Right out of IFA 2013, the most anticipated Android handsets of the Berlin event will come to India, next week between Sept 17- Sept 18. Samsung will show-off its two big creations Galaxy Note 3 and Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch on 17 September in the national capital. Continue reading “Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear launching in India on September 17th”
Samsung has a wide range of Android smartphones in the form of its Galaxy series and it even touched the 6inch+ phablet territory with its Galaxy Mega 6.3. LG announced the Optimus G Pro with dimensions similar to Samsung’s yesteryear phablet champion – the Galaxy Note 2.
Samsung announced their Galaxy Mega 6.3 at the end of May earlier this year and it has been available since June. LG announced the Optimus G Pro way back in February, but it was launched in India only in India to very little fanfare. The Samsung Galaxy Mega is on its way to become the most wanted big phone while Optimus G Pro tries to succeed as a LG smartphone.
Lets check out how they perform.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiC7pYpMYCM
Design, Build Quality
The Galaxy Mega 6.3 looks like any other Samsung Galaxy phone and has an all plastic build with a plastic aluminum running across the device. The LG Optimus G Pro, on the other hand, has a solid glass front and back supported by a solid and heavy metal rim at the center . The Optimus G Pro feels quite solid and feels extremely premium than the huge and sturdy all plastic Galaxy Mega 6.3.
The Galaxy Mega 6.3 is taller and wider than the Optimus G Pro, but is considerably thinner. The Galaxy Mega 6.3 weighs around 200 grams while the Optimus G Pro weighs around 170 grams.
On the front of the phones, we have the display above which we have the earpiece and front cameras along with ambient and proximity sensors on the right side. The earpiece on the LG Optimus G Pro is along the edge.
Below the display, we have a physical home button with capacitive touch keys on either side on both the phones, but the home button is surrounded by LED light only on the G Pro. The LED notification is found on the left side of the earpiece in the Galaxy Mega.
The positioning of keys is similar with only the power lock key on the right side.
The bottom of both the phones have the microUSB port and the microphone.
On the left side, the Galaxy Mega has just the volume rocker while we have the volume rocker and a special Q-Slide key that is customizable for various functionalities.
On the top, we have the IR blaster and 3.5mm audio jack along with secondary microphone on both the phones.
Moving to the back side, the 8MP camera on the Galaxy Mega is at the top center along with the LED flash while we have the 13MP camera on G Pro with LED flash and speaker grill on its sides. Both the phones have a very glossy textured back, however, we liked the glassy finish on the G Pro.
The back cover is removable on the both the phones and removing it, we have the 3200mAh battery along with the microSIM and microSD card slot in the Galaxy Mega while we have a 3140mAh battery and microSD and microSIM card slots.
Overall, the LG Optimus G Pro has a very premium finish and solid build quality while the Galaxy Mega has a more common all plastic build which makes it less solid.
Display
The Galaxy Mega 6.3 has a 6.3inch HD(1280×720 pixels) SC LCD display with a pixel density of 230ppi while the Optimus G Pro has a 5.5inch Tru IPS+ Full HD display sporting a pixel density of 401ppi. The Optimus G Pro is way ahead of the Galaxy Mega in terms of pixel density. The display on the LG Optimus G Pro is better than the Galaxy Mega in almost all factors like Contrast, viewing angles, color reproduction and sunlight legibility.
Hardware and Performance
The Galaxy Mega 6.3 is powered by a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 400 SoC with two Krait cores, has 1.5GB RAM and graphics is taken care by the Adreno 305 GPU while the LG Optimus G Pro is powered by a 1.7 GHz QuadCore Snapdragon 600 SoC, has 2GB RAM and Adreno 320 GPU.
The Galaxy Mega 6.3 comes in two variants ( 8GB/16GB variants – we have the 16GB variant) and the Optimus G Pro has 16/32GB variants(we have the 16GB variant). Out of the 16GB, both the phones have around 12GB user accessible memory and have a microSD card slot for expansion.
Out of the 1.5GB RAM in Galaxy Mega 6.3, only 1370MB is usable and when the device is idle, there is 700MB available. On the Optimus G Pro, out of the 2GB RAM, 1.8GB is usable and when the phone is idle, there is 1.3GB usable RAM.
The faster processor and more RAM give the LG Optimus G Pro a big upper hand in terms of performance. The G Pro is smoother and faster in opening apps and switching between them.
In benchmarks, the Galaxy Mega 6.3 is no competition to the LG Optimus G Pro.
Camera
The Galaxy Mega 6.3 has a 8MP camera at the back and 1.9MP camera at the front while the Optimus G Pro has a 13MP camera at the back and 2.1MP camera at the front. Both the phones can record 1080p videos at 30fps with stereo sound from the rear camera while only the Optimus G Pro records 1080p videos from the front camera as well.
The camera UI is different on both the phones as it is always the case with Samsung and LG phones. The camera app on the Galaxy Mega 6.3 is borrowed from Samsung’s Galaxy S4, but it does not have all its shooting modes. The LG Optimus G Pro’s camera app is better than it was on the Optimus G and has more shooting modes. It can record dual videos(both front and rear camera) and there is a HDR mode for videos as well.
In terms of image clarity, the Optimus G Pro was much better with less noise, more details, better contrast and true colors.
Software features
Galaxy Mega 6.3 has the Samsung’s custom TouchWiz UI on top of it while LG Optimus G Pro has LG’s own UI. Underneath, the Galaxy Mega runs on a more recent Android 4.2.2 Jellybean while the G Pro is still stuck on Android 4.1.2 JB. So, features like quick toggles in the notification bar, lockscreen widgets and other under the hood optimizations are currently restricted to Galaxy Mega until Optimus G Pro gets a software update from LG. The Galaxy Mega has a lot of Samsung software goodies like Smart Stay and Multi-window, Samsung’s Beam while the Optimus G Pro comes with its own version of those features like Q-Slide. There are small floating apps that can be used in LG’s phone which reminds us of Sony’s small appss.
Galaxy Mega 6.3 is better in terms of software features.
Gaming
Both the phones are quite good for gaming and the Galaxy Mega was mainly good because of its bigger screen. All the games ran smoothly on both the devices although there were a few occasional glitches on the Galaxy Mega, but the gameplay experience was good. The Optimus G Pro is an excellent device for gaming as all the games ran lag free and very smooth. After continuous gaming, we noticed that the Optimus G Pro got heated up near the home button.
Battery
The Galaxy Mega 6.3 has a 3200mAh battery while the Optimus G Pro has 3140mAh battery. In terms of battery life, the bigger battery in the Galaxy Mega is definitely better as it has to power a relatively low resolution display and less power hungry chipset.
In terms of connectivity, both the devices are equipped with features like WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, NFC, WiFi Direct and microUSB(MHL) connectivity.
Conclusion
LG Optimus G Pro was meant to be LG’s bet in the phablet market and it pretty much gets the job done. The Samsung Galaxy Mega on the other hand was not Samsung’s flagship with top of the shelf features, but it was meant to be a huge phone with decent specifications and it does pretty well.
Advantages of Galaxy Mega 6.3 over Optimus G Pro
Advantages of Optimus G Pro over Galaxy Mega 6.3
Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 3 at IFA 2013 in Berlin and almost a year ago, Samsung had announced the Galaxy Note 2. The Galaxy Note 3 is considerably a big update over its predecessor. The Galaxy Note 3 outdoes the Galaxy Note 2 in almost all the features as expected. You can check out the quick comparison video below.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1IqDQ2qXTk Continue reading “Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs Galaxy Note 2 : Hands on Comparison”
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 3 at IFA 2013 in Berlin and less than six months ago, Samsung announced their 2013 flagship – Galaxy S4. The Galaxy Note 3 is a bigger and better version of the Galaxy S4. Check out how Samsung’s two flagships compete against each other in the hands-on comparison video below.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_1lIYCa00E 
Continue reading “Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs Galaxy S4 : Hands on comparison”
Samsung had launched the Galaxy Tab 3 in July and they recently announced a Kids Edition of the Tab 3. Galaxy Tab 3 Kids Edition comes with a 7inch display and in a colorful packaging. Check out our quick hands-on video of the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids Edition.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYt_Cv0wLTA Continue reading “Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids Edition Hands On”
Sony was one of the first companies to announce the smart watch and it has not been a very successful journey for them. At IFA 2013 in Berlin, when Samsung announced their first smartwatch – Galaxy Gear, Sony had already announced the second iteration of their Smartwatch – Smartwatch 2. The Smartwatch 2, like most of the Sony flagship devices these days, is water proof. You can check out our quick wrists-on video of the Sony Smartwatch 2.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3v0O9JV0A0 Continue reading “Sony SmartWatch 2 Hands-on”
Samsung announced the third device of the Galaxy Note series after the first two devices’ huge success. The Galaxy Note 3 is one of the first smartphones to feature 4K video recording. The Snapdragon 800 sporting Galaxy Note 3 is able to record 4K videos of 3840×2160 pixels. The maximum length of the video that can be captured in 4K is 5mins. Check out the video below to get a clear understanding of the 4K video feature in the Galaxy Note 3.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isQf8qTgjko Continue reading “Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – 4K Video, Multivision and Group Play Features”
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3, launched at IFA received much attention mainly for its extensive customization options apart from the top end specifications. These options mainly deal with the back covers, ranging from metal to false stitched leather, and literally anything can be done with respect to the back cover. Guess which other device offers similar or even better customization? You guessed right, it’s the Moto X. One of the few devices in the world that can come with a wooden back, the Moto X is the Googlorola company’s only ticket back to being credible. With increasing competition and their top end specs, can the decidedly mid specced phone match up against the Note 3? We try to find out in a quick comparison video –
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fQ4IMGBoIM
Continue reading “Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs Moto X hands on comparison”
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 was the star of the IFA 2013 in Berlin and it was announced along with a lot of accessories. The Galaxy S4 was the first device to have the S-View cover which not only protected the device, but had a small window to let you peek at the screen for important information. The Galaxy Note 3 is also getting an S-View cover, but the window on the Note 3’s S-View cover is fairly large and it is expected to let you perform more than a few basic options. The S-View cover comes in a wide variety of colors and there are nearly 10 color options available.
The Galaxy Note 3 has a unique accessory which is primarily targeted at female customers – Mini Purse cover. The Mini Purse cover, as the name suggests is a case that doubles as a mini purse. Galaxy Note 3 can be attached to right side of the purse and there is a place on the left side that can accommodate other things like money, keys and so on. Continue reading “Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Accessories – S-View cover, Mini Purse Cover and Wireless Charging Kit”
With the next iPhone(s) scheduled to launch in just a few hours, we took the liberty of comparing the Apple iPhone 5 with the just launched Samsung Galaxy Note 3, because for all you know, the 5S might just be a slight upgrade over the 5. That said, the Galaxy Note is possibly the most technologically(read: hardware) advanced smartphone right now, so how does it fare in comparison with the most popular smartphone on the planet? Watch our video for a quick hands on comparison.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc9PcQRkMHk
Continue reading “Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs Apple iPhone 5 hands on comparison”
The LG G2 is the company’s latest flagship smartphone that was launched at an event in New York last month, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is the second phone in the Galaxy Note series that was launched last year. The LG G2 is powered by a 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) processor with Adreno 330 GPU, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is powered by a 1.6GHz Exynos 4412 Quad-core processor, Mali-400MP GPU. Check out the quick hands on comparison from the IFA.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls1mGz_qlTw Continue reading “LG G2 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Hands On”
Samsung has announced that the company’s Exynos 5 Octa chip would get Heterogeneous Multi-Processing (HMP) that would let each CPU to be switched on or off as needed and also enables the use of all physical cores at the same time. This would offer high-performance and low-power to carry out tasks such as 3D gaming, complex augmented reality and advanced web browsing, says Samsung. MediaTek announced the new MT8135 quad-core chip and True Octa-Core solution with ARM big.LITTLE architecture, which also uses a similar Heterogeneous Multi-Processing technique to use all the core at the same time. Continue reading “Samsung Exynos 5 Octa to get Heterogeneous Multi-Processing”
Lenovo announced the Vibe X, the company’s latest flagship smartphone at the IFA 2013, and the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the latest smartphone in the Galaxy S series that was launchedearlier this year. The Lenovo Vibe X is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6589T processor, while the global variant of the Galaxy S4 is powered by a 1.9 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 600 Processor. Let’s check out the hands on comparison of both these devices.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prCytDhZPP8 Continue reading “Lenovo Vibe X vs Samsung Galaxy S4 Hands On”
The LG G2 is the company’s latest flagship smartphone that was launched at an event in New York last month, and the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the latest smartphone in the Galaxy S series that was launched earlier this year. The LG G2 is powered by a 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) processor with Adreno 330 GPU, while the Samsung Galaxy S4 is powered by a 1.9 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 600 / Exynos Octa Processor, here for the comparison we have the Google Play Edition with a Snapdragon 600 processor. Samsung even released the Galaxy S4 LTE-A with a 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor in select countries. Both these phones run on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean). Check out the quick hands on comparison from the IFA.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI1vIIiK3qg Continue reading “LG G2 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 Hands On”
The Sony Xperia Z1 is the latest flagship device announced by the Japanese smartphone manufacturer. We’ve already gone hands on with it and brought to you all the latest details of the phone. Given the camera centric pedigree of the phone, we found it apt to compare with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom. Here’s a quick comparison between the two.
The front of the Xperia Z1 has a 5inch Full HD display with the company’s triluminous display built in while the Galaxy S4 Zoom makes do with a 4.3″ Super AMOLED qHD panel. The Z1 has no capacitive buttons and makes do with onscreen controls. The S4 Zoom on the other hand has a hardware home key right below the display with capacitive buttons on either side of it.
Video Demo:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdjVCNEIHEU
Continue reading “Sony Xperia Z1 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom Hands on”
