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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We don't have to wait that long for first impressions, though, we already have some findings to share about the cameras and performance.
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.
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.
Now compare the S7 edge photo with the narrow G5 photo and then the wide one.
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.
