Side by Side
When I finally got the G3 and the S5 next to each other the differences between the two phones were more obvious. The LG G3 is clearly a larger phone, the screen is .4 of an inch larger and the phone itself is a ¼ inch taller and a 1/10 of an inch wider. When you take all three of those numbers its really clear that the G3 makes better use of its space. They were able to fit a large screen into a phone that physically isn’t much larger than the S5. This shows when you compare their screen to body ratios. The S5 has a screen to body ratio of 69.76% and the G3 has a ratio of 76.4%. This is obvious when you get a good look at the phones next to each other and you can see just how thin the bezel is on the G3. The G3 has a higher resolution as well with its 1440p resolution compared to the S5’s 1080p resolution. This translates to a pixel per inch of 432 on the S5 while the G3 has a ppi of 538.
When we flip the phones over the G3 has a smooth finish while the S5 has a dimpled texture. Honestly you would think the dimpled texture would make the S5 a little easier to hold but they both provide about the same amount of grip. Here on the back both phones have something that I’m not a fan of. For the G3 I can’t stand having the volume and power buttons on the rear of the phone. Actually I could deal with the volume being on the back because I rarely use it but having the power button here makes little sense to me and it also eliminates the possibility of using the button on the camera as well. For the S5 it’s a little less frustrating, but I’m not a fan of the raised camera lens. When you sit your phone down on anything the lens is the highest point, putting almost all of the wear and tear onto it. This means if you sit or slide your phone on a rough surface you might damage the lens.
With both phones having the same processor, it’s interesting to see the differences in thickness. The G3 has the rounded back so on its sides it is thinner but at its peak it is thicker than most of the S5. If you sit the phones on their back the S5 is still thicker on the top half due to the camera sticking out. The G3 also feels a lot thinner in hand due to its shape.
