Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the Honor Note 8 takes on the new LG G6. The large, all-metal Honor Note 8 with its mammoth 6.6-inch display goes head-to-head with the completely redesigned LG G6 with its all-glass body. The Honor Note 8 uses a dual curved display with no bezels left-to-right, while LG did a revamp on the old metal bodied, modular LG G5 to come up with the more modern looking LG G6. The Honor Note 8 will only work on AT&T and T-Mobile in the US for 4G LTE, but the LG G6 will work on all major US networks. Let’s look at just what these two devices have in common, if anything, and then we will take a closer look at each one in hopes that we can determine a winner of this comparison.
The Note 8 and the LG G6 have a few things in common. The displays of the two devices are 0.9-inch different in size, making the larger Honor Note 8 much larger in physical dimensions and weighing in a hefty 56 grams heavier. The displays use a different technology, the same resolution, and the same Gorilla Glass 3 for protection. They use a different processor and GPU, but certainly in the same league. They pack the same 4GB of DDR4 RAM and the same options for internal storage – 32GB/64GB, although there is a 128GB option in the Honor Note 8 – and both can expand its memory via a microSD card. The primary camera areas and the front-facing camera (FFC) areas are the same, yet different. The Honor Note 8 uses one 13MP sensor while the LG G6 uses dual 13MP cameras. The FCC on the Honor Note 8 and the LG G6 both use a 5MP sensor. Both have a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device. They both use a non-removable battery but only the LG G6 has rapid charge capabilities as well as wireless charging. They come with the usual suspects – WiFi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, NFC (LG G6 only), and the newer reversible Type-C port for charging and data transfer.
Please take a thoughtful 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
Honor Note 8
The Honor Note 8 is an all-metal device that is undeniably huge with a 6.6-inch display. It has a dual curved display with small bezels at the top and bottom of the device, but it still looks large. It comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but its Nougat update should be out any day. Even with a QHD display and powerful Kirin processor, the 32GB model comes in at about $400. Does the Honor Note 8 have what it takes to overpower the new LG G6?
Huawei decided with such a large display that they would use the QHD resolution on their 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display. The resolution comes in at 2560 x 1440 pixels with 443 pixels-per-inch (PPI) and is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. This size display is great for watching movies, gaming, or reading – anything where a larger display is better for the user experience. Huawei used their HiSilicon Kirin 955 octa-core processor with four cores clocked at 1.8GHz and four cores clocked at 2.5GHz. Huawei paired the Kirin 955 with a Mali-T880 MP4 GPU for terrific graphics. The Honor Note 8 packs 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal memory that is expandable via a microUSB card. You can also get models with 64GB or 128GB of internal storage.
The primary camera on Honor Note 8 uses a single 13MP sensor and comes with an f/2.0 aperture, autofocus, OIS, and dual-tone LED flash. It uses a 5MP FCC camera with an f/2.0 aperture for selfies and video chatting. The Honor Note 8 provides a 4500mAh non-removable battery that should last you for a full day and it provides no fast charge capability.
Because of the small bezels, Huawei placed the fingerprint sensor on the back of the device and it is only good for unlocking the Honor Note 8 because there is no NFC chip in the device. It also has DTS sound capabilities and includes an FM radio. The Honor Note 8 measures 178.8 x 90.9 x 7.2 mm, weighs in at a hefty 219 grams and comes in White, Gold, or Gray. The device is available to purchase online for about $420 for the 32GB model and will work on the AT&T or T-Mobile networks. The device comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but should be getting its Android 7.0 Nougat very soon.
LG G6
Redesigned with new materials and a new display, the new LG G6 looks and acts nothing like the old LG G5 that it replaces. The LG G6 rids itself of the unpopular painted metal and modular body form of the G5 and uses an all-new glass design with smaller bezels. The new design allowed the G6 to gain an IP68 certification, but did away with one of LG’s most sought after features – the removable battery, which is becoming almost non-existent. To help compensate for this, LG increased the battery size and now includes standard wireless charging. The display increased from 5.3-inches to 5.7-inches and now uses an 18:9 screen ratio that makes it slightly taller and narrower. LG continued with dual cameras but changed their megapixels. Let’s see if LG did enough to their LG G6 and see just how it stacks up to the Honor Note 8.
LG made some major changes to the G6’s screen area giving it an IPS LCD QHD+ display by increasing it to 5.7-inch and giving it a new 18:9 screen ratio. This ratio causes the display to be slightly taller and narrower, but allows more display in a smaller area. LG included the ‘always on’ feature that not only saves battery life, but also makes glancing at notifications much easier and quicker. The resolution comes in at 2880 x 1440 pixels with an impressive 564 PPI and is now Dolby Vision/HDR10 compliant. The viewer gets a more natural theater-like experience when watching movies and the ratio allows two perfect squares for on-screen multi-tasking. LG bypassed the newest SD835 octa-core processor and decided to use the SD821 quad-core processor with dual cores clocked at 1.6GHz and another dual-core clocked at 2.35GHz. The LG G6 packs 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 32GB of internal memory that is expandable to 2TB via a microUSB card.
There is definitely a growing trend toward a dual-camera design, which is something that LG has embraced for a while. One just has to look at the LG V10, V20, G5, and now the G6. The LG G6 uses dual 13MP sensor cameras for both the primary and secondary camera. The LG G6’s primary shooter comes with an f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, OIS, and dual-tone LED flash and the G6 will use this camera for regular picture taking. The second 13MP camera comes with an ultra-wide-angle lens for capturing a wider group shot or a landscape picture and has a fixed focus with a much smaller f/2.4 aperture. LG decreased the FCC from an 8MP to a 5MP sensor and gave it an f/2.4 aperture for selfies and video chatting, which is unusual as more smartphones are increasing their FFC size as the importance of social media climbs. LG did take away the removable battery, but increased the size from 2800mAh to a 3300mAh, added Quick Charge 3.0, and standard wireless charging.
The small bezels dictate some of the G6’s design features, such as keeping the fingerprint sensor on the back of the device, which still acts as the on/off switch. LG did away with the once popular IR Blaster, but kept the FM radio around in certain markets. The LG G6 is also the first non-Google smartphone to include Google Assistant onboard so you can use your LG G6 to communicate with Google’s growing ecosystem that includes Google Home and Chromecast. The LG G6 measures 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm, weighs in at 163 grams and comes in Mystic White, Astro Black, or Ice Platinum. The device is available on all the leading carriers for about $670 for the 32GB model.
…And The Winner Is…
The Final Word
This was a tough decision and I only placed the LG G6’s picture in as the winner because of a few factors – but are these factors worth the $250 difference in price – that is the real question and the answer is probably ‘no’. The LG G6 is a beautiful device that runs on all major US carriers, has NFC for mobile payments, IP68 water resistance, an always-on display, possibly better sized to carry around for an everyday driver, dual cameras, and fast charging, as well as wireless charging.
When it comes to looks, the LG G6 has nothing on the Honor Note 8. With its curved display, it is very reminiscent of a large Galaxy S7 Edge. The Honor Note 8 does come packed with a larger display, that is not only QHD, but also Super AMOLED. It would be ideal for movies, YouTube, web browsing, reading, and games. However, its size could be a factor in carrying it around in a pocket. The processor and GPU are up to the task of the LG G6 and it does come with expandable memory. If you are okay with carrying around a huge device, using AT&T or T-Mobile, do not plan to do any mobile purchases, and are okay without a quick charging battery, then the Honor Note 8 may be just for you.