HP has officially entered into the Chromebook market with their new $329 Pavilion 14 Chromebook. As a laptop, it doesn’t deviate too far from HP standards, and it still sports the same curves and style that you’d expect out of a laptop from the company. Plus, despite being a Chromebook, it feels more like a traditional Windows laptop with it’s fairly spacious keyboard and trackpad, along with the 14-inch display. However, looks aren’t everything, and it’s the internal hardware and performance that can make or break a notebook. Is the Pavilion 14 worthy of a spot on your college laptop shortlist for the upcoming school year? Let’s find out.
Hardware & Design
The Pavilion 14 — unlike traditional Chromebooks that we’ve seen before — sports a standard laptop design for those that will want something a bit more full-size, but with minimalistic elements. It sports an Intel Celeron processor, which we don’t see too often anymore in laptops, but it’s enough to power a lightweight operating system like Chrome OS. It’s clocked at a mere 1.1GHz, and is paired with 2GB of RAM, along with a 16GB solid state drive, so nothing too spectacular spec-wise, but that was expected.
Essentially, if you didn’t notice the Chrome logo on the top corner of the laptop, you would think it was a regular Windows laptop from the face of it. The whole laptop is plastic-laden, and the top has an incredibly-reflective mirror surface that’s a bit of a fingerprint magnet. Opening up the notebook reveals the standard keyboard and trackpad, which aren’t anything special, but the larger size of the laptop makes for more typing room than what other Chromebooks offer. The trackpad is dimpled, adding a comfortable textured feel to your fingers. Unfortunately, using the trackpad isn’t smooth at all, and the cursor ends up skipping around quite a bit. I ended up having to use a mouse most of the time because I found the trackpad to be pretty intolerable.
Of course, the main seller for the Pavilion 14 is in the name. The laptop has a good-looking 14-inch display, which makes it one of the larger Chromebooks that we’ve seen, but the relatively low 1366×768 resolution leaves a bit to be desired. Then again, this is to be expected in a budget notebook like this. Connection options are a bit ample, however, with three USB 2.0 ports, an SD card reader, combination audio jack, Ethernet, and even a full-size HDMI port. Sadly, no USB 3.0 on this one, but we can’t be too surprised. There’s also no 3G or LTE chip built in, which we’ve seen in a lot of Chromebooks (as constant internet connectivity is vital to the platform), so you’ll end up having to tether to a smartphone to get internet on the go.
Other than that, there’s no optical disc drive, which is completely fine by us, but those wanting the opportunity to access the occasional disc will have to think twice. However, in this day and age, we’d be surprised if anyone actually needed to use a disc, and it certainly makes the entire package much lighter, coming in at a just bit over 3.5 pounds.
Overall, the design of the laptop feels solid for what you’re paying for, but plastic-built laptops will always have a hint of cheapness, and durability is always a concern in this case. The keyboard and trackpad are pretty cheap, but for the price you’re paying, you can’t expect anything too top tier.
Software
We’ve talked about Chrome OS before in past Chromebook reviews, so I won’t go into a lot of redundant details here, but there a few things to note specifically. First off, the Chrome OS install on the Pavilion 14 is mostly stock, with only an “@HP” icon in the app launcher that takes you to the HP registration page for the Chromebook.
If you don’t know a lot about Chrome OS, it’s essentially just a browser, and while it does have a desktop of sorts, there’s no file browser exactly (just a “Downloads” folder and your Google Drive). You can also download apps, but they’re essentially just web apps that appear in the app launcher on the bottom-left. Clicking on one will simply open the web browser to that web app. You can pin apps to the “dock” of sorts, similar to pinning programs to the taskbar in Windows, and the bottom-right corner is where you can access settings, as well as toggle the WiFi and adjust the volume.
Performance & Battery
It’s hard to judge Chrome OS performance using pure numbers, as you can’t really run benchmarks, so we simply had to base the speed of the laptop on how fast apps opened and whether or not we experienced any significant lag while playing around with the Pavilion 14. Indeed, despite the slow Celeron processor, Chrome OS performed as we expected, and boot-up and shutdown times were extremely speedy. It wasn’t necessarily an instant-on type of boot-up, but it almost felt like an older computer waking up from sleep, taking about five or so seconds to get to the desktop. Shutting down was even a bit quicker, taking only about three seconds to go completely black.
One feature that may bother some users is that when you open the lid, the laptop will automatically turn on. Obviously, this feature will prevent you from having to press the power button, thus saving an extra step, but it was a bit cumbersome when I wanted to open up the laptop to show off the keyboard or trackpad to someone without having the whole thing boot up. I haven’t found a setting that will disable this feature either.
As for battery, HP claims that the Pavilion 14 can last for up to 4 hours and 15 minutes on a single charge, which isn’t very long at all, especially for such a low-powered machine. However, we were getting closer to five hours with light web browsing. Obviously, though, streaming any kind of video on YouTube or Netflix will see the battery life diminish quite a bit (about three hours in our testing), but that’s definitely to be expected. Sadly, though, we were hoping to get at least six or seven hours out of the battery during light use at least, especially since it’s a larger laptop with room for a bigger battery than most Chromebooks, so we were still a bit disappointed to only get five hours, despite exceeding HP’s own battery ratings.
It’s also important to note that even turning off the power completely and closing the lid for overnight storage still eats away at battery life from what we’ve found. We stopped playing around with the laptop for the night when it had around 82% left in the battery. We made sure to completely shut it down for the night, but when we booted it up in the morning, we noticed the battery was mysteriously drained to 72%, hinting to the possibility that the Chromebook actually doesn’t shut down completely without taking the battery out, probably to make sure it boots up quickly without hesitation.
Wrap-Up
The HP Pavilion 14 is the company’s first stab at a Chromebook, and instead of just mostly copying what Samsung and Acer have done with their Chromebook options, HP made a one-of-a-kind option, with the minimalistic performance and operating system mixed with the look and feel of a standard Windows laptop. However, this isn’t the notebook for everyone. Chrome OS is a very niche operating system, and it’s really only suited for casual users who surf the web, check email, stream media, etc. The Pavilion 14 isn’t the cheapest Chromebook option, but the larger 14-inch display is the real kicker here, and it’s perfect for those that want a lightweight OS in a slightly larger package.
We have recently spent some time working (and playing) with the HP Spectre XT TouchSmart notebook computer. Specifically, we have been using the 15-4010nr Ultrabook model. This is a Windows 8 machine and it happens to be sporting a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display and as implied by the TouchSmart in the name — this one is a touchscreen notebook. The notebook looks good, feels solid and has specs to match. Of course, on the flip side of that, the HP Spectre XT TouchSmart isn’t the lowest priced notebook on the market. The pricing starts at $1,399.99 and while we cannot say whether this notebook will be needed by all, we can share some opinions that will help you answer that question for yourself. With that, read on for our full HP Spectre XT TouchSmart 15-4010nr Ultrabook review.
Hardware
Before we get into the specs of the notebook, lets first talk bout the notebook itself. The TouchSmart looks really nice, albeit a bit similar to the HP Envy Spectre XT, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. HP has the TouchSmart decked out in an aluminum and brushed silver finish. The lid of the notebook has a shiny silver HP logo and there is also the “Hewlett Packard’ branding on the side. While the outside is pretty muted in terms of brands and logos, the inside has a little bit more going on. That is not to say HP went overboard, but there are two Beats Audio logos and two HP logos on the inside.
Otherwise, the notebook has what you want and need and it has all the items in places that seem to make sense. You have the standards such as the keyboard and trackpad, however the speakers, power button, air vents and all ports are nicely placed. And in the case of the ports, they are nicely laid out for easy access. Take for example, we found it a plus to have USB ports on both sides of the notebook.
The keyboard itself was nicely spaced and to be honest, rather comfortable to type on. The keyboard is also backlit. The same can be said about the trackpad (which happens to be glass) as it just worked nicely. The trackpad performed well for everything from scrolling to Windows 8 gestures and it even has an integrated left and right click option. Of course, while the trackpad can be used for gestures and scrolling — this particular notebook does ship with a touchscreen display.
In this case you will be getting a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Touching (pun intended) a bit on the display, while we are not fully convinced of the need for a touchscreen display on a notebook, it did manage to get quite a bit of use during our testing.
In fact, after using the HP Spectre TouchSmart for a while, we found ourselves reaching up to touch other notebook displays. Basically, this notebook proved comfortable and powerful enough for our everyday needs. In fact, the power was probably a bit overkill for our use case which consists mostly of web browsing, documents and some light image and video editing.
Looking at the notebook you will see the webcam sitting centered above the display. Specifically, the webcam is an HP TrueVision HD webcam with an integrated dual array microphone. Shifting to the sides of the notebook and you will find Ethernet, full-sized HDMI, Thunderbolt and pair of USB 3.0 ports on the left side with a full-sized SD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, one USB 2.0 port, charging connector and a Kensington lock slot on the right hand side.
Software
Shifting over to the software and we start with a 64-bit edition of Windows 8. That of course is to say that you will see the now familiar array of tiles. In this respect there isn’t much in terms of surprise, the notebook has the usual array of shortcuts such as Games, Music, Video and Camera as well as Internet Explorer, Mail, Messaging, Calendar, SkyDrive and the Store. Plus, you will find some third party goodies including Netflix, Kindle, eBay and a few others.
Perhaps the nicer part here is the additional software that has been installed. HP ships the Spectre XT TouchSmart with the full versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premier Elements. Users will also be able to find help in the form of the HP Support Assistant app, which is a default tile.
Otherwise, there is a trial version of Microsoft Office. Norton Internet Security is also included, and free for the first two years. Basically, there is Windows 8 with the expected goodies as well as a few extra perks for those looking to do some image editing or movie creating.
Performance
In terms of the performance — the keyboard feel solid, the trackpad was smooth and the display is bright and crisp. There was also Beats Audio along with those previously mentioned four speakers. As far as the sound quality, while the sound certainly was not what you are going to get from a full set of desktop speakers, we would describe it as being above what we would consider good for a laptop.
System – Hewlett-Packard HP Spectre XT TouchSmart PC
Manufacturer
Hewlett Packard
Product Type
Notebook
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit)
Motherboard
Hewlett-Packard 1886
Processor
Intel Core i7-3517U
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
2.39 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
4
Cores
2
L1 Instruction Cache
32.0 KB
L1 Data Cache
32.0 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
L3 Cache
4.00 MB
Memory
7.90 GB DDR3 SDRAM 799MHz
FSB
99.8 MHz
BIOS
Insyde F.04
Along with, the Spectre XT TouchSmart ran rather nice to use day to day. Our unit was equipped with a 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U processor, 8GB of RAM, a 500GB (5400RPM) hard drive and Intel HD Graphics 4000. Looking at those specs and we probably would have been more surprised had the notebook not run smoothly. Our usage included everything from streaming a movie from Netflix and some television with Hulu Plus, to watching a movie stored locally, to some music and audiobooks and of course, web browsing. Plenty of web browsing.
There was also a little bit of light video editing and plenty of image editing. Battery life on the other hand felt lacking. We were able to get a few solid hours, but it seems to be short as compared to some of the other currently available notebooks.
Benchmark Score – Hewlett-Packard HP Spectre XT TouchSmart PC
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
6188
8357
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
11274
Memory
Memory performance
7591
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
7271
Wrap-Up
Aside from the HP Spectre XT TouchSmart’s battery life, the overall experience was rather pleasant and comfortable. Not only did the notebook perform well, but it did so looking really nice — both in terms of the exterior casing and the quality of the display. While we wouldn’t hesitate to offer a recommendation, we could see the price being an issue for some. That is not to say the Spectre XT TouchSmart isn’t worth what HP is asking, but just that there are plenty of less expensive options to choose from.
With the Sony XPERIA ZL, the company took a double-tiered approach to a hero smartphone release – unlike what Samsung and HTC have done with their HTC One and GALAXY S 4, Sony has created a machine that’s got the same innards as the XPERIA Z, but with a body that’s almost like an alternate reality iteration. Here with the XPERIA ZL, Sony has taken the display, the software, the processor, and the camera technology from the XPERIA Z, putting it in a body that’s both more rugged and thinner than the hero.
Hardware
The XPERIA ZL works with a body that’s less wide than the ZPERIA Z, complete with a smaller bezel and rubbery back panel that makes it a bit less prone to busting on a violent drop. Here the device is much easier to grip, but no longer works with the waterproofing provided in the Z. You’ll also notice there’s no massive barrage of port covers, either.
This smartphone works with a 5-inch 1080 x 1920 pixel full HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, easily the nicest display brought to the market by Sony on a smartphone. While it’s still not exactly a display you’ll be using in direct sunlight on the regular, it’s still one of the best on the market.
Around the edges you’ll find a power button – a little above the center on the right side of the phone – as well as a camera shutter button and a volume bar. Each of these buttons rest on the right side of the phone, while the back has a rather large flap that pulls down and out to reveal slots for both a microSD card and a microSIM.
The back-facing camera on this device has a large metal rim around its lens, this allowing for some protection of the lens, but also adds a bit of difficulty to cleaning said lens without a miniature tool. Around the ring you’ll find this device’s external speakers and a single LED flash as well.
Software
Inside an XPERIA device you’re going to be working with some apps you’re not going to see anywhere else in the Android universe. You’ve got apps like WALKMAN, Sony Album, Movies, and Sony Select. Each of these apps makes the case for you staying inside a strictly Sony environment, and makes it comfortable for you to be there if you’re willing. Xperia Link also makes a similar case with a Sony-specific connection to your desktop-based files.
You’ll also see Smart Connect – similar to Xperia Link, as well as Wisepilot for XPERIA. While we were surprised by the amount of apps built-in to this system back when it was first shown, the launch of the Samsung GALAXY S 4 has taught us a valuable lesson: the average consumer doesn’t count a cleaner system amongst their must-have items in a popular smartphone – it does not seem to be an issue, as 10 million unit sales in the GALAXY S 4′s first month can attest.
Apps like “Remote Control”, on the other hand, are extremely useful and add to the value of the smartphone. The Sony XPERIA ZL has an IR-Blaster for control of your television, stereo, or home entertainment system set, and with the simple Remote Control app, it’s quite easy to implement. A couple taps through the system to find the device you want to control, a test run, and you’re off.
Beyond that, Sony’s implementation of their own user interface has proven itself to be swift and responsive as it should be, doing the processor under the hood justice. This Qualcomm SoC also lends itself to a long battery life: more info on that below.
Camera
The camera here is 13 megapixels strong, and it shows. The Sony-made custom camera interface here brings a “Superior Auto” system that calls upon the many modes available outside it – this means that if sensors on the device notice it’s dark where you’re about to take a photo, the system’s night compensation switches on. There are also customizations to your user interface here in the camera app that allow you to make the experience your own.
Battery
This machine works with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, meaning you’ll be seeing some optimization of the system with regard to battery life specifically. Because of this, you’ll be rolling with at least a full day of up-time just so long as you’re not a heavy user. If you’re thinking about testing this device’s ability to keep its display on while you’re downloading files and streaming video at the same time, you can expect something more like a few hours of battery life.
Bringing down the brightness on this device’s extremely bright display will do wonders for conserving battery life, while blasting the light all night will knock it out.
Wrap-up
The Sony XPERIA ZL takes what the Sony XPERIA Z was good at – and remains good at – and puts it in a slightly more hand-friendly form factor. If you’d like your handset to have a massive amount of glass, you’ll want the Z. If instead you want a slightly less pretty machine that’s better for an accident here or there, go ZL.
Both the Sony XPERIA Z and the Sony XPERIA ZL are available in the United States today, though you’ll not find them attached to any one unique carrier. This unit works with AT&T and T-Mobile microSIM cards: you’ll also not find any Verizon 4G LTE attaching itself to this set. Consider that, but consider this too: here Sony puts forth its greatest effort to date. If you’ve enjoyed Sony smartphones in the past, you’ll certainly have an impressive time here.
Now that Verizon has its own Nokia hero smartphone working with Windows Phone 8, it’s high time the platform takes off, isn’t it? At the moment, the Nokia Lumia 928 is one of the nicer Windows Phone 8 devices on the market, and if it weren’t for the release of the Nokia Lumia 925 (having been revealed this month right on top of the 928), it’d be an easy thing to say that this is Nokia’s finest effort to date with this OS. As it stands, this device is ready instead to be the heartiest Windows Phone 8 smartphone in the USA.
Hardware
The Nokia Lumia 928 works with a body and a set of innards that make it a very close relative of the Nokia Lumia 920, a device that’s being sold by AT&T right this minute. The 928 works with a 4.5-inch AMOLED display with 1280 x 768 resolution, carrying with it Corning Gorilla Glass 2 for scratch and break protection, ClearBlack technology so your blacks are as black as can be, and PureMotion HD+.
Those buzz words do actually mean something when it comes down to it – you’ll have brights that are bright enough to see in direct sunlight, darks that blend in with the bezel, and with a pixel density of 334 PPI, you’ll have quite a bit of sharpness as well. Of course compared to the HTC One and the Samsung GALAXY S 4, you’ll have a bit less sharp of a picture, but other than that you’re up there with the top guns – thus far this year, that is.
ABOVE: Just about as direct as the sunlight gets, straight on and up. BELOW: In a bit more shade.
This machine works with NFC, Qi-standard Wireless Charging, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor. This is the same processor found in the Nokia Lumia 920 and will be more than enough to power the highest-requirement Windows Phone 8 apps on the market today.
Also inside you’ll have 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and SkyDrive cloud storage of 7GB – given to you right out of the box. The back-facing camera is similar to that of the 920, bringing an 8.7 megapixel PureView sensor with a Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. This all means you’re going to be able to take photos in rather low lighting situations and will have some nice looking pics no matter what you’re photographing.
Software
You’ll be getting Nokia’s friendly collection of apps like HERE City Lens, HERE Maps, and Nokia Music along with Microsoft-added apps like Office and OneNote. One thing Windows Phone 8 can still hold over Apple’s head is Office as a native app, and here Nokia makes it clear that they’re willing to stick with that party. This device also has several photo “lenses” that add on to the abilities of the camera.
Each of these lenses is an app that can be downloaded for Windows Phone 8 devices, some of them specifically tuned for Nokia Lumia models. The Lumia 928 comes with Cinemagraph, Smart Shoot, Panorama, and Bing vision. With Bing vision, the user will be able to take photos of objects and receive information about them – this app also works with text translation on-the-spot.
The biggest difference between this device and its competitors is its exclusive access to Nokia apps and hardware – particularly its camera technology. Nokia makes several high-powered location-based apps for allowing you to get around your city – or a city you’ve never been to before. The camera technology you’ll be able to experience in the section immediately following this one.
Camera
Below you’ll find a collection of photo examples captured with the Nokia Lumia 928. Some of these photos were captured in optimal cloudless-day sunlight situations while others were photographed in the dark. This machine does, without a doubt, still reign in the darkest conditions without a flash. Have a peek at our Nokia Lumia 920 vs iPhone 5 camera battle to see how they fare in similar conditions.
Battery
The battery life on this device is well balanced enough to provide at least 8 hours of uptime for an average user. If you’re a power-user, you’ll want to consider the positive and negative elements in a battle between this and a smartphone with a replaceable battery: Verizon also carries the Nokia Lumia 822. The 822 doesn’t quite have the camera power of the 928, but the ability to carry more than one battery replacement in your pocket can be a big matter for some users.
Wrap-up
The Verizon Nokia Lumia 928 will cost you $99 USD with a 2-year contract after a $50 mail-in rebate – that’s less than half the cost of some of the higher-end competitors on the carrier today (like the Samsung GALAXY S 4 and the Galaxy Note II), and essentially equal to that of the Samsung Galaxy S III. It’s also equal to the price of the Windows Phone 8X from HTC, a device that was released several months ago that we reviewed as well. If you’re going for tactile feeling alone, you might want the HTC device – otherwise I’d stick by the Nokia hardware for basically everything else.
The Nokia Lumia 928 is easily Verizon’s finest Windows Phone 8 device, and with its advanced camera abilities, it may well be the nicest Windows Phone 8 device in the USA as well. Until another Windows Phone 8 device comes along with a metal body, on the other hand, the Nokia Lumia 925 will continue to roll with that title worldwide.
This week we’ve had a peek at the soon-to-market VIZIO S4251w 5.1 Sound Bar, a speaker unit that comes packaged with a wireless subwoofer, two satellite speakers, and the ability to connect wirelessly (or wired) to your HDTV. While several different wired connections are available, the main sound bar connects with the subwoofer using Bluetooth – and you’re able to connect to your television using this system as well.
Hardware
What VIZIO delivers with this system is a fully ready-for-action system, the box containing both the cables for the speakers and the gear necessary for your to mount the speakers if you do so desire. Of course you’ve also got the option to set the bar at the base of your television if you’ve got it on a television tablet station, and your subwoofer certainly needs to sit on a flat surface.
But your satellite speakers just beg to be hooked up to the corners of your room, angled directly at your head, and so forth. In the box you’ve got two satellite wall mount brackets with the attachment screws you’ll need to mount the satellite speakers to them. These satellite speakers aren’t wireless, you should note, each of them need to be connected to the sound bar in order to blast sound. The wireless connection exists between the subwoofer and the sound bar – up to 60 feet of space can exist between them – though the signal is best under 30 feet, and in the clear, too.
Once you have the wireless connection in place, each satellite speaker is connected to the subwoofer with a single RCA cable. The sound bar is also able to be connected to your television with as little as a single cable, if you like. The back of the bar has a USB port, a digital optical audio in, coaxial in, a single analog audio in port and a set of analog audio in ports.
Each of these inputs are seen by the sound bar as a different option accessible by the set of buttons on the far left of the unit or through the system’s remote control. Because of this, you’re able to connect several devices to the bar at once, choosing between them if you’ve got a need for such a thing.
Button controls on the side of the sound bar include five separate clickers, one each for power, input, and Bluetooth input, with one button for volume up and one for down. You’re able to “wake” the system from its low power “sleep” after it’s not been in use for an extended time by pressing the power button or by tapping a volume up or down button. This set of buttons is easy to get used to, but we’d have preferred some physical differentiator between the set to more easily tap at once.
The remote control works with a digital display that contains one of our other – admittedly very few – complaints in that it doesn’t seem to light up enough to be read in the dark. While it’s nice to be able to see which option is being selected, in-the-dark movie adjustments will be limited to what you’ve memorized for controls. If that’s just volume adjustments and track controls, you’ll be good to go. The controller itself is a conveniently small size and has a soft-plastic bottom, making it a comfortable experience – and again, one easy to get used to for sound control.
Sound
Each channel in this system’s surround speakers works with 1 x 2.5″ full-range driver. The subwoofer works with a 6″ throw (high excursion) driver and the full system has 102dB sound pressure with what VIZIO says is less than 1% total harmonic distortion. The sound bar works with 3 channels, left and right, each of the three tweeters coming in at 3/4” each. This the system is rounded out with a set of Center Channel 2 x 2.5 full-range drivers.
You’ve got a pack of software compliments to the hardware delivery here with features like DTS Circle Surround, DTS TruVolume, and Dolby Digital / DTS Digital Surround for audio decoding. Needless to say, this system can get loud. There’s really no arguing that.
The delivery you’re going to get with this setup depends a lot on the machine you’ve got feeding it, of course, but in testing each of the inputs with different devices – and not just televisions – we’ve found the end product to be generally well balanced. If you’ve got a child sleeping in the room next to your television attached to a VIZIO S4251w 5.1 Sound Bar system, you may have trouble finding a balance between too quiet and too loud.
Adjusting for bass, moving the sound around to the system’s satellites, and taking a bit of time to optimize the sound for your chosen room will correct for this sort of situation. Also helping with this situation is DTS TruVolume – made specifically to provide a consistent volume no matter the media. Making sure you understand how to work with TruVolume as well as this system’s adjustment abilities is vital for a superior sound experience.
Wrap-up
This system delivers the best of what your HDTV, stereo, or any other sound-blasting device is capable of. The VIZIO S4251w 5.1 Sound Bar system delivers an immersive sound experience that’s not just good for the relatively inexpensive package it’s delivered to the market with: it’s worth more than it costs ($329.99 USD, if you’d like to know). It’s not often that we can say such a thing for a device here in an age when a product is replaced by a newer, more powerful version of itself in no time flat: VIZIO delivers a product you’ll be satisfied with for many years to come.
Sound quality is something you’re not going to want to skip when you’re aiming for a full home theater experience. VIZIO delivers a powerful solution in the S4251w 5.1 Sound Bar system, one that’s not to be overlooked.
The Mazda6 is the epitome of the ugly duckling finding its unexpected swan. Anonymous in its first two generations, Mazda threw its Kodo design language at the third-gen version and ended up with one of the most distinctive four-doors around. Meanwhile, with the EV specter hanging over most car firms, Mazda remains a hybrid hold-out, maintaining there’s still plenty to squeeze out of existing technology before we look to batteries. Does the Mazda6 deliver? Read on for our full review.
Design
If the old Mazda6 was a generic sedan sketched out by a child’s hand, the new model is a riot of detailing. Up front, the grille has grown once more, pushing forward and deepening to give the car an aggressive, searching snout that’s picked out with slips of chrome. The almond lights of the second-gen car have become tauter, more like snake’s eyes, with daytime running lights running in crisp LED sweeps under the halogens.
That Kodo wing, as Mazda calls it, bracketing the underside of the grille and leading into the lights, begins the haunch-line of the car, which starts with muscular wheel arches at the front and then slides into a twin-creased side line that ends at the slightly tapered rear. As the first of those creases dips into the rear door, the shoulder line rises to notch away the side glass, the rear windows of which are smoked as standard on all but the entry-level cars.
Finally, there’s another chrome whisker across the trunk, with the rear light clusters deeply set into the bodywork, and an integral lip-spoiler in the lid. It looks particularly good from the front or rear three-quarters, where Mazda’s sweeping movement lines along the sides have a touch of the Infiniti or Jaguar about them. Although the effect is most impressive on the four-door, Mazda’s 5-door load-carrier, the Mazda6 Tourer manages to look distinctive too, pulling the rear side glass out to end in a crease of chrome trim, while the falling roof line and angled back glass make for a car that’s still sporty in appearance, albeit sacrificing a little internal space in the process.
Mazda fits 17-inch alloy wheels as standard, though the Sport model – as we had on test – gets 19-inch versions with twisted spokes. Similarly there are front fogs standard across the range, part of an ambitious package of no-cost perks that belie the sticker price. The daytime running lights are standard, as are the halogens and heated door mirrors; our Sport model threw in bi-Xenon headlights and power mirrors, among other things.
Engines and Performance
Four engines are on offer in the UK, split between petrol and diesel, with a choice of 6-speed manual or auto transmissions. The entry-level Mazda6 SE has a choice of 2.0l 145ps petrol or 2.2l 150ps diesel, both manual; if you want the auto box options on those you need to step up to the SE-L. At the top is the Mazda6 Sport, with a choice of four combinations: either the 2.0l 165ps manual, the 2.2l 150ps diesel manual, the 2.2l 175ps diesel manual, or the 2.2l 175ps diesel automatic.
The US, however, only gets a single engine option: a 2.5l 184HP petrol offered with either the 6-speed manual or automatic gearboxes. The manual is rated for 25mpg (US) in the city or 37mpg (US) on the highway; the auto transmission bumps both of those by a point. Only the Sport sedan is offered of the four-doors, though there’s also the Touring and the Grand Touring (the latter adding in some extras as standard); since we tested a UK car, we haven’t tried the US-specific engine.
As you might expect, the 2.0l 165ps petrol manual in the Sport version is the most instantly aggressive. Mazda quotes a 9.1s 0-62mph time and a top speed of 134mph, and though the car is among the largest in its class – 4.87m long and 1.84m wide for the four-door – there’s more high-tensile steel and other lightweight materials used inside to keep the heft down.
Mazda calls all this fettling SKYACTIV, launching it in the CX-5 SUV, and indeed the Mazda6 builds on the same MacPherson struts and multilink rear suspension, putting its power down through the front wheels. It’s not an MX-5, certainly, but neither does it wallow or slump around corners, and even in the Tourer model it’s possible to forget there are three seats and a decent scale load area behind you as you tackle corners with alacrity.
It’s the diesel engines that suit the car most, however, the 2.2l 175ps manual we spent most time with pitching its mid-range torque right into the sweet spot for overtaking at speed in fifth gear, as well as dawdling through city traffic in fourth. While diesels may traditionally lack some of the upfront verve of their gas counterparts, in actual fact the 2.2l in the Mazda6 shaves the 0-62mph dash down to just 7.9s. Even the under-tuned 150ps version does it 0.1s faster than the slightly more powerful petrol plant. In practice, of course, this is a sizable car intended for more sensible use, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the degree of enthusiasm the big Mazda can muster.
One thing you won’t find on the options sheet is a hybrid powerplant. Mazda tells us it still isn’t convinced that big batteries and electric motors are the way forward for eco-friendly cars, looking instead to engine refinement with a few tech sprinkles to keep things competitive. So, the big diesel is rated for up to 62mpg (Euro) combined – we saw a consistent 44mpg (Euro) in mixed driving from the manual version, topping out in the mid-50s on extended trips – with 119 g/km of CO2 emissions. The top-spec petrol version is more thirsty, with a quoted 47.9mpg (Euro) combined consumption and 135 g/km CO2. Opt for the smallest diesel, though, and you can trim CO2 output to an impressively meager 108 g/km.
Even though Mazda has bypassed big batteries, that’s not to say there aren’t some small ones inside the Mazda6. i-ELOOP addresses an issue most drivers probably don’t even realize is there: the cost on engine power required to drive all a car’s electronics. The audio system, HVAC, power steering and such are usually run off an alternator clamped to the engine, sapping anything up to 10-percent of its output; with i-ELOOP, the same regenerative braking principles hybrids use to convert shedding speed to battery power is turned, in the Mazda6, into a temporary source for the car’s electronics.
It’s actually a big capacitor, not a battery, but in practice it’s basically transparent to the driver (unless you cycle through to the relevant graphic in the instrument binnacle). As you decelerate, the i-ELOOP system is charged up; it can then run the electrics for around a minute, good for what Mazda claims is around a 10-percent boost in fuel economy overall. It works in hand with Mazda’s i-stop automatic engine shut-down, which temporarily cuts off the engine while you’re paused in traffic, but keeps the music playing and the climate control blowing without draining your regular battery.
Interior
Mazda’s track record in making sports car interiors puts the driver in the right place in the Mazda6, particularly in the leather-clad environs of the Sport model (SE and SE-L make do with cloth seats as standard), though it’s not the most imaginative dashboard we’ve sat behind. The sat-nav touchscreen sits on top of the HVAC controls, the stack broken up with a swathe line – thankfully not fake wood – studded with vents, and all the controls feel sturdy and resilient, but there’s not much in the way of excitement or superlative-design to be found.
The murky, underwhelming clock and HVAC display of the CX-5 has been spruced up some for the Mazda6, and we can’t argue with the tactile knobs and buttons. Similarly, the wheel is nicely sized (and leather-wrapped across the range) with Mazda sensibly deciding not to follow rivals and scattershot it with buttons and shortcuts. Instead, you get cruise control on the right and A/V on the left, along with a voice-command button we’ll cover in the next section.
There are plenty of storage nooks, including a deep center armrest up front and sizable door pockets, while in the back there’s room for three adults. Despite the sweeping roofline there’s plenty of headroom, too, the seats being slung low enough to accommodate those six feet tall in comfort. The stylishly rising waistline – along with the tinted windows of the Sport variant – can make things a little difficult to see out of for younger passengers, however. Still, the contoured seats do a good job of holding people in place, even if the driver is getting a little carried away with the SKYACTIV handling, and though firm with the Sports suspension, the ride front and back is not uncomfortable even on longer road-trips.
Those trips can be accompanied by a reasonable amount of luggage, too, thanks to a capacious rear. Seats up – they split 60/40, and can only be dropped down from inside the trunk for security reasons – there are 483l to play with, versus 506l in the Tourer (which expands to 1,632l when both the Tourer’s seats are down). The opening itself is wide and relatively low, though can conveniently be opened from the key.
Technology
Mazda is keen to position itself as a tech-first company, and so the Mazda6 comes with most of the options boxes ticked, particularly if you specify the SE-L or Sport variants. Across the range you get cruise control; electric windows all round; a 5.8-inch color touchscreen atop a radio/single-slot CD player; Bluetooth for hands-free and streaming; both an aux-in and USB input for audio, hidden in the central armrest; and air-conditioning.
Our Sport tester, however, cranks that up even further, with dual-zone climate control and keyless entry; parking sensors front and rear, along with a reversing camera; rain-sensing wipers and an auto-dimming rear mirror; power adjustment and three-stage heating for the front seats (with two memory positions for the driver’s side); and a Bose surround sound audio system with a total of eleven speakers and dynamic noise compensation using a microphone hidden in the cabin.
That’s a fair amount of gadgetry, and there are a few different ways to control it, some it has to be said better than others. As well as the touchscreen sat on top of the dashboard – which has a few knobs and buttons around it, for jumping into navigation, audio, and phone, and controlling volume and tuning, there’s a multifunction dial next to the parking brake which along with rotating can be pushed in four directions and pressed in to select. That’s surrounded by another cluster of shortcut buttons – again, for audio, phone, navigation, and setup, as well as two back-keys – in the hope that you’ll not reach out and tap at the touchscreen when driving.
Mazda6 Technology Review:
For the basics, like adjusting volume or whipping through radio channels, the dial works well, but things get a little more complex if you try to do everything with it. What would normally require you to simply stab at the screen to change or select can demand some adroit maneuvering with the dial, to make sure you’re first highlighting the right section and only then scrolling through it.
It’s worth taking the time to get familiar with it, though, as there’s plenty you can do with the Mazda’s standard-fit entertainment system. The radio supports the usual presets and digital tuning, but we spent most time using Bluetooth to stream from our smartphone: both local tracks and streaming services like Spotify worked perfectly, and we were able to control playback using the Mazda6′s steering wheel mounted controls along with see artist, track, and album information on the display, together with phone battery status.
USB and aux-in playback works much in the same way, and there’s a thoughtful notch cut out for you to snake a cable out of the center armrest so you can use the device while still having somewhere to rest your elbow. Up to seven Bluetooth device pairings can be stored, with multipoint for having more than one active simultaneously, and the Mazda6 automatically resumes Spotify playback when you bring your phone back into the car, and pauses/resumes either side of a call.
The Bose speaker system holds up to scrutiny too, filling the car with loud, clear audio that sounds fantastic. Bose includes its optional center-point audio processing, which adjusts the various speaker settings to remove some of the directionality of the music and make it sound harmonious no matter where you’re speaking (rather than, say, louder from whichever speaker you’re closest to). It’s better suited to some musical types than others, we have to say; classical and pop benefited, with a more even quality to the audio, but rap and R’n’B lost some of their punchiness. Luckily it’s easy to switch on and off in the settings.
In the phone page, you can optionally download your phonebook to the car’s internal storage, for easier dialing of contacts, and set a number of speed dial favorites. However, the Mazda6 can also suck out your phone’s text messages, reading them out to you so that you needn’t take your hands of the wheel or your eyes off the road. We had no problems being heard on calls, even competing with 70mph road noise.
Unfortunately, the same speech clarity can’t be said for the voice control system. For the basics, hitting the button on the steering wheel and asking for a phone number works as you’d expect, but when you factor in the optional TomTom-powered navigation system, it becomes more frustrating. In theory, drivers should be able to say an address and have a list of search results shown on-screen, from which they can select by calling out the list number of the right option. In practice, most of the time we struggled to get the system to recognize the address we intended and, coupled with the lengthy pauses before search results were returned, we generally resorted to manually searching using the on-screen keyboard.
It’s a shame, because the TomTom system itself works well. If you’re familiar with one of the company’s standalone PNDs then the interface in the Mazda6 should present few surprises, with comprehensive mapping data, live traffic updates, automatic re-routing based on hold-ups further along your journey, and a huge database of points-of-interest. A range of voices and on-screen icons are available for guidance, with instructions cutting into music playback as the track temporarily fades in volume.
Pricing
In the UK, the Mazda6 kicks off at £19,595 for the SE saloon with the 2.0l petrol engine, or £21,795 for the 2.2l diesel. The cheapest Tourer is the £22,545 SE 2.2l diesel. The 2.2l diesel Sport saloon we spent most time with begins at £25,495; you’ll pay a £1,200 premium for the auto gearbox.
As for the US version, the Sport sedan begins at $20,880 (pre-destination charges and other fees), while the Touring is from $24,495. The Grand Touring – which makes the Bose audio system, TomTom navigation, keyless entry, and other features usually part of the Touring “Technology Package” standard – begins at $29,495.
That makes the Mazda6 a little more expensive out of the gate than, say, a Ford Mondeo, but it also comes with a higher degree of standard specifications.
Wrap-Up
The old Mazda6 was, not to put too fine a point on it, forgettable. Seats and an engine in a box on some wheels. That the new Mazda6 surges off the forecourt with such eye-catching styling and on-road polish makes it a huge advance, and it’s one that in most areas punches above its price.
Curvaceous, swooping design makes the car distinctive and handsome, a welcome diversion from the Germanic crispness that seems to have proliferated among Volkswagen, GM, Ford and others. Only the somewhat frustrating usability of the in-cabin tech and the slightly less-than-gaping luggage opening (unless you opt for the Tourer) mar the experience. Meanwhile the driving experience is enough to make you forget you’re in a not-insubstantial four-door; we’d opt for the diesel engine and manual gearbox, if given the choice, which pairs decent economy with solid performance to match the capable chassis.
The nightly recharge is a fact of life with most modern smartphones, and the HTC One is no different, but what if you could double your runtime and protect your expensive new toy in the process? That’s what Mophie promises from the Juice Pack for the HTC One, a combination external battery and hard case that, when wrapped around your phone, should let even the most ambitious power-user escape the tyranny of the charger. All that flexibility comes at a price, however: $99.95 and a considerably larger device in your pocket. Is the Mophie Juice Pack worth the compromise? Read on for our full review.
Hardware
Mophie has been making battery-cases for smartphones for years now, focusing on the iPhone and iPod touch; its line-up for Android phones is a lot smaller, with device-specific models only for the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S III (though the company offers generic portable batteries, too). The concept is straightforward, being a hard case that’s enlarged to accommodate a rechargeable power pack, that can be used to top up the internal battery in your phone.
For the HTC One, that means a 2.88 x 6.06 x 0.67 inch soft-touch plastic sled which adds 3.12 ounces to the weight of the phone (to compare, the One alone is 2.69 x 5.41 x 0.37 inches and 5.05 ounces). Black and silver versions will eventually be offered, to match the two finishes of the One itself, though only the black Juice Pack was available in time for our review.
Inside, there’s a 2,500 mAh battery, 200 mAh larger than the One’s own battery, charged from a standard microUSB port on the bottom of the case. That simultaneously charges the One, too, thanks to a pass-through microUSB connection which is plugged in when you slide the phone inside. It’s a snug fit, involving pulling off the Mophie’s top cap, slotting the One into the groove, and gently pushing it all the way into place; once the case is closed up again, there’s no wiggle or movement.
Although the sides and rear of the One are covered up, you still get access to all the ports and buttons. Pass-through controls for the power/standby key on top and the volume keys on the side are included – slightly oversized, which works well with gloved fingers, and the power button is IR-transparent so you can use the HTC TV remote control app still – and there’s a hole for the headphone socket too. The cut-out is big enough for most jacks, though if you’re using a set of headphones with an oversized plug, you might find the case gets in the way.
On the back, there’s a big cut-out for the UltraPixel camera and LED flash, along with a hole for the rear microphone. Flanking the microUSB port on the bottom edge are four connectors for a docking station (which we didn’t have to test). The only controls are a button to show battery status – using a row of four white LEDs – on the lower back of the Mophie, with a switch to turn on or off the flow of juice.
Usability and Performance
Make no mistake, once the One is in the Juice Pack you’re left with a big device. It’s almost comically large, in fact: the bowed back panel fills your palm, and while the soft-touch finish is pleasant to touch, the Juice Pack does make the One feel somewhat like the digital signature gadgets couriers tend to carry. If you’re in the habit of dropping your phone in your front jeans pocket, or your inside jacket pocket, you’ll immediately notice the difference.
It also feels like Mophie missed an opportunity to build some extra functionality into that expanse of plastic. HTC’s BoomSound speakers are usefully left exposed, for instance, and so a kickstand would have been an neat addition to prop the One up for hands-free video use.
Still, the Juice Pack certainly does what it promises to. Mophie recommends waiting until your One is at around 20-percent, and then flicking the switch to take the phone back up to around 80-percent; it takes more power to recharge a completely flat battery, or to top-up a battery until it’s entirely full. In our testing the Juice Pack took roughly around the same amount of time to recharge the One as the HTC adapter would.
In theory, you should be able to get a full recharge out of a single blast of the Juice Pack. In practice, following Mophie’s guidelines means it’s more like you’re doing a couple of periodic top-ups rather than going from zero to full. Still, with judicious control of the power switch and typical use of the One, we saw runtimes just short of the Mophie’s maximum 100-percent improvement.
Value
At $99.95, the Juice Pack isn’t the cheapest case or the cheapest external battery. If protection is what you’re after, there are far more form-fitting soft or hard cases on the market, priced from around $10; HTC’s own Double Dip Hard Shell for the One is $24.99, for instance.
Meanwhile, if you’re willing to sacrifice the integration, there are portable batteries with far more capacity than the Juice Pack provides. HTC offers the External Battery Bank (BB G600), for instance, a $50 block roughly akin to an oversized Zippo, and which – with 6,000 mAh to play with – could recharge your One twice before it needed topping up itself.
Then there’s the lifespan of the Juice Pack itself. Mophie rates the case for “over 500 full cycles” of 0-percent to 100-percent, after which point the battery inside “may provide less than 75-percent of the original capacity.” To be fair, that’s par for the course for any Li-Poly rechargeable battery, but it could mean that one day you’re carrying a heavy case that doesn’t really deliver in terms of a lasting charge. Whether that comes before the average two-year agreement is up, and you’re already thinking of getting a new phone, will depend on how much you use it.
Wrap-Up
There are cheaper ways to protect and charge your phone. A separate case and external battery will generally provide more runtime and a more easily pocketed handset. On the flip side, the best portable battery is the one you have on you when you’re running low on power, and the converged solution Mophie offers scores highly on that measure.
For some, the extra bulk the Juice Pack adds will be a deal-breaker. Certainly, it makes the One a big device, but if you’re a power-user the promise of up to double the runtime is a huge advantage, and we can’t really fault Mophie’s design for accommodating the One’s controls and features.
This week we’ve had the opportunity to have a look at Tech21′s Impact Shield smartphone screen protector technology in the form of it’s iPhone 5 and Samsung GALAXY S 4 iterations. This product works with three layers of shielding, each of them working with slightly different features for an overall 80 percent lessening of impact by objects aimed at your smartphone’s screen.
While in the past working with screen protectors that are anything thicker than a simple super-thin layer of plastic, it’s been a toss-up whether or not they’d do what they said they would, here Tech21 appears to come through. The final product does appear disperse impact and protect the screen while touch sensitivity remains.
NOTE: As a special experiment / treat, we’re recorded the hands-on of this product’s application process with Google Glass. The photo at the head of this article also comes straight #throughglass, is it were. Take heed – this video also appears in an expanded Google Glass in action review of the wearable technology’s abilities, specifically its camera.
The technology inside this screen protector is what Tech21 describes as their most advanced implementation of display shielding yet. The first layer works to spread the impact force of whatever’s aimed at your device’s screen. The third (closest to the screen) layer is a soft base, further absorbing the impact force of a blow.
The middle layer is the most interesting – or at least the most interestingly titled. Here we’ve got the BulletShield impact protection layer using BASF absorption polymer technology. BASF is also known as “The Chemical Company” and is, not coincidentally, the largest chemical company in the world. This layer provides non-yellowing UV protection with absorption polymer also used in bulletproof glazing.
Thus far this shielding has held up every bit as well as the other Tech21 products we’ve tested, including the orange goo you’ll remember from some months ago. Have a peek at a demo we received at the hands of Tech21′s CEO with a hammer, Tech21 Impactology excellence, and a human hand. You’ll certainly not regret having done so.
Also note that this multi-layer screen protector system is out there in the wild for your pocket in several iterations right this minute. For $29.99 MSRP you’ll find the Tech21 Impact Shield for the Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung GALAXY S 4, Apple iPhone 5, and Samsung Galaxy Note II as well. We’ll keep you updated on the spread of this shield to other devices soon as well – stay tuned!
The smartphone OPPO Find 5 was a surprise to behold when it first left the box here on the SlashGear review bench, mostly because when a relatively unknown smartphone brand delivers a package that appears to be too good to be true, it generally is. Here with OPPO Find 5′s 5-inch display at 1080p, a Qualcomm quad-core processor, and a 13 megapixel camera connected at its center by a unique user interface, it seemed as though the company had created a pretty nice beast. The packaging certainly does the device some favors as well.
Hardware
This smartphone is a rather interesting amalgamation of plastic and glass. It feels thin and smooth to the touch – the back is a single sheet of hard plastic without pattern while the front has a single pane of reinforced glass. The front has three capacitive buttons, not quite jumping in on the trend Google has been pushing with on-screen buttons quite yet.
The display up front of this device is a 5-inch 1080p panel all but hidden by the black bezel that surrounds it. While the display is on you can certainly tell where it begins and ends, but whatever OPPO has done to equalize the quality of black in the bezel surrounding the display while off and the screen itself is working. While on, this display kicks in 441 PPI, equaling that of the Sony XPERIA Z and the Samsung GALAXY S 4 and narrowly missing the current density winner: the HTC One (468 PPI).
The back of this smartphone is solidly attached to its front – there’s no removable or replaceable battery here. This device is certainly not built to be winning any repairability contests due to its one-piece presentation, but you will feel as though OPPO created a solid package when you’re working with it.
The touchscreen on this device works just as well as any other top-tier device and the viewing angles are generally OK. With IPS LCD technology backing up the OPPO Find 5, you’ll certainly be able to see what you’re doing outside, but don’t jump in to direct sunlight too often or expect a family of four to gather around from all angles to see the same image – it’s good, but it’s not perfect.
This device works with NFC both for reading and writing – as most embedded NFC sensors do. What’s impressive about the OPPO Find 5 for NFC is its built-in NFC writing software. Pre-sets and a set of two NFC tags in the box make for an entertaining out-of-box experience to be sure.
The audio experience on this device is great for a back-facing speaker setup. The HTC One takes the rest of the smartphone world to lunch with its Boomsound speakers on their own, but with both of them facing the user, straight out from around the display of the smartphone, they make the rest of the smartphone world sound like a mistake was made. Unfortunately OPPO’s main onboard speaker is, indeed, back-facing.
Software
OPPO creates an ever-so-slightly interesting software experience here on top of Android, bringing in a sort of candy-coated collection of app icons that remind one of the first plays Samsung had at Android back with the first Galaxy and TouchWiz 1.0. It’s not the same iOS-esque game here, on the other hand, with the rest of the changes keeping well in the Android world with screen transitions and lockscreen elements only otherwise seen in user-customized 3rd party homescreen replacement apps.
Below you’ll see our hands-on demonstration of the OPPO Find 5′s software build – take note of the speed at which apps load and/or don’t load – this isn’t an experience that’s as optimized for Android as the Nexus 4 is, but general everyday use is perfectly decent.
According to chats we’ve had with users already owning this device – and users like you bringing on the comments – we’re to understand that carriers working with this device have had an easy time upgrading software, working with the device for software fixes, and offering good service in general. Generally that’s not an issue with a big-brand smartphone (not always, but generally), but with a still-relatively-small group like OPPO, it’s encouraging to hear and read.
Below you’ll also find some benchmark results from the OPPO Find 5 with its most up-to-date software. Again, this device isn’t going to win any beastly smartphone battles, but it gets the job done. This device isn’t going to be the best on the market if you’re looking for a top-tier gaming experience, but for media consumption and capture and everyday non-game app activities, you’ll be par for the course.
Camera
The camera on the OPPO Find 5 can create some excellent photos and video but actually capturing them seemed to be above-average difficult. This machine works with an Exmor RS sensor with 13 megapixels of power on its back, this allowing for some rather excellent shots if you’re willing to take the time to capture them. The examples below should show you a wide variety of examples from our time with the device – good and bad.
Have a peek at some other reviews done by me, Chris Burns, to check on your humble reviewer’s ability to take quality shots if you’re suspicious of the images appearing here. If you’re the kind of person who rests their camera on still surfaces when you’re taking photos, you’ll get good photos. It’s as simple as that.
Also have a peek at some video here to see what we’ve captured in a regular test-quality situation. We’ve made similar runs at this arena in the past with devices of all kinds – compare at will!
Battery
You’ll want to download some battery optimization software if you’re planning on getting a full day’s use out of this machine. Unlike some of the big-name devices we’ve worked with towing the same processor here from Qualcomm, this device can really knock a battery out easily. Though the same is true for any device that’s got a display as bright and as sharp as this in keeping the brightness on auto, apps of all kinds seem to drain the OPPO Find 5 a bit quicker than they should.
Owning the OPPO Find 5
Reviewing this device was bittersweet, if only because I knew we’d not be seeing a lot of readers here that’d actually be able to use this device in the end. It’s a smartphone being sold in China with no plans for overseas release. That said, it’s refreshing to see such a company doing such a top-notch job when the only other devices with such a solid package on the market today have been made by one of five companies.
Right this minute you’ll be able to find the OPPO Find 5 for between $499.99 and $600 USD unlocked and carrier free. Make sure you know your SIM card will work before you pick one up and let us know how you like it!
Wrap-up
The OPPO Find 5 is not a Samsung Galaxy device, nor is it an iPhone. It’s not a Motorola hardcore delivery, nor is it an LG powerhouse, or a Google Nexus device for that matter. It’s not the HTC One and it’s certainly not a Sony device. Instead you’ve got a unique approach from OPPO in a package that’s certainly going to stay strong in owners’ pockets for extended periods.
And the end result of OPPO’s efforts are a bright spot for the company – this device, packaging to final smartphone build, make the case for this brands’ future. Keep an eye out for future OPPO releases and count them in as a brand to be reckoned with in the next few years across the pond – hopefully beyond China, too.
The LG Optimus G Pro brings a massive upgrade to the LG Optimus G, a device put together so well that Google decided to use it for its most recent hero smartphone, the Nexus 4. The LG Optimus G Pro has been released internationally with essentially the same hardware build as you’re seeing here, AT&T’s additions being largely app-centric. That leaves the same high-powered processor, 5.5-inch display, and collection of odd software abilities that draw us in just as much as they did in the original.
Hardware
Up front of the LG Optimus G Pro is a 1080 x 1920 pixel display across 5.5-inches of IPS LCD. This equals 400 PPI resolution and the same amount of pixels the HTC One and the Samsung GALAXY S 4 have spread over a slightly larger area. The display reaches out to the sides of the device with a bezel that’s extremely narrow, this giving the phone the illusion of having a near-edge-to-edge screen.
The front of the device is covered by a single piece of reinforced glass from top to bottom with a bent-in flat edge that, with flat sides and rounded back, give the whole package a unique feel. While the design comments in our LG Optimus G Review suggested LG’s hardware to be a bit more slippery than the average phone, the Pro’s shape and size allow for a bit better grip.
The front panel is interrupted only by a single plastic bit up top to make way for the earpiece for phone calls and a physical button on the lower front surrounded by multi-colored LED light. This pulsing spectrum of color is easily one of the most well-implemented bits of finesse ever implemented on a smartphone. This feature alone pushes the hardware design over the edge: from Pretty Good to Unique and Cool.
Along the sides of the device you’ll find two mic holes (one on top, one on bottom), a standard-sized headphone jack with Dolby Digital audio technology for all your headphone music blasting adventures, and a microUSB port below. Also on top you’ll find a tiny black piece of plastic – this is your IR-blaster, aka your key to using this device as a remote control for a variety of electronics around your home, including but not limited to your television (most televisions, not just Smart TVs), stereo system, projector, Blu-ray player, and air conditioner.
On the right you’ve got your power button and on your left you’ve got your volume rocker below a third button. This last button is what LG calls a Quick Button. With this Quick Button you’ll be able to “get quick access” to whatever app you like. If you’re a photo-taking sort of person, set it to your camera. If you’d rather it connect to Google Search / Google Now, that’s an option as well. If you do decide to set it to Camera, the Quick Button also acts as a shutter button inside the camera app – just as it should.
This device feels nice to hold and, unlike some of its competitors, isn’t larger than the average adult’s hand grip. Where the LG Intuition fell a bit flat due to it’s massiveness, the aspect ratio of the LG Optimus G Pro allows it to be even larger yet fit in your hand far more naturally. Here we’ve got a phablet with a size that’s not too wild.
Software
Inside you’ve got LG’s newest approach to Android, complete with their complete utilization of the full processor power under the hood with oddities galore. One example of a simple – yet impressive – use of the power this device’s processor presents is the massive bubble that pops up when you unlock your screen. It and flipping through screens with a door-like drag happen so seamlessly that you’ll scarcely realize how slick it is. Until you use a phone later on with a lesser processor, of course.
LG’s software here keeps with the nice parts of Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, including Google Now, and push forward with features like QSlide apps. While I’m not entirely sure when the ability to have an app appear above the fold and accessible as a window in a desktop operating system app would be, here you’ve got the future right in front of you. This sort of floating app functionality is also seen in the Samsung Galaxy and Note line of smartphones and tablets in a just-as-mystifying implementation.
The notifications pull-down menu is utilized by LG in a variety of creative ways the likes of which no other hardware company has pushed to a smartphone. You’ve got brightness control, notifications, access to full settings, quick settings (toggles), QSlide apps, Music control (when music is playing), and Quick Remote. Each of these is customizable too, of course.
QuickRemote is LG’s current app interface for remote controlling your home hardware. This app allows you to work with the infra-red blaster that sits at the top of the device and allows you to control your TV, Cable box, Audio system, DVD player, Blu-ray player, Air conditioner, and projector. You’ll have to go through a short trial-and-error process to connect this control to each device around your home, but in general, anything that’s controlled by a normal universal remote can be controlled here.
Though you don’t have the Rubberdium Pen you did with the LG Intuition here with the Optimus G Pro, you still have access to apps like Note Pad and Notebook, both of which allow you to draw and take notes on your display with your finger. You also get a simple task manager to keep yourself on-point with notifications of to-do items, Video Wiz to edit your own self-filmed videos, and LG Tag+ to create your own unique NFC tags (not included in the box this time around).
In display settings you’ll find Smart screen, similar to a feature Samsung has been pushing with the last several smartphones it’s released, here detecting your eyes and keeping the device’s display awake so long as you’re looking at it. You can customize your home button LED light colors and alerts from this screen as well.
In Share & Connect in the device’s Networks tab in Settings you’ll find an NFC switch (off and on) aside Direct/Android Beam. With Wi-Fi direct you’ll be able to share files between mobile devices (that also have such connectivity abilities) and with NFC this connection is made extra-easy. You’ll also find File Networking to connect to your local network (if you’re sharing files via your PC, for example), and with SmartShare Beam you’ll be sharing files back and forth between LG devices specifically.
Then there’s Miracast – this being the first time we’ve seen the system named specifically since Google implemented this connectivity in Android Jelly Bean earlier this year. With Miracast you’ll have a new industry standard for wireless connectivity of devices, in this case allowing you to mirror your Optimus G Pro’s display to your high-definition television at high speed.
Have a peek at a demonstration of LG’s “World’s First Wireless Ultra HD Transmission Technology” filmed earlier this year at Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona. You’re seeing this hands-on with the LG Optimus G, this letting us know that the ability isn’t just there in the less-powerful of the LG hero devices, it’s ready to go for 4K televisions as well! Now we just need a 4K television to test it on with LG’s final implementation of the connection between on device and the other.
You’ll find the LG Optimus G Pro out-performing most devices on the market today regardless of the slightly larger display size it works with. Above you’ll find a gallery of benchmark results run on the device, many of which we’ve run for similar devices in the past. As you’ll see, this device’s biggest competitors are the HTC One and Samsung GALAXY S 4, the whole bunch running the same Qualcomm processor under the hood – the battle continues!
Camera
While we’ve done a slightly more extensive exploration of the abilities of this device’s camera earlier this year in our LG Optimus G Pro Photo Tour: Barcelona, you’ll also find a new set of examples below. This device uses a 13 megapixel camera on its back, a 2.1 megapixel camera on its front, and a set of odd abilities you’ll have a good ol’ time working with. NOTE: we’ll be including further examples of the Dual Recording feature in the near future. For now: courage!
Battery
With a 3,140 mAh battery it’s not easy to knock the power out of this device in one go. That said, if any display was going to do it, it’d be this beast’s. As you can see in the example here, you can either keep the device running actions for hours on end and kill it in less than 8 hours, or you can let it sit idle for many days. This appears to be the case with most devices running Qualcomm processors in this newest generation – we’re expecting this trend to continue.
Wrap-up
The LG Optimus G Pro is a rather fine piece of machinery. It’s offers you an alternative to the HTC One and/or Samsung GALAXY S 4 here up on the top tier with its similar display (larger, though again, with the same amount of pixels), identical processor, and surprisingly similar set of features. It also offers you a unique hardware build and a camera that’ll go very nearly toe-to-toe with the leaders.
You’ll find the LG Optimus G Pro costing the same or less than the competing top-tier smartphones out with AT&T right this minute and/or in the near future, and its feature set makes it a solid package in the battle against the other titans of this mobile industry. Here in this massive smartphone, LG has created an amalgamation of elements that’ll satisfy legacy LG lovers and newcomers to the size, all the same.
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