Sometimes it's really hard to choose between two top smartphones. In this case, I'd have a hard time picking! The Sony Xperia Z1S is T-Mobile's latest flagship Android smartphone, while the LG G2 has been available on the carrier for a few months. To be fair, the Xperia launched as the Z1 overseas in late September 2013, so they're not that far apart in terms of release dates. Both run on the same 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 quad core CPU with Adreno 330 graphics, have 2 gigs of RAM, 32 gigs of storage and big full HD displays. So how do you choose?
Design and Ergonomics
The LG G2 is an oddball phone with volume and power buttons on the rear. They're supposed to be easier to reach when holding the phone with one hand. They are in fact easy enough to reach, but I still find myself turning the phone over to make sure I press the right button (nothing is more annoying than being engrossed in a video and accidentally putting the phone to sleep rather than raising the volume). The phone is glossy plastic, available in your choice of black or white. It's not a bad looking phone, but as with Samsung phones, the glossy plastics do nothing to make it look classy. In the LG's favor, its curves are perfection and it feels great in the hand.
The Sony Xperia Z1 and Z1S have attractive looking glass backs (black on T-Mobile) and that angular, modern minimalist Xperia OmniBalance design. It doesn't look like other phones and it looks like an expensive phone. Though we haven't heard of a plague of breaking glass backs (the design dates back to the Xperia Z, so we have older phones to go by), some folks might feel glass is vulnerable. It loves fingerprints, as does the LG G2, but you can wash it. This is a waterproof and dust resistant phone.
Both have batteries that are sealed inside. The Xperia pulls ahead with a microSD card slot, which the LG G2 lacks.
Winner: Sony Xperia Z1S
Sony Xperia Z1S vs. LG G2 Comparison Smackdown Video
Horsepower and Software
It's a tie for CPU, graphics and RAM. They're running on the same internals. Sony goes with a very lightly customized version of Android 4.3 that we enjoy. LG uses their LG UI on Android 4.2.2, which customizes the look and feel as much as Samsung's TouchWiz does. There's a handy multi-tasking feature for some apps, easy customization of the home screen and you can select icon styles. Which is better? That depends on you: if you like clean Android the Sony will appeal, but if you enjoy lots of added software and enhancements you'll prefer the LG.
Winner: Tie.
Display
Much has been made of Sony's Triluminos full HD display. It's pretty but viewing angles aren't as wide as some IPS displays. Ironically, the LG G2's IPS display doesn't have wide viewing angles among the IPS competition. I really enjoy both displays: the LG G2 has great contrast and pleasing colors. The Xperia Z1S has a warm and cinematic feel with better color calibration and a very wide color gamut. Personally, I prefer the Z1S display, but I generally look at my phone head on and don't regularly share the screen with others. The Sony may strike you as prettier, while the LG may look sharper thanks to strong contrast.
Winner: Tie. I suggest you look at them both and see which one appeals more to you.
Camera
Sony steals the show here with the highest megapixel count on an Android phone as of Jan. 2014. The 20.7 MP camera with a fairly large Exmor RS sensor and good Sony G f/2.0 lens steals the show. It's not perfect, but it's an excellent camera that captures more detail than the very capable 13MP shooter on the LG G2. Captured colors are particularly pleasing and vibrant on the Xperia Z1S, and we enjoy the variety of modes including AR (augmented reality) and background blur. For 1080p video recording the LG G2 fights back with optical rather than digital image stabilization--important to those with shaky hands. Still, the Xperia Z1S overall has the best camera.
Winner: Sony Xperia Z1S.
Benchmarks
| Quadrant | 3DMark Ice Storm | AnTuTu | Sunspider JavaScript Test | |
| Sony Xperia Z1S | 21589 | 16,135 (unlimited) | 35,008 | 837 |
| LG G2 | 19,762 | 9803 (extreme) | 32,990 | 823 |
Geekbench: close enough to call a tie
There are of course more points to cover, so watch our Sony Xperia Z1S vs. LG G2 Comparison Smackdown video above to see them all. Which phone did I personally pick? The Xperia Z1S, but I did have a chance to enjoy the LG G2 for several months before picking up a Z1S (ah, the attraction of new and shiny toys).
Price: varies by carrier, similarly priced on most carriers including T-Mobile US
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