Sony Xperia Z1 vs LG G2

Introduction

Question: what's the very best Android smartphone out there? Well, that's hard to tell. Labeling a phone as best in its class is no easy task, and that's especially true when the high-end category is concerned. But if we had to state our favorite top models, then the LG G2 will surely be among them. It is the Korean company's current flagship device – a phone that scored a commendable 9.4 in our review.

Now, however, we have a new contender for the crown. It is known as the Sony Xperia Z1 and it is shaping up as a beast of a phone. Like the LG G2, it is loaded with outstanding features, while its specs sheet will bring tears of joy to the eyes of any smartphone geek. And if that's not enough, Sony's new flagship is quite a looker with its glass-and-metal-made water-resistant body. Still, is it better than the LG G2? Perhaps a thorough side-by-side comparison between the two would provide the answer to that question.

Design

There's no denying that the Sony Xperia Z1 is the better-looking smartphone. It builds upon all that made its predecessor, the Xperia Z, stand out in the design department, and reinforces its statement with a solid metal frame. Its image is complemented by the perfectly flat front and back sides; made of tempered, shatter-proof glass, they instantly grab one's attention. Besides, let us not forget that unlike most other Android high-ends, the Sony Xperia Z1 is dust- and water-tight, so it will take photos even underwater, while the LG G2 isn't likely to survive if accidentally dropped in the pool.

However, the LG G2, despite looking a bit less inspiring, has a number of advantages over the Z1. For starters, it is more compact, even though its front is graced by a slightly larger screen (5.2 inches for the G2 vs 5 inches for the Z1). This has been achieved by trimming down the bezel surrounding the G2's display as much as possible. Also, the LG G2 is much lighter and fits better in the hand, which makes it easier to handle. But that's not all. While the Sony Xperia Z1 looks great, its otherwise beautiful glass body remains quite vulnerable; it might crack after the first drop on anything harder than your living room's carpet. The plastic-made LG G2, on the other hand, seems a little bit less fragile, although we doubt it would take much more beating than the Z1.

Like it or not, LG has placed the G2's physical buttons on its back. This should, theoretically, make them easier to reach as they would always be right under the user's index finger. But in reality, we're still finding it hard to get used to their arrangement. In fact, we don't see much of a benefit of them being placed where they are, other than allowing the phone to be very narrow for its size. Nevertheless, the notification light embedded in the power key looks kind of cool.

The physical keys on the Sony Xperia Z1 feel okay and provide good feedback, although we wish they were slightly bigger. A nice addition is the dedicated 2-stage camera shutter key, allowing one to snap photos quickly and comfortably.

Display

No smartphone can be regarded as a truly premium device if its screen quality isn't top notch. And we're glad to say that neither of these two handsets disappoints in that respect, although they both leave some room for improvement. The LCD screen on the Sony Xperia Z1 has adopted the company's Triluminos tech, found on its recent TVs, while LG has gone with a high-quality IPS-LCD panel for the G2. Both smartphones come with 1080p panels (1080 by 1920 pixels) so everything displayed on them looks perfectly smooth and sharp.

As we stated above, the LG G2 does come with a larger screen even though it is more compact than the Sony Xperia Z1. The exact figures are as follows: 5.2 inches of display real estate for the LG G2 vs 5 inches in diagonal for the one on the Z1. Clearly, both screens fall under the spacious category.

Something we noticed about the screen on the LG G2 is that it is clearer and more legible under broad daylight as it reflects less of the sun's rays. Its viewing angles are also better by a huge margin. But according to our measurements, the screen on the Sony Xperia Z1 has the upper hand when it comes to color accuracy. And sure enough, when the two are put side by side, it is clear to see that the G2's colors lean towards the colder side.

All in all, neither of these smartphones' displays has managed to achieve perfection, but nevertheless, most users would be more than happy with either one.

Interface

Out of the box, both the Sony Xperia Z1 and the LG G2 come with Android 4.2.2, which is a bit disappointing since Android 4.3 has been out since July and the release of Android 4.4 is nearing. Hopefully, we'll see these handsets get the updates they deserve in a timely manner.


The user interfaces on these smartphones are quite different from what you'd find on a stock device. Sony has chosen to keep things a bit more down-to-earth, focusing on functionality over appearance. Plenty of widgets are included, as one might expect, and the handy small apps, accessible from the multitasking button, are a neat addition. Visual alterations are found in pretty much every screen and every panel, which adds consistency to the whole experience.


Things are a bit different on the LG G2. The company has thrown in a lot of eye-candy in the form of fancy transition animations and colorful UI elements. Some of the interface's features, such as the visual effects and the selection of buttons in the notification panel, can be customized, which is great to know. On top of app that, LG has thrown in a handful of unique features, including the potentially highly useful Slide Aside, which allows one to multitask better by saving up to 3 apps in their current state for future use.

Still, we lean in favor of what Sony has done to the interface of its smartphone. Its UI is more refined, less cartoony, and as a whole, more pleasant to use. We can't deny however, that the LG G2 also looks pretty good. Its flexibility when it comes to customization and its unique software features are definitely an advantage.

Processor and memory

Snapdragon 800 – that's the fastest mobile chip Qualcomm has to offer, and it is found under the hoods of both the Sony Xperia Z1 and the LG G2. To no surprise, the two smartphones deliver similar results when benchmarked, but we all know it is their real-life performance we should be commenting on. Well, we have great news for you, guys: the Z1 and the G2 are flawless in that respect, exhibiting no lag whatsoever when used. Multitasking is also smooth thanks to the 2GB of RAM available on both of them. With the Adreno 330 GPU, any modern 3D game will run beautifully no matter which of these two devices it is loaded on.

There are multiple variants of the LG G2, and the one you're going to find in the US or Europe has 32GB of built-in, non-expandable storage. (The variant with a microSD card slot is sold in Korea). On-board storage space on the Z1 is much less plentiful as it is limited to 16 gigs, but you get a microSD card slot capable of accepting cards of up to 64GB.

Phonebook and messaging

The phonebook on the Sony Xperia Z1 is pretty good as it provides all core functionality you'd expect of it. It would have been better, though, if the recent calls list wasn't obscured by the dialer pad, which takes up half the screen. The LG G2 has a feature-rich phonebook that can be customized to the user's liking. One is free to rearrange the taps on the top, which is neat. Also, we like having the option to dial a contact's number simply by tapping on the button next to it.



There is little to set apart the messaging apps and the on-screen keyboards on these two smartphones. For the most part, they are identical and equally comfortable to type on. The keys are big and well laid out so we can type quickly from the get-go on both of them. The two also have the option to attach a picture, video, location, and more to the message.

Organizer

Well, we can't seem to find anything missing here. All the mandatory organizer tools are present on both the Sony Xperia Z1 and the LG G2, so regardless of which one you pick, you'll get the usual calendar, world clock, timer, stop watch, sound recorder, and notes apps out of the box. The Z1 has its Small Apps – quick tools accessible from the multitasking menu – and more of them are available for download from the Play Store. The G2 offers similar functionality in the form of its QSlide apps, placed in the notification panel.

Internet and connectivity

Chrome is the default web browser on the Sony Xperia Z1, and it runs beautifully. Pages are loaded and rendered quickly as we browse back and forth. The LG G2 comes with a capable browser as well, but the extra navigation bar at the bottom isn't necessarily needed. The option to switch to windowed mode, however, is kind of cool. Of course, the user is free to install an alternative browser from the Play Store, should the stock options not meet their expectations.

In terms of connectivity, all you'd expect is supported on both smartphones: LTE, HSPA+, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and even the FM radio has not been omitted. An advantage for the LG G2, however, is the built-in infra-red blaster for controlling a TV or a multimedia system.

Camera

We've already tested the 13MP camera with OIS on the LG G2 numerous times and we can confirm that it is among the best ones out there. The Sony Xperia Z1, however, should not be underestimated as it comes with a 20.7MP G Lens camera. But before we get to comment on their photos, let's say a few words about operating their cameras.

With its flat sides and dedicated camera shutter, the Sony Xperia Z1 is definitely more comfortable for taking photos. The LG G2, on the other hand, isn't quite as convenient to hold in landscape mode, although one can still get a fairly good grip on it while shooting.

We must admit that we are more satisfied with the camera feature set offered by the LG G2. Its built-in optical image stabilization works great and its 60fps 1080p video looks outstanding. Moreover, there are plenty of shooting modes to experiment with.

The Xperia Z1 is also loaded with camera features, although one may argue how useful these would be in real life. These include Info-eye, which provides relevant information about whatever you're photographing (be it a book, a bottle of wine, or the Eiffel tower), Social live, used to broadcast video straight to your Facebook page, and the extremely fun AR effect, adding augmented reality to the frame. By default, the camera is launched in Intelligent Auto mode, which sets the scene settings automatically and gets them right most of the time. In this mode, however, photos are taken at just 8MP of resolution. Taking full advantage of that large 20.7MP sensor requires shooting in Manual mode.

While the LG G2 is well capable of taking beautiful photos, the Sony Xperia Z1 often produces better shots under identical conditions. The latter's images are more detailed and since the camera's field of view is wider, more of your friends will fit in the frame even from up close. Also, the Z1's snapper captures a slightly wider portion of the dynamics range. On the other hand, the LG G2 does a better job at exposing the image properly, while the Z1 often overexposes brighter areas. The LG G2 is also better when it comes to taking photos at night.


Videos shot with the LG G2 look outstanding when captured at 60 frames per second. However, night videos from the G2 look surprisingly bad, while the Z1's low-light footage is much smoother and better-looking as a whole.

Call quality

It didn't take us long to conclude that the LG G2 performs better during phone calls. Its earpiece sounds loud and clear even when its volume isn't set to the maximum. It can go even louder if needed, but that takes a toll on sound quality. The earpiece on the Xperia Z1, on the other hand, sounds too boomy regardless of its volume setting. It is okay, but we were expecting more out of a premium smartphone. Thankfully, better results can be achieved by tweaking the in-call sound equalizer. Its microphone performs well, delivering loud voice tones on the other side of the line.

Battery life

Battery life won't be an issue regardless of which phone you pick. The Sony Xperia Z1 and the LG G2 come with 3000mAh internal batteries, providing enough juice to last a moderate user through at least one to two days on a single charge. The former, in particular, is rated for 15 hours of continuous 3G talk time and will last for over a month on stand-by. While LG hasn't posted any official figures as to how much the G2 should last between charges, the test we ran on it showed that it can provide nealry 7 hours of continuous mixed usage.

Conclusion

Looking at all that these two Android flagships have to offer, we are finding it hard to pick a solid winner between the two. Both the Sony Xperia Z1 and the LG G2 are clearly well-made, high-performance smartphones that set the bar pretty high for any contender.

Ultimately, the Sony Xperia Z1 would suit the needs of buyers who value having an eye-pleasing smartphone – a smartphone that stands out with its appearance and build quality. Also, those who like to document every moment of their lives will be pleased by the Z1's 20.7MP main camera and its quality photographs. On the downside, the Xperia Z1 is rather bulky, and its call quality could have been better.

The LG G2, on the other hand, stands out with offering a larger screen packed in a lighter, more compact body. Besides, its camera is nearly as good as the Z1's so the images it produces would satisfy even buyers with high expectations. Just make sure you're ready to live with a power key placed on the back of your phone before getting one.



The Sony Xperia Z1S is T-Mobile US' version of the Z1. The Z1S has launched a bit later, though, so while pretty much everything that you've read
in our comparison thus far holds true, we're publishing an updated comparison conclusion below.

Sony Xperia Z1S vs LG G2: Conclusion

Looking at all that these two Android flagships have to offer, we are finding it hard to pick a solid winner between the two. Both the Sony Xperia Z1S and the LG G2 are clearly well-made, high-performance smartphones that set the bar pretty high for any other contender.

Ultimately, the Sony Xperia Z1S would suit the needs of buyers who value having an eye-pleasing smartphone – a smartphone that stands out with its appearance and build quality. Also, those who like to document every moment of their lives will be pleased by the Z1S's 20.7MP main camera and its quality photographs. On the downside, the Xperia Z1 is rather bulky, and its call quality could have been better.

The LG G2, on the other hand, stands out with offering a larger screen packed in a lighter, more compact body. Besides, its camera is nearly as good as the Z1S's so the images it produces would satisfy even buyers with high expectations. Just make sure you're ready to live with a power key placed on the back of your phone before getting one.