Grudge Match: LG G2 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 vs HTC One

With the LG G2 flagship being announced yesterday, all the leading companies have unveiled their flagship devices. The G2 will compete with the current elite crop of smartphones. The company has dropped the “Optimus” label, and its new breed of high-end smartphones will be branded under the “G” series. Though the smartphone has some interesting design aspects, its USP is likely to be the software. Samsung and HTC have also been focusing on the software bit with their latest smartphones, and here comes LG. We’ve thrown the G2 in the ring with the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, to find out who emerges as the winner.

Samsung Galaxy S4
The Galaxy S4 repeats the same monotonous design that we’ve seen in the past Galaxy range, but packs in a powerful specs sheet. The device comes across sleek and light, in spite of the large 5-inch full HD display. It has managed to squeeze in a larger display in the same chassis as the S3. The light weight can be attributed to its plastic/polycarbonate body. Samsung has stuck with what it does best and the S4 packs in a gorgeous full HD Super AMOLED display. Samsung has added new temperature, humidity and infrared sensors, along with newer gestures like Smart Pause and Smart Scroll. While crafting the Galaxy S4, the company has evidently paid more attention to software rather on hardware. Along with the new eye-tracking gestures, it also introduced Air View and camera features borrowed from the Galaxy Camera.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 focuses on software

HTC One
It’s really hard to beat HTC when it comes to design and build quality. The HTC One has managed to keep up to it with a stellar construction. Just like Samsung, HTC has diverted its attention more towards software than hardware. Its new Sense 5 UI brings in over 200 new features. The device brings in some handy features and exemplary audio, which blend seamlessly with its slick UI. It comes with new dual front stereo speakers that are placed at the top and bottom for a great sound experience. While everything else works in HTC’s favour, the device is priced on the steeper side.

The HTC One, sporting a 4.7-inch full HD display

LG G2
The G2 is LG’s latest flagship phone. It is the first smartphone to be launched as part of the company’s new “G” series. G2 brings in a fresh experience in terms of hardware and software. The G2 has an edge-to-edge display and the volume and power buttons are under the camera on the backside. It follows the latest trend of high-end devices with a large full HD 5.2-inch display. It brings in some cool features such as “KnockOn”, which turns the display on/off with a double tap. Some more software additions include Guest Mode and Text Link. The phone is quite the looker and if priced right, will go some way in bolstering LG’s position in the smartphone market.

LG’s latest flagship

Take a quick look at the comparison chart below:

Comparison table ( **Full size** )

Verdict
The LG G2 is a refreshing change at least in terms of button placement and the new user experience this particular aspect will bring. While the G2’s design looks similar in many ways to the S4, the HTC One is still the best Android phone to beat in terms of design. However, it’s not just about stellar looks and design, LG’s G2 has the right specifications too. It will run the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, quad-core 2.26GHz processor and one can expect prolonged battery life thanks to the 3000 mAh pack. On paper, the specifications look far better than the HTC One and almost on par with the Galaxy S4, its closest competition. However, the actual performance of the phone, the usability of the software and its price will decide the LG G2’s fate. On paper, S4 emerges as the winner by a very small margin, but the price could be the final deciding factor.