Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the mighty LG V10 goes up against the new OnePlus 3. Both are all-metal devices and look beautiful and have a solid and premium build. The stainless steel LG V10 uses a silicone backing on the device, which really adds a nice grip to the V10. This is OnePlus’ first time with an all-metal design and they did a good job. The LG V10 is a brand new model that everybody was wondering if it was a replacement for the LG G4, but LG quickly squashed that idea when LG came out with the LG G5. There are now rumors of a new LG V20 – perhaps this was the backup, just in case the LG G5 and its modular design was a flop. The OnePlus 3 is a remarkable improvement over last year’s OnePlus 2 and the OnePlus X. 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 OnePlus 3 do have a few things in common, and a couple things that may surprise you. As big as the 5.7-inch displayed LG V10 is, the 5.5-inch OnePlus 3 is very close to the same physical size, although the LG V10 weighs in at 32 grams more. The devices use a different technology and different resolution. They both use a Snapdragon processor, but a very different model – the same with the GPU. They both have a 64GB model, but only the LG V10 has room for expansion. They both use a 3000mAh battery, but only the LG V10 is removable and both offer a rapid charge option. Both offer a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device and for authorizing mobile payments. The usual suspects are there – WiFi, Bluetooth (v4.1 in the V10 and v4.2 in the OnePlus 3), GPS, NFC, USB connector (microUSB v2.0 in the V10 and Type-C USB in the OP3) for charging and data transfer.
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
LG introduced the LG V10 back in October with many people wondering why – is this a replacement for the LG G series or a supplement device – an answer we are still looking for today. The LG V10 is sculptured from stainless steel with a silicone backing to add grip and it includes some new display and camera technology. LG added a small, independent display sitting above the 5.7-inch main display, which can operate when the main display is off – much like a fancy ‘always-on’ display. In the camera area, LG gave it two 5MP FFCs to add more depth to your selfies or video chats. Now as we look at the new LG G5 with its modular design, the V10 may be a way that LG can run two flagships for two different target groups.
The LG V10 is unique in that it sports two displays – the main IPS Quantum QHD display measures 5.7-inches with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 515 pixels-per-inch (PPI) and directly above the main display, near the top, is a 1040 x 160-pixel display that is also 515 PPI. The secondary display acts like an ‘always-on’ display and can function even when the main display is off. It can show notifications, the weather, the time/date, app shortcuts and more, all in a quest to save battery life. 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. The LG V10 packs 4GB of DDR3 RAM (a limitation of the 808 processor) and 64GB of internal storage with room to expand an additional 2TB.
For its main camera, the LG V10 uses a 16MP sensor, with laser autofocus, a large f/1.8 aperture, OIS and an LED flash. LG took a page from HTC’s old playbook and uses dual 5MP FFCs to add a wider field and more depth to the traditional selfie or video chat. The LG V10 packs a 3000mAh removable battery and should last throughout an entire day. 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. 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.
OnePlus 3
OnePlus has always built a quality product, but never quite put all the pieces together to get a real flagship. The OnePlus 3 is their best effort yet to taking on the Samsungs, LGs, and HTCs of the world. The two places that OP3 disappoint are the lack of a Quad HD display and no expandable internal memory. The new all-metal design is very similar in looks to the rest of the OnePlus lineup – a minimalistic look that is all business and no flash. It is a well-built and solid design that feels the part of a flagship smartphone.
The OnePlus 3 sports a new 5.5-inch FHD Optic AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and roughly 401 PPI. While still not a QHD resolution, the new AMOLED display should offer much better color contrasts and better viewing angles than the old LCD on the OnePlus 2. OnePlus grabbed the newest Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with a dual-core clocked at 1.6GHz and another at 2.15GHz. A very capable Adreno 530 GPU provides the graphics. OnePlus then packed in a full 6GB of DDR4 RAM and 64GB of the faster UFS 2.0 internal storage, although there are no means to expand.
OnePlus made massive improvements over the OnePlus 2 in the camera area. The OP3 is using a new 16MP sensor, with fast PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus), an LED Flash, a large f/2.0 aperture, and both OIS and EIS (Electronic Stabilization.) The FFC camera increased from 5MP to 8MP with a f/2.0 aperture for better selfies and video chatting. OnePlus decreased the battery from 3300mAh to 3000mAh in the OnePlus 3, but include their own rapid charging they call Dash Charge that will give you up to a 60-percent charge in only 30 minutes.
OnePlus has finally decided to include BOTH a fingerprint sensor and NFC chip on the same device. This will allow the OP3 to authorize mobile or Android Pay purchases with a swipe of your finger – thanks to Marshmallow. It runs mostly stock Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out-of-the-box with OnePlus’ OS called OxygenOS on top. It measures 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.35mm, weighs in at 158 grams, and will cost you about $400 USD for the 6GB/64GB model. It comes in Graphite, but OnePlus promises a Soft Gold color arriving later.
…And The Winner Is…
The Final Word
Please understand that the LG V10 is an awesome device. It does have a larger and better display resolution, expandable memory, removable battery, and one could argue it is better looking or more solidly built – but after that, you would not have a compelling argument to purchase the LG V10 for $270 more.
The OnePlus 3 may not have a QHD display, but it does have an AMOLED display with better contrasts. My main complaint is no memory expansion – for someone that carries a lot of songs and pictures on their device, I enjoy having a microSD card. The removable battery is going by the wayside – I cannot remember the last time I took my battery out.
However, when it comes to true performance, the OnePlus 3 walks all over the LG V10 – much better processor and GPU that can handle anything you through at it. The OnePlus 3 packs 6GB of DDR4 RAM and the stock 64GB is the faster UFS 2.0 internal memory. The camera area was really stepped upped to a 16MP primary shooter and an 8MP FFC. It is quite a bit of smartphone for only $400!
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