Six months on from the Sony Xperia Z2 comes the Xperia Z3 featuring a more refined design, better battery life and an improved camera, but how will it stack up against the other flagship smartphones available?

Here we are looking at how the Xperia Z3 compares to the ultra-slim bezelled LG G3 and its 2K display, so what are the differences and which device is the winner in terms of specs?

The Xperia Z3 is slimmer and smaller but heavier

The Sony Xperia Z3 brings the same omnibalance design Xperia Z products have become known for, but refines it slightly with a more rounded design. The signature side power button is still present and it is still IP65 and IP68 rated so you can drop it in a pint or water or down the toilet without a problem.

There is an aluminium frame with the Xperia Z3, along with nylon corners to protect the device if you drop it and you'll find the same tempered glass flat front and rear.

When it comes to the LG G3, you'll find an all over plastic casing that looks like brushed aluminium, curved edges and a slightly rounded back. Side-by-side to the Xperia Z3, the LG G3 looks much more oval in terms of shape compared to Sony's rectangular-shaped handset.

The LG G3 measures 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm and weighs 149g while the Sony Xperia Z3 measures 146 x 72 x 7.3mm and hits the scales at 152g so it is a little heavier than the LG G3 but it is slimmer and fractionally smaller.

The LG G3 is sharper and bigger

The Sony Xperia Z3 features a 5.2-inch display while the LG G3 packs a 5.5-inch display into its 2mm wider and 1.6mm thicker body. It is the resolution where the LG G3 really storms into the lead against the Xperia Z3 though. 

Sony offers a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display on the Xperia Z3, which provides a pixel density of 424ppi, while the LG G3 moves into 2K territory with its 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution that delivers a 534ppi. 

While both offer LCD displays, the larger LG G3 display will be quite a lot sharper and feature more detail than the Sony Xperia Z3 are there are over 100 more pixels packed in per inch. Sony claims this difference isn't noticeable to the human eye on this sized device however, so that's a point worth remembering if you are selecting a device for the display alone.

Same processor but Xperia Z3 has more RAM

Sony has opted for a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor along with 3GB of RAM to power the Xperia Z3, while the UK version of the LG G3 sports the same processor but only 2GB of RAM.

As the processor is the same, it should mean you'll get a similar experience in terms of performance with these two devices but as the Xperia Z3 has a little more RAM to help, it will probably mean that larger, more dutiful tasks will be a little easier for Sony's handset.

Better camera on the Xperia Z3

The camera element of the Sony Xperia Z3 is an area of focus for the Japanese company and just like the Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z2, Sony has popped a 20.7-megapixel sensor onto the newest flagship, compared to the LG G3's 13-megapixel rear snapper offering.

Sony has also upped the ISO sensitivity to 12800, which it claims is a first for a smartphone and it has added a new wider 25mm G Lens. These improvements will help with low light pictures and enable you to get more in the shot respectively so on paper, the Sony should be the winner in terms of camera.

On the front, the Sony Xperia Z3 has a 2.2-megapixel camera compared to the 2.1-megapixel snapper on the LG G3 but both devices offer a range of clever features including using a hand gesture to take a shot on the LG G3 and capturing your reaction while taking a photo on the Xperia Z3. 

Software

Both the Sony Xperia Z3 and the LG G3 run on Android 4.4 KitKat but they both offer their own individual company skins on top so you'll find a push towards Sony's services like Walkman and Entertainment on the Xperia Z3 while LG opts for a UI that wants to make everything more simplified.

You'll find the same sensors on both devices including accelerometer, gyro and proximity and the usual connectivity options are also available on both including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC.

When it comes to sound, LG opts for Dolby mobile sound enhancement while Sony sticks with digital noise cancelling technology along with adding DSEE HX technology that will convert low-res audio files into near hi-res to enable the user to hear music "as the artist intended".

The Xperia Z3 will last longer

The Sony Xperia Z3 houses a 3100mAh battery under its bonnet that Sony claims will give you two days of normal use and with the Sony Stamina software, it's likely to give you a good run, even if it isn't two days.

The LG G3 on the other hand has a 3000mAh battery powering it but with that 2K screen, it's likely the Xperia Z3 will win on the battery life front.

In terms of storage, both the UK models of the Xperia Z3 and the LG G3 feature 16GB of internal memory with storage expansion up to 128GB offered via microSD.

Conclusion

The Sony Xperia Z3 is slimmer and smaller, packs in more RAM, offers more megapixels on its rear camera, is waterproof and it comes with a bigger battery capacity to see you through the day.

The LG G3 on the other hand, is lighter and it has a bigger and sharper beautiful display on offer, plus you get a lot less bezel surrounding the screen.

Based on specs alone, the Xperia Z3 is probably the winner here as it gains points in more places than the LG G3 but it will depend on the design you are after and whether you want a higher resolution display or a higher resolution camera, among other things.