Samsung Galaxy Note II vs LG Optimus G

Introduction:

Are you planning on upgrading to a new smartphone within the next month or so? If that’s the case, you might be curious to know what’s going to be out there vying for your business. Well folks, unless you’ve been hiding under a rock of late, then you’re probably well aware about a couple of superb smartphones that’ll be competing against one another. Already, we’ve raved about how LG has managed to steer itself in the correct direction with the Optimus G, but without giving them any breathing room, Samsung is itching to bring back focus to itself with the impending launch of the Galaxy Note II in the US market. Therefore, let’s find out how they compare to one another!


Design:

Knowing that the LG Optimus G is the most sturdy device we’ve seen put out by LG, it easily manages to capture our attention more than the typically made Samsung device in the Galaxy Note II. If we take size out of the equation, the premium nature of the Optimus G is able to catch our glance thanks to its more solid construction and premium choice materials, which as we all know very well, stands particularly highly amongst consumers all around. Even though the Note II will garner a fair amount of interest from strangers due to its massive size, it proves to be its Achilles’ heel as well since it becomes unwieldy to hold comfortably in the hand.

The Samsung Galaxy Note II (right) and the LG Optimus G (left)

Around the trims of both handsets, they feature many commonalities – like their microphones, volume controls, power buttons, noise-cancellation mics, and microUSB ports. With the latter, the two can gain video-out functionality with the aid of an optional MHL adapter. 

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The sides of the Samsung Galaxy Note II (bottom, right) and the LG Optimus G (top, left)

Display:

Now this is a tough cookie any way we dissect it, mainly because the displays on both handsets have their own unique aspects that make them stand out highly – so it’s a matter of personal preference in the end. Starting with Sammy’s beauty, the Note II really catches our attention thanks to its ginormous 5.5” HD Super AMOLED display and its saturated color production. Indeed, its size is undeniably an attention grabber, but it’s still able to produce crisp looking details due to its 720 x 1280 resolution, which so happens to employ a slightly modified RGB sub-pixel arrangement. Meanwhile, the 4.7” HD 768 x 1280 IPS Plus display is spectacular thanks to its natural colors, higher pixel density, and superior outdoor visibility. Although it’s lacking the sheer spectacle surrounding the size of the Note II’s display, the Optimus G’s display is still regarded as being one of the best out there.

Color production of the Samsung Galaxy Note II (right) and the LG Optimus G (left) Interface and Functionality: As we’ve clearly seen playing around with the Optimus G, LG has done a fantastic job in adding a serious dose of functionality, class, and usefulness with its customized Android experience. Of course, we appreciate many of its new features, like Dual Screen/Dual Play, QSlide, Live Zooming, and QuickMemo, but in all honesty, we’ve seen something similar to them all with Samsung’s TouchWiz Nature UX, which the Note II is flaunting on top of Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. In fact, Samsung has tweaked the custom experience enough with the Note II to put it ahead of the competition in many ways. Specifically, its brand new S Pen features by itself put it in a class of its own – making it a one-of-a-kind smartphone in the market! Essentially, the experience we get out of the Note II is comprehensive enough to make LG’s offering appear rehashed and with less depth. The Samsung Galaxy Note II comes with the newest Android 4.1.1 version App panel QSlide Interface of the LG Optimus G On the surface, it might appear that there’s nothing too different from the functionality of both handsets’ core organizer apps, but as we dive deeper, it becomes too clear that Samsung’s offering is ahead of the curve. Thanks to the Air View feature found with the Note II, which enables us to preview detailed information in the calendar amongst other things, it goes to show that Samsung spared no expense in broadening the handset’s usefulness in this area. Additionally, it’s also found in the email experience itself, which again proves to be something practical and worth using. Calendar on the Samsung Galaxy Note II Organizer apps on the LG Optimus G Honestly, we can’t complain about the messaging experience with either device, as they both have spacious layouts and peppy responses with their performances – to keep up with our rate of input. Yes, there’s more room for our fingers to play around with on the Note II, but it doesn’t prove to be drastically better than its rival. On-screen keyboard of the Samsung Galaxy Note II LG Optimus G Sprint on-screen keyboard Processor and Memory: Being the first smartphones in the US to feature quad-core processors, there’s no arguing the kind of processing prowess that are attached to these two smartphones. Basically, it’s a quad-core 1.6GHz Samsung Exynos processor with 2GB of RAM in the Samsung Galaxy Note II, with the LG Optimus G being powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU with 2GB of RAM. From a cursory glance, the two exhibit all the speediness to appease our liking with their respective performance, but looking at them meticulously, we definitely feel that sense of snappiness more with the LG Optimus G. Both the AT&T and Sprint versions of the LG Optimus G flaunt a total of 32GB of memory – albeit, it’s broken down differently between them (there’s a microSD slot with the AT&T one). In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy Note II is packing only 16GB of storage out of the box, which can be supplemented thanks to its microSD slot. Internet and Connectivity: Oh man! These two couldn’t be any more ideal when it comes to the web browsing experience, knowing that they offer speedy 4G LTE connections and extremely tight navigational controls. Even with the most complex sites, they’re capable of delivering a lovable experience. Ultimately, it’s yet again the Note II’s useful S Pen that drastically makes it the preferred choice for surfing the web. Aided by its Air View feature, which mimics the function of a mouse cursor, we find it being the single most appreciated feature that caps off the wonderful experience seen with the Note II. The browser of the Samsung Galaxy Note II Web surfing of the LG Optimus G Depending on which carrier version you decide to pick up, these two smartphones are available in GSM and CDMA flavors – with 4G LTE connectivity in tow as well. As for the other connectivity features, the listing is nearly identical as they pack aGPS, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, mobile hotspot, and NFC. Camera: Call it an advantage for the LG Optimus G, it’s packing along the larger 13-mgeapixel camera (on the Sprint version though, the AT&T model has 8MP shooter) around its rear – whereas the Note II is sporting an 8-megapixel snapper. Of course, both are complemented with LED flashes and the ability to shoot 1080p videos. Interestingly, it’s the Note II that’s packing the higher 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, with the Optimus G having a 1.3-megapixel one. Camera interface of the Samsung Galaxy Note II The camera interface of the LG Optimus G If you think that the LG Optimus G might have the upper hand with its beefier 13-megapixel camera, you’re dead wrong because the Samsung Galaxy Note II’s 8-megapixel snapper is able to match it blow-to-blow. In fact, it’s really difficult to pick out any minute difference with the quality of their cameras, since they exhibit the same sharp details and pleasant colors in outdoor sunny conditions. Indeed, their qualities take a hitch when it comes to low lighting, but their LED flashes are potent enough to liven up the shots – though, colors appear cooler with the Note II and warmer with the Optimus G. In the end, there isn’t one that’s particularly superior. Samsung Galaxy Note II LG Optimus G Samsung Galaxy Note II LG Optimus G Samsung Galaxy Note II LG Optimus G Camera samples Strong Medium Low light Samsung Galaxy Note II LG Optimus G 3ft 5ft 7ft Samsung Galaxy Note II LG Optimus G Darkness with flash Indoor samples Strangely, there’s a clear winner when it comes to 1080p video recording. Between them, the Note II seems to handle shooting high-def videos better than its rival, since its details are sharper looking. In contrast, the videos put out by the Optimus G have very soft details and some more noticeable artifacting when panning. So yeah, we’re sticking with the Note II on this one. Samsung Galaxy Note II Sample Video:

LG Optimus G Sample Video:


Multimedia:

We can’t say we’re enthralled by either music players, seeing that they’re conventional with their presentations and functionality – though, some might find the Music Squares feature with the Note II’s music player as appreciable. Emitting strong tones by default with their respective speakers, they’re naturally audible to the ear, however, we do notice just a smidgen more powerful output with the Note II.

The Nature UX music player of the Samsung Galaxy Note II

Music player of the LG Optimus G

As we’ve mentioned already, it’s a matter of personal preference in deeming which of the two handsets have the more attractive looking display. Still, when it comes to watching videos, larger screens offer a more ideal experience – hence, that’s why we’d pick the Note II for this one. In addition, we prefer the execution of Samsung’s Pop Up Play feature for overlaying videos on top of whatever we’re doing, as opposed to the LG’s QSlide function.

Call Quality:

Barely having any flaws with its call quality, we’re digging the Note II more in this category – especially when its earpiece is extraordinarily powerful with its output, not to mention the pleasant voices on both ends. Although it’s tolerable enough to accept, the LG Optimus G is plagued by hollow voices through the earpiece and muffled tones on the other end of the line.


Battery:

Without a doubt, the Samsung Galaxy Note II’s battery life blows away the LG Optimus G – nearly doubling its performance. Certainly, we’re accepting of the normal one-day of normal usage we’re able to get out of the Optimus G, but that’s nothing stellar compared to the two days of usage offered by the Note II.

Conclusion:

Pricing can dictate many things for people, but in this case, it’ll depend on how much people are willing to shell out to experience something special and definitive. At $199.99 on-contract, the LG Optimus G is undoubtedly an admirable offering worthy of being included in the elites of the smartphone world. Considering that it’s packing one of the best displays out there and the snappiest performance we’ve seen on a smartphone to date, it’s a fitting price point that would make it an automatic buy for many people.

Despite its higher starting price of $299.99 (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon versions), the Samsung Galaxy Note II makes it up with its better overall performance and comprehensive software experience. Underneath it all, the Note II has all the qualities found with the Optimus G, but its S Pen and associated functions are unique to it – making it a one-of-a-kind device that’s not replicated elsewhere at this moment. Capping things off, we find the Note II performing better than the Optimus G in some categories, like its battery life and video recording, which proves its $100 difference in price is justified.

LG Optimus G vs Samsung Galaxy Note II: