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Review: Updated: LG G3
Update September 16, 2014: If you're looking for a phone with a large display, and it doesn't matter what platform you're on, the iPhone 6 Plus was announced last week and will become available September 19, 2014.
How does it stack up to the LG G3? Well, since we're primarily concerned with size here, we're looking at two 5.5-inch displays. But all displays are not created to be equal, and this is where the LG G3 really shines. It has an insane 2560 x 1440 resolution, while the iPhone 6 Plus has a paltry 1920 x 1080 display by comparison. It's not terrible, but not razor sharp as the G3.
Also, the LG G3 has more megapixels in terms of its camera. Both cameras have image stabilization, but the iPhone 6 Plus has phase detection autofocus, which could potentially be better than the LG G3's laser AF system. We're waiting for the iPhone 6 Plus to become available to put this to the test.
Pricing is a huge consideration, too. You can have the LG G3 on contract for just $199, whereas the iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 for 16GB and has no memory expansion. The LG G3 will support microSD cards up to 128GB.
Stay tuned for more as the iPhone 6 comes out and we compare it head-to-head with the LG G3.
With the LG G3, we're seeing a brand release a phone ahead of time in order to grab a foothold in an industry that could be spiralling away from its grasp.
It's an odd thing to say considering we're talking about a manufacturer that launched one of the critically acclaimed phones of 2013, with the LG G2 impressing far more than most expected.
But that was months ago, and LG has realised that with Samsung, Sony and HTC all bringing out far superior models it can't wait until later in the year to catch up, so it's tried to race to the front of the pack with a previously-unseen step forward in screen technology.
If you need more evidence that this is a phone that LG has accelerated to launch, check out the changes it's made: removable battery, microSD slot, metallic frame and new, mature interface; in short, everything that was wrong with last year's model in the eyes of many.
So with that in mind, is the LG G3 the perfect smartphone?
There are a number of key features that LG is touting as new and improved this year with the G3, but none sticks out as prominently as the QHD screen. Some might think that this is four times the pixel count of an HD screen, and you'd be right to a degree.
But only if you're talking about 720p screens – if you're comparing the G3 to something like the Galaxy S5, that packs in two million pixels to the G3's 3.6 million. It's a lot sharper, sure, but anyone thinking it's going to be mindblowing will be disappointed.
The big question here with the screen is: why do it? The official reason LG told me was it had done some research and had realised that Steve Jobs was wrong.
While it agreed he was right there was a limit to what the human eye can see in terms of sharpness, LG reckons that the way sight works means the Retina display isn't the top end. That's obvious anyway; the display on the Samsung Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8 is significantly sharper than that on the iPhone 5S, so there is more headroom.
But apparently there's another level still to attack, and that's just what it's done with the QHD screen. Where Samsung's offering 440ppi sharpness, the G3 has 538ppi, which is equivalent to high end glossy art books, which LG used as the benchmark of sharpness to aim at.
Dr RamChan Woo, head of smartphone planning for LG, told me that the idea was you need pixels to fill in the space between lines, to make something that sorts out the 'dead space', which is why it went for the upper limit to make everything look premium.
Now, here's the quandary: the screen is brilliant, no question. Internet browsing, looking at pictures, watching high-end video, is all awesome. But that's the exact same feeling I had with the G2, which also had a simply stunning screen.
It feels like the QHD screen is great to look at because LG knows how to make an amazing display, rather that offering a next level of sharpness that blows me away. I didn't feel that I was looking at something superior to the G2 in terms of screen quality, and with the larger heft and hit on battery life, I believe LG has gone too early with the technology just to make an impact.
Or possibly its not even early. Perhaps we just don't need QHD screens in our phones. The display isn't without problems either: tilt it left or right and the brightness drops off sharply, which makes sense when you consider how many pixels are packed in there.
It's unfair to criticise the QHD screen on the G3 – there's no doubt all high end smartphones will be using this technology in a year or so. But as a headline spec, it doesn't seem to add a huge amount to the G3, which is a shame as I was hoping to be looking at the next generation of picture quality on a phone.
When it came to listing the criticisms of the LG G2, the biggest problem was the interface. It was so cluttered that if you had the remote activated and received a message you had to scroll down to see it.
Compare that to the HTC One M8, and you've got nothing but the missive to check. On top of that, the G2 went for a really garish and cartoony look too, meaning it was hard to evangelise on a phone that was otherwise brilliant.
The new interface on the LG G3 is a big improvement. Gone is the skeumorphism in favour of a new flat tile look. The icons are redesigned. The different applications have their own colour scheme for easy recognition and the colour palette is more muted than before.
It's a much more fluid system that shows LG has grown up, taking the problems of before and making it into a more intuitive way of navigating through the handset.
LG has definitely taken touches from HTC, Samsung and Apple with the new interface. The home screen features a separate section for the pedometer and tips videos (where Samsung's pointless magazine option is on the Galaxy S5), the colours are very similar to HTC's on the M8 and the flatter design owes more than a tip of the hat to Apple.
The interface is still a little cluttered, but overall it's a tick for LG updating something that sorely needed a new look.
As mentioned the other big problem with the G2 was the fact it had a really glossy plastic shell. The phone was well packaged, but still didn't offer the same premium quality as the HTC One, iPhone or Sony Xperia Z1.
So with the LG G3, the South Korean brand has gone for the best of both worlds. It's created a 'metallic skin' that supposedly looks and feels premium, but offers the lower weight and added connectivity benefits of polycarbonate.
It might look similar, but the feel in the hand is very different
The problem is, LG hasn't really managed this lofty goal. The G3 certainly looks the business, bringing a more iconic look of brushed metal and some cool colours (black, silver and gold) to make it stand out on the shelves, which makes sense given it's mostly screen otherwise.
But the second you pick it up, the plastic nature jars with the look of the phone, which is a disappointment. It actually feels cheaper than the G2 thanks to using a removable back, which lowers the tightness of the packaging and makes it feel more hollow.
The upside of this is you've got a removable battery and microSD slot, both of which are a big win for a certain section of the customer base. That said, there are better ways of doing this, as you can easily have a slot for a microSD card without needing to remove the back.
The battery and back cover are both removable
And I know a few people disagree, but a unibody phone feels better in the hand and a portable battery pack is much more useful than being able to swap in a new battery - it's easier to charge, for one, and 98% of users will never swap the battery in and out anyway, so why bother when an integrated unit can offer more capacity and better design?
So again, LG has stepped forward with the G3 – but it's still not quite got all the pieces together when it comes to design.
The 13MP camera on the LG G3 is also another big talking point, both in terms of the new look to the interface and the additional technology on board.
I'll start with the latter point: the laser auto focus, which is designed to make it the fastest-focusing smartphone on the market. It seems to be true at times, but I'm not sure shaving another 100 milliseconds off makes that much of a difference when boot-up speed is more important..
It's possibly a bit unfair to say that the extra speed isn't warranted – if the system worked perfectly, chances are you'd take 10-20 more high quality pictures that capture the moment compared to the competition, but without being able to fully test the system it's hard to comment.
The laser works by sending out a conical infra-red signal (using technology nabbed from a robo-vacuum cleaner from LG's home appliances division) and absorbs information from the surroundings to create an instant and clear picture for the camera to use.
This means it doesn't have to look for contrast shifts like before, and offers a sharper image.
The interface is really scaled back too: it's nothing more than a back button, a menu icon and the viewfinder. Tap the screen and it focuses and takes the picture, designed to be simple and effective.
It also doesn't let you focus to check the shot composition before taking the photo, which would be nice – but then again, tap that menu icon and you get all you need in terms of shutter, options and video recording.
The G3 is all about simplification, and this kind of technology really works. It's a little too scaled back for the camera, but it's the right idea.
The front 2.1MP camera is now cringingly called the 'selfie' camera – it seems that dreaded word is here to stay, at least for a few years. The lens is a wider angle, so you can get more friends into the photo (or more actors at the Oscars) and features clever gesture recognition to take the photo.
Hold your hand out, make a fist and it'll start the G3 self-portrait timer. It's a clever system and it works, which is great for those moments when you can't use both hands and don't want to tap the screen.
Another cool feature is the ability to have a front-facing flash, although it's not an LED light. Instead, part of the screen goes white, which illuminates faces and takes better pictures. LG has even white balanced this screen to correct skin tone imperfections – and it really gives some nice front facing snaps.
Review: Moto G (2014)
The 2014 version of the Moto G has an imposing task ahead of it. To live up to expectations it needs to better one of the most popular smartphones ever made, not to mention the best-selling phone Motorola has ever produced. I am, of course, talking about the 2013 Moto G.
This new version offers a larger 5-inch screen and an improved camera, aiming to clean up some of the few criticisms many had about that budget supremo.
Sure enough, the 2014 Moto G's camera is a whole lot better, and having a 5-inch screen instead of a 4.5-inch visage is great in many situations. It is not a flat-out better phone in every respect though. Its larger frame isn't as palm-friendly, it's not quite as good-looking and battery stamina is worse than the old model.
Bigger and better, or a little uncomfortable in the hand?
However, it's not enough to make the new Moto G anything less than one of the top bargains of the year.
The new Moto G is available SIM-free for around £145 (US$270, about AU$267), which is similar to or slightly less than the 16GB and 4G versions of the smaller, older version, which usually go for around £160 (about US$260, AU$295).
It seems a shame Motorola isn't catering for the 4G buyer right off the bat: at present the new Moto G is 3G only.
The new Moto G design is very similar to the older model, but borrows a few new design traits from the more recent Moto E. You can't miss the primary change of little metal bars above and below the screen.
They're not there for the look and, let's be honest, they don't really look all that great. But they do mark where the front stereo speakers live. The last Moto G used a single mono speaker on the back.
The metal bars mark the position of the front speakers
I do find this a real downgrade in looks, as much of the immediate design purity has been lost by sticking these not-exactly-subtle metal bits on the front. Otherwise, the looks of the new and old Moto Gs are pretty familiar.
The back is a curved piece of matte-finish plastic, which meets a glossy screen surround. Its contours are nice and smooth, and there's a little indent on the back where the Motorola logo lives.
It's not just looks that have taken a hit in the new model, though. The 2014 Moto G is also not quite as easy to handle, because of its sheer size.
In a 4.5-inch screen phone you really don't have to pay too much attention to how slim a phone is – there's plenty of leeway to play with before size becomes an issue. However, now that it's bigger the fairly chunky Moto G is a bit more of a handful than, for example, the much slimmer Samsung Galaxy S5.
The Moto G 2014 is 0.6mm thicker than the 2013 model
For a closer look, the 2014 Moto G is 70.7mm wide and 11mm thick. The thickness in particular is quite hefty for a phone of this size.
Yes, that's 0.6mm thinner than the old model, but as it's also just under 5mm wider, using it will feel a bit clumsier for most hands. It shouldn't be a deal-breaker, but means you need to think about whether to go for the larger-screen version or not while the older version is still on shelves.
Here you can see the Moto G 2014 is much bigger compared to the Moto E and Moto G 2013
Motorola has finessed the design in parts this year, though. For example, the plastic screen surround stuck out a bit more in the 2013 version, and as such attracts obvious dings and scratches after a few months' use.
In the 2014 version the plastic edges stick out far less, for a smoother finish that's actually a bit more like the old, refined Moto X.
The 2014 Moto G comes in white and black shades, with additional backs available should you want a jazzier look. Having seen both, I recommend avoiding the white one. It looks cheaper, more toy-like, than the black one.
Also it makes the front camera and ambient light sensor (which are black, therefore more-or-less invisible in the black model) far too apparent.
The black option looks better than the white
Both models feel well-made, though. While largely plastic, there's no obvious flex because the battery cover sits right on the actual frame underneath, and the entire top layer of the screen and surrounding area is covered with Gorilla Glass 3.
In the last year or so we've seen this slip down from being something to brag about to something used in absolutely masses of phones of all prices. But that doesn't mean it's not still great.
It means that unless you get your phone near sand or hard grit, scratches and wear are more likely to appear on the back of the phone than on the screen, where they really matter. It's also good to see that the little bits on the Moto G that look like metal are indeed metal, rather than metal-effect plastic.
The speaker bars, the volume/power buttons on the side and the little ring surrounding the headphone jack are all made of the harder element. I'm hoping this means we can expect this to be a hard-wearing phone in the long-term. Although only the next six months or so of use will tell.
The buttons are metal, not plastic
Like the 2013 Moto G, the new model also has a sealed-in battery. By keeping the power contacts away, the battery is much less likely to get fried should the phone get a little wet.
It is not waterproof, though. Given the limitations of waterproof phones – they still can't really be used underwater – and that at this price you'd almost certainly have to deal with a load of rubber flaps, I'm glad Motorola didn't try to rope it in.
You will find a new feature under the hood, though. The UK version of the new Moto G has dual SIM slots, both microSIM-size. We don't often get dual-SIM phones in the UK, but it is a handy feature if you want a mobile to double as a work phone, or if you live a secret second life on the weekends.
(Pro tip: if the latter is the case, you might want to think about a second phone.)
The Motorola Moto G also has a microSD memory card slot, which will be very welcome to those sad about the lower internal capacity.
The very first Moto G didn't have one, although the newer 4G edition does. This lets Motorola get away with packing-in just 8GB of internal storage, however while this small amount may be enough for people who only use a few apps and don't use their phone to store music, others may find constant snapping and an accidental download of a larger app will see the internal storage sucked up in no time.
As such, the expandable memory slot is a must to make this a decent phone.
As well as having some negative effects on the size of the phone, upping the screen size in the Motorola Moto G also has some negative effects on image quality.
To explain: both the 4.5-inch and 5-inch versions of the Moto G have 720p resolution screens, meaning you get far fewer pixels per inch in the larger model. The original Moto G offers 326ppi, the 5-inch version 294ppi. Do you notice the difference of those 32ppi? Unfortunately you do.
I find the new model to have a slightly softer screen, and when you get your eyeball close to the screen, you can see the individual pixels much more clearly. When the Moto G first came out, I was gobsmacked at the display quality you got for the price. It was a case of "where's the compromise?" when budget phones universally had a clear issue of low quality in their displays.
The drop in ppi is noticeable
The new Motorola Moto G screen doesn't seem quite as flawless, but once you get over the fact you can see the pixels, the extra size outweighs the sacrifice in a lot of different applications.
For watching videos or playing games the extra 0.5 inches of screen space makes a big difference. Games in particular feel a lot more immersive. The screen is still fairly sharp, just not perfectly clear.
Aside from the sharpness issue, display quality is pretty similar between the two generations of phone and that's fantastic for the price.
The Moto G uses an IPS-type display, a variant of LCD designed to offer much better off-angle viewing than traditional LCD screens. There's a bit of brightness loss at an angle, but it's several light years ahead of the screen experience you get from something like the Nokia Lumia 630, which has a TN-type screen panel.
The bigger screen means a slight drop in quality
For a closer look at whether the screen quality has changed in other areas, I put the new phone next to an original Moto G. There were a few little differences. Colour saturation was slightly lower in the new model, and the white balance was a fair bit cooler – with whites looking slightly bluer than the original G's slightly warm/orange-tinged ones. The older phone looks marginally nicer.
However, things like this can differ between batches, especially as popular phones often use panels from more than one manufacturer.
The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3
In a darkened room, you can tell that the Moto G has only a mid-range display (although still IPS, a better screen tech than bog-standard LCD) rather than a high-end one.
Black levels are not close to something like the Sony Xperia Z3, and when examined in these conditions blacks do take on a slightly blue tinge (the original Moto G's were more grey than blue). However, the only quality limitation most people are going to notice in normal use is the resolution.
Outdoors visibility in the new Moto G is reasonably good, especially for an entry-level phone. However, I did notice that the old models seem to use a more advanced/effective anti-reflective coating than the new one.
This may be one of the ways Motorola has managed to pack a better camera and much larger screen into the new version without really adding much to the price.
Review: Nokia Lumia 530
There's no mistaking Nokia's aim with the Lumia 530: the budget phone designed to clean up in the entry level market, just as its predecessor did.
The Nokia Lumia 520 was the top selling Windows Phone handset ever. The 530 brings a few improvements to bear, but retains the brightly coloured plastic body, solitary 5MP camera, and diminutive 4-inch screen.
But here's the issue already with the new model: it's not different enough from the 520 to justify an upgrade.
There's a slight boost to the screen resolution, now 854 x 480 pixels, and a newer 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, but Nokia really has feature phone holdouts and budget shoppers looking to switch from Android in its sights here, and as such needs to be hitting this market harder.
Pricing is even more aggressive this time round though, as you won't have to pay more than £90 (around $150, AU$160) for a SIM-free Lumia 530. In fact, in the UK, O2 is offering it for £80 and Carphone Warehouse has it for just £70 on PAYG (Pay As You Go).
This is a seriously cheap smartphone
One step down from the impressive Lumia 630, the Lumia 530 is going up against competitors like the Moto E, Sony Xperia E1, and Samsung Galaxy Fame.
Making decent quality phones at knock-down prices has always been one of Nokia's strengths. Can you buy a better smartphone than the Lumia 530 for this kind of money? Let's find out.
You get what you pay for, so does cheaper mean poor quality?
All of the phones in this price bracket seem to be rounded and chubby and the Lumia 530 is no exception. It's also a paid up member of the funky colour club, with bright green or orange options. Thankfully these are buoyed by black and white choices for more conservative customers.
The Lumia 530 is pretty average for a budget phone in terms of size, weighing in at 129g and measuring 119.7 x 62.3 x 11.7mm.
Like most Nokia phones you can get the Lumia 530 in a range of fun colours
The plastic back panel is smooth and comfortable to hold, though it offers little in the way of grip. There's a small opening for the speaker near the bottom, a Nokia logo in the middle, and the camera lens near the top.
Small and comfortable to hold in one hand
The left spine of the Lumia 530 is naked. Up top there's a standard 3.5mm headphone jack while the bottom edge is home to the micro USB port. The right spine has the volume rocker with the power button below it... all in all, the Lumia 530 is very easy to use one-handed.
Button are kept to one side of the handset
You'll have to prise the back panel off to access the SIM and microSD card slots that are tucked under the removable battery, but at least it's good to see both on offer.
Four inches is starting to look distinctly small in the display department. Although there's a jump in resolution compared to the 520, the 854 x 480 pixel resolution gives the 530's display a fairly disappointing pixel density of 245ppi.
Even Apple has moved away from smaller phones
If you've had any experience with higher end phones then you're going to notice the limited brightness, poor contrast, and generally washed out look, although to be fair it's about average for a budget phone. It doesn't match the Moto E, but it's slightly better than the Xperia E1, on paper at least.
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