LG G6 vs G5, G4: should I upgrade?

Dolby Vision

It hasn't just improved in size — the G6's display supports Dolby Vision and HDR10. What does that mean? Better contrast — a wider range between black and white, exposing more detail and lifelike imagery —, more vibrant colors, and dynamic scene optimization — meaning the phone auto-tunes the display to optimize viewer experience for every scene.



Big screen, awesome colors and contrast, small body. If media consumption is the name of your game, the G6 is a hard-to-resist temptation.

All-new hardware

The LG G6 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and 4 GB of RAM. In the meantime, the G5 has a Snapdragon 820, and the same amount of RAM. So, will we get a huge performance boost from the newer model? Most likely not. The 821 is built very similarly to the 820, but offers slightly higher clock speeds.

However, the newer processor supports the Snapdragon VR SDK. As you might have guessed, this is a driving force behind Google's Daydream platform. Basically, if you are all hyped about VR, you might consider upgrading from the G5 to the G6, especially since the G5's 360 VR goggles weren't especially great.

For G4 owners, the jump in hardware will be much more pronounced, as the 2-year-old flagship sports a Snapdragon 808 and 3 GB of RAM. You will enjoy a snappier performance and will get access to the aforementioned Daydream VR platform.

In terms of processor and memory, G5 owners shouldn't be hasty to pull the trigger, but G4 users should be happy to do so.



In terms of battery, we've got a 3,300 mAh cell in the G6. For comparison, the one in the G5 has a 2,800 mAh capacity, and the one in the G4 has 3,000 mAh of juice. So, the G6 may have a slightly longer battery life than its predecessors, but it's too early to tell.

Camera upgrade

The LG G5 had a dual camera module on its back, with a “regular” 13 MP camera, and a 135-degree, wide-angle snapper that had a smaller, 8 MP sensor. The G6 sports the same resolution for its main shooter and the wide-angle snapper gets boosted up to 13 MP as well. Not much to entice G5 owners to upgrade, admittedly, unless you are using the wide-angle lens exclusively.

Now, it's worth noting that the G6's camera interface features a Manual Video mode — something that has thus far been exclusive to the V10 and V20. Whether this feature will be passed down to the G5 via a future software upgrade is unknown at this moment.

For the G4 owners, the whole dual-camera sensor will be an entirely new thing. But if you're not really that into the whole wide-angle photography deal, we'd say that the G4's main camera is still pretty adequate today. We are, however, fairly certain that the chances of getting a Manual Video mode on the G4 are less than slim.

It's also worth noting that the front-facing camera on the G6 has... changed. It has an 8 MP resolution on the G4 and G5, but is slapped down to 5 MP on the G6. This is in favor of a wide, 100-degree viewing angle for selfies against massive backgrounds or taking group pictures. If you want a more “orthodox” look, without the distortion that comes from the wide-angle lens, there's a mode for that, but what it does is zoom in and crop the image. As a result, the selfies are... not the best.

Things to consider and final verdict

There are also a number of smaller details to consider — pieces of the puzzle that make the G6 as cool as it is. The camera bump has been neutralized on the G6, and its back is completely flush. Wireless charging is now available for US versions of the device. And there are a number of software features that make use of the 2:1 display ratio, which just can't be effectively passed along to the older flagships.