap over the microUSB port. The Galaxy S5 has also swapped the hyperglaze finish for what looks and feels like leather.
The LG G2, on the other hand, had at the time of its launch the sole purpose of outclassing the Galaxy S4 in every way possible. With an almost bezel-free front, it still holds the best screen-to-surface ratio in the industry and the rear-placed physical buttons allowed an impressively clean, minimalist design.






Displays

The Samsung Galaxy S5 comes with a 5.1" 1920 x 1080 display of the Super AMOLED variety with a pixel density of around 432ppi. The LG G2 has a 5.2" True HD-IPS+ LCD panel of the same 1920 x 1080 resolution, which breaks down to around 424ppi. The numbers are pretty close, and each technology has its advantages - and downsides.



Before we get deep into the details, the difference in size is probably of little relevance here. 0.1" inch is insignificant and the on-screen buttons mean a portion of the LG G2's screen is unused, except in the video player, where all the screen estate is available. Double-tap-to-wake is a nice little trick we like in the LG G2 though. And those slim bezels of course.
The cross-hatch pattern that gave AMOLED screens a bad name is no longer an issue at these resolution levels but the perceived sharpness is inevitably affected - again not something that's visible to the naked eye. The Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S5 is the PenTile variety, with subpixels arranged in a diamond pattern. What this means is each individual pixel isn't made of a standard red, green and blue pixel like in LCD screens.
The differences are mostly visible under the microscope. The LG G2's standard RGB matrix has an equal amount of equally-sized red, green and blue pixels.

Before the KitKat update, the LG G2 was let down by stand-by time for an overall rating of 62 hours - that's the time between charges if you do an hour of calling, browsing and video playback a day. With KitKat, the LG G2 managed a much better stand-by time for a great score of 81 hours, which secures it a comfortable win.

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Winner: LG G2.



Conclusion
Honestly, a walkover for the Galaxy S5, but anything different would've been a massive surprise. Scratch that - a letdown. The gap between release dates has seen these two flagships on either end of a seesaw - and it's LG's turn to touch the floor. Nothing out of the ordinary and... well... they'll be the first to bounce back.

This is not to say that the G3 - if LG keep on counting up - will kick the Galaxy S5's butt but we'd like to see it try. Delighted if it succeeds. In many ways though, the Galaxy S5 does to the Galaxy S4 exactly what the LG G2 already did - and then some. No wonder then, LG are on the list of casualties this time too.
The improved AMOLED panel, latest Snapdragon 801, waterproofing, the fingerprint scanner, bigger camera sensor and 4K videos. Everyone's free to not even count the heart-rate monitor and the updated TouchWiz (the Homescreen modes and the option to fingerprint-secure content are great).
And hey, this is nothing like a few years ago when hardware was booming and each year brought upgrades we thought impossible the year before. The improvements are becoming subtler and new additions are easily dismissed as gimmicks - until manufacturers really try hard to make them count.
Even on the exterior design front, we haven't been wowed in a while - what most makers do is improve and refine rather than invent. The rear buttons of the LG G2 are probably the closest to real innovation we can think of.
That said, regardless of how you feel about faux leather, the Galaxy S5 had no problem winning the design battle. And that has nothing to do with aesthetics. The accessible battery and expandable memory in a waterproof body were enough against a handset with a sealed battery and no memory card slot. And that's not even counting the fingerprint scanner, which has its uses.
From then on, we can hardly blame the LG G2 for failing to respond to the upgrades and improvements of the more recent Galaxy S5. The new AMOLED display proved superior in terms of color reproduction, contrast and outdoor performance. To be fair, it looks like any screen will have trouble matching the outstanding quality of AMOLED in the Galaxy S5.
The latest TouchWiz got the better of Optimus UI but the latter will likely see another upgrade before gracing the next LG flagship. The camera department was another straightforward win for the Samsung - a bigger and higher-res camera sensor, 4K videos and hybrid focus against OIS.
The upgraded chipset - Snapdragon 801 against the "older" Snapdragon 800 - saw the Galaxy S5 come out on top in just about every synthetic benchmark we ran.
The battery life and better codec support helped the LG G2 snatch a couple of wins, but overall the six-month gap between the two is not to be downplayed.
Whether or not this will work in LG's favor another couple of months down the road remains to be seen. And mind you, the one-way traffic here was pretty much expected but not as bad when you factor in the price.
The G2 wasn't in this match solely for the amusement of onlookers. A good 200 euro cheaper, it is still a credible premium package, and sufficiently future-proofed. LG did the G2 a favor by delivering the KitKat update just before the Galaxy S5's release. Ultimately, it's whether the water-resistance, fingerprint scanner, new imaging hardware and the latest chipset are worth that much to you. The other improvements are harder to put a price on but add to the overall experience.
You can do your own math of course, and if LG does theirs right, we'd hate to be in the Galaxy S5's place in the next edition of this head-to-head. No need to tell you, we can't wait for the re-match
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