The LG G pro 2 is a great device but is it good enough to defeat the king of the phablet line? Without wasting your time, Let's find out which is the best phablet in this indepth comparison of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and LG G pro 2!
DESIGN AND BUILD.
If you are a Metal body lover, you are going to be disappointed here as both the devices feature a plastic build which is not really that great!
Both feel solid in the hands, but the Note 3 offers a little more grip, thanks to its faux-leather textured back. Opinion on Samsung's fake stitching is split, but some people will find it a little bit too tacky for their tastes.
On the other side, the G pro 2 looks like the streched version of the LG G2 with the same button layout on the back which can take time to get used to but fortunately you can also unlock your phone by tapping the display.
The G pro 2 also features those LG slim bezels that look gorgeous and can be considered as a pro!
But choosing winner here is quite difficult as both the phones have something that the other just misses. The Galaxy note 3 has a better grip while the G pro 2 looks better. So, it is up to you here which one to choose.
DISPLAY.
Both the phones rock the 1080p resolution that looks great on either device.
Despite each stretching a 1080p resolution over more than 5 inches of screen, you'll have no sharpness complaints. Obviously the fact that the LG has the bigger display - 5.9in to the Samsung's 5.7in - means it has a slightly lower pixel density (373ppi versus 386ppi) but the difference is unimportant in daily use.
The important factor to look out for here is the Tech used for the display.
The Note 3 sticks to Samsung's preferred Super AMOLED tech, which means deep, true blacks and vivid colours. LG has instead retained the G2's IPS+ LCD screen; LCD displays tend to serve up purer whites and more realistic colours than their AMOLED counterparts.
While I do appreciate the Full HD display of the Note 3, colours on the G pro 2 look much more realistic in real life.
So, the winner here is the LG G pro 2.
HARDWARE.
Both the phones come with all the connectivity options and micro SD support, so you won't really have a problem in storage on either device.
But the one place where the Galaxy note 3 gets an advantage is the Stylus availability! Sure you can buy stylus from another source for the g pro 2 but it won't be deeply integrated in the OS and you miss all the Features that it brings with it.
On the battery side, Both the devices surprisingly come with a 3200mAh removable battery but they don't quite match up in the battery life.
While both the phones can get you period of a 1.5 days on little heavy usage, the Note 3 gives you a little more hours when we compare them together.
SOFTWARE.
Here, we have again two different android skins with different benefits and it won't be easy to choose one!
When we talk about the android versions they come with, the G pro 2 already comes with the Android kitkat while on the note 3, you get Android 4.3 jellybean which can be updated to android kitkat.
Whereas on the Skins department, both come with highly customized skins of their own and Both have their own quarks.
The Note 3 gets Samsung's TouchWiz interface in all of its cartoony glory, and if you can manage to forgive it the garishly in-your-face design it has plenty of nice features.
Probably you won't use this features after a while but as I am supposed to mention them, they include: a FlipBoard-powered stream of all your news and social updates which is not quite rapid and you would probably end up using Flipboard again;
MultiWindow, which lets you view two apps simultaneously; a shrunken down display option for one-handed use; Smart Rotation, which automatically adjusts the screen's orientation to match that of your face; Quick Glance, which lets you wave your hand over the Note 3 when it’s locked to summon notifications; Story Album for arranging your snaps; S Health for tracking exercise.
On the G pro 2 however you get the popular KnockCode, The ability to customise shortcuts for the front touch buttons is also welcome, as are Smart Stay (which keeps the screen on while you're looking at it), Content Lock (which sets a second password for specific photos, videos and notes) and Dual Browser, which pretty much does what the Note 3's MultiWindow does.
Slide Aside - which lets you access frequently used apps with a three-finger swipe - merely annoyed us a little. Oh, and like the Note 3 there's a Mini View mode which shrinks the display down so you can use it easily with one hand. Unfortunately, it won't shrink the handset at the same time.
The Winner here is also totally up to you with both coming with a features rich software and you won't regret choosing either.
PERFORMANCE.
Now when it comes to performance, both phones are great performers whatsoever.
The G Pro 2 and Note 3 both have identical quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 brains, along with 3GB of RAM to help them run hordes of apps simultaneously. These processors don't really sound the latest but they are not bad and can run anything hands down!
You won't really have a problem on either device and will have a lag free experience.
CAMERA.
Both the Note 3 and G Pro 2 have 13MP rear cameras. Both devices can record 4K video at 30fps, 1080 video at 60fps, and slow motion 720p video at 120fps.
Both really look same on paper but that's not the case in real life.
Both phones no doubt capture great images in good and sufficient light but the challenge comes in low light.
With the OIS+, the LG G pro 2 captures great ( acceptable ) photos in low light with lesser noise and less grainy images. While on the other side, there is no OIS at all on the Note 3 and it's camera is no good in low light!
Like the Galaxy S5 and HTC One (M8), the G Pro 2 also lets you refocus on different parts of a shot after you've taken a photo. LG calls this Magic Focus, and in use it works pretty well. To get the most from it you'll need plenty of space between foreground and background - not to mention steady hands - but it's a nice feature to have.
In the camera depart, LG G pro 2 clearly wins with better shots in all light conditions.
TO SUM UP..
Both the phones are a great deal in all aspects but on the LG G pro 2, you get better camera, screen and more premium build but on the Note 3, you get the S pen, a little better battery life and more importantly a cheaper price to pay!
Decision is on you now which one to choose as you know all the pros and cons.
Read Also: LG G Pro 2 review, Note 3 killer?
ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR READING, IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE SUGGESTIONS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS ARTICLE , COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED OR YOU CONNECT ME ON TWITTER@phonesoldier or Facebook!
DO MAKE SURE TO HIT THAT SHARE BUTTON IF YOU LIKED READING IT!
DESIGN AND BUILD.
If you are a Metal body lover, you are going to be disappointed here as both the devices feature a plastic build which is not really that great!
Both feel solid in the hands, but the Note 3 offers a little more grip, thanks to its faux-leather textured back. Opinion on Samsung's fake stitching is split, but some people will find it a little bit too tacky for their tastes.
On the other side, the G pro 2 looks like the streched version of the LG G2 with the same button layout on the back which can take time to get used to but fortunately you can also unlock your phone by tapping the display.The G pro 2 also features those LG slim bezels that look gorgeous and can be considered as a pro!
But choosing winner here is quite difficult as both the phones have something that the other just misses. The Galaxy note 3 has a better grip while the G pro 2 looks better. So, it is up to you here which one to choose.
DISPLAY.
Both the phones rock the 1080p resolution that looks great on either device.
Despite each stretching a 1080p resolution over more than 5 inches of screen, you'll have no sharpness complaints. Obviously the fact that the LG has the bigger display - 5.9in to the Samsung's 5.7in - means it has a slightly lower pixel density (373ppi versus 386ppi) but the difference is unimportant in daily use.
The important factor to look out for here is the Tech used for the display.
The Note 3 sticks to Samsung's preferred Super AMOLED tech, which means deep, true blacks and vivid colours. LG has instead retained the G2's IPS+ LCD screen; LCD displays tend to serve up purer whites and more realistic colours than their AMOLED counterparts.
While I do appreciate the Full HD display of the Note 3, colours on the G pro 2 look much more realistic in real life.
So, the winner here is the LG G pro 2.
HARDWARE.
Both the phones come with all the connectivity options and micro SD support, so you won't really have a problem in storage on either device.
But the one place where the Galaxy note 3 gets an advantage is the Stylus availability! Sure you can buy stylus from another source for the g pro 2 but it won't be deeply integrated in the OS and you miss all the Features that it brings with it.On the battery side, Both the devices surprisingly come with a 3200mAh removable battery but they don't quite match up in the battery life.
While both the phones can get you period of a 1.5 days on little heavy usage, the Note 3 gives you a little more hours when we compare them together.
SOFTWARE.
Here, we have again two different android skins with different benefits and it won't be easy to choose one!
When we talk about the android versions they come with, the G pro 2 already comes with the Android kitkat while on the note 3, you get Android 4.3 jellybean which can be updated to android kitkat.
Whereas on the Skins department, both come with highly customized skins of their own and Both have their own quarks.
The Note 3 gets Samsung's TouchWiz interface in all of its cartoony glory, and if you can manage to forgive it the garishly in-your-face design it has plenty of nice features.
Probably you won't use this features after a while but as I am supposed to mention them, they include: a FlipBoard-powered stream of all your news and social updates which is not quite rapid and you would probably end up using Flipboard again;
MultiWindow, which lets you view two apps simultaneously; a shrunken down display option for one-handed use; Smart Rotation, which automatically adjusts the screen's orientation to match that of your face; Quick Glance, which lets you wave your hand over the Note 3 when it’s locked to summon notifications; Story Album for arranging your snaps; S Health for tracking exercise.
On the G pro 2 however you get the popular KnockCode, The ability to customise shortcuts for the front touch buttons is also welcome, as are Smart Stay (which keeps the screen on while you're looking at it), Content Lock (which sets a second password for specific photos, videos and notes) and Dual Browser, which pretty much does what the Note 3's MultiWindow does. Slide Aside - which lets you access frequently used apps with a three-finger swipe - merely annoyed us a little. Oh, and like the Note 3 there's a Mini View mode which shrinks the display down so you can use it easily with one hand. Unfortunately, it won't shrink the handset at the same time.
The Winner here is also totally up to you with both coming with a features rich software and you won't regret choosing either.
PERFORMANCE.
Now when it comes to performance, both phones are great performers whatsoever.
The G Pro 2 and Note 3 both have identical quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 brains, along with 3GB of RAM to help them run hordes of apps simultaneously. These processors don't really sound the latest but they are not bad and can run anything hands down!
You won't really have a problem on either device and will have a lag free experience.
CAMERA.
Both the Note 3 and G Pro 2 have 13MP rear cameras. Both devices can record 4K video at 30fps, 1080 video at 60fps, and slow motion 720p video at 120fps.
Both really look same on paper but that's not the case in real life.
Both phones no doubt capture great images in good and sufficient light but the challenge comes in low light.
With the OIS+, the LG G pro 2 captures great ( acceptable ) photos in low light with lesser noise and less grainy images. While on the other side, there is no OIS at all on the Note 3 and it's camera is no good in low light!Like the Galaxy S5 and HTC One (M8), the G Pro 2 also lets you refocus on different parts of a shot after you've taken a photo. LG calls this Magic Focus, and in use it works pretty well. To get the most from it you'll need plenty of space between foreground and background - not to mention steady hands - but it's a nice feature to have.
In the camera depart, LG G pro 2 clearly wins with better shots in all light conditions.
TO SUM UP..
Both the phones are a great deal in all aspects but on the LG G pro 2, you get better camera, screen and more premium build but on the Note 3, you get the S pen, a little better battery life and more importantly a cheaper price to pay!
Decision is on you now which one to choose as you know all the pros and cons.
Read Also: LG G Pro 2 review, Note 3 killer?
ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR READING, IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE SUGGESTIONS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS ARTICLE , COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED OR YOU CONNECT ME ON TWITTER@phonesoldier or Facebook!
DO MAKE SURE TO HIT THAT SHARE BUTTON IF YOU LIKED READING IT!
