It's only a matter of weeks before the LG G6 hits shelves everywhere, and considering what it's going to bring to the table, it's definitely one heck of a smartphone to look out for.
However, how big of a splash can it make in the heated market? Only time can really tell, but that doesn't mean speculations aren't up for discussion.
To get a good idea of how it might fare in the competition, let's put the LG newcomer side-by-side with the smartphone that was named as the best 2016 smartphone at the 2017 Mobile World Congress, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge.
Specs Are Pretty Much The Same
LG unwrapped the G6 at MWC 2017 in February, and it's expected to roll out sometime in early April. Meanwhile, Samsung launched the Galaxy S7 edge in March 2016. That's a gap of more than one year between the two, and yet the components under the hood in both devices are more or less comparable.
First off, there's the processor. The G6 is fitted with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 821, and needless to say, it's better than the Galaxy S7 edge's Snapdragon 820. The question is, by how much?
Coming straight from the horse's mouth, it's 10 percent. It's not much, but if anything, it's still an improvement.
In terms of memory, the two are practically on the same level — 32 GB of native storage, 4 GB of RAM, and microSD card support of up to 256 GB for the Galaxy S7 edge and 2 TB for the G6.
For those wondering, they also have the same dust and water resistance with an IP68 rating.
Screens Are Going Big
The G6 is the larger one of the two, measuring at 5.7 inches with a 1,440 x 2,880 resolution and 564 ppi. On the other hand, the Galaxy S7 edge measures at 5.5 inches with a 1,440 x 2,560 resolution and 534 ppi.
What that means is that LG is offering a crisper display, but Samsung is throwing in its Super AMOLED technology and curved edges into the mix, leveling the playing field.
That's not all too. It should be pointed out that LG is making an enemy out of bezels, and that's evidenced by the beautiful design of the G6. Just to be clear, it's using LCD on its flagship, but by no means is that bad.
However, while the Galaxy S7 edge has Gorilla Glass 4 to steer clear of scratches and whatnot, the G6 only has Gorilla Glass 3. That's a bit interesting to see since the former was launched about a year earlier, after all.
Battery Life Is Where It's At
Scrapping the whole modular gimmick of the G5, LG equipped the G6 with a non-removable battery this time around. The downside to that is the Friends are out of the picture and, well, a replaceable battery is off the table again, but on the bright side, the successor is getting a boost from 2,800 mAh to 3,300 mAh.
On the other side of the fence, the Galaxy S7 edge comes out on top with a 3,600 mAh battery. Again, that's an intriguing point, considering the difference of their release dates.
Seeing as the Galaxy S7 edge has a smaller screen, a Snapdragon 820, and a larger cell, it's safe to assume that it'll last longer than the G6, but of course, those aren't the only factors involved in measuring battery life.
Software Are Up-To-Date
Both are running Android 7.0 Nougat, which the Galaxy S7 edge finally received from all major U.S. carriers, even Verizon. Out of the two, only the G6 is powered by the latest Android version from the get-go, and more than that, it arguably has the better user interface.
Camera: 2 Is Better Than 1
Put simply, the G6 takes the game up a notch with its dual-camera setup of two 13-megapixel sensors in the rear and a 5-megapixel front camera.
To no one's surprise, the Galaxy S7 edge is lagging behind in this department, and it literally is since, again, it launched more than a year earlier. Still, under its belt, its rear-facing 12-megapixel snapper and 5-megapixel shooter did beat the iPhone 7 in a blind camera test, so that's something.
Pricing: Which Is A Bang For The Buck?
Going straight to the gist of things, the G6 is expected to have a starting price at 899,800 won or about $796.85, LG's mobile chief Juno Cho says.
Now, the Galaxy S7 edge started out with a $780 price tag in the United States, but because it's been so long since it became available, prices have dwindled to around $552 on Amazon.
Verdict
The Galaxy S7 edge is the more affordable choice between the two, and its specs and features are enough to somewhat keep up with today's smartphones too.
On that note, it doesn't exactly blow the G6 out of the water, but it's not behind the competition either. However, if those gorgeous bezels on LG's flagship, user interface, and dual-camera configuration are bigger points than price in your book, then the G6 is clearly the handset to pick, not to mention that it has its share of accolades too.
