The LG G Flex 2 took the smartphone market by storm when it was announced at CES 2015 earlier this month as the flexible new device looks to improve on what the original G Flex offered as innovation last year. But many as saying that the new G Flex 2 performs more like the high-end flagship G3 than the original G Flex. So we wondered how the new G Flex 2 compares to the popular G3.

First up, let's take a look at the overall design of both. The G Flex 2 is smaller and lighter than both the original G Flex and the G3. As PC Advisor points out, "The LG G3 may be thicker than the G Flex 2, but at 149g it remains lighter." The site gives style points to both phones, but says that the G Flex 2 is ultimately "more stylish."

Gotta Be Mobile shares that positive opinion of the G Flex 2 in its own comparison review. "The new G Flex 2 has the same brushed metal look, even though it's built from plastic, and comes in three different colors. The design is overall more squared off than the LG G3, but only by a little bit. Those who enjoyed the LG G3 (or the original G Flex) will absolutely love the new G Flex 2. It is better in almost every way, runs the latest version of Android, and has some of the best specs we've seen in a smartphone."

While the 5.5-inch display size is the same for both devices, the G3 has a higher resolution at 1440 x 2560 over the G Flex 2's 1080 x 1920. Android Central points out the subtle differences in display quality, including how the curved display plays in. "The Flex uses flexible Plastic OLED panel, giving more vibrant colors and darker blacks, whereas the G3's LCD produces more muted tones. Naturally, the G Flex is a curvier handset all round, and that of course extends to its curved display and panel, which likes the original G Flex can be flexed with enough force."

As for performance, the G Flex 2 features the first 8-core 64-bit processor with the Snapdragon 810, which makes it more efficient and faster, despite the fact that the G3's Snapdragon 801 actually performs at a higher clocked speed (2.5 GHz vs. 2.0 GGHz on the Flex).

Another important difference is the operating software. The G Flex 2 will launch with Android 5.0 Lollipop standard, while the LG G3 still has Android 4.4.4 Kitkat with no word on an upgrade date.

But when it comes to looking at the internal specs, the two phones really share many similarities, including the same size cameras (13-megapixel rear, 2.1-megapixel front), same RAM (2 to 3 GB), same battery size (3,000 mAh, although the G3's is removable), and same storage capacity (16 or 32 GB with microSD capability).

One of the biggest determiners of what you'll buy between the two depends on if you're willing to wait or not. The G3 is currently available since August 2014, but at this point, LG is almost ready to drop the G4 this year anyway. And although the G Flex 2 was just announced, it's expected to launch sometime before the end of Q1 2015, which would cut off at March 31. AT&T, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular have already confirmed that they'll be carrying the G Flex 2, with no word from Verizon or T-Mobile just yet.

As for price, the G Flex 2's cost has yet to be announced with or without carrier contracts, but the G3 is $99 through most carriers with a two-year agreement, and $599 without.