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.

Living with a Secure Phone: The BlackPhone Case Study

If you haven't heard of the BlackPhone, it's probably not the phone for you.

Those looking for security and privacy with your device, then you would have come across the BlackPhone as one of the most secure devices out there. This joint venture between encryption specialists Silent Circle and GeeksPhone is for the security-conscious consumer that is keen to keep their personal content and conversations, to just that, personal.

I've lived with the BlackPhone as my device for a few weeks now and can give a fair assessment on what it's like to use such a security conscious device on a daily basis. In many ways, this is a tricky review. Nothing compares to the software of the BlackPhone - by far the USP of the device - and it seems unfair to compare the device on hardware alone, but let's give it a go anyway.

First Impressions
The BlackPhone packaging and appearance unsurprisingly echoes the name; it's dark, moody and secretive. The phone design revolves around a clean fingerprint (that's what it looks like to me) which reinforces the secure nature of the device.

When using the BlackPhone, you have elements of that joy of returning to an old Nokia. It's a phone that texts and calls as it's primary function, it's weighs barely anything and you can hold the phone in one hand which is almost a novelty in this day-and-age. But after the novelty wears off, you notice that the plastic-shelled hardware hasn't been a priority and by all accounts looks pretty ordinary. Is this such a bad thing? I guess it's fitting of the discreet intentions of the phone in being unlikely to attract attention.

The Technical Stuff
The battery is of an adequate capacity and will last for over a day of moderate use, much in line with other smartphones. This is supported by NVIDIA's quad-core, 2GZ processor which is effective, but the 1GB of RAM is a little disappointing in power levels. This is noticeable in occasional lag, particularly on the screen unlock which was a frustration for me. That being said, it rarely affects your other usage of the phone. You've got 16GB of storage to play with, and the option of an additional 128GB of extra storage through the microSD slot.

The Everyday
As previously mentioned, the phone is a very comfortable size and weight to live with. It's incredibly lightweight and will easily fit into a pocket when moving around.

The basic functions of a phone are all present and effectively executed. The security of the phone does affect some of those basic smartphone functions such as searching online as understandably the browser doesn't provide search suggestions, but you get used to this. As outlined below, the updated PrivatOS software doesn't only match other Android interpretations, in some ways it outstrips them. I'll explain more in the software section.

The camera is efficient but not outstanding. The 5MP lens will capture the day-to-day images fine, but in low-light it begins to struggle. It's basic though, and doesn't offer stock options like panoramic mode or burst-shot. Video is similar but be warned that the video audio isn't the best.

The music software matches the camera. It does the job without being spectacular. Sound quality is in line with cheaper phones on the market with good clarity but lacking bass.

As I'll explain the reasoning for later, you'll find that some of your favourite apps are incompatible, gaming apps in particular are sometimes problematic. The main apps (email, social networks, whatsapp etc) all function well though so don't panic.

So in everyday usage, the BlackPhone will get you through just fine. The essentials are there and will operate well. The security of the device naturally means that you will need to sacrifice certain things, but if you want security, it comes in the place of convenience.

Software - UPDATED

If you're interested in the BlackPhone, the next section will be the real attention-grabber as you've probably not blown away by the hardware on the BlackPhone, and to be honest, you shouldn't be. The real differentiating factor for the BlackPhone is in the software and this is where it begins to show-off its true secure and secret colours.

The problem - I had written up a full review of the BlackPhone software running Privat 1.0 but I've had to tear that up. 

The theme of Privat 1.0 was security over convenience. Silent Circle's PrivatOS is based on Android 4.4.2 but different to the likes of HTC and Samsung who add to Android, BlackPhone removes almost every element. No syncing, no Play Store and no maps. Taking everything away gives BlackPhone the control, and that's the purpose of the device, but equally this was the problem in that the phone wasn't convenient to use.

Halfway through my testing of the device however, Silent Circle released Privat 1.1 and, without being over-dramatic, the BlackPhone is now an entirely different prospect.

The Privat 1.1 update has created multiple partitions of the
phone - secure and personal. Switching between the two is easy and can be done through the notification bar or the lock-screen. These partitions are known as 'Spaces' and have transformed the phone. The BlackPhone is now two devices in one; in simple terms, one is security conscious, and one is your everyday Android phone. As BlackPhone say, one device is now 'many virtual devices'.

You may think of switching between profiles and themes in two partitions, but the BlackPhone doesn't stop there. The 'Spaces' are entirely separated. Photos, accounts, all information is separated. When going to the secure 'Space' you have to enter your pass code, but the personal Space doesn't need to be password protected. Further to this, you can add a further Space too. Alongside the pre-installed 'Silent Space' focused on security, users can add Spaces for work, personal or child friendly. It's up to the user.

The update also included Silent Circle's world's first privacy-focused app store, titled 'Silent Store'. The USP of the store is that it 'brings permissions clearly to the forefront, stating everything in plain language so that you can decide the inherent value of any application with the full scope of information.' Basically, no more unknown T&Cs or signing away permissions, you will be in control. The obvious downside to this is that the Silent Store doesn't support all apps, yet the essentials are still there.

With the Silent Space, the basic set of apps are two-fold, the Silent Circle apps and the third-party apps.

Silent Circle software fortunately is very, very good. The apps are clean, slick and effective. It's a secure set-up where you have to unlock them each time they're switched on. What can you do on Silent Circle? Make calls, texts and run an contacts book. Security-wise, the calls are encrypted and the messages can be burnt from both devices on time-codes. Both users MUST have Silent Circle software, but you can provide Silent Circle to non-BlackPhone users for a $10 annual subscription. When you buy the phone you get this for free, plus one for a friend. 

One of the main BlackPhone features is their Security Centre. This manages details of permissions for each and every app to most finite detail. Alongside this, there are three main third party apps:

• Disconnect: Secures unsecure WiFi through a VPN and provides anonymous web browsing
• SpiderOak: Secure cloud storage that can be shared with a contact
• Kisnet WiFi Manager: Disconnects from WiFi when it's an untrusted network

Currently the software setup is a little confusing and alongside the app setups, it is not user-friendly process. From that perspective, the phone feels slightly incomplete, and not favourable to an everyday user. If you're not especially tech-savvy, the software set-up might bemuse. There's certainly room for improvement from Silent Circle in supporting customers in making the set-up and tutoring a little more convenient. There's no doubt however that Silent Circle have made significant progress on this with the PrivatOS 1.1 update and will look to continue doing so.

Cost
Placed right in the territory of flagship devices, the BlackPhone costs in excess of £500, but it would be unfair to compare the two. The BlackPhone offers plenty of value for that money, but it is absolutely for a certain audience. 

Part of me feels surprised by the hardware flaws, and even the price. In my eyes, Silent Circle could charge what they want for the BlackPhone. It's targeted to people that want to secure their information, and if you are that keen to secure your information, then you'll pay the money to do so. I think BlackPhone could have charged more the phone and upgraded the hardware to make a flagship-challenging device in look, feel and usage.

Overview
In my first review, I would have said that if you need the security and privacy guarantees with your phone, then you pay the money for the BlackPhone. If you're not that bothered about security and privacy then this phone isn't for you. That was before PivatOS 1.1.

I've never known a software update to have such a dramatic effect on a device. It's not perfect, but it's a drastic improvement. I wouldn't have felt comfortable using the BlackPhone on a day-to-day basis because it didn't support all the apps and usability I desire with a phone. The camera is so-so, the apps are a frustration and I enjoy the convenience that comes with apps tracking my information. With the 1.1 update, these issues haven't been resolved in their entirety but steps have been made to change this and now this phone can be aimed more at the mass-audience.

BlackPhone never intended to build a phone for convenience. They were tasked with building a phone of purpose and they've done a brilliant job in achieving that. The latest step is to provide enough convenience for users wanting a regular phone with a secure state. I still harbour frustrations with the hardware as BlackPhone definitely could have charged more and allowed the phone to pack more power in the punch, but it's still capable.

I'm not a security conscious person, and I value the convenience of Google and my ever-syncing social networks so it's not quite phone for me. However, BlackPhone isn't targeting me, and it's not there for convenience. It's a locked-down secure device with subsidised access to the some of the best software out there. To be the best security-focused phone out there, that's all you can ask.

To find out more about getting your hands on the BlackPhone, contact the guys over at fonehouse. They're running live demos in London. Click here for the store location.

The Tech & Musing Christmas Guide: Phones

In the build up to Christmas, I thought it would be interesting to see where tech stands at this time of year (and maybe even offer some advice along the way). If you're looking for phones, tablets, laptops, contracts or even smartwatches, this is the place to be. If your questions aren't answered below, please get in touch.

On the cheaper side: Nexus 5

At £300 up front on Google Play, and generous contract offerings, the Nexus 5 really packs a knockout punch for its price.

LG did a brilliant job on the Nexus 4, and they've managed to go one better with the recently launched older brother. A large, glossy 5" screen shows off Android 4.4 (KitKat) in beautiful HD quality, and the 2.3GHz quad-core processor alongside 2GB RAM allows the Nexus 5 to challenge the very top in the smartphone market, let alone the cheaper ones. The camera is not the best but it's difficult to fault, and the ever-evolving feature of wireless charging is a great addition. 

Have a look at the pricing options for the Nexus 5, where for £32 per month you'll find the phone alongside unlimited data and texts, plus 1000 mins of calls. Or, you could buy the phone outright and purchase a cheaper sim-only deal - but trust me when I say, it's difficult to find a better alternative to the Nexus 5.

Mid range: Moto X

Motorola have exploded back onto the smartphone scene in 2013, and the fresh boost from Google has clearly helped this rejuvenation. 

The best of the Motorola 2013 offering, comes in the form the Moto X which boasts a 4.7" HD display that is backed-up by 2GB RAM and plenty of processing power. Making the most of Android KitKat's (v4.4) 'always listening' feature, Motorola have created an impressive, hugely customisable device that should be considered by all buyers - I haven't even mentioned the 10MP camera! Literally 'designed by you', buyers are able to design their version of the phone before purchase, and wider knowledge of this could produce a winning selling point. Whether or not the brand is fashionable enough to dent the market remains to be seen.

Coming down to price, the Moto X will appear on generous contracts, ensuring that the user isn't disappointed with the phone, or their deal. Unfortunately, this isn't available in the UK as yet, but it is reportedly on the way soon - UK users should have a look at 'Unlucky to miss out' at the bottom for other ideas.

Top range: HTC One

Widely regarded as 'Phone of the Year', stretching to 'Gadget of the Year' in some quarters, the widely acclaimed HTC One has topped my list of 'must buy' tech this year. The brilliance (and beauty) of the phone cannot be underestimated. A glorious HD screen, great audio, a superb camera and impressive battery life make the HTC One a serious contender for 'best smartphone of all time', let alone 2013. 

Perhaps 'Top Range' is slightly misleading as the HTC One certainly won't break the bank. When taken on contract, users can be looking at just over £30 per month for unlimited texts, unlimited internet and plenty of calls. Interested in the HTC One? You should be.

Unlucky to miss out and worth keeping in mind this Christmas:

• Sony Xperia Z1
• Samsung Galaxy S4
• iPhone 5
• Nokia Lumia 720
• Samsung Galaxy Note 3

That's the guide to the best phones out at the moment. If you've got any suggestions for alternatives, or want an opinion on other phones - get in touch.

Keep an eye out for the next in the Tech & Musing Christmas Guide series - Tablets...

The Samsung Galaxy Gear Review

I've spent a while with the Galaxy Gear, and lived with the product. Below is a review of the best and worst of the first Samsung smartwatch.

Appearance

When early forms of technology are released, it’s always fun to look back in hindsight at the cumbersome, and clumsy look of it. The first camera phone for example – it attached to the bottom of the phone and had to be carried in a separate bag. I thought it would be the same for the Gear, that fitting such technology into a sleek watch was going to be impossible, but Samsung have done a good job on it.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch - actually quite a masterpiece

The Galaxy Gear is made from a rubber strap, and stainless steel casing for a 1.63” AMOLED screen. It’s sleek, and doesn’t protrude extensively from the wrist. The materials are solid and certainly don’t feel cheap (even the rubber wristband). Granted, there’s always concerned about scratching the screen, but the opportunity for that to happen has arisen several times and the watch has stayed firm.

The Galaxy Gear doesn't extensively protrude from the wrist

Aesthetically, there is no problem for men, but there might be an issue with size for women. The Gear has attracted positive attention from onlookers and all of which wouldn’t mind strapping it to their wrists. I’ve been wearing the Gear for about a month now and haven’t been frustrated by its size or design, which is a great compliment to the job Samsung have done on it.

Functionality

Setting up the Gear is a fairly cumbersome process for the moment. The Gear Manager app is only available in the Samsung App Store, and when downloaded and linked via Bluetooth, the user needs to go onto Samsung Apps via the Gear Manager app to download the apps desired. However, after this set-up, the Galaxy Gear and Note 3 synced beautifully and flawlessly. This was one of the most impressive features for me. Phone calls, notifications, photo transfer, are all immediate and easy to use. The range is a standard Bluetooth v4.0, with a distance of a good 10-15 metres.

The Galaxy Gear boasts an impressive engine for a smartwatch, with an 800mhz processor, supported by 512 MB of RAM and a 4GB internal memory. I’ve used the Gear for over a week and haven’t experienced a split-second of lag which is hugely impressive. Lifting your wrist to look at your watch turns on the clock face (which flicks on after a split-second), or there is a power button on the slide of the screen.

The battery supports two days of regular use which doesn’t sound great, but when you consider that a watch is usually removed overnight, the user might as well put it on charge, right? Therefore, I didn’t find the charging issue especially problematic. It’s an easy set-up for charging where the Gear fits into a small hold, which then plugs into a micro-USB to charge. One thing to note however, is that when the battery does die, it renders the whole product utterly useless. A power-saving mode that only allows the watch feature, would be a move in the correct direction.

Features

The Galaxy Gear has been packed full of features, but there are a few to highlight:

• Call rejection: If your phone is ringing then you can glance at the caller ID on the Galaxy Gear and decide whether to swipe to accept/decline the call. If you swipe to decline, then you’re presented with an series of choices for an auto-response text to the caller. For example, ‘Just in a meeting, will call you after’. These template responses can be customised.
• Safety assistance: This is one of those features that hasn’t been shouted about because it’s not particularly glamorous, but in case of an emergency, the user can press the power button 3 times to send their location information to their saved contacts with message.
• S Voice: Samsung’s answer to Siri is very accurate on the Galaxy Gear, and it needs to be given that there isn’t a keyboard to use. There are plenty of functions to the voice commands, including opening apps, responding to messages and calling contacts. When away from too much background noise, this is particularly effective, and for once, actually quite useful.
• Find My Phone: Another simple but brilliant app is Find My Phone. Just a couple of taps on your smartwatch sets your phone ringing - even if it's on silent. For those that often can't find their phone around the house, this is very useful. 

On top of these, the contacts app works well, dragging over all contacts from the Note 3, onto the smartwatch allowing for quick calls. If you want to dial, then this can be done on a rather fiddly keypad brought onto the screen by swiping upwards from the clockface. S Voice instructions work well to dicatate a call recipient as well, as long as there is limited background noise.

On a media and entertainment front, the gallery is simple, but effective and displays both images and video. To transfer these to your phone takes a second to tap a button in the top right and selecting ‘Transfer’. Before you’ve looked at your phone, it will be there. Another nice addition is the Media Controller that allows users to control the music volume on their phone, and switch between tracks.

Music and entertainment controlling 

Finally, the watch has a pedometer tucked away that tracks steps taken, distance moved and calories burnt. It’s a nice addition, and appears to be accurate.

Apps

Without doubt, the Galaxy Gear will live or die based on the apps that are modified for the device, and ones created specifically for it. Currently, there are less that 30 apps available on the Samsung Galaxy Gear store, and quite plainly these are not enough. The key areas are covered, but not particularly well. There are unofficial Twitter and Facebook apps, as there is with Foursquare, but none of these are great. The syncing takes too long and they don't retain offline data, which renders the apps fairly obsolete. Not only that, official notifications from Facebook, Twitter and Gmail offer a button to ‘View on your device’ which is frankly a little pointless. These are sure to be developed further, and if upgraded correctly, would significantly enhance the experience of the Galaxy Gear.

Whilst the social networks aren't yet to be well represented, there are some positives with the apps:

• Pocket: One of my favourite apps has gone up another notch in my reckoning by adapting their service to smartwatch. Before you ask - no you don't walk around reading articles on your watch, instead, articles are read to you on hands-free or out loud. It's not perfect as the voice is too robotic and articles don't always read that smoothly, but it's an intriguing development and one that makes sense for the smartwatch.

• Snapchat: If ever a device was ready-made for Snapchat, it’s the Galaxy Gear. Okay, you can’t draw on the images, but the essence of what is brilliant about the platform is retained.
• The clock faces: There are a range of different watch faces for the Galaxy Gear, and weirdly, this is a great addition. It has become ‘thing’ for me to change the clock face every couple of days.

Camera
A simple downwards swipe from the clock face brings up the camera, and after touching the screen to take the picture, a swipe to the left brings up the gallery. However, this is where looking at a spec is simply not enough. When I saw a 1.9mp camera, I thought back to the old days where I was taking very blurry images on my Sony Ericsson T630i. However, the Galaxy Gear camera was one of the most gobsmacking features on the Galaxy Gear. The pixel density is enough, but the most impressive part of the camera is the image stabilisation. I’ve taken over 50 photos on the Galaxy Gear and only when I’ve done my best to blur the image has it struggled, otherwise, it has been superb. I did have problems with when overexposed to light, as glare interfered with the photo but this was a minor issue.

The lens for a near-2mp camera

In an age where we’ve got Nokia’s Pureview 42mp camera, the Gear brings us back to the reality that snapping photos for sharing on social media (essentially most of what we do) doesn’t require that pixel density. I’m not saying the camera is perfect; it certainly isn’t flawless, but I’ve taken some photos of impressive quality on it, which is more than I expected to be honest. When taking the Gear out golfing, I came up with the following images. Quite impressive, eh.:

Overview

Overall, I’ve been extremely impressed with the technology behind the Galaxy Gear. Looking away from the purpose it has in everyday life (find out what it has been like to live with the Galaxy Gear, here) this is a strong showing from Samsung. The best part of the Galaxy Gear is that it’s only going to get better. Once the app store has been developed, the smartwatch will become instantly more integrated in the lives of the owners, and in turn more appealing to those purchasing.

The Galaxy Gear has just been made compatible with a host of Samsung devices; Note 3, S4, S3, Note 2 and the Note 10.1, the S4 Mini, S4 Active, Mega 5.8/6.3 and the S4 Zoom. These will become available through an Android 4.3 update. Whilst this will be a blow to those who fancy giving the Galaxy Gear a go, but have a different Android handset, there are plans in the pipeline to open it out to other manufacturers.

If you’re interested in purchasing the Galaxy Gear and Note 3, head over here.

Living with a smartwatch: The Galaxy Gear case study

I lived with the Galaxy Gear for one month, wearing it all day, every day but making a real effort to not go in search for where a smartwatch could fit into my life. I wanted to go about my daily activities without forcing it into how I function, and instead see where and how it could be useful. 

There are plenty of reviews out there from people who have used a smartwatch for 5 minutes, and made a judgement call. They look at spec, expectations, features and then walk away. Critics tarnish the Galaxy Gear with their overriding opinion of a smartwatch and the question mark over its purpose. I wanted to veer away from this, and retrospectively analyse how I have been functioning differently with the Galaxy Gear. Essentially, I want to do is talk about what it's like to live with a smartwatch, and specifically, what it is like to live with Samsung's offering; the Galaxy Gear.

When I envisaged a smartwatch, I foresaw a bulky product that would only be worn by the real tech-geek. I wasn’t close. The Galaxy Gear sports a classy design, and with it on, I haven’t been conscious of its presence whatsoever and those that have noticed it, have commented positively on its appearance. So settling down with the Gear wasn’t a problem, and after a few days with the Gear, I begun to subconsciously use it for normal tasks. From here its murky role in integrating into my life started to become clearer.

The first thing I noticed, was the receiving of a text when I was in the middle of something, and how just a glance at my smartwatch didn’t break my stride or concentration. When it buzzed, I checked who I’d received a text from and then I’d action that  - if I wanted to respond then I could talk my response out to the Gear via S-Voice (I only use this at home), or take my phone out to respond. Most of the time however, a response could wait and I could switch focus attention straight back onto the task.

Secondly, and perhaps my favourite use, was the syncing on calls and reminders. If someone calls when I’m out, or in a meeting, I can glance at my watch, swipe to reject the call and choose an auto-text response – all with my phone somewhere else. If I wanted to answer it, I can talk straight into the smartwatch in a very Star Trek-esque fashion (I didn't like to use this), or switch it to my phone/hands-free. A reminder for a meeting pops up with a courteous buzz and you’ve got your information in a split second before dismissing it.

The camera was a surprise. It became a go-to option when snapping some day-to-day shots, which it does well. Obviously when I wanted a higher-quality image, then I’d take out the Galaxy Note 3, but the Gear became the first thought. For example, I took this on the underground when irritated by Apple’s iPhone 5C billboards:

Finally, I lost my phone down the side of the sofa (with the Galaxy Note 3 that’s surprisingly easy!) and instead of calling it, or spending a while searching, I just tapped upon the ‘Find my Phone’ app and found it immediately.

I’m not for one minute going to stand here and say that the Galaxy Gear, or any smartwatch for that matter, is an essential item to have. It’s not. However, I’m also going to disagree with many reviews that dismiss the Galaxy Gear as not being ready for the consumer. It is.
     The technology is wonderful. It’s a smooth user experience; a powerful piece of kit that doesn’t lag and it syncs instantly with the information on the user’s phone. Critics shouldn’t be lambasting Samsung for failing to achieve perfection on a first attempt, instead they should be applauding Samsung for getting anywhere close. Wearable technology is in it's absolute infancy but Samsung have done a superb job on the product, it’s the developers and the software that need to now get working.
     The Galaxy Gear, and smartwatches in general, thrive off the immediate; the snappy information. When football score updates, for example, are integrated into an app for the Galaxy Gear, then that’s where we will see it being loved. It’s that immediate content, which doesn’t require much thought or further explanation, that shows off the Gear and its purpose. Instagram for example would be ideal for the Galaxy Gear, after all, it already supports 15 second video and quick, easy-to-capture images, so why not? Whatsapp is another app that needs to be catered for, but support for these will come. The potential for the smartwatch, with apps such as these enhancing the experience, is greatly increased.

So, after two weeks with the Galaxy Gear, the smartwatch found a role in my life and this may have a completely different role in someone else’s. But it is really important to note that the thought of parting with the Galaxy Gear is genuinely quite saddening, and that says a lot about my enjoyment of the product.

I’m the first to say if the world isn’t quite ready for a product, I did with the Chromebook, and also with Windows 8, but I believe that the world is ready for the smartwatch. With continuing app support, the Galaxy Gear is ready for the world.

For the full product review, click here. If you’re interested in purchasing the Galaxy Gear and Note 3, head over here.

Phonebloks: Conceptually complete - yet still not enough

If you haven't seen it already - here's a really interesting crowdsourcing concept, based around a simple insight.

Phonebloks tries to tackle the problem of mobile phone wastage by allowing the user to purchase the individual elements of the phone and replace them when they break or become outdated. Therefore, instead of having a fixed specification, you can tailor-make your own phone using ‘bloks’ – individual modules such as cameras, processors and batteries – to suit your needs. 

Say, for example, you wanted to upgrade the phone processor, you could just remove the blok and replace it with another blok. Perhaps you wanted a higher resolution screen? Then this could also be replaced as a blok. 

     The camera could include a basic 5-megapixel blok, a mid-range 10-megapixel blok with a better lens and maybe a professional-grade 20-megapixel blok with an optical zoom lens for the keen amateur photographer.

There isn't an option for recycling from Phone Bloks as yet, but as a key ethical selling point, this is sure to be introduced. 

Anyway, here's the official video to explain it a bit better:

Obviously this is a brilliant concept, with an insight behind that is spectacular. With Motorola's support, there may well be less concept and more reality, but it's still not for me. Part of my love for a new piece of technology is the brand new piece of hardware - something aesthetically different. I would always be keen to switch bloks and update.

This will certainly work for some, and rightly so, but I'll still follow the materialistic, environmentally unfriendly route... Sorry!

What do you think of the concept? Could it work? Would you buy one?

PRODUCT REVIEW: Expert Shield screen protectors

I was fortunate to receive a message a few weeks ago offering me a screen cover for my HTC One X. My initial reaction was that it was a bit unnecessary, I’ve always felt that but obviously I took up Expert Shield on the offer.

I’d not bothered with screen protectors because of the age-old insurance ‘logic’ of “I’ll just be careful”. So anyway, I’ve been using a screen protector from Expert Shield for nearly a month now and it’s changed my thinking. Quite typically, I dropped my phone a couple of days after applying the screen and, fearing the worst, I turned it over to discover that there was no scuffing or marks whatsoever. Given that the screen on an HTC One X costs £150 to replace, you can imagine the relief.

It’s an easy set-up process, and when it’s on, it’s pretty much invisible to the eye and doesn’t affect performance of the phone. 

Overall, I’ve been very impressed and, for the sake of £7 or so, I think it’s worth adding to your phone. I know it’s not going to be for everyone (it never used to be for me) but if you're looking to get a screen protector, then I've been impressed with Expert Shield and what they provided so would thoroughly recommend them. Here's a link to their website.

The Battle of the Android Flagships: HTC One vs Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Sony Xperia Z

For arguably the first time, there are 3 Android devices that could be considered better than the iPhone and as the best on the market: The HTC One, the Sony Xperia Z and the recently released Samsung Galaxy S4. So, which is the best?

The easiest place to start is with the key stats, so let's have a look:

Now, let's be clear, there is very little discernible difference in quality between these three phones. They all offer some neat features that will suit varying tastes but overall they all represent the Android platform very well and stack up comfortably as 3 of the best handsets on the market. What I'm saying is - you'll be happy with any of them. But then again, where's the fun in sitting on the fence? Picking apart the statistics: The Samsung Galaxy S4 is by far the most powerful with a sensational octo-core chip (yes, EIGHT! Who knew we were past the quad-core already!?) but it's a tad unnecessary. Both the One and the Xperia will perform at very swift speeds. On paper the S4 also possesses the best battery, however, there have been numerous reports of excellent performance from the Xperia Z with Sony's new 'stamina mode'. There is little difference in weight, no difference in RAM and they all boast full HD screens, 4G LTE, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0. The HTC One joins the S4 with Gorilla Glass 3 whereas Sony have developed their own 'shatter-proof glass'. Resistance tests are yet to be conducted on the Xperia Z's shatter-proof screen but you would hope it would be in-keeping with the 'durable' USP that Sony have chosen.

Given that they are similar under the hood then we come down to aesthetics, features and gimmicks.

Aesthetically, the HTC One is the clear winner. It's a beautiful phone. Clean edges which are complemented with the aluminum casing. The Xperia Z comes in second and not because of faults in design (it's also a lovely looking phone) but more because of the HTC One's excellence. I've already made my feelings clear on the design of the S4 - it's an S3 replica but slightly bigger. Out of the three, the S4 doesn't ooze quality like the other two and this is largely because of the plastic casing. This is a personal thing, and I'm not saying the S4 is an ugly phone, it's simply not as pretty as the HTC One or the Xperia Z. Check them out below:

Lets have a look at a few other areas that could be winners in the eyes of the consumer:

Camera
This is an intriguing one. HTC have really stuck their neck out by developing their very own 'Ultrapixels' to compete with the 13MP powerhouses. Whilst others continue to strive for higher and higher pixel numbers, HTC have proven that 4MP (when developed correctly), is plenty. However, I have my doubts over whether this will work in the cut-throat eyes of the consumer who may not read the endless reviews of the HTC One's performance and plump for the highest numbers. HTC have developed a camera that is certainly competitive but is it a game-changing feature? Probably not. The Xperia Z and the S4 both hit high standards in the camera category and in truth, any of these would be a good selection. Samsung have added some interesting (if perhaps a little pointless) features such as Drama Shot, Eraser, Cinema Photo and Sound Shot which you can find more about in my S4 review but again, these should not deter you from selecting the other two.

Music
Sound-wise, HTC have taken the spoils (not by a short distance either). As someone who uses an HTC One X as a portable sound-system, I appreciate the Beats Audio inclusion and it certainly enhances my listening experience. If you enjoy listening to music/watching films on your phone - the HTC One will do the job brilliantly well. Where the Xperia Z has good internal sound, the 'loud'speaker is particularly woeful and Samsung does a similarly solid job with the music - but does include the 'Group Play' which allows up to 8 S4's to connect as one 'surround-sound speaker'.

StorageThe HTC One has stuck with HTC's recent love for a non-removable battery and non-expandable memory via memory card. This is a major pet hate of mine and it's a real shame. The Xperia Z has unfortunately followed suit with the battery but at least Sony have kept the removable SD card. The S4 has included both of these and kudos to Samsung for doing so.

Other
The game of gimmicks has been dominated by Samsung as can be seen in my original review. They've brought in smart pause, smart scroll, smart stay; it's smart-bloody-everything with Samsung right now. The attractiveness of these features will vary greatly on the end-user. I see them as a bit gimmicky and pointless, but I like Samsung's desire to demonstrate and test new technology to perhaps find another niche.
      Sony's main USP is its durability. It is dust resistant and water resistant for 30 minutes and up to 1m deep. This is a massive claim for a flagship phone and Sony have certain put their 'money where their mouth is' with marketing.
     HTC and Samsung have included pretty neat TV controller adaptations on the phones, which allow you to control your TV and also check out the TV listings. Again, these are nice additions but not game changing features.

Price
With the fight being this close, the price may just swing it. The Sony Xperia Z's longer market exposure has allowed prices to slowly fall, and with the release of the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4, these prices are continuing to drop. On a 24 month O2 contract, with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 1 GB internet the Xperia Z comes out at £27 per month (with a £30 cost for the phone); about £10 cheaper per month than the HTC One (£37). The S4 contract prices haven't been released yet but it is likely to be in the same bracket as the HTC One. Looking at what is on offer, would you be willing to pay over £200 more for the HTC One or the S4? That's up to you!

Conclusion
To conclude - you will be happy with any of these phones and that's what makes it such a hard decision. They are all powerful devices, each running adapted - yet effective - O/Ss and with some great features to boot. Simply put - they demonstrate everything you want from a handset. However, they do excel in certain areas and perhaps that will turn your head. What would I choose? Probably the HTC One, followed closely by the Xperia Z and not far behind - the Galaxy S4. This is partly because of my affection for HTC, and partly because of the beauty of the phone - but hey, what do I know!

What do you think? Which do you prefer? Hopefully I've helped you ever so slightly if you are trying to make a decision; if not, just enjoy watching the 3 fight it out to becoming the ultimate Android flagship.