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iPhone 6 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs. LG G3

iPhone 6 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs. LG G3

By NDTV Correspondent | Updated: 13 September 2014 11:38 IST

When Apple finally went ahead and confirmed the long-rumoured big-screen iPhone, the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, comparisons with the top-end phablets in the market became obvious. The most obvious rival for the iPhone 6 Plus would be Samsung's recently unveiled Galaxy Note 4, the latest model in a series that helped define the segment.

Another smartphone that should be featured in an iPhone 6 Plus comparison is the LG G3 (Review | Pictures), the first smartphone by a major manufacturer to feature a Quad-HD (1440x2560 pixels) display. The G3 also features a 5.5-inch display, which makes it directly comparable with the iPhone 6 Plus. On the other hand, the Galaxy Note 4 features a slightly larger 5.7-inch display with the same Quad-HD resolution.

(Specifications in comparison: Apple iPhone 6 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs. LG G3)

On the display resolution front, the iPhone 6 Plus certainly falls behind, featuring a 1080x1920 pixel resolution on a 5.5-inch display, which translates to a pixel density of 401 pixels per inch (ppi). In terms of pixel density, the LG G3 is the clear winner, at 538ppi. The Galaxy Note 4 isn't too far behind, at roughly 515ppi, due to its slightly larger display.

In terms of dimensions, the iPhone 6 Plus measures in at 158.10x77.80x7.10mm, making it slimmer than both the the Galaxy Note 4 (153.50x78.60x8.50mm) and LG G3 (146.30x74.60x8.90mm), though it is a fair bit taller than both, and wider than the LG G3.

Including weight however, and the G3 comes out on top. The only plastic build phone in the comparison, the LG G3 weighs only 149 grams, compared to the iPhone 6 Plus and its 172 grams weight, and the Galaxy Note 4's 176 grams.

Coming to the hardware innards, and we are left with a comparison that will not see a winner until the iPhone 6 Plus is torn down and put through a gamut of tests. It runs on the Apple A8 SoC, and the company hasn't yet revealed (and probably will never) the clock speed, number of cores, or system memory.

(Also see: iPhone 6 vs. Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. LG G3 vs. Sony Xperia Z3 vs. HTC One (M8))

On the other hand, while we know the chipsets the LG G3 and Galaxy Note 4 run on (2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 and 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805, respectively), the latter smartphone has yet to be put through benchmark tests - though on paper it appears to be faster. Notably, an octa-core Exynos 5433 variant (1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 + 1.9GHz quad-core Cortex-A57) will be available in some countries, including India - if following the trend of earlier Samsung flagship launches in the country.

Of course, while the 64-bit Apple A8 SoC (with M8 motion co-processor) may be revealed as an unimpressive offering on paper (with a possible dual-core CPU and just 1GB of RAM), the company has a history of excellent record of hardware-software optimisation - in the past delivering industry-leading performance with meagre specifications. Notably, it is also hard to compare iOS device performance with Android devices, because of the paucity of common benchmarks.

Back to what's known, we see the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 bears 3GB of RAM, and the 32GB storage variant of the LG G3 also features 3GB of RAM (while the 16GB storage variant bears 2GB of RAM). On paper, the Qualcomm-powered variant of the Galaxy Note 4 seems to come out ahead with its faster Snapdragon 805 SoC, though the real-word performance of all three smartphones will have to be compared to finally declare a winner.

Coming to the camera, we see that Apple hasn't really updated the optics dramatically on the iPhone 6 Plus - however, unlike the iPhone 6, it has included optical image stabilisation (OIS). It does share several features with the iPhone 6 though, such as a the new 'Focus pixel' autofocus technology, a 8-megapixel sensor, True Tone flash, and an f/2.2 lens.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 on the other hand features a 16-megapixel camera, and also comes with optical image stabilisation and a flash. The LG G3 features a 13-megapixel camera with OIS and its own Laser Autofocus technology, apart from dual-LED flash.

The iPhone 6 Plus sports a 1.2-megapixel front camera (f/2.2 lens), while the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 features a 3.7-megapixel front camera (f/1.9), while the LG G3 has a 2.1-megapixel front camera. As we've seen in the past, it is almost impossible to compare cameras based purely on pixel count, and the output quality is all that matters. Most end-users never actually use their captured images at full-resolution, and simply share their photos on social media, or apply them as wallpapers. Only professional photographers need to worry about pixel count, that too when blowing up the image for specific purposes. The real-world camera performance comparison will be only done when we review the iPhone 6 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

We come to SIM type, and though this doesn't obviously make a big difference to the end-user, it is worth noting the iPhone 6 Plus only supports Nano-SIM type SIM cards, while the Galaxy Note 4 and G3 support Micro-SIM type SIM cards. All three smartphones offers NFC, which doesn't seem like anything new for top-end Android flagship devices - however, was a feature that was long missing in Apple's iPhone lineup. It will help power the newly-unveiled Apple Pay mobile wallet and payment system.

Another wireless connectivity feature that should be mentioned is Bluetooth, with the iPhone 6 Plus and LG G3 featuring Bluetooth v4.00, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 feature Bluetooth v4.1. While ultimately the smartphone manufacturer's implementation and applications of the wireless connectivity standard matter, it's worth noting the end-users may see improved LTE-compatibility with Bluetooth 4.1. The newer spec also gives manufacturers more control over disconnect thresholds and reconnection times, apart from such functionality as a single device playing the role of the hub and peripheral at the same time.

Notably, of the three, only the Galaxy Note 4 features LTE-A (Cat.6) connectivity (N910S) on a select model, with a theoretical maximum download speed of 300Mbps. Both the iPhone 6 Plus and LG G3 feature LTE (Cat.4) connectivity, with a maximum download speed of 150Mbps. Two variants of the LG G3, called the LG G3 A and LG G3 Cat.6 and available only in Korea, do offer LTE-A connectivity - but it's not very fair to include them in this comparison.

Notably, the iPhone 6 Plus comes in 16GB, 64GB, or 128GB inbuilt storage variants, the clear winner in terms of maximum inbuilt storage capacity, compared to the LG G3's 16GB and 32GB, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 availability only in a 32GB variant. However, unlike the G3 and Galaxy Note 4, the iPhone 6 Plus features no expandable storage slot. The G3 supports a maximum microSD card capacity of 128GB, while the Galaxy Note 4 supports a maximum of 64GB.

Unfortunately, the battery capacity of the iPhone 6 Plus has not been detailed by Apple. The Galaxy Note 4 features a 3220mAh battery, while the LG G3 features a 3000mAh battery. With the larger display, the larger battery on the Galaxy Note 4 may just deliver similar performance to that on the G3, though we will only be able to confirm this once we review the former.

Of the three smartphones in the comparison, both the LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 feature infra-red connectivity, enabling them to be used for several functions including serving as remote controls. The iPhone 6 Plus notably does not have this feature.

Notably, of the three smartphones, only the Galaxy Note 4 offers a stylus - the S Pen - which adds increased functionality for sharing, input, and more, with a proprietary UI including Air Command functions that let users bring up memos, take screenshots and make notes across apps. While third-party styli can be bought for both the iPhone 6 Plus and LG G3, they will not allow the variety of specialised functions the S Pen will on the Galaxy Note 4.

Lastly, the iPhone 6 Plus comes with a propriety charging and data connector - the Lightning connector - which does enable several interesting additional features such as audio pass through with docks, and more. Of course, with a proprietary setup, there is the obvious limitation that iPhone 6 Plus users will not be able to use another brand's charger in case they've forgotten or misplaced their own - an issue of convenience in countries where iPhone devices are not prevalent, like India.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Fantastic performance
Very good battery life
Excellent camera

Bad
Large and awkward to use
Lacks software optimisations

Read detailed Apple iPhone 6 Plus review

Display 5.50-inch

Processor Apple A8

Front Camera 1.2-megapixel

Rear Camera 8-megapixel

RAM 1GB

Storage 16GB

Battery Capacity 2915mAh

OS iOS 8.0

Resolution 1080x1920 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Choose a variant

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Fantastic screen
Powerful components
Excellent construction quality
Outstanding battery life
Versatile S Pen stylus

Bad
Gaming performance suffers
Gets hot under heavy workloads

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review

Display 5.70-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 805

Front Camera 3.7-megapixel

Rear Camera 16-megapixel

RAM 3GB

Storage 32GB

Battery Capacity 3220mAh

OS Android 4.4

Resolution 1440x2560 pixels

More Samsung mobiles Samsung mobiles price in India

LG G3

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Fantastic QHD screen
Looks and feels great
Very snappy performance
Decent battery life

Bad
Buttons on the rear

Read detailed LG G3 review

Display 5.50-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 801

Front Camera 2.1-megapixel

Rear Camera 13-megapixel

RAM 2GB

Storage 16GB

Battery Capacity 3000mAh

OS Android 4.4.2

Resolution 1440x2560 pixels

More LG mobiles LG mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Apple iPhone 6, Apple iPhone 6 Plus, LG G3, Mobiles, Samsung Galaxy Note 4, iPhone 6 Plus Specifications, Android, Apple, LG, LG G3 Specifications, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Specifications, iOS