11:06
Unknown
Sony's Xperia Z2 has arrived pretty quickly after its predecessor, the Xperia Z1, but the improved model was undoubtedly the star of MWC 2014. How does it compare to the much-acclaimed LG G2 flagship though?
Design
LG often gets a bad rap for making phones which are accused of being derivative of Samsung's devices, and while a fleeting sideways glance at the LG G2 might convince you it's a Sammy product when you actually get up close or handle one you'll quickly see it's quite far removed. LG's G2 handset looks more stylish owning to the super-thin bezel around the 5.2-inch display – it's not far off a true edge-to-edge setup and most of the front-fascia of the device is simply screen real-estate. Always a smart move.
LG's plastic build also feels a bit more premium, particularly as it's so solidly put together – the quality of the fit and finish is superb. The areas in which the LG G2 doesn't exactly hit the bull's-eye are not really deal-breakers either. While the absence of physical keys on the front and sides does lend a streamlined sleekness to things, but although LG maintains the top-centre of the back panel is a "natural" location for the power and volume rocker we'll just have to agree to disagree. It is just about manageable though.
Something many of our readers are fond of is a removable back cover and battery – sadly for these people the LG G2 may not be satisfactory as it has a sealed unibody design.
Sony's Xperia Z2 uses a familiar design for anyone already acquainted with the Xperia Z1, Xperia Z Ultra or Xperia Z1 Compact. That's the One Sony "OmniBalance" design, of course, with that distinctive aluminium surround and Dragontrail glass on both front and back panels. This is really nicely minimalist and understated and once again has a tremendously solid feel in the hand which screams premium. Sony has kept the neatly contoured edges and corners and has highlighted the panelled detailing along the sides with some contrasting colour pop.
The handset is slightly larger than its predecessor now that it packs a 5.2-inch display, but relative to its increased size the proportions, including things like the bezel width, have stayed much the same. Sony's phone also benefits from IP58 water and dust proofing certification which means that not only will it survive a spilled drink, but it's also good for a drop into up to one-and-a-half metres of water – swimming, bathing, take your pick.
As with the LG G2, there are a few minor gripes to be had with the Xperia Z2. Again it lacks a removable battery owing to the unibody design, the port covers for water resistance are also fiddly and flimsy, and the glass back panel, while attractive at first, quickly shows up fingerprints – it is very durable to drops and knocks though, so swings and roundabouts.
While LG's design is extremely nice, I have to say that the uniqueness of Sony's aesthetic and the next-level premium feel of its build pushes it in front here, and of the two it would be my choice from a design perspective.
Display
Both handsets have the same display size at 5.2-inches. The LG G2 uses an IPS+ LCD with a 1920x1080 pixel full HD resolution, however, LG describes it as "True HD" owing to the pixel matrix used which is allegedly sharper and with better colour. Certainly the picture quality is very impressive indeed and chalks up a pixel density of 424 pixels-per-inch (ppi). Text is particularly clear, white purity and brightness are vivid and colours really jump out.
Sony's Xperia Z2 packs an IPS LCD, an upgrade from the Xperia Z1's TFT hardware. This uses Sony's Triluminos display and X-Reality Engine tech layers for some great colour and brightness. Sharpness is also top notch with a 1080p full HD resolution at 424ppi. This screen is a big improvement over its predecessor.
Both displays are excellent and it's a very tough call to make, but I'd say on balance the LG G2's display is ever-so slightly better. I very much doubt that many users will be disappointed with the Xperia Z2's screen, however, as it really is superb and well worth a look.
Processor
The LG G2 is the older device of the two and has Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 quad-core chip onboard, clocked at 2.26GHz and teamed up with an Adreno 330 GPU plus 2GB of RAM. This thing is crazy fast and you'll have no worries multitasking a boat-load of apps or running the most intensive 3D games currently available. Navigating the interface is a buttery-smooth dream.
While the Xperia Z2 sports an upgraded processor – Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 – it's difficult to see how it could possibly be any smoother than the ridiculously smooth smoothness coming from Qualcomm's existing Snapdragon 800. At least, nothing that the human eye could perceive, unless you're Superman, but he's not a human anyway – he's Kryptonian.
But for the say-so, the Snapdragon 801 includes a faster GPU and, in this configuration, a full 3GB of RAM. The clockspeed is lower though at 2.3GHz. And yes, to confirm, it is super-crazy fast.
Both handsets are so close on processing power that I wouldn't personally use this as a measure to decide between the two. Most users should be equally happy with either. Look to other features to make your decision.
Camera
LG's imaging capabilities are pretty impressive, the G2 has a 13-megapixel back-illuminated sensor (BIS) with an f/2.4 aperture, LED flash, 1080p video capture and optical image stabilisation (OIS). All of which means picture and video quality is top notch, but it's also a very usable arrangement as the LG G2 is great as a quick and easy point-and-shoot.
Sony's Xperia Z2 uses much the same hardware as its immediate predecessor – a 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS BSI sensor with a Sony G-Lens, LED flash, BIONZ dedicated imaging processor and an f/2.0 aperture. However, as well as supporting lossless zoom and 1080p video recording as it did before, it also adds another string to its bow with 4K video support.
Imaging quality is again excellent and Sony's tweaks to its older photo software make a noticeable improvement here as they did on the updated Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z1 Compact. As before, however, while the increased complexity allows you to actually get better results than its opponent, it lacks the tremendous ease-of-use for just firing and forgetting. This is a trade-off which will depend on whether you're after professional-level photography or something easier that's still better-than "good enough".
I am not bothered enough by photography to let it influence my buying decisions too much, but with that said I do appreciate a good camera.
For me, the LG G2's camera is good enough and easier to use with good results, but for photo afficionados I can heartily recommend the Xperia Z2's imaging tech as a setup that's ultimately more capable should you wish to invest the time and effort into it.
Hardware and storage
Sony's always pretty good when it comes to storage and here you get 16GB onboard (not exceptional, but certainly nothing to sneeze at) and a healthy dose of card support with microSD capability up to 64GB. The LG G2 comes in both 16GB and 32GB variants but doesn't support cards at all, meaning it lacks flexibility.
Both devices have a full suite of connectivity options, including 4G LTE and 3G mobile data, dual-band Wi-Fi with both Direct and Hotspot capabilities, DLNA, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, microUSB and GPS. The LG G2 has an infrared blaster for use as a TV remote while the Xperia Z2 supports MHL TV-Out.
As mentioned earlier, both battery packs are non-removable, the LG G2 packs a 3,000mAh cell while the Xperia Z2's is slightly heftier at 3,200mAh, but there's probably little difference to speak of in actual use here.
via Technology - Google News http://ift.tt/1krZW8r
Put the internet to work for you.
Posted in: Tablets 4 Kids
0 comments:
Post a Comment