Round Table: Will the LG G2 give Galaxy S4 a run for its money?

LG’s G2 sure sounds like a sweet deal and we know it will go head on against the very similarly-specced Samsung Galaxy S4, the reigning high-end champ of the smartphone market. Will the G2’s software features, unique controls and what looks like a fantastic display give the S4 any cause for concern or will Samsung sail through with no problems? Here’s our take.

LG’s latest flagship, the G2

Roydon Cerejo
The G2 is a very compelling buy over the Galaxy S4 and I really feel they could easily upset the sales of the S4 if they get their launch price right. The G2 ticks all the right boxes just like Samsung’s offering but does one better in all major departments. The G2 has a larger display than the S4 without increasing the chassis size by much. It will also probably be more energy efficient due to the IPS technology so will have better viewing angles and more accurate colours. I’m really excited about the new OIS 13MP sensor as we finally get a Lumia 920-like sensor performance in Android. The only thing I’m concerned about is the build quality. LG hasn’t had the best track record as far as build quality goes so I’m hoping the G2 is durable enough.

Without having actually held or used the G2 and going purely by the specifications and what we’ve seen at the launch, I’m more inclined to go with the G2 than the S4 purely because of the insane responsiveness of LG’s UI as compared to TouchWiz.

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Nimish Sawant
I doubt if that will be the case when G2 eventually launches - unless it is priced lower than the Samsung Galaxy S4. Apart from a supposedly better SoC, optical image stabilisation and the interesting way to activate different profiles, it does not really bring anything path-breaking to the table, which will make a prospective buyer consider it over the S4. The implementation of the volume rocker and power/standby button below the rear camera is one of its kind and may not immediately find many fans. Sure there are some innovations on the software front with Quick Memo, Knock On, the three-finger Slide Aside, using apps such as calculator over other apps with adjustable transparency and so on, but the S4 too packs in more software functions than you can keep a track of.

So yes, it is comparable to the S4 and other phones such as the HTC One as well, in terms of feature set offered. But marketing is another ball game and we know who among Samsung and LG is good at that with their phones. The G2’s launch pricing would most likely be over and above the S4’s current market pricing, so I doubt if sales will skyrocket from the get go. A couple of months after the launch, when prices come down, sales should hopefully pick up. But will the G2 trump the S4 sales numbers? I doubt.

Nikhil Subramaniam
Why did LG’s Optimus G not fire in India? The timing for the phone was completely wrong and it was a good three-four months late to the market. This time too, LG, has thrown its hat into the ring much after Samsung, Sony and HTC. But the G2 is certainly an eye-catcher and improves on the Optimus G by leaps and bounds. It comes at a time, when LG’s own Optimus G Pro is still finding its feet in the market. Add to that pressure from the competition, chiefly from the Galaxy S4, and the G2’s task is even harder.

Will LG’s innovations (ranging from display to battery) make any impact in the race against the S4? They just might. With the larger display, the ultra-powerful Snapdragon 800 SoC, a very decent sounding camera (with OIS) and plethora of software features, the G2 certainly stakes its claim. It looks very much like the Galaxy S4 in terms of overall industrial design. We are also hearing good things about the weird button placement on the back, which LG claims are more ergonomic than side-mounted buttons. LG has managed to bring a device with a larger display than the S4 but managed to keep its size the same as Samsung’s flagship. The battery has a much higher capacity and if the display is anywhere as good as the Optimus G Pro, then LG has a worthy competitor in the wings. Eventually, it will boil down to price and if LG manages to keep the tag between Rs 36,000 and Rs 40,000, then the S4 could have a real fight. LG has to get this phone out to the Indian market sooner than the Optimus G.