LG G4: Everything You Need to Know

Those that are regular readers will know how highly I think of the HTC One Series but my loyalty has been sorely tested by the LG G4.

I’ve been testing the G4 over the last few weeks as part of the LG tester programme and my review is below.

Design and First Impressions

The phone possesses a large 5.5" screen but as the design is squarer than other phones it fits comfortably in my hand and the curved back is beautiful. It's an truly sleek design.

The slight curve of the phone allows it to fit tightly into a pocket, which is rare for the larger phones, and also comfortably in a hand. The phone isn't the thinnest, but it's not far off and the weight is impressive for a large phone.

There will be those for which a larger phone doesn't suit them, but I'd urge the rest to try it out. Other aspects of the phone have been designed around the larger screen, as with the LG G3, the on/off button and volume located within easy reach on the centre-rear of the phone. This is intelligent thinking from LG.

Despite having a removable back/battery, the phone feels unibody which means you get the benefits of changing the back of the phone and battery as well. The battery strength is good but not spectacular however I've found that under moderate use it extends to 1.5 days which is competitive for modern smartphones.

My only initial issue is that the set-up theme is pretty vile and the theme options are limited, but don’t let that put you off - after all, it's down to preference.

Under the Bonnet

The whole experience using the phone has been a pleasure. The interface is clean, the transitions are beautifully executed and the 3GB RAM takes everything in it's stride. The 5.5" screen is packed with a 2560 x 1440 resolution (538ppi) which is pretty staggering to look at.

I've been using the 32GB model, which is the minimum that new phone users should be looking to get, especially with apps becoming heavier and heavier. There is a removable 128GB option too, so you won't have any issues over storage.

Everyday Use

Under the everday uses, the LG G4 performed extremely well. It slotted into my life quite seemlessly.

That's not to say I haven't had issues. Volume positioning does cause problems when the phone is lying on its back. I've found the stock predictive typing far less intuitive than competitors (it means I have to actually be accurate...). Some of my favourite apps still have bugs but these will likely be sorted shortly.

The battery comfortably gets me through a day on moderate-heavy use through the 3000mah battery. If necessary, the charging is lightning quick. Also, it's removable anyway so you can just carry a spare should it become an issue.

LG have adopted HTC's double screen tap to wake up the phone, of which I'm a big fan. It's also a necessary addition given the positioning of the on/off button means that its inaccessible when lain on its back.

Camera

The camera is a make-or-break feature to me in a phone, and the LG G4 certainly doesn't fall down here. The 16MPs are well utilised and the output is stunning (especially when viewed on LG's gorgeous screen). When given time to shoot, the camera is close to flawless.

Under pressure though, I found the camera to lag on occasion, especially when opening the app. The auto-focus was good for everyday images but limited for someone like myself who enjoys more control over the image. The burst-shot mode was another disappointment - when it worked, it was great but it was mostly unreliable.

The manual settings are much better - as long as you 'know' photography, with far more options for control compared to other phone cameras out there. Allowing control over ISO, shutter speed, aperture value, white balance and exposure lock is great fun. LG offer a superbly fast f/1.8 aperture, with 60% more light than the iPhone 6, that means you can make the most of faster shutter speeds, less processing to achieve exposure, thus avoiding the worst of image noise and processing.



I've always been a fan of post editing photos and the options LG provide are a dream come true. Compared to other set-ups, the post editing is certainly more complex, yet it offers a far greater level of options. The user is able to edit every element of a photo, to a far greater extent than other stock cameras. 'Selective Editing' which allowed the user to edit different parts of a photo separately had become a key tool for me and certainly given me the opportunity to improve my photo output. That was all good until the editor was removed which is an issue I'm picking up with LG.

It's a pretty good 'selfie' camera too, with 8MP being found on the front. There's a new feature that allows the user to close and open their palm to set-up a timed photo.

All in all, on day-to-day use, the LG G4 camera is strong and I've had several great snaps come from it.

 

  

Key Features

• LG's 'Smart Tips' are useful and interesting for the first few occasions but they are far too regularly featured and quite repetitive. If you switch these off after a week or so, you won't regret it too much.
• LG's dual screen offers promise but doesn't quite deliver, mostly through the lack of compatible apps. It's fine for Email and File Manager, or Mail etc, but when jumping between other apps, it's rendered useless.
• QSlide is a new feature that allows pop-up, quick action apps to appear over what you're doing, such as video, calculator and messages.
• Finally, LG have enabled the standard three Android menu buttons to be upgraded to five, including QSlide and QMemo+. 

So, where does it rank?

There are a lot of good phones out there, but very few manage to tick all the boxes as an everyday phone. The LG G4 does.

The G4 is beautifully crafted but doesn't substitute functionality for design. It's designed for the user to enjoy with comfort, yet also for the user to show off with style.

One of the biggest compliments I can pay to LG with the G4 is that they've clearly thought about the phone and how it works for the consumer. Sounds simple, but it's something a lot of manufacters forget when chasing big numbers and shiny new features.

To be able to boast power, a stunning screen and decent battery life as a fearsome trio is quite something, and all of that whilst making a 5.5" screen feel manageable is a feat in itself.
     I love to find a killer flaw with a phone, but there just isn't one with the LG G4. It's not just a jump above it's predecessor, the G3, it's a jump above it's rivals.

My love affair with the HTC One series has finally been broken.

HTC One M9: Everything You Need to Know

HTC are releasing the latest in the One Series to the public in late March. I'll get my hands on it for a user review closer to the time but should you hold out to buy it? Let's have a look at everything you need to know about the HTC One M9.

Headline specs
HTC's older younger brother to the M8 sports a familiar 5" 1080px screen, but an increased Snapdragon 810 OCTO-core processor. That's all supported by 3GB of RAM which will make the device lightning quick.

Storage also remains the same as the One M8 but HTC appear to have dropped the 16GB edition of the handset - a smart move in my experience. Obviously, the expandable storage option still remains, with a further 128GB optional addition via microSD.

The battery has been given a slight boost too, going up to a competitive 2840mAh. That’s more than Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and far more than the iPhone 6 which only holds 1800mAh.

Design
In more or less every way, the M9 looks identical to the M8. That disappointed me. It's not that the M8 isn't a gorgeous phone - far from it. I've got it and marvel at its beauty when I remove the case.
For me, it's the same problem that's plagued the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy range. The M9 feels old already. It seems uninspiring and lazy. HTC cannot afford to be lazy - especially when their smartphone share is being attacked from all sides, and I just can't understand why they've left it.

Build
Since the beginning of the One series, HTC has been relatively flawless in terms of build quality and the HTC One M9 is unsurprisingly no different. The beautiful curved back has remained, with HTC boasting that its creation is a 70-step process. There's a minor difference in the side-on profile from the One M8 where the unibody appears to have been altered, but this doesn't affect the feel or quality one iota.

Camera
One of the few significant changes with the HTC One M9 is the abandoning of the rear-facing UltraPixel camera in place of a monster 20 megapixel shooter. It's a sensible move given they never managed to communicate the UltraPixel lens to consumers. They've not abandoned it completely though - it still appears in the front facing 'selfie' camera.

The rear camera video has been upped from 1080p to 4k, and the front boasts a 2 UltraPixel sensor.

Personalisation
The HD screen shows off HTC’s seventh edition of their Sense UI. The UI has been updated to be more reactive to stimuli around you. Your home screen will now reorganise based on the time of day. Alarms, apps and wallpapers, will react to the time of day. If you cycle to work, you’ll get notifications to charge your lights before heading home in the evening. It will be interesting to see how it dovetails with Google Now.

What Else
HTC’s Dot View case has been upgraded as well, and now, for some reason, you can play games like tetris on the front. Utterly pointless, but quite clever.

HTC’s ridiculously named 'BoomSound' speaker system for the One Series has been upgraded once again. This time, Dolby have taken over from Beats to provide a 5.1 surround sound to the phone. Thanks to Harman Kardon, a three-finger swipe can send the music out to speaker systems in the house.

Overview
HTC have upgraded the best phone of 2014. It's no mean feat to achieve but that’s where it ends. As I’ve said before, we seem to have reached a smartphone impasse. I’m disappointed to see HTC nudge the bar – but not raise it.

The HTC One M9 is still a stunning phone, and one that no-one will regret purchasing. Then again, I’d argue there’s little point in paying for the M9 when the HTC One M8 is cheaper, and 99% of the M9.

The HTC One M8: Everything you need to know

So, HTC have launched their follow-up to the highly-acclaimed HTC One by launching the HTC One M8. In the words of HTC ‘The Best Got Better’, but exactly how true is that? I went hands on with the M8 over the course of a week to find out.

What’s new?

The externals
It's now a 5" HD-screened phone, which is certainly on the larger side. It shows off the screen beautifully, but in the same breath it can take two hands to operate at times. It’s bigger (by 0.3”) and noticeable in appearance but not in feel. The screen is even more shown-off than the HTC One and every comment from peers mirrors this. It's stunning.

I'll look at the appearance a bit more later in this review, but HTC have stuck largely with the shell of the M7 with a few tweaks to the front chassis by removing the off-screen buttons and rounding-off the edges. In short, the most beautiful phone on the market has been given a six-pack and a tan!

Under the bonnet
HTC have made a few upgrades in this department. The processor has jumped to 2.3GHz from the 1.7GHz on the One M7. It has also been boosted to 2GB RAM and now includes the new highly-rated Snapdragon 801 processor. Believe me, this thing will deal with anything you throw at it with the utmost of ease.

Gesture functions whilst the phone is sleeping:
A big change from HTC is the inclusion of a multi-gesture wake-up. This can be done from a double-tap and swipes left, right, up and down. All produce different results

I found the swipe to be a little redundant to be honest but this was because of the force of habit to simply swipe to unlock – not open to a new destination. A bit of customisation though, alongside training your mind to head straight to different areas of your phone, will make this feature quite handy.
      A great addition was the double-tap to wake. I’ve used this all the time as it feels like a natural movement and with a phone that's on the larger-side, not having to switch on from the top makes a difference. Another great addition is the quick photo gesture when the phone is in landscape mode and the user presses volume down.

Camera Functions
HTC have added a plethora of new post-edit options for the camera, and these all focus around the brand new, headline-grabbing ‘Duo Camera’ that brings a depth-sensor to a mobile phone for the first time. This depth sensor allows for one of the camera’s new headline features – ‘U-Focus’ which allows the user to post-focus an image to the foreground or background.

In addition to this, HTC have added ‘3D Dimension Plus’, which provides a slightly pointless ability to make a image 3D. It’s good fun, and one of those things you show-off once, but there really isn’t any use for it.

     I look at the Duo Camera as primed for developers to take it to a different level. HTC have started the job – the hardware is great but the result is probably a little gimmicky, but gives 3D developers, for example, a chance to use this and we could see some wonderful results. 

HTC have also added a new camera navigation that’s nice and simple. The quick choice between six options is a welcome upgrade to the unnecessarily convoluted M7 layout:

What's Improved?

Appearance
Let's not forget that the HTC One M7 was widely acclaimed for its appearance. It was regularly seen alongside titles of "Best Looking Phone". So how do you improve on that? At the launch event, HTC Head of Design, Daniel Hundt, said that the aim for this phone was to appear premium, yet approachable. Well it’s certainly premium. The beautiful brushed metal finish is spectacular and isn’t as slippy as expected – partly due to the lovely weight of the phone. 90% of the body now consists of the metal body, compared to 70% on the M7, and this allows for a lovely feel that sits comfortably in the hand as the sides have been further curved. 

Battery
Battery-life is up 40% according to HTC and after testing it's certainly improved, if not to quite that extent. The One M8 will still need charging every night at moderate-high use but that is to be expected in the modern-day smartphone market. HTC have improved on their power-saving mode however. The new 'Extreme Power Saving Mode' (inventive progression of name) only allows five essential functions on the phone (phone, SMS, mail, calendar, and calculator) to operate, which gives an impressive 30 hours of standby time in return for just 10% battery. This has been a lifesaver so far - really useful.

Camera
In addition to the new camera features, there have been upgrades on last year as well. Firstly, the autofocus and shutterspeed is now lightning quick, and more effective. This is aided by the depth sensor and the Ultrapixel technology that allows further light into the sensor. The main improvement has been in low-light, where all smartphones have struggled in recent years. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect, but it’s markedly improved.

I’ve seen a bit of negativity about the camera in strong light, like blazing sunshine, but this wasn’t my experience. The camera operated superbly. HTC have stuck with the Ultrapixel technology (this allows more light into the sensor and provides more stability to an image) that seems to make sense on a technical level but hasn’t translated to consumers.
      Any complaints on the camera for the M7 were misplaced as it really is one of the best on the market – the M8 only improves on that opinion. 

BlinkFeed
BlinkFeed has improved. It now possesses customisable themes and allows for more content feeds such as Instagram. HTC have also opened it up to developers, which is exciting. BlinkFeed offers that short sharp snacking of content, and this works but can still improve. The open API will only help this. However, if BlinkFeed isn’t for you, then don’t worry – you can get rid of it.

HTC Sense 6
The smaller updates have followed on with HTC’s next version of their Sense UI. It’s now a bit cleaner, simpler, flatter and has a brighter appearance. This is only a good thing for HTC as they’ve moved more in line with the stock Android layout.

What's Returned?

MicroSD is back! A superb move from HTC who have listened to public opinion and included a hugely popular feature. This allows the storage of the M8 to be boosted from either 16GB/32GB to 128GB. This is something that I really missed on the One, and the One X, so I'm delighted to see it return. This isn't the only feature to come back. The multitasking windows button is apparent once more after it was replaced by a double-tap on the home button in the One M7. The buttons have now been moved onto the screen.

What's Disappointing?

Always Listening
I'm disappointed to see the 'always listening' Google Now feature not included in HTC devices. It's a real plus point to the Moto X. That being said, it takes a split-second to flick on Google Now and say 'Ok Google' to get rolling.

Nano Sim
Personally, I think the use of a Nano sim is frustrating. I know it doesn’t take a moment to sort out but I’m not that sure why HTC decided to switch to a Nano Sim when their previous phones have been consistently Micro-Sim. There appears to be no discernable benefit other than size – and let’s be honest, that’s not at a premium.

The Gallery
The Gallery is becoming a bit confusing. In HTC’s desire to make the Gallery a professional entity, they’ve focused more upon Zoe (which I’ve never been convinced by) and less on the simple folders that users want. In reality, I believe users just want to access a gallery of their photos easily – HTC seem keen to take consumers to a place they don’t seem to want to be.

Name
Name: Why? The HTC One M8? Just not a fan. No.

Headphone Jack
Finally (and this is definitely a case of personal preference) I'm not a fan of the headphone jack now appearing on the bottom. It works well on the top of the M7 - why change it? It just feels unintuitive. 

So where does the phone stand in the grand-scheme of things?

When I looked at the rumours before the launch, I'm not afraid to admit that I was a little disappointed. Each year we tech geeks look for something revolutionary - game changing. It just didn't feel like the M8 was that phone, and to be fair, it's not. However, when you look at it in context, its difficult to criticise.
      The biggest compliment that can be paid to the HTC One M8 is that it is better than its younger brother. The M7 was one hell of a phone. Without doubt the best phone on the market, and without the M8 it still would be. HTC have succeeded in refining the phone and taking it to the next level. That takes some doing, and they should be commended for achieving it. The M8 is not without fault - but it is as close to perfection as you will find in the mobile market.

So, what’re you waiting for? It went on sale straight away.

Moto X: Everything but the official launch

Motorola have done a spectacular job of making sure there are no surprises come August 1st when the Moto X is officially launched to the public. @evleaks and The Unlocker have acquired pretty much everything there is to know about the X, and there's some good stuff to tell! Now, everything you need to know about the phone is out and about, so let's take a look at this long-awaited mystery phone.

The X certainly doesn't go against Motorola's styling preferences - but it looks very good, indeed. It's a sleek, clean phone that takes elements from the S4, and HTC One. Not a bad thing at all. It's not as good looking as the One, but then again, what is!?

In true Motorola style, they've focused upon build and battery. The 2,200mAh battery should be impressive in life and the rear shell is made with the Motorola favourite, Kevlar, which is customisable. The phone also, unsurprisingly, will run stock Android, which is always a nice addition. This will be run on a slightly dated dual-core Snapdragon chip with a solid 2GB RAM/1.7GHz processor and a 4.5" screen to boot. (pixel density has yet to be leaked.) There's also the nice surprise of a 10.5MP camera - very competitive. I've seen reports criticising the 4.5" screen but I can't understand that. I think it's almost the optimum size for the general consumer and will certainly not be a turn-off.

We've got a few rumoured pricing structures for the X and they suggest it could well challenge the pricing on the Nexus 4 - a bold move. Prices floating around are $299 pay as you go, and a 32GB version for $349. On contract, the prices are likely to be between $99-$150 for a couple of year contracts. Whilst these haven't been confirmed, they seem fair accurate guesses anyway.

So where does it fit in the flagship pecking order? Well, not especially high to be honest. In most aspects, this phone others little to place it above its competitors. It's a solid phone, and that's probably the best compliment for it, and Motorola. Its the sort of phone that will help Motorola, slowly, begin to claw back a small percentage of market share, which is what Google will keen on. A market share will allow Google to further develop Motorola's wearable technology targets, and we should all be excited about that.

Anyway, quiet, you didn't hear any of this hear... Remember, the phone hasn't been launched yet...!