Head-to-Head: Samsung Galaxy S7 Vs. LG G5

Which Phone Stole The Show At Mobile World Congress?

Consumers cheered the launch of not one, but two new flagships at Mobile World Congress this year -- LG's G5 and Samsung's Galaxy S7.

With the G5, LG is going after Samsung with everything it has -- the new smartphone looks nothing like the G4, has a bevy of new features and specs, and features a new modular component at the bottom of the device.

Meanwhile, Samsung has not changed much in its new Galaxy S7, but that doesn't mean that it hasn't made any improvements. The new model speaks to the desires of consumers with better speeds and feeds, as well as other new forward-looking capabilities.

So which flagship stole the show at Mobile World Congress this year? CRN puts the G5 and the Galaxy S7 together for comparison.

Both Phones Win Externally

On the outside, the G5 and Galaxy S7 look fairly similar. Most important, the G5 has finally switched to a metal body. Samsung made that move last year, introducing its Galaxy S6 with an aluminum body -- an aesthetic upgrade over its previous models' plastic frame.

In terms of size, the G5 has a bigger screen -- 5.3 inches -- than the 5.1-inch screen of the Galaxy S7. However, for phablet lovers, Samsung's Galaxy S7 lineup also comes with a larger-screened, 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 Edge.

The screen resolution for both phones is fairly similar as well -- both smartphones tout 1,440-by-2,560-pixel displays (although the Galaxy S7 has a sharper screen with 577 pixel density, compared with the G5's 554 pixel density). LG's screen is also IPS, while the Galaxy S7 has a Super ALOMED screen that is superior in some aspects, such as improved brightness and vibrancy.

Always-On Display

Always-On Display was the hottest feature for flagships at Mobile World Congress this year -- both the Galaxy S7 and the G5 were launched with this new concept.

Always-On Display is a feature, inspired by the motion-activated display of the Moto X, which enables users to take sneak peaks at their phones for quick information -- including checking the time, or glancing at messages and emails. The best part is that users don't have to touch their smartphones -- the G5 or Galaxy S7 will automatically fade on when they are flipped over.

The benefit here is twofold -- users can quickly check their phones during a conversation or meeting without being rude (similar to the function of smartwatches), and the display reduces battery usage.

The G5's Modular Design Build Is Innovative

The G5's modular build gives it a small boost in terms of customization over the Galaxy S7 -- this component allows users to take off the phone's bottom section and replace it with add-ons, including a battery, a camera grip and a Hi-Fi music player.

LG has introduced two such modules, though it hasn't revealed anything about pricing -- a Cam Plus, which is an add-on camera that offers auto focus, exposure lock and other features, and Hi-Fi Plus, a portable audio player developed in collaboration with B&O Play.

Speaking of build, which phone is heavier? The Galaxy S7's 152 grams is 4 percent lighter than the G5's 159 grams, but it is also a smaller phone, so the G5 has a slightly better size-to-weight ratio.

Both Phones Pack Qualcomm Processors

Both the G5 and the Galaxy S7 pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor -- Qualcomm's speediest Snapdragon model, containing two dual-core Kyro CPUs that are clocked at 2.15GHz and 1.6GHz.

Samsung's switch to the Snapdragon 820 is significant because the South Korean company has typically packed its in-house Samsung Exynos processors into its smartphones.

That said, the Galaxy S7 also contains an option of an octa-core Exynos 8890 processor, which will be sold everywhere except the U.S., China and Japan. The G5 also has a lower-end model packing a Snapdragon 652 chipset. Meanwhile, in terms of GPUs, both phones pack an Adreno 530 GPU for improved graphics.

Memory, Storage And OS

The G5 and Galaxy S7 stack up differently in terms of internal storage -- the G5 contains one 32-GB option, while the Galaxy S7 contains options of either 32 GB, 64 GB or up to 128 GB of internal storage.

The Galaxy S7 and G5 both accept microSD cards of up to 2 TB in size, allowing users to store any extra photos, videos and music files that won't fit into internal storage. Both handsets also ship with 4 GB of RAM.

Meanwhile, in terms of operating systems, both the Galaxy S7 and the G5 run on Android's Marshmallow version. Each smartphone has its own customized OS version sitting on top -- Samsung's TouchWiz and LG's UI.

Galaxy S7 Has A Better Battery -- But It's Not Removable

The Galaxy S7 packs a 3,000-mAh battery that exceeds the 2,800-mAh battery of the G5 -- however, the G5's battery is removable.

While the G5's battery contains less juice than that of the Galaxy S7, the LG 360 CAM accessory packs an extra 1,200 mAh of battery power -- so powering up the smartphone is as easy as unloading one battery and loading the other.

In terms of ports, the Galaxy S7 disappointed consumers with a MicroUSB port, while the G5 has the superior USB Type-C -- a faster and reversible port for plug-ins.

Two Different Cameras

Cameras were Samsung's strong suit in the Galaxy S6, and the smartphone company again pushes the limits with the Galaxy S7. However, LG has some tricks up its sleeve for its G5 cameras as well.

The Galaxy S7 packs a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Meanwhile, the G5 contains a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The G5 also contains a second 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with a 135-degree field of view.

The Galaxy S7 has good low-light performance and upgraded focus speeds, while LG touted its wide-angle view capabilities of its front-facing camera, allowing users to take wide-angle and standard shots at the same time.

Other Features: Waterproof Capabilities, Android Pay, Fast Charging

Both the Galaxy S7 and G5 feature the NFC chip, which is necessary to support Android Pay, while the Galaxy S7 obviously also contains Samsung Pay capabilities, so Samsung users can emulate the magnetic strip on a credit card for point-of-sale terminals that don't support wireless. Both phones also contain fingerprint sensors on the back.

However, the Galaxy S7 has a few other interesting features the G5 lacks -- Samsung's new smartphone is water- and dust-proof with an IP68 rating, allowing the device to survive in about 5 feet of water.

The Galaxy S7 also supports wireless charging and quick charging capabilities with the Samsung fast charging pad, which the G5 does not have.

Both Phones Support Virtual Reality

Both Samsung and LG placed large bets on virtual reality this year, and this is clearly reflected in their smartphones.

The Galaxy S7 can be paired with Samsung's $99 Gear VR by sliding into a front slot on the headset. Meanwhile, the G5 attaches to LG's 360 VR headset through a cable. LG's headset does not yet have a price.

Samsung in particular has pushed its Gear VR headset -- if users preorder a Galaxy S7 before March 18, they can get a free Gear VR with six games.

Release Date And Pricing

The Galaxy S7 will be released March 11, and preorders are available (if users preorder a Galaxy S7 before March 18, they will also get a free Gear VR). The G5 will come out a little later in the year, on an unspecified date in April.

While neither manufacturer has openly discussed starting prices for their smartphones, all eyes will be on the price tags for the G5 and Galaxy S7.