LG Optimus G vs Samsung Galaxy S III

A spec-by-spec comparison of the LG Optimus G and the Samsung Galaxy S III, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.

Head to head

LG Optimus GSamsung Galaxy S III
Price$23$50
Our rating8/108/10
Battery2,100 mAh2,100 mAh
RAM (max)—2 GB
Storage (max)64 GB64 GB
Screen size4.7 in4.8 in
Main camera13 MP8 MP
Weight (lower is lighter)145 g133 g
ReleasedNov 2012May 2012
Summary: LG Optimus G is ahead on main camera. Samsung Galaxy S III is ahead on screen size, weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S III is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, LG Optimus G is the cheaper option.

Display

LG Optimus GSamsung Galaxy S III
TypeTrue HD-IPS + LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colorsHD Super AMOLED
Size4.7 inches, 62.9 cm2 (~69.2% screen-to-body ratio)4.8 inches, 63.5 cm2 (~65.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution768 x 1280 pixels, 5:3 ratio (~318 ppi density)720 x 1280 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~306 ppi density)
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 2Corning Gorilla Glass 2

Platform

LG Optimus GSamsung Galaxy S III
OSAndroid 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich), upgradable to 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), 4.4.2 (KitKat)Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich), upgradable to 4.3 (Jelly Bean) or 4.4.2 (KitKat) on some variants
ChipsetQualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 ProExynos 4412 Quad (International) / Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 Plus (USA)
CPUQuad-core 1.5 GHz KraitQuad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9 (Exynos) / Dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait (Snapdragon S4 Plus)
GPUAdreno 320Mali-400MP4 (Exynos) / Adreno 225 (Snapdragon S4 Plus)

Memory

LG Optimus GSamsung Galaxy S III
RAM2GB LPDDR2—
Internal Storage16GB or 32GB—
Card SlotmicroSDXC, up to 64GB (AT&T, Japan & Taiwan models only)—
Card slot—microSDXC (dedicated slot)
Internal—16GB 1GB RAM, 32GB 1GB RAM, 64GB 1GB RAM (some variants had 2GB RAM)

Main Camera

LG Optimus GSamsung Galaxy S III
ModulesSingle—
Resolution13 MP or 8 MP (market/carrier dependent)—
FeaturesAutofocus, LED flash, BSI sensor, HDR, panorama, continuous shot, Time Machine CameraLED flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR, Burst shot, Zero shutter lag
Video1080p@30fps1080p@30fps
Single—8 MP, f/2.6, AF

Selfie Camera

LG Optimus GSamsung Galaxy S III
Resolution1.3 MP—
Video720p@30fps720p@30fps
Single—1.9 MP, f/2.6
Features—Video call

Battery

LG Optimus GSamsung Galaxy S III
TypeNon-removable Li-Po 2100 mAh (most variants)Removable Li-Ion 2100 mAh
Stand-byUp to 320 h (3G)—
Talk timeUp to 15 h 30 min (3G)Up to 11 h 40 min (3G) / Up to 21 h 40 min (2G)

Body

LG Optimus GSamsung Galaxy S III
Dimensions131.9 x 68.9 x 8.5 mm (5.19 x 2.71 x 0.33 in)136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm (5.38 x 2.78 x 0.34 in)
Weight145 g (5.11 oz)133 g (4.69 oz)
SIMMicro-SIMMicro-SIM
BuildGlass front (Corning Gorilla Glass 2), glass back ('Crystal Reflection' finish), plastic framePlastic body

Comms

LG Optimus GSamsung Galaxy S III
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth4.0, A2DP, LE4.0, A2DP, EDR, aptX
GPSYes, with A-GPS, GLONASS—
NFCYesYes
RadioNoStereo FM radio with RDS (International model only)
USBmicroUSB 2.0, USB On-The-GomicroUSB 2.0 (MHL TV-out), USB On-The-Go
Positioning—GPS, GLONASS

Launch

LG Optimus GSamsung Galaxy S III
AnnouncedSeptember 19, 20122012, May 03
StatusDiscontinuedReleased 2012, May 29

Frequently asked questions

Which is lighter, LG Optimus G or Samsung Galaxy S III?

Samsung Galaxy S III — 145 g for the LG Optimus G versus 133 g for the Samsung Galaxy S III.

Which is newer, LG Optimus G or Samsung Galaxy S III?

LG Optimus G — Nov 2012 for the LG Optimus G versus May 2012 for the Samsung Galaxy S III.

Is the LG Optimus G or the Samsung Galaxy S III rated higher?

We rate the LG Optimus G 8/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S III 8/10.

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