Introduction

Do we have a good one for you today – the new LG G Flex 2 goes up against the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.  This has all of the drama of Samsung fans versus the just as crazy LG fans, the curved design of the of G Flex 2 and the curved edge display of the Galaxy S6 Edge and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 64-bit octa-core 810 versus the new Samsung Exynos 7420 64-bit octa-core processor.

Both devices have great cameras, 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage models, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC, IR Blasters, dedicated microphones for active noise cancellation, fast battery charging, and a microUSB port v2.0 for charging and data transfer.  Both have a non-removable battery and both will be running the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop with their own UI running on top.

Please look over the detailed Specifications Comparison below – click on ‘View Full Comparison’ at the bottom to get the full details – and see exactly where the two devices differ from one another.  We will then look at each individual device and determine some pros and cons to help see if we can pick which one of these smartphones deserves to win this competition.

LG G Flex 2

LG did all of the right upgrades with the new LG G Flex 2 – they shrunk the massive 6-inch display to a more manageable 5.5-inches, improved their ‘self-healing’ back and increased all of the specs, except the display, to a true high-end device.  The entire package is just more premium looking and the curved design makes holding the device and storing it in your back pocket very comfortable.

LG took the original HD display and bumped it up to a Full HD (FHD) display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 403 pixels-per-inch (PPI)…but that is not even close to the Quad HD (QHD) 577 PPI on the new Galaxy S6 Edge.  LG did grab the most advanced Qualcomm processor on the market, the 64-bit Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory, however, you can use the provided microSD card slot to increase that storage – there is no increasing the built-in storage beyond the 32GB/64GB/128GB available on the Galaxy S6 Edge.

The main cameras on both devices are very similar, although the Galaxy S6 Edge does offer a pro-camera feature to allow the user more manual control.  The G Flex 2 sports a 13MP sensor (versus 16MP on the S6 Edge), laser autofocus, dual-tone LED flash, and OIS+.  The front-facing camera (FFC) on the LG G Flex 2 is a smaller 2.1MP versus 5.0MP on the Galaxy S6 Edge, which also has F1.9 lens, as does the main camera.  The G Flex 2 has a larger battery – 3000mAh versus the 2600mAh in the Galaxy S6 Edge – although both batteries should make it throughout an entire day and both have quick charge options.

What might the G Flex 2 have that the Galaxy S6 Edge does not have – it does have an FM Stereo Radio, Dolby Mobile enhanced sound and self-healing back.  The G Flex 2 is running Android 5.0.1 Lollipop out-of-the box with LG’s UI running over top and comes in Platinum Silver and Flamenco Red.  It will be available on AT&T, Sprint and US Cellular at this point and will cost you approximately $200 on a two-year contract and $600 or so off-contract.  It should be available sometime in March.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

The new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is a total redesign from the ground up.  They did away with the plastic, faux leather/Band-Aid look and in their place used aircraft grade aluminum (it will not bend) and Gorilla 4 glass all around, top and bottom.  There is no doubt when you pick up a Galaxy S6 Edge that it is a premium device.  The fast processor, faster flash memory and optimized UI, make for the fastest and smoothest experience ever on a Samsung device.

The Galaxy S6 Edge sports a 5.1-inch Quad HD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 577 pixels-per-inch (PPI) with a curved edge on both the right and left sides on the display (versus the FHD display of the G Flex 2 with 403 PPI).  These curved edges can be used for notifications as well as making it easier to simply swipe in from either side.  Samsung decided to use its own 64-bit Exynos 7420 octa-core processor with four cores clocked at 1.5GHz and four cores clocked at 2.1GHz…a clear departure from their past US models or else these two devices would have the same processor.  The Exynos processor is the first to use 14nm technology versus the 20nm in the G Flex 2 – the 14nm is much faster, uses less energy and generates less heat.  While both devices are packing 3GB of RAM, the RAM in the Galaxy S6 Edge is DDR4 RAM, which is much faster and Samsung’s new and faster flash memory with 32GB/64GB/128GB models with no room for expansion – a first for Samsung’s Galaxy S series. Samsung knew that the slow memory of a microSD card would hinder its performance.

The camera is new in a few areas from the Galaxy Note 4 – like the 16MP Sony sensor, autofocus, LED Flash, F1.9 aperture, real-time HDR, ISOCELL technology and OIS.  This combination of features will yield excellent low-light pictures.  With the Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung has dramatically increased the camera speed – it takes only .7 seconds to open and be ready to shoot a picture.  The front-facing camera (FFC) increased to 5MP with a larger F1.9 aperture, up from f2.2, to allow more light through the lens for better low-light pictures and real-time HDR for excellent low-light selfies and video chatting.  The 2600mAh battery is smaller than last year’s battery, but it should easily get you through the entire day.  The new Samsung non-removable battery can give you up to 4 hours of usage in only 10 minutes and they added built-in wireless charging for the first time.

The Galaxy S6 Edge includes a new fingerprint sensor – no more swiping your finger several times…just press once and you are done.  You also get a heart rate sensor, Samsung Pay, improved speaker on the bottom of the device and it comes in the colors White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and Green Emerald.  It will be running the latest Android Lollipop software, and is releasing worldwide on April 10/11.  The price is expected to be high, as much as $100 – $150 more than the normal Galaxy S6, running about $300 on a two-year contract.

…And The Winner Is…

Summary

This was a tough decision, but I pick the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge as the winner of this comparison. Both devices are desirable, with the Galaxy S6 Edge running about $100 more, but if you just have to have a curved device and want to save yourself some money, then the LG G Flex 2 is the way to go…you will not be disappointed in your selection.

I chose the Galaxy S6 Edge because I feel it has adds more than $100 in features over the LG G Flex 2.  It has a much better display – the QHD Super AMOLED display is much sharper (577 PPI versus 403 PPI) and more brilliant, the processor is more advanced (20nm versus 14nm) and faster, it uses the new USF 2.0 much faster flash memory, faster DDR4 RAM, the larger FFC with f1.9 (5MP versus 2.1MP), better placement of the loudspeaker (bottom versus backside), wireless charging and faster charging (4 hours in 10 minutes versus 60-percent in 30 minutes) and the unique dual curve edged display with an all metal frame made from aircraft quality metals and Gorilla Glass 4 on both the display and the back of the device. It also includes a fingerprint sensor and Samsung Pay.

To me, the LG G Flex 2 is an interesting device with a curved design, but I am not convinced of its function.  The Galaxy S6 Edge has curved edges that not only make it easier to swipe in from the left and the right…being used more and more in Lollipop and with app developers…but also can be used for special functions.  Please hit us up on our Google+ Page and let us know which device you would prefer and WHY…as always, we would love to hear from you.