Samsung Galaxy Note series has managed to stay unique when compared with other Samsung Galaxy devices thanks to the S Pen stylus it adds to its huge list of features.
In a bid to make Samsung sweat for its money, LG also has its own offering with a similarly unique stylus pen. The latest devices from both companies with such capabilities are Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and LG Stylus 2. While the former was introduced towards the end of last year, the latter is still fresh in the market following its February 2016 announcement.
So, how do Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and LG Stylus 2 compare fare on against each other?
Design and display
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has one of the best designs of a Samsung phone, featuring a premium all-metal material build, but with glass on the rear. The phone is slim with its 7.6mm measurement, but it is not slimmer than the LG Stylus 2, which is 7.4mm thick. However, the LG Stylus 2 is larger in size as compared to the Note 5, yet the latter weighs 171g while the former weighs 145g. This difference in weight is due to the fact that LG went for a metal frame and plastic rear as far as the Stylus 2 material design is concerned.
As mentioned earlier, the two devices are equipped with a stylus pen that has its home in a slot on the device. It lives here when not in use.
Despite their slight differences in dimensions, both phones have the same screen size of 5.7 inches. However, the LG Stylus 2 features an IPS LCD screen with a rather disappointing 720p resolution. As a result, the huge display only manages a pixel density of 258ppi. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 packs a Super AMOLED screen rather than LCD. In addition, the phablet has QHD resolution that manages a pixel density of 518ppi. This will deliver much sharper views than what the LG Stylus 2 does.
Hardware and software
LG Stylus 2 was announced alongside the flagship LG G5, however, it packs less than impressive specs, especially when put head-to-head with this monster from Samsung. The Stylus 2 has a quad-core SoC and a RAM of 1.5GB. You will get 32GB of onboard storage and room to expand using a microSD card slot. To keep the huge device going, LG went for a 3000mAh battery and to make matters sweeter, this battery is removable.
As for Samsung Galaxy Note 5, you will get an octa-core SoC and a RAM of 4GB. There is onboard storage of 32GB or 64GB, but there is no room for expanding the storage. While the Note 5 comes with the same battery capacity as the Stylus 2, the former’s unit is non-removable. This is actually where the LG Stylus 2 might win the battle, especially for power users who will love more storage space and ability to swap batteries whenever they run out of charge.
Given that LG announced the Stylus 2 this year, it comes with the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. On the other hand, Samsung runs on Android Lollipop, but it can be updated to the latest Marshmallow OS. Both devices are also equipped with software that complements the stylus pens on board.
Photography
The LG Stylus 2 is equipped with a decent 13MP snapper on the rear with LED flash and autofocus on board. For selfies, the phone has an 8MP sensor. As for the Note 5, you will come across a solid 16MP sensor on the rear with OIS on board. The front camera has a 5MP sensor, but with the same f/1.9 aperture as the rear snapper.
Samsung has always been up there when it comes to smartphone photography. While it has been recently discovered that quality photography is no longer dependent on the number of megapixels, the Note 5 promises much better photos than what you get with the Stylus 2.
Price and conclusion
The LG Stylus 2 is yet to be available for purchase following its announcement at the MWC 2016. However, the phone is expected to be priced in the regions of $250-$300. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (32GB) is currently available for $650.
As you can see from the pricing point of view, the LG Stylus 2 is cheaper than the Note 5. It is also lighter, has a microSD card slot, a removable battery as well as a high-resolution selfie camera. On the contrary, the Galaxy Note 5 has powerful hardware, it’s sharper and crispier in display, and has a better rear snapper.