LG Optimus G Pro vs Sony Xperia Z

Introduction

Sony Xperia Z or the LG Optimus G Pro? This will be one of the dilemmas before high-end phone buyers this season, so we stage a comparison to ease the decision-making process.

The Optimus G Pro we are using here is the version for Korea, and comes with a 5.5” Full HD screen, while the model announced for Japan has a 5” display, and which variation will hit the US and Europe in Q2, remains to be confirmed. Still, besides the screen size, both G Pro versions are identical, so you will get a pretty good overview in any case...

Design

The 5.5” Optimus G Pro version is very light and compact for a screen of this magnitude, thanks to the ultra-thin bezel around it, yet it is a challenge to operate safely with one hand, unlike the Xperia Z. Sony has used on-screen navigational keys, so its 5” flagship is pretty compact in its turn, and is thinner and lighter than the G Pro, making it more suitable for a daily driver in terms of ergonomics or plain old carry-around.


Sony's phone also sports a more premium feeling in the hand with its glass unibody and metal power key, and is easier to grip thanks to the rubbery sides that also add to its durability and seal off the water-tight chassis. Both handsets allow you to add more memory via a microSD slot, but the G Pro has a removable back cover, too, that lets you swap its largish 3140 mAh battery.


Displays

The G Pro houses a 5.5” screen with a bit lesser 401ppi pixel density than the 5” 441ppi panel on the Z, on account of the identical 1080x1920 pixel resolutions. In reality the density difference is invisible from a normal viewing distance, while LG's phone has the better display in almost any other aspect, especially viewing angles, which on the Sony Xperia Z are pretty bad for the phone's category, and one of the handset's weakest points.

Even when looked head-on, the colors and contrast of the TFT display on the Z look more washed out than on the IPS-LCD panel of the G Pro.

In terms of brightness both perform above average, with decent outside visibility, but, as we mentioned, colors and contrast deteriorate quickly on the Z with the slightest tilt of the phone.



Interface and functionality

Both handsets have their own manufacturer overlays on top of the Android 4.1.2 interface – Sony's Timescape has been renamed to Socialife now, while LG keeps on calling its skin the Optimus UI.

Both offer the opportunity to pin several apps like browser, calculator, notebook or video player, as pop-up windows on top of the interface, so they are always active while you do something else underneath. Sony calls the feature Small Apps, while LG names it QSlide apps, and they are easily accessible from the notification bar on the G Pro. LG lets you pin two mini apps at once, though, while on the Xperia Z you can only have one at a time.



Sony's UI is closer to stock, and less functional than the Optimus UI – there are much less connectivity toggles in the notification bar, for instance, and there is no landscape mode.

LG has also introduced some new hardware features, like the QButton on the left, which can be mapped to launch any app of your choosing, including the camera, and there is an infrared sensor at the top of the G Pro, with a resident QRemote app to it, which lets you control your TV, home stereo, AC unit and so on. Sony also has a similar app for phones like the ZL or slates like the Tablet Z, it's just that an IR blaster didn't make it into the Xperia Z.

Processor and memory

The Optimus G Pro is equipped with a newer generation quad-core Qualcomm chipset – 1.7 GHz Snapdragon 600 vs 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro on the Xperia Z – so naturally it is more powerful than Sony's handset.

In reality, both chips provide plenty of horsepower for your daily tasks and interface strolls, but the G Pro would certainly make a speed mark when it stitches things like a 360 virtual panorama, which it has as an option in the camera interface.

The handsets sport 2 GB of RAM, but there are 16 GB of internal memory on the Xperia Z, while 32 GB are housed on the G Pro, yet both give you a microSD slot should you need more than that.



Internet and connectivity

We've no complaints from the way both default browsers handle your Internet needs – they are fast and smooth in scrolling, zooming or panning around, and the screens offer amazing pixel densities for easier reading. Sony Xperia Z, however, uses Google's Chrome, which precludes you from adding Adobe Flash to it, while the Optimus UI sports its own browser besides Chrome, that can easily have Flash installed to it.



The phones offer 4G LTE and HSPA+ connectivity, with bands depending on the region, as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, DLNA and NFC. The G Pro also throws in Miracast and Wi-Fi Direct in the mix.

Camera

Both LG and Sony don't give any indication that the megapixel war is over for them, despite HTC announcing so with the One – hearty 13 MP units are placed in both the Xperia Z and the Optimus G Pro.


Sony's camera app interface is a bit simpler to use and more functional, with a rich selection of scene modes for every occasion out there. It also features the still and video camera shutter buttons on one screen, instead of having to switch back and forth like on the G Pro.


While both handsets support HDR modes in stills and video, LG throws in a couple of new tricks like VR Panorama, which can stitch a 360 view of your surroundings, while Sony's Sweep Panorama can only do one axis at a time. The G Pro also sports a handy Dual Recording mode, which lets you make a picture-in-picture footage with the front and rear cameras recording simultaneously.

As far as picture quality goes, the ones from the Optimus G Pro seem a tad more color-accurate and defined than the samples from the Xperia Z, but could use a little more contrast. White balance measurements are more correct on LG's phone, while the sky on the Z's samples often comes out purplish.

Indoors the roles are reversed, with the Xperia Z producing the better, more accurate photos, while the G Pro introduces some white balance issues and softer photos.

Both phones can capture Full HD 1080p video with 30fps, and high dynamic range video as well. The footage from the Xperia Z comes out choppier and with some skipped frames, compared to the more fluid one from the G Pro, but Sony's phone automatic settings produce higher, more appealing contrast volume. Sony's HDR video mode also looks better than the fairly bland WDR footage from the G Pro.



LG Optimus G Pro Sample Video:



LG Optimus G Pro HDR Sample Video



Sony Xperia Z Sample Video:



Sony Xperia Z HDR Sample Video:



LG Optimus G Pro Indoor Sample Video:



Sony Xperia Z Indoor Sample Video:



Multimedia

Sony uses its renowned Walkman branding for the music player, which has cool graphics, and easy access to sound enhancements and equalizers, whereas the G Pro has it less functional, with no presets, but a handy video button that takes you to a YouTube playlist with the song currently running.

Sony usually has the upper hand in loudspeaker strength and quality, but here the Xperia Z sounds about on par with the loudspeaker on the Optimus G Pro – fine, but not great.

Where the Optimus G Pro shines is video playback, thanks to the huge high-res display, but also because the video player sports more features than the minimalistic app on the Xperia Z, like subtitle support, loop function and the like. Other than that, both handsets can play anything thrown at them up to 1080 definitions.




Call quality

Voices sound a bit muffled and hollow in the earpieces of the both phones, so the Xperia Z and Optimus G Pro don't really shine with call quality. The noise-canceling mics both are equipped with, however, did a good job relaying our voice loud and clear to the other side with no parasite noises.

Battery

The Optimus G Pro has the bigger display, but its battery is also much larger than the one on the Xperia Z, to the tune of 3140 mAh vs Xperia Z's “mere” 2330 mAh unit. With a juicer this size we were able to get a full weekend worth of tinkering with LG's phone, and its battery is also easily swappable if the need arises.

Conclusion

The LG Optimus G Pro is the newer and better handset in terms of inside components, and yet it is by no means an easy pick before the Sony Xperia Z, more so in this 5.5” version. While LG's phone might have a faster processor and better screen, it is still much more unwieldy to handle than the fairly compact Z, especially with one hand.