LG G3 vs LG G2: Has LG Improved on its Best Ever Smartphone?

2013 was a good year for LG. Along with the success of the G2, it had success with the G Pro 2 and the Google-branded Nexus 5. This has pushed the South Korean company to become the fourth biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world in 2013.

2014 has started brightly for the company in terms of sales and now it will be hoping to drive that momentum home with the launch of the LG G3.

But has it done enough to persuade G2 owners to upgrade, not to mention fending off stiff competition from the Galaxy S5, Xperia Z2 and iPhone 5s.

Let's see how the LG G3 fares against's last year's model:

LG G3 vs LG G2: Display

The LG G3 features a 5.5in IPS display with a super high resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. This allows it to have an eye-wateringly sharp pixel density of 534 pixels per inch (ppi) - making it easily one of the best smartphone displays on any smartphone to date.

The G2 features a 5.2in screen with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, giving it an already high 424ppi pixel density.

LG continues to create phones with the narrowest bezels making their claims of edge-to-edge displays even more convincing.

Both these screens are superb, and we're not sure those extra pixels will do anything but drain the battery faster.

LG G3 vs LG G2: Design

The big design feature on the G2 was the placement of the power button and volume keys on the rear cover of the phone. It was a pretty drastic change, which LG said was in response to how people used their smartphones.

LG is clearly happy with its choice as the G3 will keep the positioning of those buttons.

Elsewhere the phone will be slightly taller and wider (146.3 x 74.6mm versus 138.5 x 70.9mm) as a result of the larger screen, but will retain its slim 8.9mm profile. This makes it about the same size as the Sony Xperia Z2, though the fact it has a bigger screen means the bezels on the G3 will be a lot smaller.

LG G3 vs LG G2: Hardware

The G3 is a match for anything on the market, featuring Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 801 chip paired with up to 3GB of RAM. This is a slight update to the Snapdragon 800 chip on the LG G2 last year, which came with 2GB of RAM.

The G3 will be available with up to 32GB of internal storage but it will have a microSD card slot, something which was missing on the G2 last year.

The LG G3 features a 3,000mAh battery - which is the same as the G2 - but considering the increased screen size and pixel-pushing grunt needed to power it, the great battery life seen on the G2 could be compromised somewhat.

LG G3 vs LG G2: Camera

LG isn't upgrading the 13 megapixel sensor used in the G2 for its latest model, but it has added....LASERS.

Yes, the South Korean company has added laser autofocus technology via a sensor on the rear cover which will be used to aid low light performance. LG is so confident of its laser autofocus performance that it will focus and capture at the same time.

The company is not going after the selfie market like HTC and Huawei, with the front-facing camera set to feature a typical 2.1 megapixel sensor - again the same as last year.

LG G3 vs LG G2: Software

As per usual with all major Android manufacturers these days - Motorola aside - LG continues its policy of adding its own touches to the typical Android interface.

Sitting below it all is the latest available version of Google's mobile operating system, Android 4.4.2 with the new Optimus UI adding a few new tweaks on top.

The new additions include a slimmer keyboard design, some special file management features, a new minimalistic user interface and six QuickCircle apps - call log, dialler, music player, messages, clock and shortcuts to the settings menu.

LG G3 vs iPhone 5s: Which One Should You Buy?

The big selling point of the LG G3 is its huge 5.5in screen with its incredible pixel resolution. It is one of the best (if not the best) on any smartphone...ever. So if you like your screens big and bright and sharp, then the G3 is hard to ignore - particularly when it is paired with a powerful processor.

The G2 remains an excellent smartphone with a great screen, powerful processor and great battery life. Add to this the fact that its price will now surely drop significantly, and if you don't mind buying a year-old smartphone, this could be the one for you.