LG OLED C3 vs LG G3 OLED: Which should you get?

LG’s upcoming range of OLED TVs look set to improve on the 2022 models with new audio features, higher brightness and a tweaked webOS interface.

As usual, in terms of the 4K OLEDs it’ll be the C3 and G3 OLED leading the way. If you you’re a fan of LG’s OLEDs and are looking to upgrade from a previous model, this year could be a good one to move up to a newer TV.

If that’s you, and you want to know what the difference between the C3 and G3 OLED, we’ve had a gander at what both these TVs are looking to bring to the table, and chosen four differences you should be mindful of when they hit the market later in 2023.

The G3 OLED is built for wall-mounting

The G3 is primarily built to be wall-mounted. It does not come with traditional stands for placement on AV furniture but a wall bracket for hoisting it up on a wall.

The C3, on the other hand, features a traditional pedestal stand, one that doesn’t take up a big footprint (at least for the sizes we’ve spotted so far), so it could be more easily accommodated on a smaller surface.

In the context of design, the C3 OLED is the type of TV that will suit most living rooms. If you are someone who prefers to have their the TV on a wall, the G3 OLED is the better option; although LG will be releasing a wall-mount for the C3 later this year that can also carry a soundbar at the same time too.

The C3 OLED is available in more sizes

Not everyone has room for a 55-inch TV, which is the starting point for the G3 series, and it goes up to 97-inches. If you wanted to go really big with the screen size, the G3 is the TV go for.

But some prefer the comforts of a smaller TV, and LG has made great strides in reducing the footprint of OLED panels. The C3 OLED doesn’t go as big as the G3 (it tops out a still massive 83-inches, but it does go smaller at 42- and 48-inches. The 42-inch is likely to be the option for bedroom gamers, much like the OLED42C2 was in 2022. If you can’t go for the big sizes, the C3 is the more accommodating of the two models.

The G3 is the brighter of the two OLEDs

LG has been introducing new technology and software to its OLED TVs to increase the brightness factor and recent years has seen the G-series TVs eke out a performance boost with its brighter picture. That trend will continue for 2023.

LG aren’t one to rest on its laurels, especially since LG Display is the manufacturer of pretty much all the OLED panels that anyone outside of Samsung uses. They have the means to further the technology as they see fit.

The G3 features a new Micro Lens Array panel, and it works by redirecting light that would be reflected off the screen back towards the viewer, producing a higher peak brightness (up to 2100 nits) and wider viewing angles. Only the 55-, 65- and 77-inch versions of the G3 feature the MLA panel.

The G3 also gets a boost from LG’s Brightness Booster Max technology, software algorithms that control the intensity of the panel’s brightness for maximum impact. The C3 OLED has to settle for the Brightness Booster tech so it won’t as bright, and therefore it’s like is HDR performance won’t have as much impact as its G3 sibling.

The C3 is (likely) more affordable

While we don’t know any specifics regarding prices, we can be pretty sure you’ll need a bigger wallet/check book to purchase the G3 OLED. LG has positioned the G3 OLED series as its best-in-class 4K OLED, best for picture and best for sound, which should sound as a warning signal that this TV will be fabulously pricey.

The C3 OLED is more the TV for the most people, LG’s mid-range model that covers pretty much all the bases. Its not the cheapest OLED it sells – the B3 and A3 will be more affordable – given the breadth of the features it will offer, you won’t need to worry about getting plenty of bang for your buck.

Early verdict

There’s no means of drawing up a winner or loser at this early stage. Both TVs are still a while away from launch and we’ve seen of them a fleeting glances in controlled spaces.

That said, the differences we’ve pointed out are not much different from previous G- and C-series OLEDs, so the expectation is more of the same with the 2023 TVs. The G-series OLEDs have always been the better performer, especially in terms of picture quality, but the C-series ae more accommodating in terms of design and price.

That could be the main difference between getting the G3 or opting for the C3. We’ll know more about their respective performances once we get hands-on with the TVs later this year.

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