The Apple iPhone 6 Plus is the first phablet from Cupertino. Being a premium device with a 5.5-inch display, we couldn't resist comparing it to the mighty LG G3 - a phablet of elegance, simplicity, and monster specs. However, instead of merely offering our opinion about the two devices, we want to see yours this time around. Read carefully, check out the benchmarks and samples, and vote for the better smartphone in each category - Design, Display, Interface and Functionality, and Camera. Go!
Design
The iPhone 6 Plus couldn't be named any more appropriately, because it is, literally, an iPhone 6 that's one size bigger. It features an unmistakable iconic look, a gorgeous anodized aluminium build, and a control layout centered around the Home button below. Its power and volume keys are positioned on the sides of the body. In contrast, the LG G3 has no control keys - it is manipulated with on-screen software buttons - and its volume and power buttons are positioned on the back panel, out of sight. LG took plastic over metal, but ended up with a looker of a phablet nevertheless. Notably, the plastic has an anti-fingerprint coating, and it's "ennobled" with a faux metal finish. Additionally, it allows for a removable back panel and easy battery swapping and replacement.
In terms of dimensions, the iPhone 6 Plus measures 6.22 x 3.06 x 0.28 inches (158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm) at 6.07 oz (172 g), while the LG G3 is a more compact 5.76 x 2.94 x 0.35 inches (146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm) at 5.26 oz (149 g). Although both phablets' screens have an identical diagonal of 5.5 inches, the iPhone 6 Plus is 0.46 inches (11.8mm) taller, 0.12 inches (3.2mm) wider, and 0.07 inches (1.8mm) thinner than the LG G3, while being 0.81 oz (23 g) heavier.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus vs LG G3: which phablet has a better overall design?
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
19.25%
LG G3
80.75%
Display
The iPhone 6 Plus's 1080p display has a pixel density of 400ppi, easily beating the benchmark set by the regular iPhone 6's "Retina" screen, which has a 750x1334 resolution and a pixel density of 326ppi. Apple uses IPS LCD technology for the iPhone's display, and is notable for demanding high color accuracy. However, the iPhone 6's color calibration is merely good, not excellent, as it measures 7318 Kelvins. Although this is close to the reference value of 6500 Kelvins, the difference results in colder colors. The iPhone 6 Plus's display has excellent minimum and maximum brightness levels - 4 nits at lowest, and 574 nits at most. This ensures comfortable use in all indoor and outdoor situations. The contrast ratio is excellent at 1:1376, ensuring proper white and black representation. Finally, the viewing angles are not exceptional, but they are on par with most smartphones in the high-end category on the market.
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So, how does the iPhone 6 Plus' display spar with the LG G3's? Well, the G3's 5.5-inch display has a higher resolution of 1440x2560 (QHD), which results in a significantly higher pixel density of 538ppi. In terms of technology, LG also uses an IPS LCD panel. It has a color temperature of 7099K that's closer to the reference level of 6500K. The panel doesn't boast the same terrific minimum (9 nits) and maximum (455 nits) brightness levels, but it still is very usable. The contrast level is a bit lower at 1:997, putting the display at the upper end of the average category. As for the viewing angles, the LG G3 exhibits more distortion in minimum brightness levels than the iPhone 6 Plus when measured at a 45-degree angle.
The numbers below represent the amount of deviation in the respective property,observed when a display is viewed from a 45-degree angle as opposed to direct viewing.
The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set(area)of colors that a display can reproduce,with the sRGB colorspace(the highlighted triangle)serving as reference.The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x:CIE31' and 'y:CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.
The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display's measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.
The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance(balance between red,green and blue)across different levels of grey(from dark to bright).The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones,the better.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus vs LG G3: which display is better?
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
31.12%
LG G3
68.88%
Interface and functionality
Apple's iOS 8 is very colorful, fluid, and intuitive. For the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple capitalized on the large screen estate by including a landscape mode, an additional row of icons on the home screen, and usability customizations that shrink the interface for easier one-handed use. Various core apps are also rethought for a more roomy display - for example, the Calendar app has an extra pane. iOS 8 itself introduces a Notification Center with Actionable Notifications, Spotlight Search, an improved multitasking menu, the Health app, 3rd-party keyboard support, and more. It's the most fully-featured iOS has ever been.
How does the Android-powered LG G3 compare? Design-wise, the interface is similarly flat and intuitive, but the colors are more subdued. For usability, LG implemented a one-handed mode for its stock dialer and keyboard apps, which can be positioned to the left or right screen edge and operated with a single tumb. It can also be separated in two when the phone is used in landscape mode. Additionally, users are free to arrange the software navigation buttons to their liking. Multitasking features such as QSlide and Dual Window complete the package.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus vs LG G3: which user experience is better?
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
24.63%
LG G3
75.37%
Camera
Apple has a strong presence in smartphone photography, which it maintains by getting the most out of it with each iPhone upgrade. The iPhone 6 Plus features an 8-megapixel main camera with a dual LED flash, BSI sensor, Phase detection autofocus, Optical image stabilization, and a terrific camera app. Thanks to the inclusion of OIS, photos come out even better on the iPhone 6 Plus than they do on the iPhone 6. You can either let the app do the work for you in automatic mode, or fine-tune the shooting process yourself. The camcorder part is nice, too - it shoots video at a maximum resolution of 1080p@60 fps, and the digital image stabilization does a good job with culling jerky movements. Finally, on the front side, the iPhone 6 Plus has a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime camera.
The LG G3 is a powerful opponent with its 13-megapixel dual LED camera that has about the same number of extras, including BSI and OIS. Its key advantage is the Laser Autofocus system, which is fast and failsafe. The LG G3 is extremely quick to focus and take a photo - or a series of photos. But contrary to the iPhone 6 Plus, the LG G3 is all "auto camera mode". You can't even set the ISO! But behold, it has a "Magic Focus" mode that lets you refocus every photo you take after taking it. The LG G3 brings a better camcorder to the table too, as it's able to shoot videos in up to 4K resolution (3840x2160) at 30 fps with digital image stabilization. Meanwhile, the front camera is a 2.1-megapixel unit with the clever options of simulating a flash for your face by brightening up the display, and letting you take a selfie with an amusing gesture.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus vs LG G3: which camera is better
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
26.4%
LG G3
73.6%
Dropped your votes in all the polls above? Cool! Voting will go on until Sunday, and come Monday, we'll publish the results. And while we're waiting for the votes to pile up, how about you let us know what you think about this face-off in the comments below?
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Luis D. has a multitude of news, features and review articles written for PhoneArena. He adeptly demystifies complex technology topics, such as the development of advanced materials for bendable device displays and the evolution of chipset manufacturing.
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