Samsung Galaxy Note II vs. LG Intuition: Phablet Face-Off - PC Magazine

Now that the LG Optimus Vu is finally making its way stateside, in the form of the rebranded LG Intuition for Verizon Wireless, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note II won't be the only phablet in town. But which one is the bigger deal? We compiled specs for each phone in the table below to find out.

Keep in mind is that the specs announced for the Galaxy Note II aren't necessarily true to the device we'll be getting when the phone makes its way over to the U.S. later this year; these are specs for the European version. Remember that the Galaxy S III launched with a quad-core processor overseas, but the version sold here had a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4.

That aside, let's start by taking a look at the displays. The Samsung Galaxy Note II has a huge, 5.55-inch, 1280-by-720 Super AMOLED Display. That makes for a 16:9 aspect ratio and 265-pixel-per-inch density. The LG Intuition, meanwhile, features a 5-inch, 1280-by-720 IPS LCD. It has a 4:3 aspect ratio and a slightly denser 294 pixels per inch. But 5 inches is smaller than even the original 5.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Note, and the squarish shape is somewhat awkward. So if you're looking for the truer cross between a phone and a tablet, the Galaxy Note II is the better choice.

The biggest difference on this chart is the processor. The LG Intuition is powered by a dual-core, 1.5-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor. We've tested it in other smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy S III, and it's super fast. So you won't have cause for complaint with the Intuition, but if it makes its way to the U.S., the quad-core, 1.6-GHz Cortex-A9 in the Samsung Galaxy Note II will be cause for excitement. But since we're not quite sure which processor we're getting, this one is a draw.

The other big point of comparison is the stylus technology used by each phone. The Galaxy Note II features Wacom's S Pen, while the LG Intuition uses what LG is calling a Rubberdium pen. PCMag's lead mobile analsyt, Sascha Segan, had a great experience using the S Pen while reviewing the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, and many of those same features will make their way to the Galaxy Note II. The Intuition, meanwhile, uses the same stylus as the Optimus Vu, which lacks many of the features and much of the precision you'll get with the Note II.

So while we're comparing the LG Intuition to the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note II, a closer comparison would actually be the original Samsung Galaxy Note. The LG Optimus Vu was announced back in February, and the LG Intuition remains largely unchanged from that device. The Galaxy Note II, meanwhile, is running more advanced hardware, along with some great new software from Samsung, particularly when it comes to using the stylus.

But if you want a new phone now, the decision is easy. The LG Intuition will be available from Verizon starting Sept. 6 for $199.99. According to Samsung, the Galaxy Note II will be available "later in 2012," with pricing and carriers to be announced. If you can hold out until then, it looks like the Galaxy Note II will be the phablet that reigns supreme, but we'll be putting both phones to the test as soon as we get our hands on them.

For more, see PCMag's hands on with the Galaxy Note II and the slideshow below.