Introduction
Okay, my ears are ringing already from the clamors of Nexus owners about comparing their beloved Nexus 5, with a November release date, with a brand new LG G3. People, we have talked about this before – we are comparing the latest smartphone from Google’s Nexus line with LG’s latest smartphone, the G3. These comparisons are a way to allow current Nexus 5 owners to see how their device stacks up with the latest smartphones on the market – perhaps they may be either persuaded to switch or simply anticipate what hardware their Nexus 6 might be sporting.
These two devices do have a few things in common other than they both can make phone calls! The display is only a half-inch apart in size, but then a world apart in specs. Even their processors are not that far apart in specs and they both use 2GB of RAM in the 16GB internal storage model. They both have cameras, but are worlds apart in photo quality and they both run the latest Android 4.4 KitKat – the Nexus running pure vanilla Android and the LG using their Optimus UI skin, but even it is fairly ‘thin skinned.” Both devices even have a very similar “minimalistic” design and feel great in your hands, although the LG G3 is definitely ‘prettier.’ We must point out that LG also builds the Nexus 5 for Google.
So please take a look at the specifications below and do your own comparison and then we will look at each device individually and talk about how they differ and then pick the winner of the LG G3 versus the Nexus 5.
Specifications
LG G3
The LG G3 entered the scene on Tuesday to a lot of fanfare and now that the dust has settled, it looks like LG will have another winner on its hands. The G3 is a beautiful looking device and the way LG handled their plastic backing is way better than the way Samsung handled their plastic back on their Galaxy S5 – I hope you are taking notes, Samsung. There are two things that differentiate the G3 from the HTC One and Galaxy S5 – its closest competitors – the QHD display and their Laser Auto Focus feature…other than that it is the same specs really. That is not a bad thing, just a fact. The G3 has a slightly larger display, but what really raises it above the Nexus 5 (and everybody else) is the QHD 2560 x 1440 resolution with an amazing 538 pixels per inch (ppi). The Snapdragon 801 is only slightly better than the 800 model in the Nexus 5, although it does offer more power in the graphics department. The 13MP camera with Laser Auto Focus and Dual-LED along with the 2.1MP front facing camera (ffc) both out-classes the Nexus 5. The LG G2 has excellent battery life and there is no reason not to believe that the 3000mAh battery in the G3 will handle its duties better than the 2300mAh battery found in the Nexus 5. The LG G3 will be available on all major U.S. carriers – no prices were announced, but expect it to be about $200 on a two-year contract.
Nexus 5
The LG built Nexus 5 is a great device – really, it offers solid value and gives the owners access to the very first Android upgrades – but how do the specifications compare to the LG G3. The 5-inch display is one-half inch smaller than the G3, and that may be a good thing to many people, and when we look at the Full HD display with 445 pixels-per-inch (ppi) – impressive in its own right – it just does not compare to the new QHD display with 538 ppi. The processor is top-notch for 2013, and only slightly below the G3’s, it is still not the better of the two devices. The Nexus 5 has no microSD card slot so your internal storage is capped at 16GB or 32GB. The 8MP camera on the Nexus 5 is good, but not in the same league as the LG G3’s 13MP with laser auto focus…not to mention the 1.3MP ffc on the Nexus versus the 2.1MP on the G3. The Nexus also only has a 2300mAh battery and it needs every last drop of energy to make it through an entire day. The price of the Nexus line has always been its strength – $349 for the 16GB version and $399 for the 32GB model – those are off-contract prices and for that amount of money you get yourself one sweet phone.
…and the Winner is…
Summary
We have to go with the LG G3 in this comparison. First off it is one heck of a nice looking device – hey, minimalistic means no Bling-Bling, but it does not mean that it cannot have some style…and the LG G3 does have style. But back to the specs and features…the sole purpose of which device we choose as our winner. The LG G3 simply blows you away with the QHD display…even my old eyes wearing glasses can see the difference. The processor, though not much faster, is still faster, especially in the heavy graphics department, so if you are a gamer, video or movie watcher, the G3 is your choice. There is also the superiority of the G3’s camera over the Nexus 5’s – this Nexus had a much better camera than previous Nexus devices, however, it will never be more than acceptable, not up to LG or Samsung quality. The G3 also has a microSD card slot to add an addition 128GB of internal storage space, a larger battery, a better speaker and available to use on all major networks. The Nexus 5 is a great device and value for the money, but it just cannot stand up to the LG G3.
Please jump on our Google+ Page and let us know what you think about these two devices – are there any Nexus owners that might be thinking of switching to the LG G3…as always, we would love to hear from you.