Samsung Galaxy S8 vs LG G6: which Android phone is better?

Our all-important Samsung Galaxy S8 vs LG G6 comparison is ready give you further insight into which South Korean phone maker’s new handset is better for 2017.

Sure, they look different in terms of design and internal specs, but the dimensions, weight and and many key features are exactly the same. Android phone buyers have a tough choice on their hands.

Here’s how the Galaxy S8 and bigger S8 Plus stack up next to the LG G6, which been forgotten by some during Samsung’s dominate coverage last week.

Design

Samsung and LG are competing with phones made of glass wrapped around thin metal frames. The material is similar, but the actual designs differ to the eye and the hand.

The LG G6 has a brushed aluminum look and coats its glass back in order to make it less slippery. The Samsung Galaxy S8 looks and feels like slick glass.

They’re beautiful-looking phones, with designs that nearly eliminate the top and bottom bezel. Samsung’s curved display goes further by bending the screen around the left and right sides. 

Samsung also moves the fingerprint sensor to the back, but it's offset by the camera. LG has a dual lens camera and reserves the fingerprint sensor for a center spot on the back of the phone – further away from the camera lens.

LG G6 measures out to be 148.9 x 68.1 x 8mm at 163g, and the Samsung is a tad taller and wide with dimensions of 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9mm and weights the same 163g. Samsung’s flagship phone grows when you look at the Galaxy S8 Plus: 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1mm at 173g.

Anyone who wanted a flat Samsung Galaxy S8 may find everything they need in the LG G6. They both have an IP68 rating, making them dustproof and waterproof up to 1.5m down for 30 minutes.

Screen

You’re getting a taller screen when you upgrade to the LG G6 or the Samsung Galaxy S8. LG uses a 18:9 display ratio, while Samsung goes a bit further with 18.5:9.

The Samsung has two sizes available, the 5.8-inch Galaxy S8 and 6.2-inch Galaxy S8 Plus. LG G6 keeps it a bit smaller with a 5.7-inch screen and a flat display.

Seeing more screen is great on both – a real boon for smartphone multitasking, but all of your 16:9 movies will throw up black bars on the left and right. It’s not a dealbreaker on either phone, but something you should know.

Samsung continues to impress with its Super AMOLED displays and this one has  better contrast ratio and Mobile HDR. LG also supports HDR10, but sticks with an IPS LCD touchscreen that looks pretty good on its own, even if Samsung has the better display technology. 

Samsung’s Super AMOLED screen is more suited for the Samsung Gear VR, while LG doesn’t even support Google Daydream. Both have always-on display that we really like.

OS and power

One of the best things about upgrading your Android phone is getting the latest version of Google’s operating system: in this case Android 7.0 Nougat.

Here’s where the two phones could differ down the line. Samsung uses a more powerful chipset in its phones: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 in the US and Exynos 8895 everywhere else, including the UK.

LG also uses a fast chip, too, but not the newest one available. It’s the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 – the same chipset found in the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL.

Both are powerful phones right now, but Samsung’s handsets may go the distance two or three years from now and whenever mobile VR gaming more boldly ventures into real 3D graphics.

The LG G6 has 32GB of RAM, while the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus gets 64GB out of the box. Both have expandable storage via a microSD card slot and contain 4GB of RAM.

Camera

It’s always been a close debate between the Samsung vs LG camera quality, and the 12MP Samsung Galaxy S8 and 13MP LG G6 are sure to make the debate close once again.

Here’s a key difference: the LG G6 uses a dual-camera setup. One 13MP is for normal shots, while the other takes wide-angle shots to capture more in the photo (albeit with a bit of fisheye).

Samsung skipped out on the dual-lens approach being used by many Android phones as well as Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus. In fact, the S8 uses last year’s Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge sensor.

Maybe we’ll see a dual-lens camera in the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

Battery life

The LG G6 battery capacity falls right in between the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, with a 3300mAh battery. The S8 has a 3,000mAh battery, and the S8 Plus gets 3,500mAh.

You’re going to have to check our incoming full reviews of both phones to see our pending battery life tests. But, rest assured, Samsung promises neither the S8 or S8 Plus will blow up. Our tests are forthcoming.

We can tell you some good news right away: both phone feature fast charging technology to juice back up more quickly as well as wireless charging, something  last year’s LG G5 lacked.

Price

The LG G6 wins this battle with a cheaper smartphone that’s nearly as powerful as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.

In the US, LG G6 costs anywhere from $600 to $712 at full price through US carriers and LG will begin selling an unlocked version in the future. It may cost the normal $649 in the end. 

Samsung is charging $724 for the Galaxy S8 and $824 for the Galaxy S8 Plus.

In the UK and Australia, the LG G6 price is cheaper, too – £649 SIM-free and AU$1,008 from Telstra, according to an Ausdroid report. 

Samsung Galaxy S8 costs £689 in the UK and AU$1,199. The Galaxy S8 Plus is even more money: £779 and AU$1,349.

Takeaway

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is the more futuristic phone, from looks to performance. Its newer chipset is better equipped for multitasking and VR gaming, and so is its taller, curved Super AMOLED screen.

However, the LG G6 has perks like a dual-lens camera and center-aligned rear fingerprint sensor. It’s also cheaper than Samsung’s phone in all regions and many people want a flat, non-curved smartphone.

You can’t go wrong with either Android – they’re going to be among the best phones you can buy in 2017. But, as you can see from our Samsung Galaxy S8 vs LG G6 comparison, there are small differences in key areas.

from TechRadar: Phone and communications news http://www.techradar.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s8-vs-lg-g6-which-android-phone-is-better