Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the LG V10 goes up against the new ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe. Here we have two all-metal beauties going up against each other – both are premium looking in every sense of the word – even though they are designed with an entirely different look. The LG V10 has a more squared-off design and uses silicone on the back to add some grip. The ZenFone 3 Deluxe has more rounded corners and hides the antenna around the edge of the device, eliminating those nasty antenna lines on the back. Does this six-month-old LG V10 have what it takes to beat out the new ZenFone 3 Deluxe? 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 device.
The LG V10 and ZenFone 3 Deluxe do have a few things in common – for starters, they are almost identical in physical size. They both use a 5.7-inch display, but use different technologies and resolutions. Both devices turned to Qualcomm for their processors, but they use different models and different GPUs. They both have a 64GB variant, and they both offer expansion via a microSD card. Both offer Hi-Res audio for earphone listening, and both offer a 3000mAh battery with rapid charge capabilities – the V10 even retains a removable battery. A fingerprint sensor resides on both devices to unlock the device as well as authorize mobile payments. The usual suspects are here – WiFi, Bluetooth (v4.1 on the V10 and v4.2 on the Deluxe), GPS, NFC (the Deluxe model is the only one that offers NFC), IR Blaster, and a USB port (V2.0 in the V10 and the new reversible Type-C on the Deluxe) for charging and data transfer. Both are running Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Please take a careful 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 device in greater depth 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
No one is sure why LG came out with the LG V10, which was introduced back in October – some thought it would take the place of the LG G5, but that is not the case. It is a beauty and is sculpted from stainless steel with a silicone backing for grip, and includes dual displays – one on top of the other – that work independently…much like the new always-on displays we see popping up. In the camera area, LG gave it two 5MP front-facing cameras (FFCs) to add depth to your selfies. Let’s take a closer look at the LG V10 and see just how it stacks up against the new ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe.
The LG V10 is the first device to sport two displays – one over top of the other. There is a main IPS Quantum QHD display measuring 5.7-inches with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 515 pixels-per-inch (PPI) and near the top of the device, is mounted another 1040 x 160-pixel display that is also 515 PPI. The secondary display is functional even when the main display is off – to show notifications, the weather, the time/date, app shortcuts and more – much like an ‘always-on’ display to save battery life. Because of the Snapdragon 810 having heating issues, the LG went with the 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 for the V10. It is a hexa-core processor with four cores running at 1.44GHz and two cores running at 1.8GHz. The LG V10 packs 4GB of DDR3 RAM and 64GB of internal storage with room to expand an additional 2TB.
For its primary camera, the LG V10 uses a 16MP sensor, with laser autofocus, a large f/1.8 aperture for low-light shots, OIS, and an LED flash. LG made an unusual move for the front-facing camera (FFC) by adding dual 5MP cameras to add a wider field and more depth to the traditional selfie or video chat. True to the LG line, the LG V10 packs a 3000mAh removable battery that should last throughout an entire day. Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 is available to give you up to 50-percent battery life with a 40-minute charge.
The LG V10 has a speaker on the bottom of the device and includes Hi-Fi circuitry for improved sound through the headphones (as does the Deluxe). 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, priced at approximately $670, and is now running Marshmallow.
ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe
The ZenFone 3 Deluxe is the new flagship from ASUS – it has a beautiful all-metal body, the antenna hidden in the frame of the device, it packs 6GB of DDR4 RAM, and utilizes the new and faster USF 2.0 internal memory. The ZenFone improved their new lineup in every way over last year’s ZenFone 2 models. We would like to see ASUS jump into the QHD world of resolution, but on the Deluxe model, ASUS chose a Super AMOLED display for better contrasts and outdoor viewing. Let’s look and see how it holds up to the LG V10 in this comparison.
The ZenFone 3 Deluxe sports a phablet-size 5.7-inch Super AMOLED FHD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a somewhat respectable 386 PPI. ASUS also included the ‘always-on’ feature design to help save battery life – this is much like the dual display function of the LG V10. For their Deluxe model, Asus chose the 64-bit Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with a dual-core clocked at 1.6GHz and a dual-core clocked at 2.15GHz. Paired with that is the Adreno 530 GPU to handle the most demanding graphics. The model we are looking at is the 6GB DDR4 RAM with 64GB of memory – later ASUS claims there will be a 6GB DDR4 model with 256GB of memory. Both versions have room to expand 128GB via a microSD card, and both models are using the new and faster UFS 2.0 memory – introduced on the Samsung Galaxy S6 series.
For the primary camera, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe uses a Sony sensor, a 23MP Asus PixelMaster 3.0 camera with a sapphire crystal lens cover. It has an aperture of f/2.0, dual LED flash and 4-axis OIS and 3-axis of EIS for incredibly steady shots. The FFC is an impressive 8MP sensor with an 85-degree wide-angle lens for selfies or video chatting. A 3000mAh non-removable battery powers the ZenFone 3, and it utilizes Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology.
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device as well as authorizing mobile payments thanks to its NFC and Marshmallow. While it does pack 6GB of DDR4 RAM, nobody is exactly sure how the ZenFone 3 Deluxe will utilize that RAM and if it will make much of a difference in its operation. It is running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and will use ASUS’ own ZenUI 3.0 running over the top. It measures 156.4 x 77.4 x 7.5mm and weighs in at 170 grams. The colors available are Titanium Gray, Glacier Silver, and Sand Gold, and it will cost about $500 for the 4GB/64GB model. There is no pricing or availability yet on the 6GB/256GB variant.
…And The Winner Is…
The Final Word
This selection turned out to be an easy decision – the ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe is the winner of this comparison. It starts with an equally sharp all-metal design. It may not have the QHD dual-display of the LG V10, but it has an excellent AMOLED display. It has a much better processor and GPU, more and faster RAM and internal memory, expandable memory, an excellent camera area, the more up-to-date reversible Type-C port, and while the battery is non-removable, it uses Quick Charge 3.0. It has all of these features for only $500 – a nice savings of $170 over the LG V10.
The LG V10 is a great device, but its processor, RAM, and internal memory are all playing catch up to the Deluxe. It is a sharp looking device and a capable smartphone, but for $670, it is a bit too much for what you get in the cheaper ZenFone 3 Deluxe package.
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