In this post, we are going to put all the Aristo devices against each other. Let’s find out whether the latest Aristo 4 Plus is a true successor to Aristo 3 or not.
The devices we are going to compare are LG Aristo 4 Plus lm-x320, Aristo 3 lm-x220ma, Aristo 3 Plus lm-x220mb, Aristo 2 lm-x210ma & Aristo 2 Plus lm-x212ta.
First of all, let’s find out the differences between them and later on we are going to point out the similarities common features between these aristo devices. So, without further ado let’s proceed with the comparison –
Difference between LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus)
1. Release Date & Price
RELEASE DATE & PRICE | LG Aristo 3 (Plus) | LG Aristo 4 Plus | LG Aristo 2 (Plus) |
---|---|---|---|
Model Number | LM-X220MA / LM-X220MB | LM-X320MA / LM-X320TA | LMX210MA / LM-X212TA |
Release Date | January 2019 (Aristo 3), June 2019 (Aristo 3 Plus) | September 2019 | January 2018 (Aristo 2), June 2018 (Aristo 2 Plus) |
Current Price | Around $65 | Around $70 | Around $60 |
Aristo 2 was released in early 2018 for MetroPCS. 6 Months later the same device was launched for T-Mobile with a different name i.e LG Aristo 2 Plus. There is no difference between these 2 devices other than the color (gray vs blue) and carrier (service provider).
In the same manner, there was a difference of 6 months in the release date of Aristo 3 & Aristo 3 Plus. Aristo 3 was released in January 2019 for MetroPCS and in June 2019 Aristo 3 Plus came again from MetroPCS with a few extras. There is no T-Mobile Aristo 3 device. The Plus variant comes with Face Unlock and Fingerprint Scanner.
Aristo 4 Plus is the latest Aristo device. First, the T-Mobile variant was released in September 2019 and now a MetroPCS variant is available as well.
You can check out the recent prices of these phones in the below images. Click on the screenshot to find out the current price.
2. Build & Design
BUILD & DESIGN - The Differences | LG Aristo 3 (Plus) | LG Aristo 4 Plus | LG Aristo 2 (Plus) |
---|---|---|---|
Colors | Gray (Aristo 3), Black (Aristo 3 Plus) | Platinum Gray | Gray (Aristo 2), Moroccan Blue (Aristo 2 Plus) |
Dimensions | 144.8 x 71.9 x 8.1 mm (5.7” x 2.83” x 0.32”) | 146.8 x 71.4 x 8.4 mm (5.78” x 2.81” x 0.33”) | 144.8 x 71.9 x 8.1 mm (5.7” x 2.83” x 0.32”) |
Weight | 4.94 oz (140 g) | 5.3 oz (150.2 g) | 4.9 oz (139 g) |
Removable Battery | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ |
Memory Card Slot/Expandable Memory | Up to 32 GB | Up to 2 TB | up to 32 GB |
As evident from the above table, aristo 2 (plus) and Aristo 3 (plus) have almost similar dimensions and weight.
4 Plus is a newer device with a different form factor. It has a taller body with an 18:9 aspect ratio.
Except for Aristo 4 Plus, the rest of the devices have a removable battery.
3. Phone Layout
PHONE LAYOUT - The Differences | LG Aristo 3 (Plus) | LG Aristo 4 Plus | LG Aristo 2 (Plus) |
---|---|---|---|
Power Button | Back | Right | Back |
Loudspeaker Grill | Back | Bottom | Back |
Fingerprint Scanner | Back (Aristo 3 Plus) | Back | Not Applicable |
Headphone Jack | Bottom | Bottom | Bottom |
Sim Card/Memory Card Slot | Under the Battery Door | Left | Under the Battery Door |
Extra Hardware Button | ✖ | Google Assistant Key | ✖ |
We can see some improvement in the phone layout on Aristo 4 Plus. The speaker grill is moved from back to the bottom of the phone. An additional Google assistant key is added below the volume rocker. The power button is also shifted from the back to the right.
As Aristo 4 plus has a non-removable battery, the sim card slot is also located outside on the left below the volume rocker.
4. Display
DISPLAY - The Differences | LG Aristo 3 (Plus) | LG Aristo 4 Plus | LG Aristo 2 (Plus) |
---|---|---|---|
Screen Size | 5 inches | 5.45 inches | 5 inches |
Aspect Ratio | 16:9 ratio | 18:9 ratio | 16:9 ratio |
Screen Resolution/Wallpaper Size | 1280 x 720 pixels | 1440 x 720 pixels | 1280 x 720 pixels |
Gorilla Glass/Glass Screen Protection | ✖ | Panda King (T-Mobile variant) | Panda King (T-Mobile Variant) |
Pixel Density | 294 ppi | 282 ppi | 294 ppi |
For the first time, we have an Aristo phone with an 18:9 aspect ratio screen. This gives Aristo 4 Plus a bigger screen with almost the same dimensions as its predecessor.
While Aristo 2 (Plus) & Aristo 3 (Plus) have a smaller 5-inch screen with 1280 x 720 pixels screen resolution, 4 Plus comes with a 5.45 inches screen with 1440 x 720 pixels display.
The T-Mobile variants of Aristo 2 and Aristo 4 offers Panda King screen protection, which is synonymous with the more familiar Gorilla Glass.
5. Software
SOFTWARE | LG Aristo 3 (Plus) | LG Aristo 4 Plus | LG Aristo 2 (Plus) |
---|---|---|---|
Android Version | Upgradable to Android 9.0 Pie | Android 9.0 Pie | Upgradable to Android Oreo 8.1 |
LG User Interface Version | LG UX 7.0 | LG UX 8.0 | LG UX 7.0 |
As of now, Aristo 2 (Plus) and Aristo 3 (Plus) have Android Oreo 8.1 OS with LG UI 7.0. 4 Plus offers Android Pie 9.0 with a newer LG Skin UX 8.0.
The refreshed Software would have felt much better with newer hardware on 4 Plus. As it uses the same age-old 1.4GHz Quad-Core processor as found in the earlier devices, it feels sluggish most of the time.
6. Camera
CAMERA - The Differences | LG Aristo 3 (Plus) | LG Aristo 4 Plus | LG Aristo 2 (Plus) |
---|---|---|---|
Portrait Mode with background blur effect | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
QLens / Visual Shopping | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
Even though the image resolution of all the aristo phones is 13 MP, Aristo 4 offers few additional features such as QLens & Portrait mode.
The picture quality of photos taken with the new 4 Plus Camera looks better than the older devices. This may be due to the better screen on 4 Plus.
QLens feature aids in visual shopping. Just click a picture of any product and it’ll show the same product (if available) or similar products on amazon.
The Selfie camera on 4 Plus offers Portrait mode with a background blur effect. We can increase or decrease the blur effect using a slider as shown above.
7. Network, Sensors & Storage
NETWORK, SENSORS & STORAGE - The Differences | LG Aristo 3 (Plus) | LG Aristo 4 Plus | LG Aristo 2 (Plus) |
---|---|---|---|
Carrier | MetroPCS | MetroPCS/T-Mobile | MetroPCS/T-Mobile |
Fingerprint Sensor | Only on Aristo 3 Plus | ✖ | ✖ |
Maximum SD card capacity/SD card size | Up to 2 TB | Up to 2 TB | up to 32 GB |
Aristo 3 was never released for T-Mobile. Both of its variants were released for MetroPCS only.
The main difference between Aristo 3 & 3 plus is the addition of a Fingerprint scanner in the Plus variant. Aristo 2 & 2 Plus are one and the same except for the color and carrier (service provider).
As per LG, Aristo 4 Plus supports Micro SD up to 2TB. The maximum card size supported by earlier models in 32GB.
8. Benchmark Test
BENCHMARK | LG Aristo 3 (Plus) | LG Aristo 4 Plus | LG Aristo 2 (Plus) |
---|---|---|---|
Geekbench Test | |||
Single-Core Score | 606 | 661 | 584 |
Multi-Core Score | 2671 | 1884 | 1577 |
Antutu Score | 62474 | 59644 | 50362 |
The above table shows the Antutu and Geekbench scores of all 3 models. Even though they share the same hardware, there is little variation in the test results.
9. Battery
BATTERY | LG Aristo 3 (Plus) | LG Aristo 4 Plus | LG Aristo 2 (Plus) |
---|---|---|---|
Capacity | 2500 mAh | 2890 mAh | 2410 mAh |
Battery Life / Talk Time | Up to 17 hrs & 5 mins | Up to 11 hrs | Up to 17 hrs |
Standby Time | Up to 14 days & 8 hrs | Up to 26 days & 16 hrs | Up to 14 days |
Aristo 4 Plus offers a higher capacity battery as compared to the earlier models. However, the bigger screen size compensates for increased battery capacity. The rated talk time and battery capacity can be compared using the above table.
10. Root Status
ROOT STATUS | LG Aristo 3 (Plus) | LG Aristo 4 Plus | LG Aristo 2 (Plus) |
---|---|---|---|
Root Compatible | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
Bootloader Unlock Compatible | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ |
Custom ROM Availability | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ |
Out of the 3 phones, only Aristo 2 (plus) can be rooted and that also after downgrading from Oreo to Nougat.
As of now, there is no way to root or unlock the bootloader on Aristo 3 (Plus) & Aristo 4 Plus.
Similarities between LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus)
SIMILARITIES | What's common between the 3 |
---|---|
BUILD & DESIGN | LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus) |
Body Material | Plastic |
Waterproof | ✖ |
DISPLAY | LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus) |
Display Type/Technology | IPS LCD |
NETWORK | LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus) |
Sim Size/Type | Nano |
GSM/CDMA | GSM |
GSM Unlock Status | Locked |
Wifi Calling | ✔ |
VoLTE | ✔ |
SENSORS | LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus) |
Accelerometer | ✔ |
Gyroscope/VR Compatibility | ✔ |
Magnetometer/Digital Compass | ✔ |
Ambient Light Sensor | ✔ |
Proximity Sensor | ✔ |
CONNECTIVITY | LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus) |
USB | Micro USB 2.0 |
USB OTG Support | ✔ |
Bluetooth | ✔ |
Wifi | ✔ |
Wifi Hotspot / Tethering | ✔ |
GPS | ✔ |
Screen Mirroring / Miracast | ✔ |
MHL / Slimport / HDMI Compatible | ✖ |
NFC / Android Pay / Android Beam | ✖ |
IR Blaster / TV Remote | ✖ |
ADDITIONAL FEATURES | LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus) |
FM Radio | ✔ |
Notification LED Light | ✖ |
Quick Charge / Fast Charging | ✖ |
Wireless Charging / Qi-enabled | ✖ |
DTS:X 3D Surround Sound | ✖ |
MEMORY/STORAGE | LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus) |
Internal Storage/Memory/ROM | 16 GB |
Expandable Memory | ✔ |
HARDWARE | LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus) |
Processor/CPU | 1.4 GHz Quad-Core |
RAM | 2 GB |
Chipset | 28nm, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 MSM8917 |
GPU | Adreno 308 |
SOFTWARE | LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus) |
Face Unlock / Facial Recognition | ✔ |
Flashlight | ✔ |
Google Assistant | ✔ |
Multi-Window /Split Screen | ✔ |
CAMERA | LG Aristo 3 (Plus), Aristo 4 Plus & Aristo 2 (Plus) |
REAR | |
Image Resolution / Megapixels | 13 MP |
Autofocus | ✔ |
Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) | ✔ |
Flash | Single LED Flash |
Zoom | Up to 4x, Digital |
Video Resolution | 1080p @ 30 fps |
HDR | ✔ |
Face Detection | ✔ |
Manual Mode / Controls | ✔ |
Slow Motion | ✖ |
Time Lapse | ✖ |
Video Stabilization | ✖ |
FRONT | |
Image Resolution / Megapixels | 5 MP |
Selfie Flash | ✖ |
Video | 1080p @ 30 fps |
There are many common features between Aristo 2 (Plus), Aristo 3 (Plus) & Aristo 4. The above table marks those features which are present in all 3 or missing from all of them.
They all have a 13MP rear & 5MP front camera, 16GB internal storage, 1.4 GHz Quad-Core CPU, 2GB RAM, IPS Display, USB OTG Support, Wifi Calling, Gyroscope (VR compatible), Expandable Memory, Face Unlock, Multi Window (Multitasking) support, HDR, Manual Mode (Camera) & FM Radio.
None of the Aristo models have/support fast charging, USB-C, NFC, wireless charging, notification light, 3D surround sound, Gorilla Glass, MHL, IR Blaster, Video Stabilization, Time Lapse, Slow Motion & Water Resistance.
Conclusion
In the nutshell, we can conclude in these areas Aristo 4 Plus is ahead of the older Aristo models –
- Bigger screen with almost the same dimensions as earlier models
- Supports Micro SD card up to 2TB (vs 32GB)
- Loudspeaker Placement – shifted from back to the bottom
- Google Assitant Dedicated Hard Key
- QLens feature for Visual Shopping
- Portrait Mode with blurred background effect
- Higher capacity battery
Aristo 4 Plus loses in few areas as compared to the older models –
- Non-removable battery
- Cannot be rooted (Aristo 2 is rootable)
Which of the Aristo device you own or intend to buy? Please share it via the comment section below.