For those of you who haven't heard of the Samsung Galaxy S5, first of all, we hope that the Antarctic wasn't too cold and that your recent reconnection with civilisation went smoothly. Secondly, it's one of the most coveted smartphones out there right now.
Meanwhile, whilst the Galaxy S5 burst onto the world stage at a flashy Samsung Mobile World Congress conference (replete with a full orchestra, no less), the LG G Pro 2 had more humble beginnings. There was no grand unveiling for this giant phablet, instead it was announced well over a week before the show kicked off with not so much as a solitary tambourine. But we're not here to compare launch parties, we're here to compare smartphones. Which is the better handset?
Let's break down the specs and take a look.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy S5 has supersized its display, cranking it up to a hefty 5.1in sporting a full HD screen with a Super AMOLED panel. If that has you raising your eyebrows however, the LG G Pro 2 muscles in with a full bodied 5.9in screen at the same 1,920 x 1,080 pixels resolution as the Galaxy S5.
Clearly then, the rumours about the S5 packing a quad HD 2560 x 1440 screen may have been a tad hopeful. But whilst the LG G Pro 2 stretches 0.8in slightly bigger, apart from the S5 having a slightly higher pixel density of 432PPI (versus the LG G Pro 2's 373PPI) they are very similar.
CPU, GPU and RAM
The chipset is the beating heart of any handset, and Samsung have chosen to imbue their flagship product with a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor running at a blistering 2.5GHz with 2GB of RAM. Whilst this is nothing to be sniffed at, many were expecting at least 3GB of RAM in line with the Galaxy Note 3, so this comes as a slight disappointment.
In comparison, the LG G Pro 2 sports a 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 processor with 3GB of RAM, so whilst the processor lags behind slightly, the LG G Pro 2 smacks down the S5 in terms of RAM, meaning it will smoothly handle any app you throw at it. Still, for all this talk, when the Snapdragon 805 lands in a few months both smartphones will be left in the dust, especially since neither have yet boarded the 64-bit train.
Size and weight
Well we've weighed and measured both handsets, and trust us, neither of them have been found wanting. The LG G Pro 2 is the bigger of the two, coming in at 157.9 x 81.9 x 8.3mm. It means we'd never call the Galaxy S5 "petite", but at just 142 x 72.5 x 8.1mm it will definitely sit a lot more comfortably in your hand.
The LG G Pro 2 is considerably heavier, tipping the scales at 172g compared to the Samsung Galaxy S5's 145g. So if you fancy doing bicep curls every time you text, the LG G Pro 2 may just be the handset for you.
Battery
Still, a bigger body is normally the sign of a bigger battery and this case is no exception. The LG G Pro 2 packs a powerful 3,200mAh battery whilst the Samsung Galaxy S5 trails behind with a paltry 2,800mAh battery. LG have unfortunately not released any insights into exactly how much talk time its whopping powerhouse will net you, but since the S5 promises 21 hours, it should at least beat that.
Cameras
Snap happy photographers will be interested to know that the Samsung Galaxy S5 sports a stunning 16-megapixel camera. With a nifty super-fast autofocus, Samsung claim it's the fastest on any smartphone currently on the market being able to automatically focus in on a subject in just 0.3 seconds.
The LG G Pro 2 camera, meanwhile, trails behind with just 13-megapixels. If a 3-megapixel difference is enough to sway you to fork out for an S5 rather than an LG G Pro 2 then so be it, but before you rush off to the store it may be worth considering this tasty morsel of information: whilst the S5 offers 1080p full-HD video, the G Pro 2 has boarded the 4K HD video train. This means whilst the LG flagship may have slightly more pixelated stills, if you're nursing a budding cinematic career it may be the smartphone for you.
Ports and sensors
On the sensor front, Samsung has gone all out to imbue the Galaxy S5 with the latest in biometric technology. It's fitted with a fingerprint scanner that can unlock the phone, make mobile payments via PayPal integration and protect any important documents on your handset.
The LG G Pro 2 unfortunately doesn't sport a fingerprint sensor, but it has a few nifty software features of its own, Knock Code allows you to program in a sequence of up to eight taps made in a specific pattern that provides a unique way to unlock your phone.
Network connectivity
On the connectivity front, both models feature 4G LTE (supporting the speedy category 4) and 802.11ac, so for this section they're pretty neck and neck. Notably, the LG G Pro 2 also allows you to the split the screen into two windows when browsing the web, each taking up half the screen in much the same way that Multi-Window does on the Galaxy Note 3. Basically, that lets you view two websites at the same time and overall it works well.
Memory and price
LG offers up its flagship handset in two 16GB and 32GB variants. Samsung's Galaxy S5 barges in and doubles this capacity, offering 32GB and 64GB models. If even that isn't enough for you (perhaps you prefer to carry round your extensive plans for solving the global economic crisis on your mobile), the S5 also offers the option of adding up to 64GB extra via a microSD card.
Pick your jaw up off the floor though, because a couple of days after launch it was uncovered that the S5 actually offers 6GB less storage than it previously claimed, largely thanks to the fact that it's crammed with bloatware.
As for the pricing, both companies are keeping schtum for the minute but we'll keep you updated as news comes out.
Conclusion
It would seem that on the surface of things the Samsung Galaxy S5 just pips the LG G Pro to the post - but only slightly. Their specs are remarkably similar, with the only real notable difference being in the camera quality (with the S5 sporting a much more powerful snapper). It seems if you like your phone to have boundless amounts of memory with the option of a 64GB model go for the Samsung Galaxy S5, if you prefer the handset itself to be supersized, however, pick yourself up the LG G Pro 2.
| LG G Pro 2 | Samsung Galaxy S5 | |
Display | ||
| Screen size | 5.9in | 5.1in |
| Resolution | 1,920 x 1,080 pixels | 1,920 x 1,080 pixels |
| Pixel density | 373PPI | 432PPI |
| Type | True IPS+ LCD capacitive touchscreen | Super AMOLED |
Processor and battery | ||
| Family | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 | Exynos 6 / Snapdragon 801 |
| CPU | ||
| Cores | Quad-core | Quad-core |
| Clock speed | 2.26 GHz | 2.5GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 330 | Adreno 330 |
| Battery | 3,200mAh | 2,800mAh |
| Claimed 3G talk time | Unknown | Up to 21h |
Storage and memory | ||
| RAM | 3GB DDR3 RAM | 2GB |
| Internal storage | 16GB / 32 GB | 32GB / 64GB |
| microSD | Yes, up to 64GB | Yes |
Camera | ||
| Rear | 13.0-megapixel OIS+ | 16-megapixel |
| Video | 2160p@30fps / 1080@60fps | 2160p@30fps / 1080@60fps |
| Front | 2.1-megapixel | 2-megapixel |
Wireless | ||
| Standard | 4G LTE | 4G LTE |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | v4.0 | v4.0 |
| Integrated wireless charging | Unknown | Yes |
Dimensions | ||
| Size | 157.9 x 81.9 x 8.3mm | 142 x 72.5 x 8.1mm |
| Weight | 172g | 145g |
| Operating System | Android 4.4 KitKat | Android 4.4 KitKat |
| Price (SIM-free) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Availability | Unknown | 11th April 2014 |
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