LG Optimus G officially launched: a better deal than Samsung Galaxy S III?
With the LG Optimus G now officially launched in India, we analyse if it’s a better deal than the Samsung Galaxy S III
To no one’s surprise, LG has officially launched the Optimus G in India at a price of Rs. 34,500. However, the phone is already available online for Rs. 30,990. This price and the hardware that powers the Optimus G makes it clear that LG is targeting the Samsung Galaxy S III. And, you know what? We may actually be in for a tough fight between these two competing devices.
The Optimus G was first launched in South Korea back in September of last year and was expected to hit global markets in November. However, LG delayed the launch and it’s only now that the Optimus G has been launched in India and Europe. The reason why LG delayed the launch of the phone is unknown but it does feel strange, especially in the context of the Nexus 4. The Optimus G and the Nexus 4 don’t just share similar specs, including the same processor, but also the manufacturer. Given the fact that the Nexus 4 has been on the must-have list of many of us here for some time, LG could have catered to that demand by launching the Optimus G on time. We have to wonder if Google pressured LG to delay the launch of the Optimus smartphone to avoid cannibalizing Nexus 4 sales, or if LG did it voluntarily for the same reason.
But let’s not drift off into wanton speculation. Let’s look at why we think the Optimus G will actually prove to be fierce competition for the popular Samsung Galaxy S III.
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Models
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LG Optimus G
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Samsung Galaxy S III |
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Display Size (inches)
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4.7
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4.8
|
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Display Resolution (in pixels)
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1280×768
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1280×720
|
|
Processor
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Quad-core 1.5GHz
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Quad-core 1.4GHz
|
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RAM
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2GB
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1GB
|
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Internal Storage
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32GB
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16GB
|
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microSD Support
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No
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Yes (up to 64GB)
|
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Dimensions (lxbxh)
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131.9 x 68.9 x 8.5 mm |
136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm |
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Weight (in grams)
|
145
|
133
|
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Camera (MP)
|
13
|
8
|
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OS
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Android 4.1.2
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Android 4.1.2
|
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GPU
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Adreno 320
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Mali-400MP
|
|
Battery (in mAh)
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2100
|
2100
|
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Price (MOP)
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Rs. 30,990
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Rs. 29,500
|
If you look at the table above, you’ll see that while there are certain similarities between the LG Optimus G and the Samsung Galaxy S III, there are very clear differences too. The LG Optimus G has better hardware powering it with the Snapdragon S4 Pro platform which outperforms the Exynos 4412 that runs the Galaxy S III. Graphically too, the Adreno 320 inside the Optimus is capable of better gaming performance than the Mali-400MP. The Optimus G also offers 32GB of internal storage while the Galaxy S III has to make do with 16GB. However, the Samsung does let you use microSD cards up to 64GB while the LG doesn’t support external memory.
In terms of aesthetics, the look and feel of one phone compared to the other is highly subjective but the Galaxy S III is lighter than the Optimus G by about 10 grams while both share almost the same dimensions. A couple of factors that do weigh in favour of the Galaxy S III are its ecosystem and software update cycles. Samsung has a pre-existing and well fleshed-out ecosystem ecosystem in place that includes exclusive software features and accessories that complement the device. The same can’t be said for LG. Samsung has also been quite clear about its Android update release schedule for its devices. On the other hand LG is notorious for not releasing Android updates on time for its smartphones as can be seen by the fact that the Optimus 4X HD, launched last year, has yet to be updated to Jelly Bean.
As you can see, both the LG Optimus G and the Samsung Galaxy S III have their own share of pros and cons. Which of the two would you prefer? Tell us in the comments below or on our Facebook page.
Sources: Flipkart, Saholic, Android Authority