Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the LG V10 goes up against the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. A few days ago we did a comparison between the LG V10 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 and a few readers commented that a “fairer” test would be to put the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge up against the LG V10 – so here you have it. I doubt that many would argue that the LG V10 is a beautiful device with its honed stainless steel body, and the same could be said for the sleek and sexy (yes, a phone, like a fine automobile, can be sexy) Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge with its dual curved display and sculptured metal frame. While we are looking for LG’s purpose for making the LG ‘V’ series, we know that the Galaxy S7 Edge is part of the ‘S’ series that defines Samsung’s flagship devices – at least for the masses. Let’s take a look to see just what these two devices have in common and then we will take a closer look at each individual device.
Like the previous Galaxy S7, the LG V10 and Galaxy S7 Edge have very few things in common. They both have the Quad HD (QHD) display resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels but are different sizes – though not by much with the V10 sporting a 5.7-inch display and the S7 Edge with its 5.5-inch display – and they use different technologies. Both devices can use a Qualcomm processor, but extremely different models. However, they both use 4GB of RAM and offer 32GB or 64GB models with internal memory expansion. Both offer an excellent camera area, but go about it in different ways and while they both use a 5MP sensor for their front-facing cameras (FFC), the V10 use two of them. They both sport a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device and authorizing mobile payments…using Marshmallow. Both offer a fast battery charging battery, although the LG V10’s is removable and the Galaxy S7 Edge is non-removable. Both offer the usual suspects – WiFi, Bluetooth (v4.1 on the V10 and v4.2 on the S7 Edge), GPS, NFC and a microUSB port for charging and data transfer.
Please take a deliberate look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each individual device in greater detail and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.
Specifications
LG V10
The LG V10, introduced back in October, is sculptured from stainless steel with a silicone backing and includes some technology thrown in the mix – LG gave it two 5MP FFCs and a small, independent display sitting above the 5.7-inch main display, which can operate when the main display is off. Let’s take a closer look at the LG V10 and see just how it stacks up against the new Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
The LG V10 sports two displays – there is a main IPS Quantum QHD display measuring 5.7-inches with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 515 PPI and above the main display, near the top of the device, is a 1040 x 160-pixel display that is also 515 PPI. The secondary display can be functional while the main display is off to show notifications, the weather, the time/date, app shortcuts and more just like the ‘always-on’ display on the Galaxy S7 Edge. This goes up against the 5.5-inch QHD Super AMOLED ‘always-on’ dual curved display on the Galaxy S7 Edge with 534 PPI. The LG V10 uses a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexacore processor with four cores running at 1.44GHz and two cores running at 1.8GHz. This goes up against the newest 64-bit Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor in the Galaxy S7 Edge or the Exynos 8890 octa-core – depending what region it is purchased. The LG V10 packs 4GB of DDR3 RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage with room to expand an additional 2TB while the Galaxy S7 Edge packs 4GB of faster DDR4 RAM and 32GB or 64GB of UFS 2.0 memory with expansion up to 200GB.
The main cameras will give you great pictures, yet they go about it in a different manner – the LG V10 uses a 16MP sensor, adds laser autofocus, a large f/1.8 aperture, OIS and an LED flash. This goes up against a new Dual Pixel 12MP sensor in the Galaxy S7 Edge. Then, LG decided to take a page from HTC’s old playbook and use dual 5MP FFCs to add a wider field and more depth to the traditional selfie or video chat, while the Galaxy S7 Edge uses a single 5MP FFC. The LG V10 packs a 3000mAh removable battery versus a 3600mAh non-removable battery in the Galaxy S7 Edge – both should last throughout an entire day. Rapid charge is available on both devices and quick wireless charging comes standard on the Galaxy S7 Edge.
The LG V10 has a speaker on the bottom of the device like the Galaxy S7 Edge and includes Hi-Fi circuitry for improved sound through the headphones. The V10 measures 159.6 x 79.3 x 8.6 mm and weighs in at 192 grams. The available colors are Space Black, Luxe White, Modern Beige, Ocean Blue and Opal Blue. It is available on Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile and priced approximately $670 and should receive its Marshmallow update shortly.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
The Galaxy S7 series is a small upgrade that Samsung did after a total redesign of the Galaxy S6 series last year, although the S7 Edge crept up from 5.1-inches to 5.5-inches, eliminating the need for a Galaxy S7 Edge Plus. The outside is still the same metal and glass construction and rather hard to distinguish from the Galaxy S6 Edge, although they curved the back and sides of the phone more to make it easier to pick up off of a flat surface and more comfortable to hold. It is still a beautiful smartphone, solidly built with a premium look and feel, but most of the improvements or changes occurred on the inside of the device.
The Galaxy S7 Edge sports a new 5.5-inch QHD Super AMOLED display with 534 PPI and a dual curved edge where notifications, your 10 most important contacts and more can quickly be accessed. The LG V10 uses a larger, 5.7-inch IPS LCD QHD display with 515 PPI. While the Galaxy S7 Edge employs the ‘always-on’ display technology on the main display, the LG V10 has a separate display that sits on top of the upper part of the main display for notifications. The Galaxy S7 Edge model uses two processors – either their new Exynos 8890 octa-core processor or the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor depending where you are located. This goes up against the LG V10 and its Snapdragon 808 hexacore processor. The Galaxy S7 Edge uses 4GB of faster DDR4 RAM while the LG V10 uses 4GB of slower DDR3 RAM. The S7 Edge offers 32GB or 64GB of faster internal UFS 2.0 memory with the ability to expand this to 200GB with a microSD card. The LG V10 offers 32GB or 64GB of internal memory as well and expansion up to 2TB.
Samsung is using a new Dual Pixel 12MP with a larger sensor, allowing it to take in more light and information than the old 16MP sensor found in the Galaxy S6 series. They also increased the aperture to f/1.7, increased the speed of autofocus and shutter and kept the auto HDR and OIS. The LG V10 kept the excellent 16MP from last year’s LG G4. The Galaxy S7 Edge uses a 5MP FFC with Live HDR, a larger f/1.7 aperture and 22mm wide-angle lens for selfies and video chatting. The LG V10 uses dual 5MP FFCs. The Galaxy S7 Edge battery, though still non-removable, jumped in size to 3600mAh and it comes with rapid charge and quick wireless charging. This goes up against the 3000mAh removable battery in the LG V10, which also offers a rapid charge feature.
The Galaxy S7 Edge does offer IP68 water/dust resistance and, like the LG V10, expandable memory and “always-on” display. It offers Samsung Pay, retains the heart rate and oxygen saturation sensors and built-in quick wireless charging. The Galaxy S7 Edge measures 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm, weighs in at 157 grams and will be offered in Black Onyx, White, Silver and Gold Platinum and cost about $790 off-contract.
…And The Winner Is…
Summary
Just like the Galaxy S7 comparison, I have no choice but to crown the Galaxy S7 Edge as the winner of this specification comparison – it simply has the better technology…mostly because it is newer. For starters, the Super AMOLED dual curved display on the Galaxy S7 Edge is so much nicer looking and intriguing than the IPS LCD display on the V10. There is just no way the Snapdragon 808 hexacore processor is in the same league as either the Snapdragon 820 or the Exynos 8890. The DDR4 RAM in the Galaxy S7 Edge is much faster than the DDR3 limitations that the Snapdragon 808 imposes on the LG V10. The S7 Edge also uses much faster UFS 2.0 memory and both are now expandable. The S7 Edge also sports a heart rate monitor and oxygen saturation sensor as well as its IP68 dust and water resistant rating. They both have rapid battery charging, but only the S7 Edge has built-in quick wireless charging. The Galaxy S7 Edge also includes Samsung Pay, allowing its user to make mobile payments at almost any retailer with no special equipment other than the old fashion card swiper.
Please, do not misunderstand me – I am not saying that the LG V10 is a loser device. On the contrary, it is a beautiful and very capable smartphone, but it is already showing its young age with its parts and pieces when compared to either the Galaxy S7 Edge or the new LG G5 coming out. It is a solid device and does employ the dual screen technology, but the Galaxy S7 Edge’s ‘always-on’ display and side notifications take care of those features. It has an excellent main camera, but the S7 Edge was just picked by DxOMark as having the best smartphone camera currently on the market. The LG V10 does have a dual FFC, but what does that feature really add to the mix? The LG V10 does have a removable battery, but the Galaxy S7 Edge has a larger battery and quick wireless charging. It is about $100 cheaper than the Galaxy S7 Edge, but if you want the device here with better specs than that $100 will have to go toward the purchase of a new Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
[socialpoll id=”2344417″]