Huawei P10 vs LG G6

How does the LG G6 compare to the Huawei P10? Let's find out shall we...

The blindfolds have been removed and the biggest handset makers are finally taking the wraps off their flagship Android smartphones for 2017. Two of the biggest announcements so far have been the Huawei P10 and the LG G6.

There was also the Sony Xperia XZ Premium too, which is a truly exceptional phone. It has a 4K display, an insane camera, and it looks brilliant – even better in the flesh. Pictures do not do it justice.

However, for a lot of people the LG G6 and Huawei P10 were the two biggest announcements taking place at MWC 2017. Those and, of course, the Samsung Galaxy S8, which didn’t end up launching (but did leak all over the place).

2016 was a decent year for Android flagships, but this year has really kicked off with a bang. The LG G6 and Huawei P10 are two great examples of what can happen when two phone makers’ are firing on all cylinders.

I had high hopes for both and now, a few days after the handsets’ launch, I can safely say that neither disappointed. Both are supremely impressive updates over what came before, and both should sell exceptionally well in 2017’s Android space.

Both are 5in+ beasts and both will be competing for your pocketbook. But which, in the end, deserves your money. We take a look at both the Huawei P10 and the LG G6 to see how each stacks up.

In terms of prices, we've heard nothing official from Huawei, but there was a leak ahead of the Huawei P10 launch showing how it would be priced in the Chinese market, to give some indication of how much you can expect to lay out for it.

The Huawei P10 will come in three variants with either a version with 4GB of RAM and options for 32GB or 64GB of storage, or a version with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage; prices are $508, $595, and $683 respectively. All these models will run on the Kirin 960 processor and feature a dual-sensor Leica camera.

For the LG G6, meanwhile, it's been priced for the Korean market at 899,800 won (US$796.85), while UK retailer Mobilefun has confirmed its price at £699.

But which one has the better display? Which has the faster processor and RAM? Which looks cooler? Let’s find out.

Huawei P10 vs LG G6: Specs

Here’s the specs for the Huawei P10:

Display: 5.1in display with a 1920×1080-pixel resolution at 432ppi
Dimensions: 145.3 x 69.3 x 7 mm
Weight: 145 grams
Storage: 64GB, plus support for microSD cards up to 256GB
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Processors: Kirin 960 2.4GHz 64-bit Octa-core processor
Front camera: 8 MP
Rear camera: Dual 20 + 12 MP
Battery life: 3200 mAh
Colors: Mystic Silver, Rose Gold, Graphite Black, Dazzling Gold, Dazzling Blue, Greenery

And here’s the specs for the LG G6:

Display: 5.7in display with a 2880×1440-pixel resolution at 564ppi
Dimensions: 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9mm
Weight: 163 grams
Storage: 32 or 64GB, plus support for microSD cards up to 256GB
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Processors: Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
Front camera: 5 MP
Rear camera: Dual 13 MP
Battery life: 3300 mAh
Colors: Astro Black, Ice Platinum, Mystic White

Both phones come in 64GB storage options, but the G6 also comes in a lower 32GB option (not that anyone should opt for such low storage). All seems even, so far, right? And it is as both phones also supports storage expansion via the microSD card slot up to 256GB in size.

When it comes to RAM, 4GB is what you get with either phone, no matter what storage size. As for processors, the P10 features Huawei’s new Kirin 64-bit Kirin 960 2.4GHz 64-bit Octa-core processor. As for the G6, you get Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821. Which is better? In all the real world tests I’ve seen they’re about equal.

When it comes to battery, the G6 eeks out just a bit more battery power at 3300 mAh versus the P10’s 3200 mAh battery. Still, expect virtually the same battery life for each device, since the larger battery in the G6 needs to power a higher resolution display.

Huawei P10 vs LG G6: Design & Build

I’m a big fan of the P10 with its precision-engineered aluminum and ceramic body and its good selection of color options.

It also features a new textured back finish the company calls "hyper diamond cut” on select models. In truth, however, it’s really hard to compare the body designed of flagships nowadays as most feature all-metal or aluminum bodies, as the G6 does as well.

What is no surprise is the P10 is 0.9mm thinner than the G6. The almost-1mm thickness difference is because the G6 has the physically larger display and I guess LG couldn’t find a way to flatten the larger battery the G6 needs to power it.

Huawei P10 vs LG G6: Display

We come to the first HUGE difference between the two when we talk displays.

The Huawei P10 has the smaller 5.1in display with a resolution of 1920×1080-pixel at 432ppi. It’s a nice display, sure, but when you compare it to the G6’s 5.7in beast of a display with 2880×1440-pixels at 564ppi, well, the contest is over. The G6 hands down has the better display.

Huawei P10 vs LG G6: Cameras

But the P10 strikes back in a BIG WAY when you get to the camera department. The P10 features a dual-camera Leica lens in its rear camera.

That’s right, there are TWO lenses in the back camera, one 20MP and one 12MP, leading to pictures that approach DSLR quality. The G6 features a dual lens camera as well, but it only features two 13MP lenses. No question about it, you will get MUCH better pics using the P10’s camera.

"With an overall DxOMark Mobile Score of 87," says DxOMark, "the Huawei P10 is up there as one of the best smartphones ever tested by DxOMark for photography enthusiasts. For stills, its Photo sub-score of 88 is excellent, thanks to generally good exposures in all conditions, including extreme low light, and good color rendering with accurate white balance. Detail and texture preservation is also very good, producing some of the sharpest results we’ve seen, and the P10’s autofocus is fast, accurate, and repeatable in both trigger and auto mode."

As for front facing cameras, the P10 beats the G6 there too. The P10 has an single 8MP front lens, while the G6 is stuck with a single 5MP lens front camera.

Huawei P10 vs LG G6: Verdict

Yeeesh! This is a very VERY tough call. In many ways the LG G6 wins: it’s got better storage options and a MUCH better display. But the P10 is incredibly compelling thanks to its superior dual lens camera system. Your pics will be better than ever thanks to the P10’s 20MP and 12MP dual lens rear camera.

Make no mistake, though: both these handsets are exceptional devices. Huawei has evolved so much in the past two years that is is now 100% a direct challenger to Samsung and LG – and even Apple.

The company’s phones are beautifully designed, packed with excellent hardware and consistently push the boundaries of what’s possible with Android and mobile technology in general.

LG, meanwhile, is consistent as ever. The G6, which is beautiful to behold, makes a great impression and features some of the smoothest software and styling we’ve ever seen from the Korean company.

Picking which is the best is basically impossible, as both are brilliant phones. That means it comes down to more of a question of what you’re going to do with the phones or whether or not you feel more brand affinity with LG or Huawei.

So which to choose? My advice is if gaming and everyday app-usage is the most important thing to you in a phone, opt for the LG G6 over the P10. However, if picture taking is something you primarily use your smartphone for, grab the P10. Pics don’t get better than that (without a DSLR).