LG announced its latest flagship smartphone on 26 February 2017 in the form of the G6. The new device brings some exciting features with it, including a huge HDR display in a small premium and waterproof body.

It seems to right the wrongs of the G5, at least on paper, but how does it compare to its competition? We've put the LG G6 up against Google's brilliant Pixel and Pixel XL to see how they compare and what the differences are.

LG G6 vs Google Pixel XL vs Pixel: Design

  • Pixel is the smallest and lightest
  • LG has waterproofing
  • All three have USB Type-C

The LG G6 features a lovely metal, premium build with a glass finish on the rear. There is a circular rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, coupled with a dual-lens main camera and USB Type-C.

LG has introduced IP68 water and dust resistance to the new device, while also significantly slimming down the bezels surrounding the display and rounding off the corners for a lovely looking device. The LG G6 measures 148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9 and hits the scales at 163g.

The Google Pixel and Pixel XL also both have great premium metal bodies, along with glass on the rear, though only the top third of their backs is glass, while the rest remains metal. The camera setup is much more subtle than the G6, but they both have a rear-mounted circular fingerprint sensor.

Both models feature USB Type-C and neither has any physical buttons on the front, though the bezels surrounding the display are slighty wider than the G6. The Pixel measures 143.8 x 69.5 x 8.6mm and weighs 143g, while the Pixel XL measures 154.7 x 75.6 x 8.6mm and measures 168g.

The LG G6 is therefore the slimmest of the three devices being compared here, but it sits in the middle of the Pixel and Pixel XL in terms of weight and size. Neither Pixel device is waterproof.

LG G6 vs Google Pixel XL vs Pixel: Display

  • G6 has largest, sharpest display
  • G6 has HDR
  • G6 has wider aspect ratio

The LG G6 has a 5.7-inch display which features a Quad HD+ resolution at 2880 x 1440, resulting in a pixel density of 564ppi. It has an 18:9 aspect ratio and HDR, with support for both HDR 10 and Dolby Vision.

The Pixel has a 5-inch display, while the Pixel XL has a 5.5-inch display, meaning the G6 is bigger than both models, despite having a smaller body than the Pixel XL. The Pixels have an AMOLED display however, while the G6 opts for LCD, meaning colours could be punchier on the Pixels.

The Pixel XL has a Quad HD resolution and the Pixel has a Full HD resolution, putting both their pixel densities lower than the G6 at 440ppi and 534ppi, respectively. Both are protected by Corning Gorilla 4.

LG G6 vs Google Pixel XL vs Pixel: Camera

  • G6 has a dual-rear camera with two 13MP sensors
  • Pixels have higher resolution front camera
  • G6 has OIS

The LG G6 has a dual-rear camera setup featuring two 13-megapixel sensors, one of which has a 125-degree wide-angle lens that is designed to offer the same field of vision you see with your eyes. One sensor has a f/1.8 aperture with OIS and phase detection autofocus, while the other has a f/2.4 aperture and no autofocus.

The 5-megapixel front-facing camera on the G6 has a f/2.2 aperture and it too has a wide-angle lens, albeit a little narrower than the rear at 100-degrees.

The Pixel and Pixel XL both have a 12.3-megapixel rear camera with 1.55µm pixels and an aperture of f/2.0. They feature both laser autofocus and phase detection autofocus, but no optical image stabilisation. The front camera has an 8-megapixel resolution with 1.4µm pixels and an aperture of f/2.4.

LG G6 vs Google Pixel XL vs Pixel: Hardware

The LG G6 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, supported by 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of storage, both of which have microSD support. There is a 3300mAh battery, charged via USB Type-C as we mentioned.

The Pixel and Pixel XL both have the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and 4GB of RAM, but their storage options are 32GB or 128GB, neither of which offer microSD support. The Pixel has a 2770mAh battery, while the Pixel XL has a 3450mAh battery, both of which are charged via USB Type-C.

Like we said previously, all three devices have a fingerprint sensor on the rear and all three also have the 3.5mm headphone jack.

LG G6 vs Google Pixel XL vs Pixel: Software

  • Android Nougat on all three
  • G6 has extra software

The LG G6 runs on Android Nougat with the LG UX 6.0 software over the top, offering a range of new features, some of which are designed to make full use of the 18:9 display.

The Pixel and Pixel XL on the other hand run pure Android Nougat, with no extra bloatware. They are the poster boys for the Android experience so they will offer a more refined interface than the G6, though some may like the extra features offered by the G6.

LG G6 vs Google Pixel XL vs Pixel: Conclusion

The LG G6 and the Google Pixel XL and Pixel all have lovely, premium designs made from a combination of metal and glass. Some will prefer the G6, while others will prefer the Pixels.

The G6 has waterproofing, a huge display with very minimal bezels and its screen has a higher resolution and supports HDR. The G6 also has microSD support and a dual-lens rear camera. The Pixel XL has the largest battery capacity of these three devices, along with pure Android software, like the Pixel and the cameras on both Pixels are great.

All three of these smartphones have the same processor and RAM support so in terms of performance, they should be similar, meaning the decision comes down to design and software preference.