LG G5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
http://xpeco.blogspot.com/2016/03/lg-g5-vs-samsung-galaxy-s7-edge.html
This is why we love the MWC - some of the best phones of the year were announced almost side by side. Two of the headliners are the LG G5 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and we know how heated the competition between the G-series and the Galaxy flagship can get.
LG took the innovation route and created a phone with limited modularity. It may not be at Project Ara level, but also unlike Ara, it is consumer-ready. We have two modules so far - a camera battery grip and a high-quality audio DSP. LG (and partners) have a chance to keep the G5 fresh by releasing new modules.
Samsung walked off the beaten path last year, this launch was all about polish. Or more precisely about putting back what the S6 took away. Samsung's identity has always been "all and every feature" and the Galaxy S7 edge resumes this tradition. The only thing we can think of that the S7 lacks is stereo speakers.
Here are our favorite features of each of the two flagships.
LG G5 | Samsung Galaxy S7 edge |
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The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is closer to launch - it targets March 11 - while the LG G5 will come out in April (giving its engineers the option for final tweaks).
We don't have to wait that long for first impressions, though, we already have some findings to share about the cameras and performance.
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Still photos
LG had a hit with the G4 camera and with some polish, it used it on the V10 as well. Now with further improvements, the camera has landed on the LG G5.
Its basic specs are a 16MP sensor sitting behind a f/1.8 lens with optical image stabilization, Laser autofocus and a Color spectrum sensor.
The big innovation is the second, wide-angle camera. It has 135° field of view, a mini panorama in a single shot. This camera lacks basics like autofocus, let alone OIS. The aperture is tighter too (f/2.4).
Samsung used completely new hardware for the Galaxy S7 edge camera. The sensor packs fairly large pixels and it sits behind the brightest aperture on a phone yet - f/1.7. All this is designed to collect more light, coupled with OIS it makes for great low-light shots.
The innovation here lies in the sensor - the Dual Pixel design means the entire surface of the sensor is used to determine focus, a massive improvement over having a limited number of focus points. The S7 edge locks focus faster than anything we've seen before.
It is a 12MP camera (4:3 aspect), compared to the 16MP main camera on the LG G5. The LG camera has a wider FoV - yes, even its "narrow" camera is wider.
Starting off with pixel peeping at shots of the Sagrada Familia, we find that the Galaxy S7 edge captures more detail per pixel. Dynamic range goes in favor of the LG G5, though, the S7 under-developed the shadows. LG's Color Spectrum sensor also did good work, while the Samsung put a warm yellow cast over everything.
LG G5 • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
LG G5 • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
The wide-angle camera of the LG G5 captures 135° of the scene, compared to 75° of the main camera. Sure, it's "only" an 8MP camera and its lens isn't as good, but it's brilliant for tourism.
Here's a comparison of just how much more a single wide shot captures. When you get home, it will be more like you remember it and less like a narrow photograph.
LG G5: Narrow • Wide • Narrow • Wide
Now compare the S7 edge photo with the narrow G5 photo and then the wide one.
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge • LG G5 (75°) • LG G5 (135°)
So, the LG G5 captures more of the scene, but Galaxy S7 edge's narrower view is sharper. Here are some shots from up close.
LG G5 • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge • LG G5 • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
LG G5 • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge • LG G5 • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
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Selfies
The LG G5 has an 8MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture while the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has fewer megapixels, 5MP, but brighter aperture, f/1.7.
The G5 selfies came out sharper in part thanks to its higher resolution, but also the S7 edge camera has a wider FoV, which puts it at further disadvantage. The S7 selfie cam showed some corner softness.
Selfies: LG G5 • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
HDR
The Galaxy S7 edge underexposed the shadows in some shots and HDR mode is the remedy for that.
During the day, the LG G5 has a marginal advantage (no surprise, considering it has a wider dynamic range to begin with).
HDR: LG G5 (off) • LG G5 (on) • S7 edge (off) • S7 edge (on)
In a more difficult scene, however, things swung the other way. Shooting the sunrise with the sun low in the sky and shadows deep, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge did a much better job of creating a balanced photo, while the G5 failed to bring out much detail in the shadows.
HDR: LG G5 (off) • LG G5 (on) • S7 edge (off) • S7 edge (on)
HDR: LG G5 (off) • LG G5 (on) • S7 edge (off) • S7 edge (on)
Panorama
We tried the panorama modes on both phones, using the 16MP main camera on the LG G5 for best results (you can also use the wide-angle camera if you like). The G5 panorama came out with higher resolution and better dynamic range than the S7 edge panoramas, though not quite as sharp.
Panorama: LG G5 • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
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Low-light photos
Samsung and LG one-up themselves with camera aperture. The S6 came out with f/1.9, the G4 countered with f/1.8. The Galaxy S7 edge snatches back the title with f/1.7 (the brightest we've seen on a phone) while the LG G5 sticks with f/1.8.
Samsung also specifically picked a sensor with fewer but larger pixels. This, combined with the aperture, gives the S7 95% more light to work with than its predecessor, the S6.
Low-light photos: LG G5 • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge definitely captures more detail in the dark, producing sharper images. It still underexposes the darkest parts of the image, but the LG G5 has to use stronger noise reduction to keep the noise in check. The darker it is, the more pronounced S7 edge's advantage is.
Low-light photos: LG G5 • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
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Video camera
Both the LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7 edge record 4K 2160p videos (yes, even the wide camera on the G5). Both record in MP4 format at 48Mbps.
While the S7 edge produced sharper photos, the LG G5 wins this category for videos. G5 videos don't have as much contrast, but the S7 again bumped up against the limits of its dynamic range.
Audio bitrate swings in favor of the Galaxy S7 edge, 256Kbps vs. 156Kbps. We think the LG G5 has the better mics, though, and that its videos sound better.
Both cameras have OIS, but neither managed to fully correct handshake even though we were standing still (there's a lot more shake when you walk). That said, the LG G5 managed to dampen vibrations more than the Galaxy S7 edge.
Here's a 4K video sample shot with the 135° camera on the LG G5. This camera loses hands-down to the main cam when it comes to photos, but for videos, the quality is much more similar. Obviously, wider FoV at the same resolution (2160p) equals less detail per pixel, but even then the quality is quite good. Remember, no OIS on this camera.
Both phones can shoot time lapse videos at 1080p. Here are a couple we shot while riding a cab.
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Performance
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge we had on hand in Barcelona was the version powered by the Exynos 8890. This gave us a great opportunity to pit Samsung's new in-house chipset against Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 that powers the LG G5. Of course, the S7/S7 edge will have S820 versions, but it's a region specific thing.
Anyway, these phones at the MWC grounds are fairly locked up, which limited the number of tests we can install and run.
We got AnTuTu 6 to work, a full system benchmark. It gives the LG G5 a slight edge in overall performance.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
Then we tried Geekbench to see how Qualcomm's custom CPU cores (Kryo) measure up against Samsung's custom cores (Mongoose). Keep in mind that Kryo cores are bigger and faster than Mongoose, but there are fewer of them - the S820 CPU is a quad core while the Exynos has an octa-core processor.
Predictably, the LG G5 wins the single-core bench, though the margin isn't huge.
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First impressions
We didn't have a lot of our equipment with us, so these are only preliminary findings. Still, we think we have a feel of the two phones.
The LG G5 is definitely the geekier of the two. Its modular design comes at the cost of battery capacity (bezels too), so you need a module or two to make up for it.
That said, its wide-angle camera is great for tourists and the videos came out with higher quality than the Samsung (sharper image, better audio).
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is about the same size as the G5, perhaps its curved screen edges help make it more compact. It's going to have some add-ons too, though those are strictly external - the Lens Cover adds a fisheye and a telephoto lens, while the battery pack uses wireless charging so it leaves the USB port exposed.
The S7 edge's strength lies in photography. Its photos are sharper and richer in detail. This advantage becomes only more pronounced the darker the scene gets. HDR really comes into its own when there's a great difference in the lightest and darkest parts of the image.
We think the two phones have room to cohabitate. The LG G5 holds some of the same promise that Google's Project Ara does. This, however, depends on LG and its partners actually producing interesting add-ons. Even without that the phone is great on its own, its seamless metal shell is quite impressive in person.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is more self-sufficient. Sure, some snap-on accessories are available, but this is good ol' Samsung - the S7 has everything and the kitchen sink (and even the sink has more features than the competition). If you're looking for low-light photography, the S7 edge is the phone for you.
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