Android Advisor Issue 14 - 2015 UK

ANDROIDADVISOR

LATEST SMARTPHONE, TABLET AND APP REVIEWS

14ISSUE

NEXUS PHONE

Coming soon from Google

NEW

LG G4 - is this the best new phone of 2015?

PLUS

ANDROID M

2 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 14

Welcome...It's that time of year again when Google lets us know exactly what it's got in store for Android. Google I/O was scheduled to run just after we went to press with this issue, and on the following pages we examine exactly what we should expect. It's more than likely we'll get a fi rst glimpse at the forthcoming Android M OS (page 15), and although it may be too early for I/O we're already hearing rumours of a new Nexus phone for 2015 (page 9).

But as well as looking at what's to come, we're celebrating what we've already got. We had big hopes for the fi nally announced LG G4, but is it another fl agship killer? Find out on page 58.

When you're at home you probably switch to a Wi-Fi- rather than mobile connection for getting online on your Android phone or tablet. It really bugs us that in order to get Wi-Fi we also have to pay for a phone line we never use. But do we? We investigate the alternatives to ADSL on page 26.

If you are using a mobile connection, and particularly a 4G connection, you might be wondering about those advertised high speeds. It's fast, sure, but there's an important di erence between 4G and LTE. If you're not getting the speeds you expect we explain why not on page 39.

As always, we hope youve enjoyed this issue of Android Advisor. Feel free to send us your feedback via facebook.com/AndroidAdvisorUK or email [email protected].

Android Advisor Issue 14.indd 2 19/05/2015 17:29

ISSUE 14 ANDROID ADVISOR 3

GOOGLE I/O:What to expectGoogle's annual conference runs at the end of May. What will the Android maker bring to the table in 2015?

Google I/O will be held at Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco from 28- to 29 May. We take a look at what to expect from Google in 2015 including Android M, Google Glass 2.0, Project Ara and more.

Android MOne of the most obvious things to expect this year from Google is a new version of Android. Following the alphabetical list of sweet deserts, this version will begin with the letter M (place your bets for the name now). Don't be expecting a big new version, though:



Android M is likely to be 5.1 and bring along new features and tweaks. After all, 5.0 Lollipop was the big overhaul with the Material Design.

As to when Android M will arrive is unclear, but it's likely to be during the summer and in the second half of the year. The fi rst time we're likely to hear about it from Google is at Google I/O.

Google Glass 2.0Whether or not you think Google Glass is a passing fad, we could well see a new version this year. Google closed the Explorer Program on 19 January



so you can no longer purchase the Explorer Edition, but that's not the end of the wearable gadget. Google has confi rmed that it is "continuing to build for the future, and youll start to see future versions of Glass when theyre ready". According to the Wall Street Journal, we'll see a new version this year that will use an Intel chip. And at Google I/O we could get some more details.

Google Glass was fi rst introduced at Google I/O, so this year's conference seems like the perfect time and place to unveil the new version even if it is in a prototype stage of development.

Android Silver/NexusA grey area is Android Silver, which is Google's supposed scheme for creating Android devices under a set of requirements, a bit like Ultrabooks. This would mean any manufacturing partner to make a smartphone or tablet within the rules would get the Android Silver branding. Google has not confi rmed plans for this and recent reports claim it's been scrapped due to a lack of interest from partners.

It's also unclear whether Android Silver will replace the Nexus range of devices. That Google will



continue with Nexus is more likely, and as we'll see on page 9 we're expecting to see at least one new Nexus phone (and likely a tablet or phablet) this year.

Project AraOne thing we can defi nitely expect for 2015 is Project Ara, Google's modularsmartphone concept. It will allow you to upgrade individual parts of the phone such as the camera or processor in a plug-and-play fashion. There is some competition in this area, but eyes are on Google to lead the way.

"Project Ara is a development e ort, not an o cial Google product. Consequently, we dont have a market launch date. However, were working toward a limited market pilot in 2015," said Google on its website for the project.

Android TV and Android AutoGoogle spent some of its 2014 I/O conference talking about Android TV and Android Auto, versions of the OS for the living room and the car. We expect to see the fi rm push on with these in 2015 as



Android TV replaces the failed Google TV. Sets from Sony, Sharp and Philips will come with Android TV this year. We expect to see some set-top boxes, too.

It might take a little longer to see Android Auto integration, as this is still a new area for this kind of tech. However, big strides are set to take place in 2015. For example, we saw Parrot announce the RNB6 at CES, which is both Android Auto- and Apple CarPlay ready it's due to launch later this year.

Android WearFor a while it seemed as though Google would introduce an update to the Android Wear OS for smartwatches at I/O 2015, but it didn't wait for May and instead got out its update out there around the time of the rival Apple Watch launch. The 'Diamond' update brings various new features, including Wi-Fi support, new gestures and emojis.

That news doesn't mean we won't hear about Android Wear at Google I/O 2015, though. It's likely we'll hear about what the fi rm plans to do next and we could even see new devices at the conference.



We're hoping Google will launch its own Nexus-branded smartwatch.

Child-friendly products and servicesAccording to a report by USA Today, Google is looking to launch child-friendly versions of its products and services this year. We're talking kids aged 12 and under. This should mean new versions of Chrome and YouTube at least.

"The big motivator inside the company is everyone is having kids, so there's a push to change our products to be fun and safe for children," said Pavni Diwanji, vice president of engineering.



NEW NEXUS PHONE: Google's plans for 2015Nexus fans not so keen on phablets will be pleased to learn talk of a new Nexus phone is of a Nexus 5!

Google unveils a new Nexus phone every year, and a 2015 Nexus phone is already in the works. But with the names Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6and Nexus 7already in use, what exactly will we get in 2015? We examine the rumours surrounding what should be the new Nexus 5 2015.

In October 2014 Google announced its Nexus 6 phone. It was expected to go on sale in November, but it was actually getting on for Christmas before stock was available.

People were desperate to get their hands on the new Nexus 6, despite the fact it was possibly



Google's most unexciting phone launched yet. Sure, it had the brand-new Lollipop OS and some powerful hardware inside, but for many customers the 5.96in Quad HD display was simply too big, while the 499 price no longer o ered such brilliant value as did the previous Nexus 5 and Nexus 4.

Google noticed the di erence in its Q1 2015 earnings call, too. While takings were up 23 percent YOY from Google Play, revenue was down 3 percent compared to the previous quarter, and the Nexus 6 hadn't been nearly as successful as previous Nexus devices. It's possible that the 2014 Google phone was simply priced too high to garner the same kind of mass appeal as did the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5.

And those phones really were killer Google phones, with the Nexus 4announced in 2012 with an unbelieveably low SIM-free price of 239, and in October 2013 the Nexus 5followed that tradition with unrivalled value for money at 299.



Early rumours suggest Google is

in talks with both LG and Huawei for its new Nexus phone

That's the Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 covered. Meanwhile, the Nexus 7, which was last refreshed way back in 2013, is still one of the best-value 7in tablets around (the Nexus 9and Nexus 10are larger tablets). Google no longer o cially stocks the Nexus 7, but you can still get your hands on one online, and for not much more than 100.

What will the new Nexus phone be called?With only the Nexus 8 model name going spare, Google's either going to have to start refreshing its existing product lines, adding the year as it did with the second-gen Nexus 7, or go down the Apple route with the addition of an 'S'. Perhaps in 2015 we'll get a new Nexus 5s, or a new Nexus 6s.

Or both. Since early rumours circulating on the web suggest Google is in talks with both LG and Huawei for its new Nexus phone (which LG has now confi rmed, saying the new Nexus phone is "under consideration at LG"). It's possible that we'll see both a new phone and a new tablet, or maybe a new phone and a new phablet, with LG making one device and Huawei the other.

LG, of course, made the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, while Motorola made the Nexus 6, Asus made the Nexus 7, HTC made the Nexus 9 and Samsung the Nexus 10. Huawei, meanwhile, has just launched



Google might return to its previous tack: high-end devices with mid-range prices

a very interesting, very good-value phablet in the Huawei P8 max, alongside its fl agship Huawei P8.It's possible, then, that we'll see a new Nexus 5 2015 from LGand a new Nexus 6 2015 from Huawei, although most sources online suggest there will simply be a new Nexus 5, and it's up in the air whether LG or Huawei will make it.

When is the new Nexus 5 coming out?Google I/O 2015will be held at the end of May 2015, and it's then that we'll get our fi rst glimpse of Android M, the OS that will run on the new Nexus phone(s). Following tradition, though, the new Nexus phone(s) won't be unveiled until later in the year, and most likely October, alongside the fi nal version of the new Android OS. We expect Google would like to get the new Nexus device(s) on sale in November.

In terms of pricing, until we know the exact specifi cation, we can merely speculate. The Nexus line is known for its value, and we really can't see Google taking prices any higher than its 499 Nexus 6. Much more likely, given the fi ndings of its Q1 2015 earnings call, is that it will return to its previous tack: high-end devices with mid-range prices.

The fact it's in talks with Huawei is very interesting. Huawei is a Chinese manufacturer that makes devices with specs to rival the big brands such as Apple and Samsung, but at signifi cantly



lower prices. It's one of the better-known Chinese phone makers in the UK, and in the fi rst quarter of this year in China itself it was second only to Xiaomi in terms of market share. Both are more popular over there than Apple and Samsung, with Xiaomi taking 14 percent of the market and Huawei 11 percent, according to IHS Technology.

If Huawei is to build the next Nexus phone, we could see the price fall right back down to around 300- to 350. However, if Huawei is in charge, we're really hoping availability won't become an issue once again: the P8 and P8 max should have gone on sale in the UK on 15 April, but in early May were still impossible to fi nd on sale.

What to expect from the new Nexus 5Concept images of a new Nexus 5 2015 have been posted on Google+ by designer Miqdad Halim. These feature both an LG Nexus 5 2015 and a



Samsung Nexus 5 2015. Halim lists some specs below each concept, although you should take them with a pinch of salt. Both suggest there will be a 5.2in full-HD screen, an octa-core processor and a 13Mp rear camera.

A more convincing leak is the phone used in Google's own promo video for Project Fi, from which the pictures in this article were taken. It's clearly not a Nexus 6, despite the fact that is the only available handset that works with Project Fi right now, so could it be a Huawei-made Nexus phone?

It's impossible to tell what specifi cation a Huawei-made Nexus 5 or Nexus 6 might carry, but based on its recent P8 and P8 max launchwe're going to guess that there will be a 5.2in full-HD display, 3GB of RAM, 13- and 5Mp cameras, and a Kirin- rather than Qualcomm octa-core processor. It'll be a 4G phone and, fi ngers crossed, since this will be a Chinese phone, potentially dual-SIM - are we about to see dual-SIM make real inroads in the UK?

Alternatively, if Google opts to work with LG once again, we could very well see another Quad HD display, as was seen on the Motorola-made Nexus 6.



ANDROID M:What we want to seeWe've got a list of fi xes and new features for you, pretty please, Google

Android 5.0 Lollipop is now in use on many smartphones and tablets, but we're future-thinking and here's what we want to see in Android M, which we expect Google to give us the fi rst glimpse of this month.

Better performanceAndroid Lollipop supports 64-bit and uses the Android runtime instead of Dalvik, therefore o ering improved performance over previous versions, but we don't want Google to stop there and we're pretty sure it won't.



Modern smart devices such as phones and tablet are brilliant but the hardware inside them means that battery life is always a struggle. Project Volta in Android Lollipop improves things, but we want more. Whether it's a software or hardware thing, or a combination of both, we don't really care.

Synched notifi cationsIf you own multiple devices (not necessarily all running the same OS), such as a smartphone and a tablet, you'll probably get annoyed at dismissing notifi cations you've already seen and to which you have responded. We get frustrated when we respond to an email on a phone only to be told about it again when we then pick up a tablet. Add other devices into the mix, such as a smartwatch, and it's notifi cation overload.

What we want are notifi cations that dismiss themselves once they've been seen on one of your logged-in devices. Cross-platform, too.

Better parental controlsAndroid, unlike iOS, allows you to have multiple accounts on the same device. This is a great feature



Customisable gestures would allow

you to set gestures for the features that matter most to you

and means parents can set up accounts for their children. Using a restricted account gives the ability to restrict access to certain apps and content, but we'd like some more advanced tools such as time limits and the ability to shut o access to any app or feature, not just those for which developers have chosen to allow it. It would also be good to be able to switch o in-app purchases or Google Play purchases to avoid the sting of an unexpected bill.

Clever gesturesAndroid has all sorts of clever features and tricks, but Google's manufacturing partners have proved that there's more you can do with a touchscreen than simply swipe to unlock. LG, with the G2, implemented smart gestures such as KnockON allowing users to switchon and o the screen with a double-tap. Others have copied this and added more, allowing you to quick-launch features even when the screen is o .

It's this kind of thing we'd like to see in stock Android, and preferably customisable so you can set gestures for the features that matter most to you.

More customisationOpen-source Android is highly customisable, but there's one particular area of Lollipop that's bolted



down and doesn't need to be. The Quick Settings menu (when you pull down the notifi cation bar a second time) shows handy functions such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, location and mobile data. Why can't it show what we want it to show?

Ultra power savingWe've seen many Android device makers create their own ultra power-saving modes that can, typically speaking, get around 24 hours of life from 10 percent of battery. This is achieved by switching to a simple greyscale interface, switching o power-hungry Wi-Fi and giving access only to basic features such as the dialer and messages.

While you'll fi nd it in various guises, it's not a part of stock Android, and we think it should be.

EnterpriseGoogle needs to make it possible and easy to manage and secure a fl eet of Android handsets in order to maintain its position in the mobile market.

EnterpriseGoogle needs to make it possible and easy to



COMING SOON:Samsung Galaxy S6 ActiveIt's the Galaxy S6 but tougher, and it features an SD card slot and a removable battery

Samsung's brilliant Samsung Galaxy S6will be joined by a number of smartphonevariants, including the Samsung Galaxy Edge, Samsung Galaxy S6 miniand Samsung Galaxy S6 Active. Here we round up the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active rumours, including new leaked photos.

Will there be a Samsung Galaxy S6 Active?The fi rst mention of a Samsung Galaxy S6 Active came from a user on Reddit, who claims to have spoken to a Samsung rep who says there will indeed be a Samsung Galaxy S6 Active. More recently, Sammobile's various reports suggest the S6 Active does indeed exist, having passed the Bluetooth



certifi cationand beenspotted in the Indian import listings. And it's been spotted in AT&T's inventory.

Perhaps the clearest evidence of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active's existence comes from Samsung itself, however. On Samsung's own site the S6 Active is among those devices listed as being eligible for its US Samsung Plus points scheme.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active was announced in May 2014, two months after the standard Samsung Galaxy S5. Expect to see the same with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active. (Our Reddit tipster also claims it'll get a mid-summer release.)

S6 Active specifi cationAccording to Sammobile,the S6 Active will have many of the same specifi cations as the Samsung Galaxy S6, with a 5.1in Quad-HD Super AMOLED display, Android 5.0 Lollipop, octa-coreExynos 7420processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage,and 16- and 5Mp rear- and primary cameras. It will be slightly larger at 73.6x146.9x8.8mm, allowing for a more capacious 3500mAh battery.

According to the aforementioned Reddit tip, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active will also get the microSD card support missing from the S6. However, it will lose the heart-rate monitor and fi ngerprint scanner, and the camera will be downgraded.

That goes against recently leaked photos purporting to be the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active, however, which show that although there's no fi ngerprint scanner, there is the same rear camera and heart-rate sensor at the back as on the standard Samsung Galaxy S6. The speakers have also been moved to the back.



COMING SOON:Samsung Galaxy Tab S 2Samsung's high-end iPad-rivalling Tab S tablets are due a refresh any day now

Successors to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and 10.5 tablets have leaked as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 2 8in and 9.7in. Here's everything we know.

When is the Tab S 2 coming out?According to Sammobile the Galaxy Tab S 2 8in and 9.7in will be released in the UK in June. The new Tabs will also go on sale worldwide,including the US, Canada, Europeanmarkets, China, Latin America, Hong Kong, Korea and India.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S line-up are high-end tablets that are fi rmly pitched as Apple iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 rivals. We reckon we'll see the same



again in 2015, which means prices starting at 319 for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 2 8in and 399 for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 2 9.7in.

What to expect from the Tab S 2Sammobile has leaked specifi cations for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 2 8in and 9.7in tablets, which use the model numbers SM-T710 and SM-T810 respectively. The leaked image at the top of the previous page also shows the Tab S 2 looking like a larger version of the Galaxy A5 phone. However, the leaker says the Galaxy Tab S 2 9.7 will be inspired by the Galaxy S6 and will be around 5.8-5.9mm thick.

The tablets will be very similar to each other, with the main di erence being a new metal frame and their screen size. While both screens have been slightly reduced over the 8.4- and 10.5in of the original Samsung Galaxy Tab S tablets, they have also switched to a 4:3 aspect ratio and the resolution has been reduced from 2560x1600 pixels to 2048x1536 pixels. The reduction in screen size means the drop in pixel density isn't as great as you might expect, and you're unlikely to notice the di erence between the old (359ppi) and new (320ppi) compact Tab S, and old (288ppi) and new (264ppi) large-screen Tab S. As before, they will use Super AMOLED panels.

Inside Sammobile says you'll fi nd a Samsung Exynos 5433 processor (although this may be upgraded to the Exynos 7420 before the Tab S 2's release, given that the tablets will run Android Lollipop and therefore support 64-bit processing). There will also be 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (plus up to 128GB via microSD).



A tablet with the model name SM-T815, which is likely the cellular version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 2 9.7in, has shown up in the GFXBench 3 database. According to the information held there, the processor is a 1.9GHz octa-core model using an ARM Mali-T760 MP6 GPU.

Cat 6 LTE connectivity is rumoured to feature (we expect this will be optional, adding around 100 to the price), and there will be 3580- and 5870mAH batteries on the small and large models respectively. Both tablets will feature an 8Mp camera at the rear and 2.1Mp at the front.

The new Samsung tablets are slimmer and lighter than their Apple rivals, with the Tab S 2 8in measuring 198.2x134.5x5.4mm and weighing 260g, and the larger Tab S 2 9.7in measuring 237.1x168.8x5.4mm and weighing 407g. By comparison, the 331g iPad mini 3 and 437g iPad Air 2 are 7.5- and 6.1mm thick respectively.



Google makes mobile sites more app-likeChrome push notifi cations are coming, with eBay and Facebook soon taking advantage of the feature

Google has taken a big step in its e orts to make mobile websites act more like native applications on Android smartphones by adding notifi cations to its browser.

One of the most convincing arguments for building an application instead of a website has been the ability to send notifi cations to users. Google is hoping to narrow that advantage by adding the feature to v42 of Chrome for Android.

As a result, Android developers no longer have to decide between the engagement potential of a native app and the reach of a mobile website.

For users, the notifi cations will look and act as those sent from applications. They still show up in the notifi cation tray, but a click takes users to a website instead of an app. Users still have to opt in before a website cansend them any messages.

Early adopters in the coming weeks will include eBay, Facebook and Pinterest, according to Google.



What notifi cations o er was a major theme at a recent event organised by the Online News Association in London. While they o er the opportunity to engage more closely with users, they are also the easiest way to get them to uninstall an app if not done right. Its important to be upfront with how many notifi cations will be sent and what they will cover, and then stick to that.

Companies such as Roost and Mobify are providing services that aim to make it easier for developers to integrate push notifi cations with their sites. The former allows companies to use its dashboard, its APIs and its WordPress plug-in to send notifi cations to Chrome users on Windows, Mac, and now Android, it said in a blog post.

This upgrade is part of a larger e ort by Google to make mobile-optimised websites look more like installed apps when using Chrome. The upgraded version also lets developers add a pop-up banner that users can click on to add the site to their home screen. Other changes include full o ine support, and access to device capabilities such as the camera and geolocation.



HOW TO GET BROADBAND WITHOUT A LANDLINEWhy pay 17 a month for a phone line you never use?



So why do we still pay 17 a month

for a landline that few of us use and even fewer actually need?

You want broadband, but you dont need a phone line. Sound familiar? Fortunately, there are ways to get your internet fi x without paying BTs monthly fee. This feature explains how you can have broadband without a phone line.

Alternatives to traditional ADSL promise broadband connections without also demanding that you sign up for a phone line you may well never use. Shop carefully, though, as while such connections are often faster, they arent always as cheap as you might expect.

Landlines are so last century. If youre anything like us, youll make most of your calls on your mobile phone, and other than that youll use email, WhatsApp, Hangouts and instant messaging to keep in touch with friends and family. Video calling is easy and even better it no longer requires thousands of pounds worth of kit to make it happen, so you can talk to distant relatives using nothing more than your voice and a cheap smartphone or tablet.

So why do we still pay 17 a month for a landline that few of us use and even fewer actually need? Doesnt it feel like a waste of money to be paying for it on top of your monthly broadband subscription? Isnt ita con that you cant get online with mostof the headline broadband providers without being forced to pay for a hardly usedvoice line on top?



You can stop paying for your landline right away so long as youre happy to change your broadband provider. If youre not tied into an ongoing contract that imposes penalties for ducking out early, you should look again at the alternatives to traditional ADSL. Were talking satellite, fi bre to the house, cable and the ever expanding 4G wireless network.

As well show here, its easy to get online without signing up to ADSL. However, before jumping straight in, think carefully about your needs and about the overall costs too. Some people may well be better o with an ADSL broadband deal that includes a monthly line rental charge.

Satellite broadbandTen years ago, satellite broadband would have been your only option if you lived far away from a major conurbation, but as access by traditional means has got faster and more comprehensive its now just one of several choices for most of us.



Eutelsat champions satellite broadband as

one of the cleanest means of communication

The technology behind it isnt particularly new, with Eutelsat launching its broadband-enabled e-BIRD satellite in 2003. Built by Boeing and launched on the back of an Ariane rocket, e-BIRD was designed to fl y for a decade, but its still going strong and provides satellite broadband to Turkey, Greenland, and a whole swathe of Europe in between, Britain included.

Eutelsat champions satellite broadband as one of the cleanest means of communication. The satellites themselves work o solar power, theres no need to build expensive and polluting infrastructure on the ground exchanges, cables and the like and the launch procedure, potentially the most damaging part of the whole process, creates about the same amount of carbon pollution as a single jumbo jet fl ight from one side of the US to the other.

Eutelsat sells its services under the Tooway brand through a range of distributors. To sign up, youll need to navigate a fairly Byzantine pricing structure that takes both usage and speed into account. At the budgetend, Avonline Broadbands entry-level service gets you 2GB of data, with downloadsmaxing out at 5Mb/s and uploadsat 1Mb/s. Its a 24-month contract, with the fi rst three months charged at 9.99 and the remainder at 19.95 a month. Neither the speeds nor the cap compare favourably with a lot of regular ADSL.



Avonlines most popular package is a 25GB bundle with uncapped overnight downloads, which would make it worthwhile sitting up to grab your iPlayer programmes outside of peak. Or you can opt for uncapped email and browsing round the clock for 74.95 a month, with a 100GB cap on other data, such as streamed media.

Multiply those prices by 24 months to fi nd out what itll cost you over a standard contract and youre looking at 448 at the lower end, rising to

1,798 for the gold standard. Youll need to add on either 5 a month to rent the necessary hardware (or 275 to buy it outright), 100 for installation (or 10 a month for 12 months if you want to pay it o over the fi rst year) and 49.95 if you want to cut your commitment from 24 months to 12. All in all, it works out rather expensive when compared to ADSL and a landline combined.

For example, ignoring any introductory deals, Plusnets unlimited broadband and calls package, with download speeds of up to 17Mb/s and free weekend calls, costs 9.99 a month plus 15.95 line rental for a 12-month term. Thats 311 over your fi rst



Satellite broadband is still struggling to compete

in the speed-versus-value equation

year, plus installation at 49.99, giving a grand total of 361 without the need to pay ongoing costs for equipment rental. Upgrading to Plusnets 18-month fi bre contract with speeds touching 40Mb/s at best ups the annual cost to 371.28 (14.99 a month for the broadband and 15.95 monthly line rental) and commits you to 18 months of service. Again, theres an installation fee of 49.99 to consider, but that still pegs the overall cost at 421 for the fi rst year, and 371 for each subsequent year.

Thats bad news for satellite broadband. While it might save you the cost of a landline youll never use, unless you live in one of the increasingly rare spots where reliable broadband still isnt an option, satellite is struggling to compete in the speed versus value equation.

CableYou could be forgiven for thinking that the UK has just one cable provider Virgin Media but in fact we have two. WightFibre remains the only standalone cable-co in Britain, and the only cable option for subscribers on the Isle of Wight.

It o ers speeds of 30 to 152Mb/s for between 22.50 and 37.50 a month without line rental (270 to 450 a year, plus an additional installation fee of 30 for the cheaper of those), although right now its



o ering broadband for free for the fi rst 12 months if you pay 15.30 a month for a landline. That reduces the cost to a fl at 183.60 for up to 152Mb/s.

If youre not on the Isle of Wight, none of these deals applies, so youll have to look to Virgin Media instead. Its regular ADSL service is available nationwide, but were interested in the cable service, which doesnt yet boast national coverage and isnt ever likely to do so. If youve spotted service plates in the street bearing the acronym CATV, theres a good chance youre living in a cabled area, but enter your postcode at store.virginmedia.com to be sure. If youre not yet covered, you can click 'Cable My Street' to add support for a roll-out in your direction.

Virgin Medias slowest connections start at 50Mb/s (28.50 a month, 342 annually) and top out at a WightFibre-matching 152Mb/s (41 a month, 492 annually). None of them requires a landline and theres no fee for the installation of hardware, either. However, signing up for a landline does reduce the cost of the broadband.

For example, 152Mb/s broadband without a landline costs 41 a month and ties you in for 12 months for a total cost of 492. Add a landline and



Virgin Media's cable packages don't demand you pay for a landline, but doing so will reduce

the cost of the broadband

the contract extends to 18 months, but the cost of your broadband drops to 24.50 for the fi rst 12 months and 30 thereafter. You need to add on 16.99 a month for the landline rental, but theres still no fee for installation, so the overall cost is 779.92. The saving youd make over the same period by not taking the landline is therefore a little less than 40.

How does that compare to BTs superfast Infi nity service? Assuming that you have coverage (you can check at tinyurl.com/c3ntbwq to see whether superfast Infi nity is available in your area), its

Unlimited BT Infi nity 2 + Weekend Calls option including free BT Sport and 50GB of cloud storage costs 25 a month for the broadband, plus 16.99 monthly line rental, for a total year one cost of 503.88. Add the one-o 6.95 charge for delivering a HomeHub and the totals around 10 more than Virgin Media is charging for a faster pipe without the bundled phone line.

4GCellular connections are by far the most fl exible option, as you can take them with you wherever you go. Just be wary of the fact that, as Britains 4G roll-out remains incomplete, performance will vary from place to place and you may well fi nd yourself stepping back to slower 3G.



Relish is a dedicated 4G broadband provider serving central London and London Docklands. It claims that no-one else has as much 4G spectrum as it does, nor as much capacity. So if you live or work in its area, its a tempting proposition, not least on account of its competitive prices.

Theres no setup fee, just one speed up to 50Mb/s and one price, which is 20 a month whether you sign up for one month or 12. The only inducement to tying yourself into an annual contract is the upfront cost of the 4G router, which is 50 on monthly pay as you go, but waived on the 12-month package. Pay upfront, then, and your fi rst year of coverage is 240, all in, with no restrictions on how much data you use.

EEs 4GEE service works beyond this limited swathe of the capital, o ering 3G and 4G coverage nationwide (subject to network propagation). There are three hardware options: Buzzard 2, which plugs into a car socket for broadband on the move, and Osprey or Kite, which are more traditional pocket-sized wireless 4G routers.



Beware of quickly eating few your monthly

data allowance when relying on 4G

Contracts on each of these options run for one month or two years, with the upfront costs being lower on the longer-term deals.

There are also two levels of service: 4GEE for light users and 4GEE Extra for heavy users.

Opt for the smart Apple TV-like Osprey router on the entry-level 4GEE service and its 10 a month for 1GB of data, 15 a month for 3GB and an upfront cost of 19.99 on the1GB, two-year deal. The router is free if you sign up to 15 a month for two years, but if you sign up for just a month youll be looking at a 39.99 bill for the router before youve even got online, whichever package you choose.

None of these prices is extortionate when you consider the convenience of being able to create a Wi-Fi hotspot wherever and whenever you need (you can connect up to 10 devices to Osprey simultaneously), with a two-year commitment to the 3GB bundle tipping the scales at just 360 or 180 a year. Beware, though, that with a few catch-up downloads, some music streaming and a bit of YouTube action, youll quickly eat through your monthly allowance.

You might accordingly want to look at 4GEE Extra instead, which o ers bundles of 15GB, 25GB and 50GB for 20, 30 and 50 a month respectively, each on 24-month contracts. These come closer



Perhaps the most exciting of all the current

options is fibre to the building

to matching entry-level ADSL connections, but the convenience of being able to hook up wherever you fi nd yourself comes at a price. That 50 deal for the top-end data pack means youll end up paying 1,200 over the course of the contract, which is more than most ADSL plus landline combos.

Fibre to the buildingPerhaps the most exciting of all the current options is fi bre to the building. Were not talking about BT Infi nity or Virgin Media here,but a dedicated fi bre line running directly to your router.

Hyperoptic o ers synchronous connections of 1Gb/s fl at-out. That means theres no di erence in the speed of uploads and downloads as there is with ADSL, and you shouldnt see any degradation in the speed of the service as you move away from the connection point either.

Prices start at 29 a month for the fi rst six months, and 60 a month thereafter, but you can step down to 100Mb/s for 17 a month for the fi rst six months (35 a month thereafter), or 20Mb/s for 10 a month for the fi rst six months (22 a month thereafter). In each case, theres a 40 connection fee to add on top, but the 200 installation fee is waived.

At the top end of the scale, then, youre looking at a year one cost of 574; thats roughly what youd



be paying for the 152Mb/s deal available from Virgin Media and slightly more than BTs fi bre-based Infi nity service, while enjoying far higher speeds. The mid-range package, which in speed terms sits between what BT and Virgin Media o er, costs a total of 352 in the fi rst year and 310 a year thereafter, which is excellent value for money.

But there is a catch. Because its building its own fi bre network, Hyperoptic is concentrating on multi-dwelling buildings and, as it explains on its website, if your building is within its catchment area, and enough residents show support by registering for it online, then the company can connect you to its future-proof full-fi bre network.

Its service is currently installed in 100,000 homes spread across 1,000 buildings, and if yours is among them youll already know. If its not, and you live in a block of fl ats, your best bet is to enter your postcode at hyperoptic.com, fi ll in the form to register your interest in the service and get your neighbours to do the same. If you live in a terrace, semi or detached house, though, dont get your hopes up just yet.

Are landlines a necessary evil?So its not as clear-cut as you might think. Yes, a lot of us are paying for landlines we dont use, and that hurts, but the alternatives arent always better value.

Fibre to the home is the fastest option since its 21st century technology all the way from the exchange to your router, rather than fi bre to the cabinet in your street, and limiting copper from there to your house. Cable has better coverage, and again its faster than ADSL at present, but its not been rolled out nationwide.



For many of us traditional ADSL

is the only practical option

And then theres 4G, which cant be beaten for convenience. But you may fi nd the data caps restrictive and the coverage variable.

Which brings us back to traditional ADSL. For many of us its the only practical option, which means were stuck with the landline charge. By splitting it out from the headline cost of their broadband deals, though, Britains ISPs arent exactly helping themselves. Yes, its great to be able to advertise a 5.99 broadband package until you hit the customer with an extra 16.70 a month that theyd rather not pay. If there is no option but to cough up for the service, then the advertised cost in this case should be 22.69, not sub-6.

It doesnt make the charge any easier toswallow, but you can at least console yourself with the thought that your landline fee is paying to maintain the line from your house to the nearest box on the street, which the fee for a traditional ADSL contractalmost certainly isnt. In that respect you can think of it as a digital standing charge, like the one you pay to hook up your home to the National Grid, the gas lines and the water supply or, indeed, the road tax you pay to drive your car.

Its an investment in the national infrastructure, and as such it probably ought to be renamed. Perhaps then paying the fee will feel less like you're being fl eeced.



4G vs LTE: Why you're not getting true 4G speed4G isn't the same thing as LTE. We explain the di erence between the two mobile technologies

4G, LTE, LTE-A, carrier aggregation. Its all tech nonsense if you dont understand what the jargon means. Here well explain the di erences between 4G and LTE so youre better equipped to choose not only the best phone, but also the best tari for you.

There are a lot of decisions to make when getting a new phone. Along with deciding which handset is best, you might also have to choose a new tari , and thats a complex business in itself.

4G is the latest buzzword youll hear or come across, but what exactly is 4G? Is it the same as LTE?



In a word, no, but phone manufacturers and mobile operators love to use them interchangeably, and tend to further muddy the waters with dumbed-down marketing materials.

Well explain everything you need to know about 4G, the speeds you can expect to get, and how to choose a phone and tari thats right for you.

What is 4G?The International Telecommunications Union-Radio (ITU-R) is the United Nations o cial agency for all kind of information and communication technologies. It decided on the spec for the 4G standard in 2008.

It decided that the peak download speeds for 4G should be 100Mb/s for high mobility devices, such as when youre using a phone in a car or on a train.

When a mobile device is stationary, the ITU-R decided that 4G should be able to deliver speeds up to around 1Gb/s.



So if true 4G is supposed to o er us download speeds of up to 1Gb/s, why are we getting 100 times less than that in the UK, at around 10- to 12Mb/s in real-world speeds?

Unfortunately, the ITU-R doesnt control the standards implementation, which led to fi rst-generation technologies like LTE being criticised for not being true 4G.

The reason for this is that other groups (3GPP is one example) that work with the technology companies who develop the hardware had already decided on the next-generation technologies, leaving us with substandard 4G capabilities.

What is LTE?Though originally marketed as 4G technology, LTE (Long Term Evolution) didnt satisfy the technical requirements outlined by the ITU-R, meaning that many early tari s sold as 4G werent 4G at all.



However, on account of marketing pressures and the signifi cant advances that LTE brings to 3G technologies, the ITU subsequently decided that LTE could be called 4G technology.

So LTE is a fi rst-generation 4G technology that should theoretically be able to reach speeds of around 100Mb/s. Unfortunately, Ofcom reports that the UK average for LTE is around 15.1Mb/s. While thats around twice the speed of an average 3G connection, its a long way o the theoretical top speed of LTE.

As well as lacking in overall download speed, LTE is defi cient in uplink spectral e ciency and speed. Uplink spectral e ciency refers to the e ciency of the rate at which data is uploaded and transmitted from your smartphone.

LTE falls short of true 4G capacity mainly because of the lack of carrier aggregation and because phones dont have many antennas. MIMO (Multiple



Input Multiple Output) is a practical technique for sending and receiving more than one data signal on the same channel at the same time by using more than one antenna.

With better carrier aggregation and MIMO, we can head towards a new standard: LTE Advanced. This is also known as true 4G.

Imagine playing a PlayStation 3 when you could be playing a PlayStation 4. The PS3 isnt necessarily too slow to use, but youd have a better experience using the faster console, the PS4. Its the same with LTE: LTE is the PlayStation 3 and LTE Advanced (LTE-A) is the PlayStation 4.

Why carrier aggregation mattersCarrier aggregation is part of the LTE-Advanced spec. It lets operators treat multiple radio channels in di erent bands (or the same frequency band) as if they were one, producing quicker speeds



and allowing users to perform bandwidth-hogging activities much faster than ever before.

Think of your wireless connection as a pipe. You might not be able to increase its size, but you can add a second and even a third pipe. Use all three simultaneously and youll have three times the fl ow rate. Its the same concept with carrier aggregation.

Another advantage of carrier aggregation is that speeds dont decrease, however far away from the cell tower you are.

Combining two signals (or channels) should theoretically double the download speed to around 150Mb/s. In future, there could be aggregation across more channels, potentially up to fi ve, which was defi ned in the LTE Advanced standard.

What about HSPA+? HSPA+ may be marketed as 4G technology but its technically 3G. HSPA+ stands for High Speed Packet



Access Plus. It was the next step after 3G, with UK network provider Three aiming for it to be used by 2012 (before the introduction of LTE).

The technology was developed with a theoretical top speed of 21Mb/s, which is pretty impressive for technology that doesnt count as 4G (3G has an average speed of around 1Mb/s). However, it was quite a way away from its theoretical top speed as the average is around 4Mb/s.

Who o ers the fastest 4G LTE?Now you know more about what the di erence is between true 4G and the 4G LTE were being sold, its worth considering which UK network provides the best 4G LTE connection. In November 2014, Ofcom tested the 3G and 4G connections of every major provider in the UK in fi ve cities.

The results howed EE has the fastest 4G LTE connection, with 18.4Mb/s on average, although thats still a long way from the theoretical top speed of LTE.

Its not just the download speed that dictates responsiveness of a 4G connection; latency also

Research and graph by Ofcom

Average speed (Mb/s)

0

5

10

15

20

15.1

18.4

15.614.3

10.7

5.26.7

5.66.86.1

0.2All EE Vodafone Three

4G3G



plays an important part. A lower latency provides better responsiveness and reduced delays when using data for browsing, video calling, and so on.

Surprisingly, EE wasnt the best provider when it came to latency that award went to Three. Ofcom reports that Three took the least time to deliver data on both 4G (47.6ms) and 3G (53.8ms). O2 came last, with the highest levels of latency, measuring in at 62.7ms on 4G and 86.4ms on 3G.

LTE-A availabilitySurprisingly, LTE-A is already available in selected areas. Vodafone announced the start of its LTE-A roll-out in October last year in Birmingham, Manchester and London. EE has also joined the LTE-A race, trialling the technology in Londons Tech City. Upgrading infrastructure to support LTE-A will be a slow process and is likely to take a couple of years, much like the initial 4G roll-out did. And you wont automatically get LTE-A when it has been rolled out, as there are other factors that have to be taken into consideration.

The main one is compatibility. Your phone needs to support LTE-A. Just as was the case with the 3G to 4G migration, many existing phones dont have the technology to be compatible with LTE-A. There are a few exceptions though, including:

Amazon Fire phone iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus BlackBerry Z10/Z30/Q10/Passport HTC One M8 and M9 Google Nexus 6 LG G Flex 2 and G3



Huawei Honor 6 Galaxy Note 3 and 4 Galaxy Note Edge Galaxy Note S4, S5 and S6 Sony Xperia Z2 and Z3

The good news is that it looks like neither Vodafone nor EE is charging people for the extra speed. As long as youre in a supported area and using a compatible phone, you should be able to enjoy the benefi ts of LTE-As carrier aggregation and see download speeds of around 150Mb/s. Just watch out that you dont burn through your monthly data allowance in a few minutes.



EE Wi-Fi Calling solves poor mobile signal problemsWi-Fi Calling means you can make calls and send texts without a mobile signal. Here's how to get it

If you struggle with poor reception athome your options are limited. One is to get hold of a signal boosterbox, but these arent always freely available. However, EE has introduced a new service called Wi-Fi Calling, which allows you to route calls through yourrouter and the internet to solve the problem with no additional hardware.

What is Wi-Fi Calling?Although Three and O2 o er similar services (InTouch and TuGo, respectively), these require apps and therefore keep calls and texts separate from



your regular ones. The same is true of Skype and WhatsApp. EEs new Wi-Fi Calling is di erent its built into the phone and allows you to make calls and send text messages even when there is no mobile signal. This means if youre on the London Underground or you live in an area with poor network coverage, you can still carry on using your phone like normal.

Who is eligible for Wi-Fi Calling?Its currently available to those who pay monthly, and small business customers. Corporate 4G clients will be able to sign upfor the service in the summer.

Which phones work with EE Wi-Fi Calling?At the time of writing, the Lumia 640, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were the only devices with the feature. More models will, of course, be added to this list. For example, EE has committed to bringing



Once set up just use your phone

as normal the calls and texts come out of your allowance

Wi-Fi Calling to the Samsung Galaxy S5 and has confi rmed that some iPhones are compatible.

Youll need to purchase your handset from EE to have the correct software. Putting an EE SIM in your existing unlocked phone wont add the feature.

How do you use EE Wi-Fi Calling?Your phone from EE should come with a sticker on the box explaining what to do, butyou can text wifi calling to 150 to set it up. You might also need to head into the settings of the dialler app to switch it on. Youll get a new symbol onscreen, but you may not even know youre using Wi-Fi Calling.

Once youre set up, you simply use yourphone as normal the calls and texts come out of your allowance and dont appear on your bill any di erent. Theres no need to use anything apart from the regular dialler and messages app. Ring or call someone asper usual and if theres no mobile signal, the phone will use a Wi-Fi connection instead.

Note that the other person doesnt need Wi-Fi Calling for it to work as only your end of the communication requires Wi-Fi. A quick ping test will check if the connection is good enough to handle the call but, for now, the call will drop if you lose the Wi-Fi connection. The service doesnt yet have the ability to switch from Wi-Fi to mobile network.



How to bypass internet tethering blocksYour operator knows you're tethering but how? And what can you do when it puts an end to your fun?

If you have a tablet without a SIM slot, the only way to get an internet connection is via Wi-Fi. That's fi ne when you're at home or near another Wi-Fi hotspot, but when you're on the move the only option is to connect to a hotspot generated by your smartphone. This is called tethering, and you might also use it to get a laptop online. Here we explain how mobile operators know you're doing it and how to avoid tethering blocks.

Not all smartphones let you create a 'personal hotspot' and share your 3G or 4G connection, but many do. However, not all 3G and 4G tari s allow



tethering, so you could end up with a warning or even being cut o if you break the rules.

It doesn't any more, but Three used to limit tethering only to certain mobile tari s. If you weren't on one of these and you tethered anyway, you'd likely get a message telling you to cease and desist, or face your connection being suspended.

So how does Three - and other operators know that you're sharing your mobile data connection?

We put the question to Three, which declined to answer. However, if you think about it logically, it should be simple to detect tethering. Every device with a network connection has a unique hardware identifi er called a MAC address. Assuming that the operator can trace the fi nal destination of the data packets, it should be able to determine that the fi nal MAC doesn't match your phone's.

There are lots of other ways, too, from web browser identifi ers, software, fi rmware revisions and



more. For example, if you were tethering a full-blown Windows tablet which requested a software update, this would raise a red fl ag, since it's not a mobile operating system.

Similarly, the type of data could be used. If you start using bit torrent to download fi les, you're probably tethering.

How to bypass tethering blocksIf you were hoping for a step-by-step guide to getting around a tethering ban, you're about to be disappointed. Most operators allow tethering these days. Both Three and Gi ga - companies which used to restrict or ban it - now allow tethering up to your monthly data allowance.

This is what we've always thought was the fairest way to deal with it: you've paid for the data, so you should be able to use it for whatever you like on any device.

So, if you're on a tari that doesn't allow tethering then the simplest option is to switch to one that does. There are some excellent pay monthly deals around, so you'll probably save money to boot.



Can a smartwatch get a virus?If you've got a new Android Wear watch you might be wondering whether it needs security software

Can a smartwatch get a virus? Yes. But it won't. However, you do need to secure your wearable. Here are our crucial tips for protecting your smartwatch.

The nature of personal tech is that devices such as smartphones, tablets and - yes - smartwatches are vulnerable to theft or hack. If someone access your smartwatch, they could likely access all of your personal data, and in turn empty your bank account. So it is important that you secure your smartwatch. But does that mean you need antivirus? Just how do you secure a wearable device? Let's take a look.



In most cases a smartwatch is mostly an extension of your smartphone. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth or some other wireless tech. This peer-to-peer connectivity should mean that it is more safe than even your smartphone. Or, to put it another way, a hacker would have to hack into your phone to get at your smartwatch (and once they are in your phone they don't need your watch).

Remember that virtually all malware these days exists to make money out of the victim, and thieves always go for the low-hanging fruit. If your watch is harder to hack than your laptop, the laptop will get it. It is the same data, after all.

But that is not to say that you should be complacent. If you can install software on a device, you can install malware. So although it is unlikely anyone can (or will) hack their way on to your wrist with a drive-by attack, you can certainly be tricked into installing a dodgy app or opening up a dodgy



link. In reality, however, this isn't the real security threat posed against you and your smartwatch.

Can a smartwatch get a virus?That threat is two-fold, and very real. But not the biggest threat you face every day you transact online. Because despite what antivirus makers will tell you, there isn't really a direct malware threat aimed at your Android smartphone, nor your Android Wear watch. Smartwatches are a tiny nascent market. Yes, where there is data and transation there is a potential threat, but there are many more easy ways of stealing your data than installing malware on your smartwatch.

The principal two of those threats: hardware theft and your behaviour.

Simply, if you are walking the streets waving around a smartwatch that set you back 300, you are vulnerable to personal theft. It shouldn't happen, but we all know that it does.



You don't need security software for any

wearable, just a sensible attitude

I'm not about to tell you not to wear your watch, nor to be scared as you walk the mean streets. But it does make sense to be discreet when required. And as with a phone, the ability to block and track your watch if it is stolen, is an important safeguard. Personal security via a password, fi ngerprint or passcode is valuable, too. Even if someone nicks your watch, they can't access your data. (If you can remotely track- and brick it, so much the better.)

The argument for security softwareAnd that is where the other threat vector can be found. As described above, it is very di cult for someone to infect your smartwatch via a driveby attack. But if you can be persuaded to give up your details via a phishing attack they don't need to. So as on the streets, in your virtual life. Behave sensibly, and think before you share, click or download.

This is the only area in which I would argue that security software can be helpful for your smartwatch. With the best security packages you can protect your most sensitive data by placing it under a digital lock and key, and by changing a password negate most of the damage wrought by some kind of hack attack.

But in general you really don't need security software for any wearable. Just a sensible attitude, and a healthy disregard for your own intelligence.



REVIEW: LG G4Arriving fashionably later than other 2015 fl agships, has the LG G4 stolen the crown as best phone of 2015?

500 lg.com/uk

It's been a little wait for the LG G4 after a no-show at MWC 2015 back in March. However, the agship phone is nally here and LG is calling it the 'most ambitious smartphone yet'. We were seriously impressed with theLG G2 andLG G3, so the G4 has a lot to live up to and erce competition from rivals.

The LG G4 will arrive in the UK on 28 May and, as we expected, the rm has undercut rivals as it did with previous agship devices with a price of 500



(525 for leather). For comparison, the HTC One M9 is 579 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 is 599.

Design and buildDespite rumours of a metal build, LG has gone for genuine leather instead which is unusual as a main option (you can choose it for the Moto X but it's a premium extra). The leather feels nice with the stitching so it's preferable to faux leather as found on some Samsung devices but some colours aren't great such as yellow and sky blue. Although the leather is vegetable tanned and LG says the colour will change over time.

If the idea of leather puts you o the LG G4 straight away then don't worry because there is a ceramic option too which has a smooth diamond texture and comes in three colours: Metallic Gray, Ceramic White and Shiny Gold. However, this feels pretty plasticky, especially the white model, with



LG confi rming the polycarbonate is only 5 percent ceramic. You'll need to pay 25 extra for the leather.

That cover is still removable giving you access to the battery and microSD card slot which is good to see. What we don't know is how the leather will wear over time so we hope we can have a sample long enough to see what happens. Unfortunately, we've been sent the Metallic Gray model but we have seen the leather options at the G4 launch event.

Since the cover is removable, we're hoping to see third-party case makers o er some nice alternatives to LG's range.

The LG G4 looks pretty similar to the G3 apart from the switch to leather and ceramic. However, it's a shame that like the HTC One M9, the fi rm hasn't managed to slim it down. It's heavier at 155g and thicker at 9.8mm which isn't ideal. We were also hoping for the phone to be thinner on the width as the G3 is a tad di cult to use in this sense but the G4 is actually taller and wider at 76x149.9mm.



Another shame is that the frame is still plastic, this time with a slightly chromed e ect. It feels cheap compared to rival fl agships and we're not keen on the sharp edges around the microUSB- and headphone ports.

LG uses a Slim Arc curved shape which makes it comfortable to hold and supposedly makes it 20 percent more durable than a fl at smartphone in face-down drops. This subtle curve applies to the entire phone, not just the back, making it a little like the G Flex 2. It's certainly not a curved screen phone, but does make the G3 feel distinctly fl at.

HardwareWe knew a lot about the LG G4 prior to the launch, partly thanks to LG and partly the usual leaks online.

The fi rm has stuck with a 5.5in screen size and a Quad HD resolution (1440x2560), which o ers



a high pixel density of 538ppi. It's not the same panel though as LG has fi tted its new IPS Quantum Display which is says has 20 percent greater colour reproduction, 25 percent improvement in brightness and 50 percent greater contrast.

Percentages aside, the display is better than the G3 (which was the fi rst Quad HD phone to market) but it's not a huge leap. Colours do, on the whole, look better - especially whites but some look a little over the top. For example, the YouTube icon icon looks neon red like it's eaten too many Haribo.

LG hasn't done itself any favours with the default garish colour scheme but that's something easily changed. Once again, we think the LG G4's screen is top quality so it's really the size which is more of an issue here as 5.5in will be too large for some users.

Which processor LG would opt for was something we had to wait to fi nd out and it's not the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (as used in theLG G Flex 2) or the



fi rm's own Nuclun processor. Instead the LG G4 has a Snapdragon 808 making it the fi rst device we've seen with the chip. The reason is unknown but suspected to be behind the overheating issues of the 810, although Qualcomm denies this.

Nevertheless, the Snapdragon 808 is a six-core processor rather than octa-core o ering dual-core ARM Cortex A57 and quad-core A53 with 64-bit support. It also has an Adreno 418 GPU which supports 3D gaming on 4K displays and X10 LTE which has integrated LTE Advanced for download speeds of up to 450Mbps (theoretically).

It can't keep up with rivals on pure benchmark numbers, as you might expect, but that doesn't mean the LG G4 is slow. It feels nippier than the G3 and can keep up with the Galaxy S6 some of the time in a side-by-side comparison but Samsung's phone does feel that little bit silkier in operation.

Geekbench 3 GFXBench T-Rex

GFXBench Manhattan

SunSpider

LG G4 3513 25fps 9fps 715ms

LG G3 2233 20fps 7fps 959ms

Samsung S6 4438 30fps 14fps 462ms

HTC One M9 3778 50fps 24fps 867ms

iPhone 6 2794 49fps 26fps 351ms

LG says it has worked with Qualcomm on the 808 touting is as 'snappy yet energy-thrifty'. It claims the change means an extra 20 percent battery life compared to the G3 despite having the same battery capacity. A removable battery is a key feature of the LG G4 when compared to rivals as it's the only fl agship with this option.

In terms of battery life, we've not noticed it being dramatically di erent to the G3 which lasted a



couple of days with normal usage. After a number of days with the LG G4 it lasts a day and half to two days so there's really no di erence.

In our battery test, the LG G4 managed four hours and 44 minutes with a numerical score of 2841 which quite a way o the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge which produce close to seven hours and a score over 4000.

Our real quibble on the battery front is that LG has downgraded to no wireless charging as standard, which is not a good move. You'll need to buy the Quick Circle case to gain this

feature, which seems silly when having a leather cover is one of the main reasons to buy the G4.

It's also strange that the LG G4 doesn't o er Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0 despite the Snapdragon 808 supporting this feature. Like the G3, it is supplied with a 1.8A charger though, which is still pretty speedy. It's also odd to see no type of extreme power saving mode which rivals o er which gives you basic functionality on a black and white interface.

LG has simplifi ed things when it comes to memory and storage with a fl at 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage matching rivals - the amount varies on the G3. There is, however, that microSD card slot which many were annoyed to see dropped on the Galaxy S6 so you can bump things up if you need to.

The G4 has the kind of wireless you'd expect from a top-end phone with 11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 LE and NFC. This does mean that LG hasn't added features



you can fi nd elsewhere such as a fi ngerprint scanner and heart rate monitor but the IR blaster remains from the G3.

CamerasA major feature which LG has been pushing since before the launch event is the camera which is confi rmed would have an aperture of f/1.8 narrowly beating the Galaxy S6 by 0.1. We now know the main camera is 16Mp, up from 13Mp, and has OIS 2.0 (optical image stabilisation). A new feature called Quick Shot means you can double tap the Rear Key to launch the camera and take a photo but while this is fast, it's di cult to frame the shot with the screen o so you'll probably need to do some cropping.

Not that the camera was bad on the G3, but this is the biggest area of upgrade for us. The LG G4's main camera is up there with the best taking predominantly great shots in a range of conditions.



The LG G4 has the best optical image

stabilisation we've seen on any smartphone

The new version of OIS can move up to two degrees which is double what the G3 has to o er and now has a third z-axis of movement. You can really see and feel this in action when you're shooting with the G4 and is the best optical image stabilisation we've seen on any smartphone.

We also like the addition of the Manual Mode which lets you start controlling the settings yourself

it's fun to try even if you're not into photography. You can tweak the shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, white balance and use manual focus. You can even shoot in RAW if you like!

Selfi e fans will love the 8Mp front camera which has an f/2.0 aperture. It's easy to take photos using the Rear Key as a shutter button but you can also use the new Gesture Interval Shot feature to take a series of four selfi es.

SoftwareThe LG G4 comes preloaded with the latest version of Android, 5.1 Lollipop, and the fi rm's new UX 4.0 interface which it teased before the launch. It looks similar to the G3's user interface as you'd expect and still has existing features such as Smart Bulletin and Smart Notice, but there are some new features.

Smart Bulletin sits to the left of the home screen, a now common place for a special feature like



Google Now, Flipboard and BlinkFeed depending on the device. On the G4, this vertical feed gives you information such as fi tness tracking, calendar events and also gives you control such as music playback and the QRemote. If you don't like it, Smart Bulletin can be switched o in the settings menu. Smart Notice is improved and the widget now changes colour to match your wallpaper.

There's also an improved Gallery app and a new feature called Event Pocket allows you to create a unifi ed calendar by dragging and dropping appointments and activities from multiple calendars and social media sites.

It's also worth noting that the LG G4 comes preinstalled with Google O ce and G4 owners will receive an additional 100GB of Google Drive storage free for two years which is a lot of extra space. LG also said VW owners will be able to "view a car-friendly version of the G4 interface on the in-dash



display for full integration with contacts, navigation and music on the smartphone".

Beyond these additions, what we really like is the number of things you can customise and some cool things hidden away in the settings menu.

Like previous devices, you don't have to make do with the standard navigation buttons. You can have up to fi ve on the bar including one to open and close the notifi cation bar, QMemo+, QSlide and Dual Window. You can also manually choose whether to show or hide the navigation bar in apps you have installed rather than letting the phone decide.

You can once again choose the font (and size) for the interface and turn the notifi cation LED o if you really don't want it. There's also the ability to adjust the strength of vibration for haptic feedback and notifi cations, which is great.



New for the G4 is a new section called Smart settings. This means you can automate a lot of things like switching Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and o plus changing your sound profi le. You can set these to automatically adjust when you're at home or away from home plus when earphones are plugged in.

Another feature is Smart cleaning which will help you clear some space on the G4 by cleaning some apps and deleting temporary fi les.

VerdictLG has gone down an unexpected route with leather models, which we like apart from a couple of colours. The so-called ceramic model is less expensive but we think it feels cheap and plasticky. On the whole, hardware is once again strong particularly the camera but not massively di erent from the G3 and the G4 has some tough competition. We feel build quality could be better, with a metal frame and dimensions going down, not the reverse. This is the fl agship to go for if you want a removable battery and expandable storage, but it's a shame to see features such as wireless charging dropped. (Remember the G3 is now a steal at under 300 SIM-free.)



REVIEW:Samsung Galaxy A5A stylish, thin phone with good cameras that's available for a lot less than the fl agship Galaxy S6

299 samsung.com/uk

Were big fans of the new Galaxy S6, but if you cant a ord one then the mid-range Galaxy A5 should be on your shortlist. Its the latest model in Samsungs Alpha range

and is a smart-looking mid-priced phone. It comes in black, silver, gold and white. The 5 refers to the screen size, and it weighs a feather-like 123g.



In the hand, it feels remarkably svelte, and thats mainly because its just 6.7mm thick. These fi gures are slightly lower than those for the iPhone 6, which is 129g and 6.9mm.

It may have a plastic rear cover, but the chamfered aluminium band around the sides and smooth glass front make it feel more like a premium phone. Plus, the absence of any fl ex means build quality is right up there with the best.

Turn it on and youll immediately notice the vibrant colours of the Super AMOLED display, which also has excellent viewing angles. You also get a 13Mp camera at the rear, complete with LED fl ash and a 5Mp front-mounted selfi e camera.

Inside, its clear that there have been some compromises. The Snapdragon 410 processor isnt going to top any benchmark charts, and the phone runs the olderversion of Android: KitKat instead of the latest Lollipop.

Set into the metal band are two removable trays whose design is so similar to the iPhone that at a glance you could mistake the A5 for a bigger version of the iPhone 5.



The bottom edge is home to the Micro-USB charge and sync port as well as a headphone jack. On the left-hand side is a volume rocker, and opposite on the right is a power button the same setup as the iPhone 6. On top is only a tiny hole for the microphone.

The screen has a 1280x720 resolution, which is acceptable on, say, the latest version of the Motorola Moto G, but at almost 300 SIM-free from online retailers its not as easy to swallow.

Dont get us wrong: the A5 has a great-quality AMOLED screen with some nice features including extreme power saving, but if youre prone to notice individual pixels, the A5 is obviously lower resolution than the Galaxy S6. And, for that matter, the S5.



The Galaxy A5 has 16GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM and a microSD slot for adding up to 64GB of extra storage.

You dont get 802.11ac Wi-Fi, butthe 802.11n radio works on both 2.4- and 5GHz. Theres also Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, GPS and ANT+.

And when compared to the Samsung Galaxy S5, theres no fi ngerprint scanner, IR blaster or heart-rate sensor. Few people will miss these extras, but its worth noting.

There were no surprises in our benchmarks, with the Snapdragon 410 performing just as it does in the 109 Motorola Moto E. The Geekbench scores of 483 and 1476for the single- and multicore tests respectively were within the margin of error.

Somewhat strangely, the Adreno 306 GPU in the A5 produced slower framerates than the 2015 Moto E, which uses an identical chip. On the A5 we saw 3.9fps in Manhattan and 9.2fps in T-Rex, while the



Moto E managed 6 and 13fps respectively. None are great results, of course, but both phones will play casual games well enough.

Battery life is comparable with other similar size phones. With a 2300mAh cell on board, Samsung says youll get eight hours of 3G web browsing and 12 hours of video playback. Theres also an Ultra Power Saving mode that you get with Samsungs fl agship phones. This turns the display to greyscale, disables mobile data when the screen is o and restricts which apps you can use in order to extend standby time to 1.2 days when you have 10 percent power remaining.

Its a little odd that Samsung didnt use the Galaxy S5s rear camera in the A5. The S5 has a



16:9 16Mp sensor, whereas the A5 has a 13Mp 4:3 sensor. By default, its set to a 9.6Mp 16:9 setting, meaning youre e ectively cropping o the top and bottom of each photo.

Youd think there would be little di erence in quality between the cameras, but youd be wrong. The S5s photos are visibly better than the A5s and theres a noticeable lack of detail when you zoom in to make the A5s photos the same size at the S5s at 100 percent.

Of course, were being picky here and the A5 still has a great camera when compared to many phones: it captures more detail than an 8Mp iPhone 6 and is leagues better than the 5Mp Moto G. Exposures are accurate, colours realistic and the lens is sharp right to the corners.

Photo quality from the 5Mp front camera is good. Detail levels are better than phones with fewer pixels, so the A5 is a good choice ifyou take a lot of selfi es.

Video, which tops out at 1920x1080 at 30fps from the rear camera, is sharp and detailed but theres no optical stabilisation, and this makes handheld footage shakierthan wed like.

VerdictThe Galaxy A5 is a stylish, thin and lightweight phone with good cameras. However, its processor isnt particularly powerful and also happens to be found in the Moto E which costs only 109. The Moto E is also a 4G phone and if youre not fussed about its slightly smaller, lower resolution screen and mediocre cameras its a much better value choice.



REVIEW:Kingzone Z1If you're willing to buy a Chinese phone, the Z1 is the fastest you'll fi nd under 200

199 coolicool.com

Its not often were blown away by a mid-range smartphone. Supplied to us by Coolicool.com, the Z1 has an awful lot going for it. At less than 200, its faster than the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus. Its also well-built, supports dual-SIM and 4G connectivity, has decent cameras, features some useful gestures, and it even has stereo speakers and a ngerprint scanner.



The Kingzone Z1 is supplied in the UK via Coolicool.com a Chinese site. You have two options: you can buy it from the European warehouse for 199.91 and you wont be liable for import duty; or you can buy it from the Chinese warehouse for 132.59, but you will be liable for import duty if its picked up by Customs (of course, you are liable whether or not youre caught out).

For a mid-range phone, the Z1 is very good-looking. Its built around a metal frame that ensures a sturdy, premium feel, and although the rear cover is plastic the up side is the fact its removable and reveals an also-removable battery. Its got a grippy, textured fi nish that feels good in the hands.

Theres a huge 5.5in screen on the front of the Z1, which makes this a phablet. Incredibly slim bezels and a 7.5mm frame mean its still comfortable to hold in a single hand. Its also reasonably light for a phablet at 169g by comparison the 7.1mm iPhone 6



Plus and 8.5mm Samsung Galaxy Note 4 weigh 172g and 176g respectively.

A key di erence here, of course, is the resolution. The Kingzone has an HD resolution of 1280x720 pixels, which means it has a density of 276ppi. Thats not at all unusual at this price, but it does mean it isnt assharp as the 401- and 515ppi screens found on the iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy Note 4.

Nevertheless, the JDI IPS panel is reasonably bright, with realistic colours and strong viewing angles. Its also of a good size for enjoying games and media, or whatever you want to do on your phone, including browsing web pages and e-books.

And thats where one of our favourite features comes in: the rear-mounted fi ngerprint scanner. This is a swipe- rather than touch-based scanner, and shares the same problems as those found on Samsung phones prior to the S6s release. As a fi ngerprint scanner its a pain to use, and we gave



up trying to get it to register our digits. But used as a scrolling control or a dedicated capture button for the selfi e camera its a very welcome addition to this phablet, and makes one-handed use so much easier.

Stereo speakers are found on the bottom edge of the handset. On the right edge is a power button, while separate volume controls are on the left. This positioning can make them di cult to access when using the supplied (to us, at least) fl ip cover, which features a window for the time and date, automatically wakes or sends to sleep the screen, and allows you to answer calls without fl ipping open the case. Also in the box is a silicone rear cover.

At the top is a Micro-USB charging port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. A pair of earphones are supplied in the box, along with a Micro-USB cable and, very usefully, an OTG adaptor. The latter allows you to connect the Z1 to other USB devices, such as storage devices.



The phone uses a 64-bit MediaTek MTK6752 octa-core chip clocked at 1.7GHz. This is paired with Mali-T760 graphics, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage (a microSD slot lets you add another 64GB).

Performance is amazing for a 200 phone. In Geekbench 3.0 we recorded a staggering 3689 points in the multi-core component, making the Kingzone Z1 faster than both the iPhone 6 Plus (2917) and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (3272). It fared better than the Note 4 in SunSpider, too, with 963ms against its 1367ms, while the iPhone 6 Plus performed spectacularly with 369ms.

The Kingzone Z1 recorded fi ve hours 45 minutes with a battery score of 3074 points. By comparison the S6 saw six hours 53 minutes and 4136 points, while the latest Moto G managed seven hours 35 minutes but scored just 2024 points.



In real-life usage we found that the Kingzone Z1 lasted for several days in standby mode, and even withheavy use the 3500mAh removable battery should easily get you through the day.

Everything you need is covered on the connectivity front. Theres GPS and GLONASS, NFC, 4G LTE (although its supported by only one of the dual-SIM slots, the other maxes out at 3G), dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, USB OTG support and Bluetooth 4.0.

The 13Mp Sony camera is a pretty good camera, with an f2.0 aperture, 28mm lens and LED fl ash. We were pleased with our test shots, which show reasonably good detail and largely realistic colours. You can apply fi lters at the composition stage, and youll fi nd various modes such as multi-angle shot, panorama, motion track and live photo.

The 8Mp selfi e camera at the front takes a good picture, but beyond real-time application of fi lters and the ability to smooth wrinkles and whiten your face there is little in the way of manual control.

The Kingzone Z1 runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat with Kingzones KOS 1.2 UI. The app icons are squares with rounded edges, but in other respects it will be incredibly familiar to KitKat users. The Z1 will get a wireless upgrade to Android Lollipop, too.

VerdictFor a 200 phone, the Z1 is a very decent proposition. It has a nice build, some pleasing connectivity features, and faster performance than phones that cost three times the price.



REVIEW:Bluboo X6It costs just 90 but packs 4G connectivity, a 5.5in screen and a fi ngerprint scanner. What's not to like?

90 bluboo.com.cn

The Bluboo X6 is a 4G LTE Android KitKat phablet with a fi ngerprint scanner that costs just 90 from Geekbuying. Shipped from China you should also take into account import duty.

The Bluboo X6 looks good for a budget phone. It ships with a smart case not too dissimilar to the LG G3s Quick Circle case, with a silicone rear cover and a front fl ap that has a circular window through which you can see a clock face.



The plastic build keeps down the weight, and at 167g the X6 is light for an 8.8mm-thick phablet. The rear cover is thin but clips on tight. Its removable, too, giving access to an also-removable 3000mAh battery and dual-SIM slots. One of these doubles as a microS

Android Advisor Issue 14 - 2015 UK

Documents

Transcript of Android Advisor Issue 14 - 2015 UK