LG Optimus 4X HD vs Apple iPhone 4S

Introduction:

The LG Optimus 4X HD and the iPhone 4S are as similar as they are different. Confused? Well, allow us to explain: both smartphones belong to the high-end category and are the very best that the two companies, LG and Apple, have to offer right now. But at the same time, the Optimus 4X HD stands out with its hardware features, such as its quad-core processor and gigantic HD display, while the iPhone 4S is built with elegance, simplicity, and ease of use in mind.

Still, there is nothing wrong with pitting the two against each other, so that is exactly what we are doing in today's comparison. Curious to see how the LG Optimus 4X HD stands next to the iPhone 4S? Then let's begin with...

Design:

The iPhone 4S has the upper hand in this category, and it is leading by a mile. Crafted out of glass and stainless steel, Apple's smartphone is a pleasure to hold and admire, not to mention that it fits so nicely in the palm of your hand. At the same time, the LG Optimus 4X HD is also a pretty good-looking device, but its design sophistication is considerably behind that of the iPhone. Its physical buttons are nowhere near as clicky, while its plastic body does not feel as premium to the touch. But most importantly, chances are that the majority of people would prefer the iPhone's compact form factor to that of the Optimus 4X HD. Being the jumbo-sized smartphone that it is, LG's flagship requires more effort to operate.



There is a couple of details that we have to mention, however – details that some users might really care about. The Optimus 4X HD comes with a removable battery, which can be replaced with a fresh one should you run out of juice. Also, LG's smartphone has a microSD card for storage expansion, while the iPhone 4S relies solely on its internal capacity, and perhaps data stored in the cloud.




Display:

The 4.7-inch “True HD” display on the LG Optimus 4X HD and the 3.5-inch “Retina Display” on the iPhone 4S are identical on many levels. First of all, they are both made using IPS-LCD technology, which is why the two screens exhibit great viewing angles and excellent color accuracy. Also, their pixel density exceeds 300dpi, so even the finest details in images are easily distinguishable. Even when used outdoors, both displays are equally usable. The Optimus 4X HD's screen, however, has one huge advantage, which makes it a winner in this display showdown. We are talking about its size: the display measures 4.7 inches in diagonal, thus things like browsing the web or watching a video on it are so much more enjoyable.

Interface:

There is a lot to like about the interfaces on both the LG Optimus 4X HD and the iPhone 4S. For starters, LG's flagship runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, many elements of which can be customized. Home screen widgets, alternative launchers, live wallpapers, and whatever you can think of can be downloaded from the Google Play store, in case you don't find the Optimus UI 3.0 eye-pleasing. With the iPhone 4S, however, which will run on iOS 5 until later this fall, you can change your wallpaper and that is about it. Nevertheless, so many users are quite happy with the platform's intuitive, minimalist outlay that we don't think its lack of customization options is that big of a drawback. At the end of the day, it all depends what your personal preferences are.



On-screen keyboard:

Typing on the iPhone's on-screen keyboard is not difficult at all, especially when your fingers get used to it. Besides, you can always flip the phone sideways and use the keyboard's even more spacious landscape orientation. But the LG Optimus 4X HD is wider, and so is its portrait keyboard, which makes typing on it noticeably easier. Besides, its auto-complete bar is a quite useful addition.



Processor and memory:

Ready for some hardware specs? Okay, here we go: the LG Optimus 4X HD comes equipped with a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor ticking at 1.5GHz along with 1GB of RAM. The iPhone 4S, on the other hand, has a dual-core A5 processor, and 512MB of RAM. From all those numbers written on a piece of paper, the average user might conclude that the Optimus 4X HD offers superior performance, but in reality, both smartphones run as fluidly as a smartphone should. What's more is that in some cases, the iPhone 4S feels slightly more responsive to the user's input. With both devices, switching between applications happens almost instantly, and lags throughout their interfaces are quite uncommon.

As we mentioned earlier, the iPhone 4S does not have expandable storage. That said, you will have to drop plenty of cash on the table if you want a model with more than 16GB built-in. The LG Optimus 4X HD offers more flexibility with its microSD card slot, which can add up to 64GB on top of its built-in 16GB of storage.

Internet browser:

Both smartphones come with very capable web browsers, but the overall experience is better on the LG Optimus 4X HD. That is mostly due to the device's larger screen, which allows more stuff to be viewed comfortably without the need for scrolling. Besides, the browser supports Adobe Flash, so it can play back embedded videos and draw that extra eye-candy on web pages that contain it. However, don't get us wrong as Safari on the iPhone 4S is great as well and excels when it comes to fluidity.

Camera:

If you like taking photos with your handset, we'd suggest going with the iPhone 4S instead of the LG Optimus 4X HD. Apple's smartphone takes better photos, containing more detail, with superior color accuracy. Just take a look at the sample pictures below and see for yourself. Same can be said for the 1080p videos that the two devices capture. While footage taken with the iPhone looks pretty nice, that shot with the 4X HD contains a bit more artifacts caused by video compression.

Another reason that we prefer the iPhone 4S to the Optimus 4X HD is that the latter has a bit of a hard time locking the focus and exposure on objects. These are adjusted automatically once you tap the screen, but before you know it, the focus and exposure levels are reset. Nevertheless, this could be a software issue that might get taken care of one day.

LG Optimus 4X HD Sample Video:



Apple iPhone 4S Sample Video:



Multimedia:

The music player on the iPhone 4S could hardly get any better than it already is. Everything from its sleek interface and rich set of features to the integration with the iTunes music store contributes to the ideal user experience that it delivers. In contrast, the audio player on the LG Optimus 4X HD does get the job done, but it simply does not feel that refined. At least you get support for FLAC audio files, a home-screen music widget, and playback controls in the drop-down menu.




But if watching videos is more of a priority, look no further than the Optimus 4X HD and its 4.7-inch display with widescreen aspect ratio. Not only that videos look spectacular on it, but any popular file format is supported by the stock video player without the need to install additional software. But the iPhone requires you to convert videos to a specific format before it will play them back, which isn't very convenient.

In-call audio quality:

We are slightly more satisfied with the in-call audio quality of the iPhone 4S, but the Optimus 4X HD does not lag far behind. It is just that the iPhone has a louder earpiece capable of reproducing voice tones that come a tad closer to the real thing. On the outgoing end, both smartphones have pretty good microphones that capture loud and distinct audio. We must also note that the loudspeaker on the 4S is noticeably louder.

Battery:

Battery life is pretty good with both smartphones, but the Optimus 4X HD is capable of lasting longer than the iPhone 4S on a single charge, according to figures provided by their manufacturers. That should come as no surprise since the former is equipped with a beefy 2,150mAh battery. LG's handset delivers almost 11 hours of continuous talk time or 4 weeks of stand-by time, while the 4S is rated for 8 hours of talk time or about 9 days in stand-by.

Conclusion:

Choosing a winner in today's comparison is like saying that one of the ninja turtles is better than the other three. In other words, the LG Optimus 4X HD and the iPhone 4S are both excellent smartphones – each of the two has its superpowers that make it a great pick.

If you are a user who likes the feeling of having control over their smartphone, we recommend going with the Android-powered Optimus 4X HD. If you fancy giant displays, then again, the Optimus 4X HD is the one you should check out. But if elegance and design are of priority, then the iPhone 4S is what we would recommend. Also, the iPhone 4S has a camera that shoots better photos and videos.