With the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 about to roll out on Verizon Wireless, one of the largest carriers in the U.S., Amazon has dropped the price of the recently-released Verizon-branded LG G2. Let's take a look at two of the newest Android smartphones to see what may be the better deal on Verizon Wireless come Oct. 10.
Display
The Galaxy Note 3 is certainly a phablet - meaning it's a cross between a smartphone and a tablet. It has a 5.7-inch touchscreen display, which is 0.2-inches larger than its predecessor. Meanwhile, the LG G2 comes with a 5.2-inch display, which is quite large for a smartphone, but not large enough to make it a phablet.
Both displays come with 1080 x 1920p Full HD resolution, which on the slightly smaller LG G2 gives it 424 pixels per inch - one of the higher-end resolutions available on the market currently. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 offers the same resolution on a screen with more real estate, so the pixel density drops a little, giving you 386 ppi, which is still going to be a brilliant sight to behold.
Power (Processor and Battery)
Both new smartphones from South Korean manufacturers come with the latest cutting-edge Qualcomm system on a chip. That's the quad core Snapdragon 800 processor, and it's one of the fastest, most capable mobile chips available.
The LG G2 clocks its Snapdragon 800 to 2.26GHz, and its assisted by 2GB RAM on board. That's fast, and it's going to be future-proof for a while. But the Galaxy Note 3 takes its Snapdragon 800 to 2.3GHz with 3GB of RAM, which is the first time anyone's given a mobile device that much memory.
In either case, with LTE speeds and these processors, you're going to have a great, speedy user experience with these devices, but the Galaxy Note 3 edges out the LG G2 a bit for power.
Also edging out the LG G2 by just a bit is the Note 3's 3200 mAh battery, which, at 21 hours of talk time, delivers a few more hours of power than the LG G2's 3000 mAh battery. Once again, though, we're talking minor differences In two high-performance devices.
Camera and Storage
Both the LG G2 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 come with 13-megapixel main cameras and secondary front-facing shooters at approximately 2-megapixels. Both the G2 and Note 3 can shoot 1080p video at 60 frames per second. Neither has a clear edge over the other as far as camera specs, but Samsung's intuitive, easy-to-use camera software might give it the (slight) win.
The winner on storage space is clear though: Samsung. LG decided not to give its flagship a microSD card slot, and the LG G2 only comes with 16GB or 32GB of internal storage. For general use, this is probably enough, but more is better - especially because when you buy a phone, part of the fun is finding out what new things you can do with it. The Galaxy Note 3 comes in up to 64GB of internal storage and a microSD slot, so any new projects you take on, you'll have room for it.
Unique Features
Both of these phones carry features unlike any other. The LG G2 has a "Rear Key," which is the volume rocker/power button on the back of the phone, right where you're finger rests when you're speaking. This may be a revolution in button placement, but that's pretty much it. However, with Verizon's version of the LG G2, you get double-uniqueness: its Rear Key is engineered to look more metallic and snazzier than other phone carriers'.
The Galaxy Note 3, meanwhile, has beefed up its S Pen, turning it into a multitasking monster. Samsung has baked in a full menu of options into the S Pen's functionality, giving you lots of different ways to expand the ease and speed of the Note 3's everyday functions.
Price and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has a Verizon release date of Oct. 10. It'll cost $300 with a two-year contract. That's pretty steep, but as you see, it's a phone that will stay up to speed and capable for years to come.
Meanwhile, the slightly less capable LG G2 has been available for a few weeks, and will cost you $200 if you buy from Verizon's store. However, Amazon has put it on sale for half that: $99 for the Verizon Wireless model, so if you don't feel like shelling out a flagship price, but want a premium Android smartphone, that's the way to go.
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