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Yes the G4 is very exciting. I already like it more than the S6 and M9. I heard a rumor that the RAM on the S6 is kind of crappy. Then again Redmond pie was posting it and he's pretty blatant on his Apple preference.
I might actually pay for Textra because I've gotten like $25 from Google Surveys. But they better be on point. Any word on price?
G4 would probably be my current choice. That laser autofocus helps take gorgeous pictures on my friend's G3. Video and audio is suprisingly good as well.
I don't mind leather but the stitching looks... off. The non-leather covers look good
I love the look of the leather/wood backs some phones have, but truthfully, the first think I do is throw a case on the thing, so unless they start building handsets to have leather/wood on the sides as protection too, I am sticking with a basic black handset and using a cheapo TPU case from minute one.
If Textra is just $0.99 then I'll surely buy it. But it's weird how I haven't been given the option to purchase it yet even though I updated.
i downloaded Google surveys, got a survey and completed it for a dollar (holla!). Maybe I will keep textra. Maybe I will invest my one Google dollar and watch it blossom into a much older one Google dollar. We shall see.
$850, just the 32GB . Only reason why I go through phones yearly is we have family in India that want phones so instead of buying one each year I just use it and give.
I switched from a Motorola to the LG G2, one year ago tomorrow. In the past year, I've had 3 replacements...1 breakage plus two times for UI/software malfunctions and problems that Verizon couldn't troubleshoot to find the problem. I've demanded on the last 2 occasions that they replace the G2 with another option. Verizon refuses to send me anything but another G2.
Currently, my latest refurb replacement, VS980 software version 39A, running lollipop 5.0.2:
-only gets 1X and occasionallyyy 3G service in my house, even though my previous phone got 4G, and my roommates current iPhone 6 is always on 4G.
-SMS won't work correctly; can't send/download any pictures via SMS, sometimes takes 2-3 minutes to send a simple text (switched to Hangouts and back, same issues either way)
-Audio will cut off after 10-15 seconds (spotify, youtube videos, facebook videos, etc)...the song or video keeps playing, sound just goes away abruptly. Tried disabling NuPlayer in Developer Tools, didn't make any difference. Multiple factory resets, same problem.
my GF has a G3... IMO no good, especially the color and the screen brightness.
I hope LG will improve with their G4 because it does need a lot of improvement to compete with Samsung and Apple.
The G4's new display is supposed to be 20% brighter while being 11% more power efficient than the G3's. LG also brought back Panel Self Refresh to the G4 (Introducing the Panel Self Refresh Technology | Hardware Secrets) which helps it save more power when you're reading or just browsing the internet.
The new display is also supposed to be calibrated to hit 98% of the DCI color standards which is the same color standards used for movie projectors in the movie theatres. It'll be interesting to see what DisplayMate makes of the colors but a lot of the first hands-on are already saying it is comparable to the S6 and S6 Edge if not better because unlike the AMOLED screens, there is no oversaturation going on. They say its definitely better than the M9's which is already a good start. At first I thought it would be using Quantum dots but apparently only one blog (Android Authority) mentioned such tech so it sounds like that's incorrect and will actually not be able to turn off blacks like AMOLED screens do. I guess we'll have to wait and see what DisplayMate and Anandtech come up with in their reviews.
I'm more interested in the Camera right now which sounds great with the specs they have out. Of course, we all know its not down to the specs at this point but a lot of people are posting some samples on G+ and they look promising so far especially the low lights. I wish more people showed shots of pictures taken with moving things (kids, dogs) to see how fast and clear that shutter is.
Here's a review of the LG G4 camera from a professional photographer with some sample shots unedited and edited slightly in Lightroom according to him. He was also using a pre-production software and model and who knows if he was paid by LG (although he claims he wasn't).
It is always great to see mobile phone manufactures really put the extra effort into making the camera aspect of their devices truly something special. After spending a month with the LG G4, I think it is safe to say that I have come away very impressed. LG has done a wonderful job of balancing features and a good user interface for both amateurs and professionals alike. Overall, the quality of images that have come out of this device are truly hard to argue with as you can see here in this review.
While I would prefer a slightly softer touch in terms of noise reduction with the JPEG images, the truth is that the power of the manual mode inside the camera app mixed with support for DNG simply make this one of the best, if not the best mobile camera phone currently on the the market.
For the launch of the LG G4 I worked with LG to get 15 images printed on metal (using Bay Photo) to be put on display in both New York and Korea. Even blowing the images in sizes up to 32″ garnered pretty incredible results. In some ways I still can’t believe that many of the images were taken with a mobile phone.
On top of all this, the software I have on the G4 that is sitting right next to me is NOT the final software that will ship with the G4. I was told by LG that an update that just came out internally has improved noise levels, AF and sharpness throughout, so keep that in mind.
What are your thoughts? What would you of liked to see in the LG G4? Leave your thoughts in the comments below…
FULL DISCLOSURE
While I partnered with LG to create both images and videos to help promote the global launch of the LG G4, they never asked me or payed me to write this review. These thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone. Even if you think that I am biased because of our business arrangement, I have provided enough details and high resolution images for you to come to your own conclusions about this device.
The S6 grabs the overall top spot DxOMark Mobile score at 86:
Achieving an overall DxOMark Mobile Score of 86, the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is the new leader for smartphone image quality. With clear daylight ahead of the previous champion, the iPhone 6 with 82 points, it’s a very impressive result for the South Korean manufacturer’s latest flagship smartphone. Scoring 86 points overall means a 7-point increase over its predecessor, the S5, which now sits in fourth place overall with 79 points.
In addition to its impressive image quality scores, the camera tech specs on the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge are very compelling for the camera phone photographer. The main rear camera boasts a 16Mp resolution for capturing 5312x2988 pixel jpeg images in a wide-screen 16:9 aspect ratio.
For many traditional still photographers used to dealing in 3:2 or 4:3 ratios, the wide screen capture is a little unusual, but it’s better for video. The S6 easily packs enough resolution for photos to be cropped to a more standard aspect ratio in post-production if you desire. For video capture, there’s a range of video resolutions, including 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, and even 720p@120fps for slow-motion effects.
The lens offers optical image stabilization and autofocus for both still and video capture. The front-facing camera is a lower resolution 5Mp offering for stills, with 1440p@30fps video for Skype and other applications.
Why it took Google so long to implement such a system is beyond me. All the CM and custom ROMs have had this feature baked in. I wish Hangouts looked like Messenger cause Hangouts needs a redesign.
I love the look of the leather/wood backs some phones have, but truthfully, the first think I do is throw a case on the thing, so unless they start building handsets to have leather/wood on the sides as protection too, I am sticking with a basic black handset and using a cheapo TPU case from minute one.
I always do the same and never break my phones (knock on wood). Plus the TPU cases don't add so much girth to the phone.
Originally Posted by stogie1020
i downloaded Google surveys, got a survey and completed it for a dollar (holla!). Maybe I will keep textra. Maybe I will invest my one Google dollar and watch it blossom into a much older one Google dollar. We shall see.
Originally Posted by bluescreenofdeath
I switched from a Motorola to the LG G2, one year ago tomorrow. In the past year, I've had 3 replacements...1 breakage plus two times for UI/software malfunctions and problems that Verizon couldn't troubleshoot to find the problem. I've demanded on the last 2 occasions that they replace the G2 with another option. Verizon refuses to send me anything but another G2.
Currently, my latest refurb replacement, VS980 software version 39A, running lollipop 5.0.2:
-only gets 1X and occasionallyyy 3G service in my house, even though my previous phone got 4G, and my roommates current iPhone 6 is always on 4G.
-SMS won't work correctly; can't send/download any pictures via SMS, sometimes takes 2-3 minutes to send a simple text (switched to Hangouts and back, same issues either way)
-Audio will cut off after 10-15 seconds (spotify, youtube videos, facebook videos, etc)...the song or video keeps playing, sound just goes away abruptly. Tried disabling NuPlayer in Developer Tools, didn't make any difference. Multiple factory resets, same problem.
Help?
I think the SMS delay and audio cutoff are data transmitting issues. Can Verizon give you something inside your home to boost the signal? Sprint has always had this problem. Maybe it's a CDMA thing?
I got to play with some of the newer/recent devices last night at BB. The Nexus 6 holy shit is sex. So smooth, looks good, so pure. I liked the G3 also UI-wise not so much colors but then again I don't put my Note 4 to bleeding colors and have it pretty dim. The M9 was a little too small as was the S6. The M9 didn't really appeal to me quality/craftsmanship wise but I know many on here love HTC. The S6 wasn't a model to turn on so n/a. I also saw how fast it took load cameras, snap a pic, and then view it because that's a HUGE weakness of Touchwiz on Samsung and all these phones seem to breeze through. Maybe because I use an SD card that has 28GB/32 of memory used is it slow. Luckily I was at BB to buy a 64 on sale
$850, just the 32GB . Only reason why I go through phones yearly is we have family in India that want phones so instead of buying one each year I just use it and give.
damn near close to a grand.
you're crazy.
I will not spend more than $350 on a phone.
nexus 5 was $350
and if my nexus 5 dies, i'll be heading to Motorola for the E or the G.
Just picked up an S6 Edge as well. Love it so far. Have a ton to learn as it does way more than my old phone . The old phone wasn't compatible with Samung's Smart Switch... so I need to manually move over some contacts...
Just picked up an S6 Edge as well. Love it so far. Have a ton to learn as it does way more than my old phone . The old phone wasn't compatible with Samung's Smart Switch... so I need to manually move over some contacts...
Just picked up an S6 Edge as well. Love it so far. Have a ton to learn as it does way more than my old phone . The old phone wasn't compatible with Samung's Smart Switch... so I need to manually move over some contacts...
You didn't save your contacts to your Google account?
No. It's a local spot in Norfolk a friend owns. Cogans. This location just opened a few months ago. Spared no expense. This is his 4th restaurant
in my city.
Here is another picture from the same place. I doctored this photo unlike the other one.
Just picked up an S6 Edge as well. Love it so far. Have a ton to learn as it does way more than my old phone . The old phone wasn't compatible with Samung's Smart Switch... so I need to manually move over some contacts...
Congrats, JB...do you also think the "Edge" feature is kinda useless?
Apparently Verizon has screwed the Nexus community again. Not sure why I am surprised. They are not adding the imei numbers for people that have GPE or Motorola bought N6. If they don't do that you don't get any updates.
Yes I buy a Nexus so I can play with it but life has been busy right now and I haven't had time.
Textra is going to start charging people to use it? That stinks. Have been using the stock messaging app on the S6 since migrating. Everything that I liked about Textra it does.
2015-04-29 15.26.24 by simbachinna, on Flickr
20150429_152002 by simbachinna, on Flickr
Otherwise I would've gotten the OnePlus
. The old phone wasn't compatible with Samung's Smart Switch... so I need to manually move over some contacts...
