The Apple iPhone 5 is the best selling smartphone on the planet, but Android phones of all breeds and kinds have encircled it from all sides, and its latest competitor comes from LG. Can the new and bold LG G2 offer a better experience than the iPhone 5?
It’s a battle of differences - the LG G2 brings a large screen against the comparatively small 4-inch iPhone, then it’s a polycarbonate body against solid aluminium, and finally Android versus iOS. Moreover, we are about to witness one of the most heated camera battles in smartphones. Finally, you’d be able to make an informated decision, and say which one is better - the LG G2 or the iPhone 5?
Design
The Apple iPhone 5 is often considered to be the gold standard in design - sleek aluminum body, elegant chamfered edges, compact and durable. The LG G2 on the other hand comes with a polycarbonate body that is practical and elegant, but lacks that very solid build quality and screaks just a bit. If we had to sum it up, the iPhone 5 feels monolithic, more trustworthy. On the flipside, the G2 is a large device, but it feels surprisingly compact and lays extremely well in the hand. Still, the smaller size of the iPhone 5 makes it perfect for single handed use, and with the G2 using the device with one hand is a bit of a stretch.
Both devices are very ergonomic and easy to use. The iPhone 5 is compact enough so all its buttons are within easy reach, but the G2 does not lag behind. LG has put all its physical buttons on its back and that makes a lot of sense and is easy to get used to. The iPhone itself has this springy lock button and clicky stylish rounded volume keys that are both comfortable and look good. The G2 buttons are positioned well, but if we had to pick the nits we’d say are a bit wobbly.
The sheer difference in display size is staggering. LG managed to include a gigantic 5.2-inch display in a device that does not feel phablet sized, while the iPhone only hads a 4-inch screen. We already looked at how this plays out in terms of ergonomics and single-handed use, but what about the actual screen quality?
We can safely say these are two of the best displays we’ve seen in smartphones. Both have very sharp displays, but the G2 has the slight edge. Pixel density on LG's flagship is higher at 420ppi against some 326ppi on the iPhone, but again the difference in sharpness is slight. The two screens also have lively, vibrant colors. Still, the iPhone 5 is extremely well calibrated with pleasing true warm tonalities, while the G2 has slightly colder tones, especially noticeable with the whites. The two displays are very bright, but the iPhone 5 has the edge and it is also the device we find more comfortable for outdoor use, legible even under direct sunlight. The G2 in comparison puts a bit more strain on the eyes. The actual brightness of the screens is 535 nits on the iPhone 5 and 438 nits on the G2. Viewing angles are great on both devices as they retain their vivid saturated colors at even more extreme angles.
The numbers below represent the amount of deviation in the respective property,observed when a display is viewed from a 45-degree angle as opposed to direct viewing.
The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set(area)of colors that a display can reproduce,with the sRGB colorspace(the highlighted triangle)serving as reference.The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x:CIE31' and 'y:CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.
The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display's measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.
The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance(balance between red,green and blue)across different levels of grey(from dark to bright).The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones,the better.
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