Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. LG G2: Their Specs, (Rumored) Price, and Features Compared

Now that the LG G2 has been revealed to the U.S. market, and is on its way to all four major carriers - AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile - soon, how does it stack up against the reigning champion of Android, the Samsung Galaxy S4? We'll compare the two.

As I wrote earlier, the LG G2 is a pretty good attempt by the trailing smartphone manufacturer to crack into the premium smartphone market. But the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the leading smartphone of the new generation of Android devices in the U.S. market, so the LG G2 has a lot to contend with.

Display

First off, the LG G2 beats the Samsung Galaxy S4 by 0.2 inches, coming in with a 5.2-inch Full 1080p HD display. LG Electronics says they've researched the biggest screen size that still fits comfortably in the "average hand," and came up with 5.2 inches.

 The Samsung Galaxy S4's 5-inch display still fits comfortably though, and its 1920 x 1080p display on a slightly smaller screen gives it a 441 pixel per inch specification that slightly beats out the LG G2's 423 ppi. Additionally, LG has its navigation buttons on the screen, so it's slightly larger size diminishes a little when you take that into account.

Processor

The LG G2 was revealed about 4 months after the Samsung Galaxy S4 was released, and it's the first handset to feature a processor from Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 800 lineup. The LG G2 has a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800, assisted by 2GB of RAM, which definitely edges out the Galaxy S4's already ample 1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 chip with 2GB of RAM. Yes, the LG G2 is faster, but both are far beyond most any smartphone that's currently being used in the world.

Storage

Many LG G2 watchers were anticipating that the LG G2 would have a microSD slot, but they've been disappointed. Without a microSD expansion option, the LG G2's 16GB and 32GB comes way short of the Samsung Galaxy S4's 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB models, which all feature microSD expansion to up to 64GB more.

Camera

Both handsets feature a 13-megapixel shooter, but the LG G2 has Optical Image Stabilization, which may help it hold the edge over the Samsung Galaxy S4. Both have about a 2-megapixel front-facer. Really, with these 13-megapixel cameras, it comes down to the smartphone's camera software, which Samsung has locked down, giving you dozens of options and special photo apps while keeping the Auto mode simple and easy to take good pictures with. 

Battery

The Samsung Galaxy S4's battery is an ample 2,600 mAh pack, which provides power throughout the day, even with heavy use. But LG upped the battery capacity, packing a 3,000 mAh battery into their new handset. Still, there aren't tests on the battery life yet, but it's pretty safe to say that the LG G2 will last you a full day's use.

Dimensions

The LG G2 has slightly larger dimensions, but for having a 5.2-inch screen and a 3,000 mAh battery, it's relatively small and comparable with the very slim Samsung Galaxy S4. The LG G2 comes in a 8.9mm x 71mm x 139mm, while the Galaxy S4 is a slightly more petite 7.9mm x 70mm x 137mm. And the G2 is only 13g heavier than the Galaxy S4.

Other Features

Both smartphones run Android 4.2.2, which is a current operating system, if not the most cutting-edge. They both have custom UIs layered on top of the Jelly Bean operating system. The LG UX includes lots of little extras, the best of which is a three-finger swipe multi-tasking mode, but Samsung's TouchWiz is still likely to hold the title as the top (or only) third-party UI layer that customers like (or can tolerate, depending on the customer).

Both devices have NFC and an IR Blaster, and while the Samsung Galaxy S4 has little extras like "Smart Scroll," which makes the screen scroll as it follows your eyes, the LG G2 has a "Rear Key" which eliminates the need to use side buttons to adjust volume or turn on the phone. The company suggests that the Rear Key could be a breakthrough in smartphone interaction (see: "Rear Key, LG's Apple Moment"), but we'll have to wait and see if this is truly an advantage for smartphone users in every day life.

Price

Pricing information for the LG G2 is still sketchy, but it appears that it will be somewhere around $600+ U.S., and, of course, less on contract. That's more than the best selling Samsung Galaxy S4, but the on-contract price could be similar or the same, once the LG G2 release date comes for AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

Conclusion

The LG G2 is an impressive attempt by the also-ran smartphone maker to get some attention and possibly improve the way we interact with smartphones. However, the Galaxy S4 has so much going for it that we don't see it being unseated from the Android throne anytime soon.

We'll have to see, though, as the Nexus 5 may be on its way, especially because LG Electronics has denied making a Google Play edition of the LG G2 (Confused? Read "Two Competing Theories of the Nexus 5" to understand the logic.)