S5 for $150 or G2 for free?

Insomniator

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2002
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Currently have a DNA... which is fine for me but thinking about an upgrade. Its between these 2 (like the M8 but don't want the size and wouldn't pay $200).

I do watch a lot of videos on my phone, so the larger screen of the G2 is nice. The waterproofing and newness of the S5 make me think I should just drop the 150 though...
 

mnewsham

Lifer
Oct 2, 2010
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I personally wouldn't find the water proofing alone worth the $150. But I suppose that depends on your usage. The G2 will generally feel just as fast as the S5, they are nearly identical in specs so "newness" doesn't really mean much in this case.
 

Insomniator

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2002
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Definitely don't want a bigger a phone... 5.5" is way too much. Plus with the same chipset as the S5 I won't be missing out on much else.

And yes I'd never use the waterproofing... but that's more an emergency accident thing imo.
 

richierich1212

Platinum Member
Jul 5, 2002
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Definitely don't want a bigger a phone... 5.5" is way too much. Plus with the same chipset as the S5 I won't be missing out on much else.

And yes I'd never use the waterproofing... but that's more an emergency accident thing imo.

It basically has a 5.5" screen in a body thats slightly bigger than the S5:
s5_vs_g3.jpg
 
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Rdmkr

Senior member
Aug 2, 2013
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Definitely don't want a bigger a phone...

so you're picking the G2..?

I'd say it depends on whether you'd root and mod the G2 or not. It has some major flaws out of the box but once you've dealt with them it can stand toe to toe with the latest generation's flagships.

An advantage of the LG G2 is that you run less of a risk when you mess around with it. I've rooted mine and opened it up 3 times knowing that if anything went wrong, the cost to replace it would be manageable.
 
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mnewsham

Lifer
Oct 2, 2010
14,539
428
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Definitely don't want a bigger a phone... 5.5" is way too much. Plus with the same chipset as the S5 I won't be missing out on much else.

And yes I'd never use the waterproofing... but that's more an emergency accident thing imo.

The G3 and the S5 are basically the same size. LG just managed to fit a bigger better screen into the same (or close to it) dimensions.
 

TreVader

Platinum Member
Oct 28, 2013
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I'd go S5 the G2 and G3 both have that weird rear button setup. As much as people say "it's only wider" width would be my biggest concern anyway as your pockets are likely to be long enough.
 

dawheat

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2000
3,132
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Currently have a DNA... which is fine for me but thinking about an upgrade. Its between these 2 (like the M8 but don't want the size and wouldn't pay $200).

I do watch a lot of videos on my phone, so the larger screen of the G2 is nice. The waterproofing and newness of the S5 make me think I should just drop the 150 though...

I don't think 5.1" vs 5.2" is going to make much difference for videos. In everyday usage I think the screen sizes will be similar since the G2 is going to have on screen buttons.

The G2 was kind of a mid-gen phone so there isn't much difference honestly. And with its battery, it makes up for the greater power efficiency of the newest phones.

Is waterproofing, fingerprint scanner, and slightly better camera worth $150 to you? It's not much money either way - so it depends on whether you need the newest of not. I've used the fingerprint scanner and while it's not as good as the iPhone 5S, it works fine for me once you get the hang of the angle/speed it works best at. It's just not forgiving for angles or going too fast. But once you get the hang of it, it's fine.

The G3 is also a good choice if you can wait until July possibly. If the width of the phone isn't an issue for you, then it's definitely a compelling phone that focuses on display and thin bezels instead of features that not everyone uses (waterproofing, biometrics).
 

Morbus

Senior member
Apr 10, 2009
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Why not a Nexus 5? Isn't it considerably cheaper and just as good (if not better)?
 

jhu

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
11,918
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Thats a G2 in the picture. The g3 is taller, wider and thicker then the s5.

That's true although the G2 loses some screen real estate due to the buttons being on-screen vs. the Galaxy S5's buttons being off screen.

I'd personally get the the G2 since it's "free" and more easily rooted than the S5 (I'm on AT&T).
 
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zephyrprime

Diamond Member
Feb 18, 2001
7,512
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Both are pretty nice I think. The S5 is not really worth the premium but it's your call as far as how much money you've got.