Samsung Galaxy S8 vs. LG G6: Battle of the ultra-slim bezels

The hotly anticipated Galaxy S8 has finally arrived, and it’s just as impressive as expected. Samsung’s newest flagship features a curved screen, cutting-edge processor, a brand-new digital assistant, and more.

But the Galaxy S8 isn’t the only heavyweight on the mobile playing field. LG’s brand-new G6 is one of the best phones we’ve tested, and updates promise to make it better. To put an end to the debate, we pitted the two phones against each other in a specifications battle to the finish.

More: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus vs. Google Pixel XL: Two plus-sized phones battle it out

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S8

LG G6

Size
148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 millimeters (5.86 x 2.71 x 0.31 inches)
148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9 millimeters (5.86 x 2.83 x 0.31 inches)
Weight
5.47 ounces (155 grams)
5.75 ounces (163 grams)
Screen
5.8-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED
5.7-inch IPS LCD touchscreen
Resolution
2,960 x 1,440
2,880 × 1,440 pixels
OS
Android 7.0 Nougat
Android 7.0 Nougat
Storage
64GB
32 (64GB in select markets)
MicroSD Card Slot
Yes
Yes
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Samsung Exynos 9 Series 8895 (International)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
RAM
4GB
4GB
Connectivity
4G LTE, GSM, CDMA, HSPA+, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
4G LTE, HSPA+, 802.11ac/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
Camera
12MP rear with OIS, 8MP front
13MP rear dual with OIS and wide-angle lens, 5MP front
Video
4K
4K
Bluetooth
Yes, version 5
Yes, version 4.2
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors
Barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity sensor
Barometer, gyroscope, accelerometer, proximity sensor
Water Resistant
Yes, IP68
Yes, IP68
Battery
3,000mAh
3,300mAh
Charger
USB Type-C
USB Type-C
Quick Charging
Yes
Yes
Wireless Charging
Yes, Qi and PMA
Yes, Qi and PMA (U.S. only)
Marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Color offerings
Black, silver, orchid gray, coral blue (international) gold (international)
White, black, platinum
Availability
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile

Price
Starting at $720
Starting at $650
DT Review
First Take
4.5 out of 5 stars

On the inside, the LG G6 isn’t all that different from the Galaxy S8. Both pack Qualcomm-made processors paired with an identical amount of memory (4GB of RAM). But generational improvements give the Galaxy S8 the edge, here.

The Galaxy S8 sports Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, the newest in the company’s chip arsenal. It’s built on a 10-nanometer process, which crams 30 percent more parts into the same space than the previous generation of Snapdragon processors. Qualcomm gave Anandtech a preview at its San Diego headquarters, and a reference device packing the new processor outperformed older chips by close to 40 percent in multi-threaded tasks. That doesn’t account for Samsung’s tweaks, of course, but it seems that in terms of raw numbers, the Snapdragon 835 is the one to beat.

LG’s G6, on the other hand, boasts the slightly older Snapdragon 821 processor — the same powering the OnePlus 3T and Google Pixel.

In most apps, benchmarks, and real-world situations, the Snapdragon 835 appears to beat the Snapdragon 821 handily. Anandtech’s testing shows it achieving a score of 3,844 in 3D Mark’s Slingshot Extreme test compared to the Snapdragon 821’s 2,106.

There’s no question when it comes to processing power: The Galaxy S8 is far and away the winner. We expect it to handle games, apps, and day-to-day tasks much more efficiently than the G6.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S8