Gadgetory

today we're looking at the flagship devices of two top Korean manufacturers and we're also going to learn that even though at first glance they might seem very different they're actually incredibly alike aids Josh of Agartha Madrid Authority what's going on everybody and this is the Samsung Galaxy s4 versus the lg optimus G pro the differences and similarities definitely begin with the design from a first glance you'll see that the Optimus G pro is quite larger than the Galaxy s4 while the s4 might span just about 5.3 inches tall the Optimus G pro takes on a profile much like the samsung galaxy note 2 and gets almost up to 6 inches tall and is about a third of an inch wider once you get either phone in your hand and get past the size difference these two phones end up being incredibly alike the first thing you'll notice is the plastic material that both phones employ button layouts are very similar to the only real difference is the cue button found above the volume rockers on the Optimus G pro that can be programmed for a number of shortcuts obviously the Optimus G pro is much harder to handle with one hand than the galaxy s4 due to its larger and heavier size while the s4 is the best handling five-inch screen device available right now the G pro is a five and a half inch screen device definitely meant to be handled mostly by two hands with such similar looks and button layouts it really comes down to size here ultimately if you want to keep the handling as easy as possible then the Galaxy s4 is probably the one for you should you really want a bigger size though then obviously you can go for the G pro but the device you choose will very likely be influenced by factors outside of just sheer design and one of those factors will indeed be the displays while there is a half-inch difference in the size of either screen both sport about the same specifications the Super AMOLED display of the samsung galaxy s4 is a 1080p display rated at 441 PPI it is a great display with very saturated looks that compliment the looper colorful motif of Samsung's TouchWiz UI it's no surprise that this is one of the best examples of how much fun you can have on a 5-inch display with that in mind however imagine if that screen was even larger the less saturated 5.5 inch true IPS display of the Optimus G pro is so capable of 1080p resolution but is instead rated for 401 PPI this lowered pixel density is honestly a very small difference though text is thus rendered very well either way and videos pictures and games are undoubtedly enjoyable no matter which device you use in practice the main difference again is just the size if bigger truly means better for you especially when it comes to media then the G Pro will definitely fulfill your requirements otherwise five inches has proven to be a great size for a smartphone display and can still prove very enjoyable for your viewing pleasure once again we see just how much these two devices are alike through their performance we are speaking specifically of the western version of the samsung galaxy s4 and thus we're talking about the snapdragon 600 clocked in at 1.9 gigahertz and backed by the adrenal 320 and two gigabytes of RAM it is certainly a wonderful performer that allows you super-fast experiences and multitasking while the optimus G pro did come out a little before the s4 it was one of the first devices to support the snapdragon 600 and it rocked it quite well clocked in at 1.7 gigahertz it is also backed by the audrina 320 and two gigabytes of RAM thus you get very similar and still very fast performance in the G pro while it does score lower than the s4 though no one can deny that the G pro is a very similar performer to the s4 performance is just another category that fails to make any real separations between these two smartphones luckily that just means you won't be slowed down no matter which of these two you choose LG and Samsung put a lot of work into making these two phones offer as much as possible well start with the Samsung Galaxy s4 and underneath its removable cover there is a removable battery that allows for replacements when power gets low and the 16 32 or 64 gigabytes of onboard memory can be bolstered by the microSD card slot an IR blaster allows the s4 to control a host of different devices like TVs or set-top boxes and finally its unique bits include a host of sensors used for navigation and some unique applications going on to the back cover of the Optimus G pearl you'll see that it also sports a removable and replaceable battery though it is a larger one more on that in a bit it's 32 gigabytes of onboard memory is also bolstered by the inclusion of a mic SD card slot the G Pro also comes with an IR blaster for controlling TVs and related devices when it comes to sensors unfortunately the G Pro doesn't have as many as the s4 it sports the standards like the gyroscope and the accelerometer Eastern versions include a long antenna for viewing broadcast television but after that this is pretty much it while the galaxy s4 brings more to the table than the G Pro their applications depend entirely on whether or not you will actually use them as far as the actual required bits for smartphone usage go the G Pro has them all covered if you want to take advantage of the unique things the s4 offers then you can go that route otherwise the G Pro is like a standard smartphone on steroids it does everything we're already used to in an obviously bigger way as I mentioned before the Optimus G pro sports a larger battery to compensate for its larger screen and body and it really is an increase compared to the 2600 milliamp hour battery found in the s4 you get a whopping 30 140 milliamp hour unit in the G Pro this big jumpin capacity should allow the G pro to outlast the s4 when it comes to battery life unfortunately this is only partially true battery test showed that the optimizations and power saving features of the galaxy s4 helped it outlast the G pro especially in media consumption luckily a spare battery and charging dock are included in the G pro package while you could certainly buy a spare battery for the s4 and have it handy at least it comes as a standard with the G Pro and now we come to the cameras the Samsung Galaxy s4 sports a 13 megapixel camera and the picture quality from it is very good what details more than adequately reproduced and colors given a good level of saturation to make just about any photo pop what the S 4 offers most of is in the application itself or many different modes can be used to make your smartphone photography more fun there are drama and eraser modes for adding or subtracting subjects from your pictures as well as dual recording modes that to be fair or first shown in the Optimus G pro dual recording on the s4 it does bring more borders and filters however speaking of the Optimus G pro camera it's 13 megapixel optics also bring very good picture quality though in this particular picture you can see that it does not manage a depth of field that the s4 s did details are captured just as well though and the color reproduction is also quite good the application does not offered quite as much as the one found in the s4 but it does do HDR dual recording and it's own version of photosphere quite well once again the G approach shows itself as a standard smartphone on steroids doing what it is expected to do very well while the s4 brings some unique features for those who are looking to be more adventurous either way you'll have a great photo companion despite the G Pro not being quite as pocketable as the s4 and finally we have the software given that thus far both LG and Samsung have managed to pack a lot into their flagships this category is pretty much no difference we'll start with TouchWiz the all-too-familiar UI with new navigation features gesture based sensors allow you to move about browsers and galleries with a wave of your hand and hovering your finger allows for quick previews of text or albums there are new applications like s health and s translator made to make your life easier these all bolster included features like the split screen which is a great multitasking tool you either love or hate TouchWiz though the new additions definitely give it a freshness that it has needed the Optimus UI is not as bloated or colorful as TouchWiz but packs a similarly large amount of features while it does not have the sensors the s4 has for a navigation many little tools have been added and that help with multitasking cue apps are small applications like cue voice and cue memo that you can put over your current workspace for quick small tasks you can for example browse the Internet in one and take notes in the other the cue button at the top left of the device is another unique feature of the G Pro which can be programmed as a shortcut for opening applications or cue apps ultimately what the Jeep relax and sensors for navigation is made up for in the cue button and the small overlay cue apps you can't go wrong with multitasking or customizing your experience no matter which phone you get so it comes down to whether or not the new ways of navigating in the S form makes it more attractive to you when looking at these phones unlocked the larger Optimus G pro comes with the larger price tag as it is found for close to $800 u.s. the galaxy s4 on the other hand can be found for up to $700 u.s. when unlocked as far as contracts go we'll use AT&T as our measure as both phones are found on that carrier and then both come in at $1.99 for two-year contracts and so there you have it these two phones offer the most and the best that their respective manufacturers have so far managed in the smartphone market it's really hard to argue the main factors like display and performance because both phones give largely the same great experience it comes down to software offerings and the sizes the s4 does bring a few more unique features to the table and it's smaller size may be more appealing to general users however some really want the larger screen and the G pro handles typical smartphone usage with ease in the end it is up to you which phone will better complement your lifestyle the takeaway here though is that Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 is on the way with the Optimus G pro crowding the space it once reigned over we could be seeing great things from the next note device for all of the best Android coverage stay tuned to Android authorities YouTube channel remember to drop us a like and then don't forget to subscribe and then head over to Android authority comm because we're your source for all things Android