The recent release of the Google Pixel XL means that there are four major phablet contenders in the existing marketplace. The Google device must match up against the iPhone 7 Plus from Apple, the Galaxy S7 Edge from Samsung and the LG V20. So how do these smartphone contenders stack up against one another? Here ValueWalk assesses all the key data.
Size
Keen smartphone consumers will already be aware that the size of these devices tends to be rather similar. It would obviously be a massive disadvantage for any manufacturer to produce a unit that is massively larger than those produced by competitors.
So the four contenders are pretty evenly matched in this department, but there is nonetheless a clear winner. The Galaxy S7 Edge is the smallest of the four phones, making this phablet contender a particularly attractive prospect for consumers.
Advantage: Galaxy S7 Edge
Weight
Considering that the Galaxy S7 Edge is the smallest of the four mobiles, it is not hugely surprising that the phablet is also the lightest. The Galaxy S7 Edge is 11 grammes lighter in weight than the Google Pixel XL, and a whopping 31 grammes lighter than the iconic Apple iPhone 7 Plus. The LG V20 is the second heaviest of the four phablet contenders, and it is fair to assert that Samsung has the edge in this department once more.
Advantage: Galaxy S7 Edge
Screen Size
There is little distinction between the screen sizes of these four phablet releases, but nonetheless a clear winner emerges once more. The Google Pixel XL, Apple iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge all feature 5.5-inch displays. But LG has included a 5.7-inch display in the V20, meaning that it simply has the largest display of the four mobiles featured here.
Advantage: LG V20
Resolution
Screen resolution is increasingly important in the mobile niche, and thus manufacturers tend to place a particular emphasis on this aspect of smartphones. It is thus not surprising that three of these four phablets have been imbued with Quad HD resolution, although this does not apply to the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. Instead, the market leader delivers merely full HD resolution, something that Apple must surely rectify in future device releases.
So with three of the handsets featuring the same resolution, it would seem that it is difficult to pick a winner. However, the fact that the Pixel XL and Galaxy S7 Edge have smaller displays than the LG V20 means that their 534 ppi pixel density is superior, giving them the edge in this department.
Advantage: Galaxy S7 Edge / Pixel XL
Processor
This is always one of the most difficult areas to compare in any form of technology, as processor speed and performance is extremely complex and nuanced. Nonetheless, it is notable that three of these devices feature quad-core processors, with only the Galaxy S7 Edge based on octa-core technology.
The four 2.3 GHz Mongoose and four 1.6 GHz Cortex-A53 cores included in the Galaxy S7 Edge means that the Samsung smartphone certainly has the advantage in pure spec terms.
Advantage: Galaxy S7 Edge
Memory
Apple has always relied on a combination of proprietary software and hardware, and thus has shied away from including vast amounts of RAM memory in its mobile releases. This means that the iPhone 7 Plus features less memory than the other three phablet contenders in this comparison. Apple has armed its phablet with 3GB of RAM, whereas all of the other releases here have 4GB included. This means that the Pixel XL, Galaxy S7 Edge & LG V20 have the advantage here.
Advantage: Pixel XL, Galaxy S7 Edge & LG V20
Storage
There are numerous storage options available with each of these smartphone contenders, so it is perhaps most illustrative here to list the various specific storage quotients.
Pixel XL – 32 / 128GB
iPhone 7 Plus – 32 / 128 / 256GB
Galaxy S7 Edge – 32 / 64 / 128GB
LG V20 – 32 / 64GB
With the iPhone 7 Plus being the only phablet of the four to provide a 256GB version, it is fair to say that Apple has delivered the best phablet in this department.
Advantage: iPhone 7 Plus
Camera
Camera technology is another major selling point of contemporary mobiles, and thus each of these phablets is well-served photographically. Apple has ensured that the iPhone 7 Plus features dual-cameras, which could give it an edge over the Pixel XL and Galaxy S7 Edge, even though the former has a marginally higher megapixel rating.
However, there is a clear winner in this department, with the LG V20 not only delivering dual-cameras, but also featuring a whopping 16-megapixel rating. This simply means that the LG release delivers the best photographic performance in this phablet battle.
Advantage: LG V20
Battery
The Galaxy S7 Edge features the largest battery of these four devices, and has performed extremely well in testing. This would seem to suggest that the Samsung handset should have the edge over the other contenders, and this is indeed a logical conclusion.
However, although the Google Pixel XL and iPhone 7 Plus both have larger batteries than the V20, LG has enabled users to remove the 3,200 mAh unit, meaning that it is clearly the most flexible of the four. It is very much down to personal taste whether one prefers the larger Galaxy S7 Edge battery, all the removable LG V20 units, but both have their advantages and thus deserve to be acknowledged as outstanding.
Advantage: Galaxy S7 Edge & LG V20
Conclusion
As usual, Samsung has absolutely excelled with the Galaxy S7 Edge, delivering a unit with outstanding specifications. This means that those who invest in the next generation Samsung mobile receive a superb device, one which has deservedly received excellent reviews since appearing on the market.
It must be mentioned in mitigation that Apple has always relied on its unique combination of proprietary hardware and software, and has never worried about impressive specs. Despite its relatively paltry looking figures, the iPhone 7 Plus punches above its weight, and ultimately delivers a very slick package.
