Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the newest LG G Flex 2 versus their current LG flagship, the LG G3. Which one of these beauties deserves winning this comparison? From the front, these smartphones look very much alike, but once you look at them from the side, their differences become quite obvious. Both devices are well designed, beautiful to look at and have a solid feel to them.
With both devices coming from LG and designed so similarly, except for the curved display, it is not surprising that we have many specifications that are either identical, or upgrades from the LG G3 – the older phone – on the newer LG G Flex 2. For instance, both devices have a 5.5-inch display, but one is curved with FHD and the other one is a standard flat display with QHD. They both use a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, only different generations. They both have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of Internal memory with a microSD card slot to increase the memory 128GB in the LG G3 and 2TB for the LG G Flex 2.
The devices have the same cameras – the main camera sensors are 13MP with Laser Autofocus, OIS+ and a Dual-Tone LED Flash. The front-facing cameras (FFC) are both 2.1MP for social media selfies and video chatting. The 3000mAh batteries in each device are also the same size and should easily get you through a day. The usual parts are all there – dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0/4.1, NFC capability, microUSB v2.0 with Slimport, an IR Blaster and FM stereo radio.
Please take a look at the detailed Specifications below and you will be able to see exactly how these two devices differ. After that, we will take a look at each individual device, then list some pros and cons to try to determine which one of these smartphones deserves to win this comparison.
Specifications
LG G Flex 2
The original LG G Flex was wildly popular with some LG enthusiasts, but I just could not get excited about paying $300 for a device simply because the phone and display were curved, especially when it had only a 720p resolution and 245 pixels-per-inch (PPI). The new LG G Flex 2 is updated in all of the spots that I felt it was lacking – the display and device are slightly smaller (5.5-inch vs 6-inch) and is upgraded to a FHD P-OLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels with a much more acceptable 403 PPI.
The G Flex 2 also uses the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core 64-bit processor clocked at 2.0GHz and 1.5GHz and will team up nicely with Android’s newest 64-bit 5.0 Lollipop OS. Both devices come with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage and both devices are able to increase their internal storage – the LG G3 has room for an additional 128GB and, according to LG’s specifications, the LG G Flex 2 can take you all the way to 2TB!
Both devices use the same excellent cameras – a 13MP sensor with Laser Autofocus, OIS+ and a Dual-Tone LED flash and a 2.1MP FFC for social selfies and video chatting. The devices even have the same size, 3000mAh, battery…of course the G Flex 2 battery is curved. Besides the usual suspects listed in the Introduction, the G Flex 2 also sports Quick Charge 2.0, where you can get a 50-percent charge in 40 minutes. It also has an improved self-healing back panel, Dolby Mobile sound and most importantly it is running the newest 64-bit Android 5.0 Lollipop.
The LG G Flex 2 will be available on AT&T and Sprint for sure and US Cellular said that they will also carry the new device. No word on whether Verizon or T-Mobile will jump on it…possibly later. No prices were announced, but it is rumored to cost the same as the G Flex 2 at $300 on a two-year contract and we hope it will make its way to the US sometime in February.
LG G3
The LG G3 was one of the most anticipated devices of the year – mostly because of the Quad HD display that we so anxious to see, and it also looked like it might include a metal back. It ended up being a plastic shell with a metallic-like finish, but it was still a well-built, solid device with some of the smallest bezels we have seen on any smartphone.
The LG G3 has the same physical 5.5-inch display, but rather than the FHD display found on the G Flex 2, it comes packing a QHD with a whopping 538 PPI. It also uses the IPS LCD technology, while the G Flex 2, uses the P-OLED technology. The other big difference is in the Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz which is now passed up by the newer 805 and now the newest 64-bit 810 found in the new G Flex 2.
The memory choices of 3GB/32GB are the same as are the 13MP/2.1MP cameras and the 3000mAh batteries. The LG G3 does offer wireless charging, but is still using Android 4.4 – however, you can find the G3 for as little as $0 on a two-year contract and all the way up to $199. It is available on all four major US carriers.
…And The Winner Is…
Summary
This was a little tougher decision than I originally thought it would be for this smartphone comparison…but in the end I had to go with the newer LG G Flex 2. It was hard to give up the Quad HD (QHD) display on the LG G3 over the curved FHD display on the G Flex 2, for which I see no clear advantage other than the WOW factor. I had to go with the newer 64-bit octa-core processor running the newest Android 5.0 Lollipop and the added expansion capability (although 128GB is probably enough). The excellent camera is on both devices and the batteries are the same size.
The LG G Flex 2 has the Quick Charge 2.0 and let’s not forget that it will come with Android 5.0.1 out-of-the-box, although it will cost you more – probably $300 for a two-year contract, while the LG G3 has been out long enough, that you may be able to get it for $0 – $199 on a two-year deal.
Please hit us up on our Google+ Page and let us know which of these devices you would pick as the winner of this comparison and WHY – would you go for the better display or the newer processor with Android 5.0 Lollipop…as always, we would love to hear from you.