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Author: Ed

  • Telstra Flip 2 – Telstra T21 Review

     
    Welcome to the Telstra Flip 2 or T21 mobile phone review. This is a regular flip phone or clam shell phone running custom version of a non descript OS and hardware for Telstra. (It's made by ZTE) The Flip 2 is for those who only need or want basic essentially voice based communications or perhaps notifications. Yes, there are many people who do not want the full smartphone experience for various reasons. Recommended retail pricing of the Telstra Flip 2 - T21 is $99 but only as a pre-paid. In terms of construction the Telstra Flip 2 or T21 is like any other plastic flip phone. The quality of the plastic looks easily scratched as it is glossy plastic. The flip hinge moves smoothy and gives the impression that it will last a very long time. When closed the clam shell looks like a small make up kit although a little thick and not particularly high end. The main reason for this is that it does not have an additional screen on the cover when closed. When open the keypad actually feels good to press but no more than any other keyed phone in 2017. However overall that's really not much to describe as there it looks just like a nondescript plastic thing that feels reasonably nice to hold. In terms of hardware inside the Telstra Flip 2 is essentially a downgrade for the older Telstra T4 of the original model for the most part. The most glaring downgrade is the small screen that has a lower resolution. The screen size appears smaller too as there is a huge bezel around the screen. The best thing about the Flip 2 is that you can use it as a Wi-Fi hotspot but only if you plug it into a computer. It boasts a 1.1 Ghz CPU unfortunately it doesn't run like run see below. There is a camera included for video calls and quality seemed OK for the price aka a bit low res. In terms of use the Telstra Flip 2 is a trip back to the old days aka 10 years ago. There is not much to write about except for the decent web browser but hampered by the low specs even if it breaks the 1Ghz CPU benchmark. The menus work quickly but there are pauses when running apps. The pauses was a surprise since even an old Nokia handset didn't have them. There are also no games included in the phone. To conclude the Telstra Flip 2 is an entry level flip phone. It covers the basics like text, talk and some email through the web browser nothing more. There are much better entry level phones for the same price. Speaking of price the Flip2 sells at a $99 retail price, is too expensive for this level of functionality. Where is the new Nokia 3310? Specifications
    • Telstra Flip 2 or Telstra T21
    • Network Dual-band 3G 850/2100 Mhz Dual-band GSM 900/1800 MHz 4G - 4 common bands
    • Design Flip L105 x W52 x D18.6 mm Weight 110 grams
    • Display/s Internal TFT 240 x 320 2.4 inch screen
    • Camera Dual cameras 2MP main camera 0.2MP video call camera
    • CPU 1.1 Ghz
    • Connectivity USB Bluetooth V4.1
    • Memory 724MB internal memory
    • Ring tones MP3, MMF, MIDI, Vibration etc..
    • Features Plug for external antenna SMS, MMS, WAP, EMAIL Speaker Phone/Hands free Customizable backgrounds Web browser (Chrome) Video calling Voice memos Calendar, Calculator, Stop watch, timer 240 Hrs Standby, 11 Hours Talk Time 1000mAh Li-Ion
    • Price history 2017 Approx $99 Pre-paid

  • Game review – Dawn of Titans by NationalMotion

    Dawn of Titans
    Welcome to the game review for Dawn of Titans. It's been a few years since our game review as there are plenty of them on the internet however we noticed an increasing lack of important details and vagueness in many top ranking reviews hence this post. We felt compelled to do a Dawn of Titans review as we've been enjoying the experience for the last month and sharing is caring as they say. Dawn of Titans is still in its early development, released in about December 2016 so do not expect a 'perfected' game at the time of this review. Dawn of Titans is a RPG and MMORPG game for Android or iPhones and their associated tablets. It's a game where you play the ruler of a kingdom and your initial quest is to defeat the bad dude described as a reborn Titan called Almarand. The story line is well though out but can be confusing due to the number of different stories you can start on. The walkthrough at the start is good and does cater for to those new to RPGs but also those who are familiar with RPG that involve resource gathering and army development. In case you're wondering Titans are essential hero characters you collect of the course of the game. In terms of graphics Dawn of Titans is one of the best out there but dependent on the hardware of your phone or tablet. Of course when playing close up some of the sprites are too similar. The Titans themselves are mostly unique and detailed. It's not a space environment but land and there are currently no flying units. It's pretty smooth all round. And yes, that is my castle in the image above at the time of this review. In terms of controls Dawn of Titans does play better on a tablet as during battles a larger screen is needed for strategy especially if you don't want to be out flanked. Your army units are clearly animated so you know if you've got archers, spearmen etc... In terms of difficulty the game mechanics, Dawn of Titans has easy to use controls and responsive. The resource harvesting, unit development are a little on the slow side but that is standard for this type of game. It takes ages to harvest enough resources - every 8 hours is probably the cycle. Once your kingdom is established adventure does become faster but not by much. Special item drops are nice but the items are not that great even at higher levels. You can upgrade your Titans with special items and upgrade Titans, weapons, buildings and army units. Overall easy to understand and access the gameplay. Dawn of Titans is also a MMORPG so you will get attacked by randoms which is annoying especially if they are at a higher level. There needs to be a much greater status reduction or deterrent for the attacking party if attacking a lower level player. The major flaw is the Clan or Alliance logic. It allows randoms to join and exit alliances without penalty. As a result you have the losers who join you clan attack other players and exit. Even with it's ability to close groups it prevents genuine players from joining your group. This factor alone makes it difficult to build a decent reputation and gain players that have the same gameplay ideology. Other things that need to be improved are certain graphical elements like when your power up titans by merging them the graphics are a pretty uninteresting and the same. Furthermore all the Titans bar one Erys the archer are pretty much the same even in looks. Virtual items you can buy in Dawn of Titans is not special enough. Not asking for a total wipe out item but an item that is genuinely worth paying for would be nice.  As it is now all you can buy ultimately is a reduction in time. That said buying gems is not necessary for most of the game which is great! It reminds us of Clash of Clans or even Star Wars Commander in terms of paying for stuff. Conclusion: Dawn of Titans is good a RPG and MMORPG in 2017. It's got nice graphics but not massively different from say Clash of Clans. It's a good looking and playable game with a story and Titans! Yes Dawn of Titans is worth a download to see if you like this sort of game. Playability: 10/10 (at time of review) Longveity: 6/10 (at time of review) Does it need the Internet data to play: Yes How annoying is it without paying: Not annoying Is buy in game stuff worth it: No  (at time of review) Is it worth paying for: Not yet Better on Tablet or Phone: Tablet X-Factor: Titans Platform: Android OS and Apple iOS

  • Android Wear Vs Tizen OS Vs Apple Watch OS Comparison

    Shopping for a smart watch in 2017 is not that difficult since there are very models to choose from! This is a short comparison/review for the regular person as there is a standout winner.

    We’ve used all three smart watch systems, comparing and reviewing them for your research over the last few years and it is clear which operating system is currently the best in 2017. The best smart watch operating system and hence smart watch is Tizen OS and logically the Samsung Gear S3. It such a better smart watch and OS. So much so we’ve bought one!

    The conclusion is simple because:

    • Apple Watch OS is jerky, slow and not intuitive. Inherently the Apple watch user experience can be annoyingly random thanks to small icons and did we mention slow? Since it only works with an iPhone, the lack of design flair and that everyone who wears ones looks like they’ve been tagged like sheep. The Apple watch is a ugly looking lump on anyone’s wrist. There can be no further improvement without hardware changes or complete navigation re-design.
    • Android Wear is a bit smoother but the primarily finger based navigation is annoying. The OS is only 98% stable so can slow down every so often. But every revision is an improvement on the last one.
    • Tizen OS and is faster, smoother and stable with plenty of watch faces and customisations and easy to use. The rotating crown and widget capability and customisation are part of its killer functionality.

  • LG K10 Review
    Welcome to the 2017 LG K10 review, a 'cheap' just above entry level mobile phone according to the pricing. We where quite surprised when we managed to get a test of the phone recently, since it's been for sale about 12 months now. The LG k10 Sells for less the $250 outright in Australia which makes it one of the cheapest phones with this specification from Samsung or any of the new Chinese brands at the moment. In terms of construction the LK K10 is very good. It feels great in the hand for a phone this inexpensive there is really nothing to complain about. Sure it doesn't feel premium but it doesn't feel like its price suggests. The design it's self is not completely modern with old school shell curves around the rear edges and a plastic power button on the rear but overall pretty decent. In terms of hardware the LG K10 has pretty decent components that work better than many of similar price. It features a 5.3 inch 720P HD display of very decent quality and brightness running an unusual Mediatek Octa-Core CPU and 2Gig or RAM. The main camera pictures looks decent along with the front camera but there aren't any other surprises. In terms of use the LG K10 is surprisingly really good! Despite the seemingly ordinary specs the interface is smooth and apps runs quickly and responsive. We think that its due to the lack of heavy customisation like the other brands. Even games seem to run 'well' the basic ones like Clash of clans. We honestly couldn't fault the K10 when running all the usual social apps and even navigation. If your needs do not go beyond the usual picture apps or social media the K10 will fit needs perfectly and cheaply without any risk. The LG K10 is great budget phone. Out of the box it works really well, no complaints. How it performs with more than usual apps, emails and images it not really known but in all honestly we don't think it will be a problem. That comment applies to all budget phones over the long term, but used as a secondary phone the LG K10 is high recommended with very little competition in the $250 price range and one that works so well. Specifications
    • LG k10
    • Network ALL networks as per retail country.
    • Design Touch screen L146.6 x W75.8 x D8.8 mm
    • Weight  142 grams
    • Display 5.2 inch - 720 x 1280 pixels
    • Camera 13MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 5MP
    • Video Camera 1080p 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth V4.1
    • CPU Octa-core 1.1 Ghz
    • Memory 2Gig RAM Up to 16 Gig for user Up to 128Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features Li-Po 2300 mAh battery Up to 16 Days Standby Up to 8 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx under $250 March 2017 (Outright)

  • Huawei P9 Review
    Welcome to the Huawei P9 review. It's been awhile since we tested a Huawei phone since they never quite stood out in terms of pricing or specification. However with the release of the P9 we decided to check if things have changed hence worth a closer look. The Huawei P9 is current priced under $699 AUD which is the highest end of the mid-range phones. In terms of construction the Huawei P9 is very good. The quality of materials is good and the feels high end. However the P9 biggest flaw is also obvious, it looks like a phone made in 2014 specifically a Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Of course it's not a complete clone as it has a contrasting horizontal camera lens strip and all metal body. The pattern on the aluminium is also a bit down market in our view. In terms of hardware features the Huawei P9 all the latest tech for the m-d range class and adds the heavily promoted Leica dual camera lens setup. While the screen is only 108op it does look sharp and colourful. It's quality matches the iPhone for clarity but not as brightness. The CPU is is called a Kirin 955 which is a decent CPU and bench test whose appears to be one of the fast mid-range CPUs. Since the P9 is a mid range phone the other tech specs are on  the boring side meaning that there is nothing else that stands out. That said we do not like rear facing finger printer scanners! Does the P9 take good pictures? You'll have to chance out others that focus on images comparisons. In it's own right at the pictures we took where very good. The flaw is of course the selfie camera which is very average. In terms of use the Huawei P9 is very good. The interface is smooth and uncluttered thanks to a hidden App tray as per other phones. As a result it's great for those who have never used a smartphone before and it does replicate the iPhone experience. Navigation is smooth and fast and the Apps open pretty quickly too. We have no complaints worth mentioning except perhaps that the menu navigation is not completely logical. In the end the Huawei is a decent mid-range phone. However there are a number of other $600 priced phones that are just as compelling eg. the old Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S5 with a lovely AMOLED screens and so forth, furthermore there is the issue of reliability and software support. Ignoring the competition the Huawei P9 is a  good phone with decent specs, build quality and the high end camera but needs to be cheaper to really make an impression. Specifications
    • Huawei P9
    • Network All GSM All 3G frequencies All 4G frequencies
    • Design Touch screen
    • L145 x W71 x D6.95 mm
    • Weight 144 grams
    • Display 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 IPS
    • Camera Dual 12MP Lecia lens auto-focus x2 LED Flash 2nd forward facing still/video call camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 1080p high definition 60FPS main video camera 2MP Front video phone camera
    • Connectivity USB-C Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Kiri 955 Octa-core 2.2 Ghz Separate Graphics Mali T880
    • Memory 3-4 Gig RAM Up to 32 Gig for user Up to 256Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features Dual SIM, A-GPS, GLANOSS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope Proximity, Ambient Light Google Play store Li-Po 3000 mAh battery Up to 23 Days standby Up to 15 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $699 Early 2017 (Outright)

  • Samsung Galaxy S5 Review
    Welcome to the 2017 Samsung Galaxy S5 review. The Galaxy S5 was original release in early 2014 so is old but it's still being sold because it's replacement the Galaxy S6 was a bit of a flop and the S6 has one key selling feature that Samsung discovered was essential and that was a MicroSD memory expansion slot. The Galaxy S6 didn't have it and sold according while the latest S7 has it and has sold in record numbers. Apart form that, the obvious other key factor was that  the majority of the range topping phones are on two year contracts Samsung needed to keep selling the S5 for another 2 years until the all now 2017 S8 gets released. The Galaxy S5 now features on this website is because it's retail pricing has dropped under $399 and more often than not $369. In terms of construction theGAlaxy  S5 is good. The chrome like frame looks cheap likewise the plastic removable back cover but at least the glass screen has a nice high end pattern running through it. By 2017 standards the Galaxy S5 overall looks a little cheap as a growing number for mobile phones in this price range are now made of aluminum. All that said, it is well put together and feels solid in the hand. Put on a decent cover and no one would know that it's an old design. In terms of hardware features the Galaxy S5 still has everything you could possibly want in 2017. Perhaps the missing fingerprint scanner may disappoint but it was designed back in 2013 for the 2014 release and let's face it no one had it as a feature at the time and more to the point other phones in this price still don't have them. The S5 camera outclassed but top end phones but this camera still beats any phone in this price range easily and any other smart phone except the Nokia N95. The removable back means that you can replace the battery and add in a memory card up to 128Gig memory card for not much more money! Extra features include a infra-red blaster perfect of universal remote control, heart rate monitor, replaceable battery and even a micro SD slot. In terms of use the Galaxy S5 has a feature packed interface. Unfortunately the interface is not as smooth as others in the price range. Apart from that it will run all the latest apps without any problems. There are plenty of old reviews on this phone so won't carry on about the why's and why not after all it was released in 2014,  needless to say that it was ahead of it's time in terms of little things like notifications and multi-tasking that have only arrived recently. The Galaxy S5 is an appealing smartphone in 2017 thanks to the price drop. Sure there are many 2017 models of the same price will be just as good but in a different way and they won't be a Galaxy S5 it's old but it's good. Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy S5 Active
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 All 3G frequencies All 4G frequencies
    • Design Touch screen
    • L145.3 x W73.4 x D8.9 mm
    • Weight 170 grams
    • Display 5.1 inch 1,920 x 1080 AMOLED
    • Camera 16MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing still/video call camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 2160p high definition 30FPS main video camera 2MP Video phone camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Quad core 2.5 Ghz Separate Andreno 330 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 2Gig RAM Up to 16 Gig for user Up to 128Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, GLANOSS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope Proximity, Ambient Light, Barometer, Heart rate monitor, Infra-red blaster Google Play store and Samsung Store Li-Po 2800 mAh battery Up to 20 Days standby Up to 24 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $369 AUD late 2017 (Outright)

  • ZTE Axon7 and Axon7 Mini Review
    Welcome to the ZTE Axon7 and ZTE Axon7 Mini review. It's been awhile since we tested an ZTE phone of any kind because they weren't exactly enthused with its range of phones despite its link with Telstra. We also think that the Axon7 and Axon7 Mini are mid-range phones but priced on the high side considering their outright prices in their Chinese home market and perhaps the claimed subsides etc...  the only reason the Axon7's are priced this way is it's competitors pricing for similar spec. The Axon7 with the 5.5 inch screen sells for $699 and the Axon7 Mini if you consider a 5.2 inch screen is small or mini sized is priced around $498. These are not cheap phones but can be classified as value for money but we expect them to be cheaper. In terms of construction the Axon 7 and Axon7 Mini are very good, it is rare to find an obviously poorly made phone in 2017. However their build quality still don't stack up to the latest Samsung Galaxy S7 and more importantly A series in quality. Both designs look like last generation HTC which is probably deliberate but made of metal. The metal parts claim to be 'unibody' but if only they used better metal as it is not the quality we're used to being a little too 'shiney' to be called high end. They need to employ some better industrial and graphic people to do their designs. Good effort for the price but we expect more than what we got. In terms of hardware features the ZTE Axon7 has the latest Quad core CPU which performs better than the Octa-cores while the Axon7 Mini uses a slower 1.5Ghz  Octa-core. The Axon7 has a 4K camera which we didn't try but you can expect decent images from both phones. The best feature for the Axon7 is the ability to use it as a dual-SIM phone so you can have 2 numbers on the phone phone but doing that means giving up the micro-SD memory expansion which is disappointing. Both use USB-C as the only connector which is the way of the future and have fast charging which once used you can never go back to waiting 3-4 hours for you phone to charge as per the iPhone. It's all pretty much normal in most respects for mid-range phones in 2017. Although the rest of the brands haven't quite caught up yet as they are lumbered with 2016 models. In terms of use the ZTE Axon7 and Axon7 Mini are identical despite the CPU difference. They are smooth and work as expected, we didn't think much of the UI mods and the additional 'security' software which is ultimately not secure if you get our drift. We have no complaints about speed of functionality for the price. Android OS is definitely the future as there are so many options you can tinker with or leave it in simple mode. The problem though is that ZTE do not seem to release software patches or updates which means their phones won't be any good beyond 12 months especially when spending this much money. In the end the ZTE Axon 7 and Axon 7 Mini are just another well specified mobile phones but priced higher than what it should be especially the Mini version. That said we are judging new phones a little harder from 2017 onwards as there is very little to separate the numerous phone models running the same operating system and similar hardware especially Android based regardless of price. Even with lower end CPUs all the Android phones we've tested are competitive in the system navigation side of things with top end phones, sure it does take a little longer to open apps but what the price difference for a few seconds worth $200 more? Specifications
    • ZTE Axon 7 and Axon 7 Mini
    • Network Dual SIM Quad-band GSM All 3G frequencies All 4G frequencies
    • Design Touch screen
    • L151.7 x W75 x D7.9 mm L147.5 x W71 x D7.8 mm
    • Weight 175 or 153 grams
    • Display 5.5 inch 2,560 x 1440 AMOLED 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080
    • Camera 20MP auto-focus x2 LED Flash 2nd forward facing still/video call camera 2MP
    • Video Camera 1080p high definition 30FPS main video camera 2MP Video phone camera
    • Connectivity USB- C Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Quad core 2.2 Ghz 820 or Octa-Core 617 Separate Andreno 530 or 405 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 4Gig RAM Up to 64 Gig for user Up to 128Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features Dual SIM, A-GPS, GLANOSS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope Proximity, Ambient Light, Barometer, Heart rate monitor Google Play store and Samsung Store Li-Po 3250 mAh battery Up to 15 Days standby Up to 16 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $699 Axon7 $498 Axon7 Mini AUD 2016 (Outright)

  • Sony Xperia XA and XA Ultra Review

     
    Welcome to the 2017 Sony Xperia XA and XA Ultra review. Over the last 12 months Sony have revamped their smartphone lineup and the XA is year another model they introduced. The Sony XA and it larger brother the XA Ultra are the new X Series smart phones targeted at other  mid-range competitors in specification and pricing. The Sony XA Ultra in January 2017 recommended retail is $799 but you'll never pay that unless you are brain dead - basically. Currently the XA Ultra appears to be in run out mode so you will be able to find them for under $450 Outright. The smaller Sony XA in January 2017 usually sells for under $300 which is about right. Note that as always there are cheaper high spec phones from other brands but they are not a Sony. In terms of construction the Sony XA feature an edge to edge bubble screen, metal frame and plastic back plate. It's feels good to hold despite the plastic back and looks good too. The flaps for the microSD and SIM (separately) on the side are typical Sony so no complaints while there are benefits we prefer the tray solution as championed by Samsung. The XA Ultra has a significant increase in the camera and features a 16M selfie and 21MP rear camera the regular XA is quite ordinary in comparison. In terms of hardware the CPU is a cheaper Mediatek P10 and basically means it's a different solution to the usual Qualcomm ones. It is championed as a cheaper solution but is all honestly we didn't pick up any difference. The XA's screen is a 72op IPS not the usually LED Triluminos usually used by Sony but the older BRAVIA engine and you can tell it's not the best image but it's not the worst either much like the iPhone. The XA Ultra has a 1080p HD screen but same image engine. Overall it's a mixed bag of specs. The XA has a reasonable 16MP main and 8MP selfie but the XA has the much better 21MP and 16Mp selfie camera. The Sony 'secret source' rarely  mentioned by main stream reviews is the 'Clear Audio' system on the phones which means bluetooth streaming and music via the ear phones are equal or better to the top end phones even the iPhone. In terms of use the Sony XA is pretty good, smooth and fully functional the best feature is the music processor branded Clear Audio and when turned on works amazingly well for this price point, easily superior to the cheap models from Huawei and Oppo and even iPhone. The Android OS has not been significantly modified so works predictably although the smart apps still bugs us. Overall there's nothing to truly complain about. The Sony XA is a decent mid range phone but a little overpriced however the XA Ultra is much better and for not much more if you shop online. Sure the XA Ultra has a bigger screen hence size but in 2017 the more screen you can see the better your eye site will be in the long run. The Sony XA Ultra is a hidden gem and bargain priced at the moment. Specifications
    • Sony XA and XA Ultra
    • Network Quad-band GSM - All Tri-band 3G - All Tri-band 4G - All
    • Design Touch screen
    • (XA) L143.6 x W66.8 x D7.9 mm (XA Ultra) L164 x W79 x D8.4 mm
    • Weight (XA) 137 grams (XA Ultra) 180 grams
    • Display (XA) 5 inch 1280 x 720 IPS (XA Ultra) 6 inch 1080 x 1920 IPS
    • Camera 21MP auto-focus LED Flash 16MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 8MP or 16M
    • Video Camera 4K UHD 30FPS main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi,  NFC, Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Octa-core 2 GHz Mediatek
    • Memory 2 or 3 Gig RAM Up to 16 Gig for user Up to 200 Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, Compass, Accelerometer,Proximity, Ambient Light Sony Clear Audio system FM Radio with RDS Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 2300 mAh battery or Li-Po 2700 mAh battery Up to 22 Days Standby Up to 17 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx (XA) Under $500 ($300 usually) AUD (XA Ultra) Under $799 ($500 usually) January 2017 (Outright)

  • LG G Watch R vs Samsung Gear S3 Comparison
    There aren't too many reviews or comparisons between the Samsung Gear S3 vs the LG G Watch R or LG Watch Urbane so this may start something... The LG G Watch R was arguably the best looking and working Android Wear based smart watch when released in 2014. In use the watch was just as good as any other smartwatch running the platform BUT had one feature that stood out - it had a fully round screen! No other brand and a fully round screen. Without  the flat tire aka screen like other smart watches missing pixels like the heavily promoted Moto360 the G Watch R was the most complete model. It's case was based on a regular watch and even the button in the correct location mimicked a standard watch perfectly. The other feature was a heart rate sensor which few devices had at the time. We like the LG Watch R and have and one in daily use with complete reliability and it's still going strong! In hindsight it is clear now why the LG G Watch R  wasn't a high profile model it should have been when released and was due to not paying off the high profile vloggers on Youtube and the Apple bias '0nline' tech magazines simply didn't bother.  You can understand why Youtube in particular needs to change. The LG G Watch R's hardware it still current and so is the Android OS software that was not designed for the round face which is annoying and there are still some stability issues on certain 3rd party apps. You can get a more polished version of the G Watch R in a reclothed version called the LG Watch Urbane. Two years is a long time in tech and the new Samsung Gear S3 is a seriously good piece of kit. In terms of looks and feel the design is very good regardless of which model you get it looks like a upmarket watch in the Classic version and a outdoors watch in the Frontier version. It does look better than the LG G Watch R in standard spec and even better with another watch band. In terms of size the G Watch R and the Samsung Gear S3 are basically identical without resorting to a ruler to measure them. and likewise the weight. Seriously the Gear S3 is a very balanced watch in terms for handling and feel and is better than the LG. Both quite large smart watches but smaller than Casio G-Shocks so perfectly acceptable. In terms of hardware features the Gears S3 has the lot for 2016 and uses all its functions with ease. Differences in the hardware between the two watches are a speaker, barometer, altimeter, GPS, nicer looking screen, wireless charging, NFC and Magnetic strip transceiver and the operating system. The Gear S3 also has the option of a LTE or 4G model you can use as a stand alone phone. Makes the older LG seems a little under equipped. In terms of battery life the LG G watch R can still last 4 days if you just leave it on the desk but make it do some work and you are looking at 1-2 days if really active. The Gear S3 battery life easily lasts 1-2 days if using it often and can also go the 4 days if just left on its own. In terms of software and interface the Gear S3 and G Watch R are quite different The Gear S3 runs Tizen OS and is clearly the easier to use interface. The scrolling dial is perfectly logical to use and so are the buttons. The G Watch R runs Android Wear which works well but not as good as the Tizen as everything relies on screen gestures which logical is not as intuitive as pressing a button or spinning the dial then using the screen if necessary. The Samsung Gear S3 is the better smart watch no question and so it should be given the 2 year development gap!
    LG G Watch R Samsung Gear S3
    Operating system Andriod Wear Tizen OS
    Display/Screen 1.3 inch 320 x 320 pixels OLED 1.3 inch 360 x 360 pixels OLED
    CPU 1.2 Ghz Snapdragon 400 1 Ghz Exynos 7270
    Battery 410mAh 380mAh
    Memory  4GB/512 RAM 4GB/768 RAM
    Connectivity  Bluetooth 4.0 Bluetooth 4.0/WiFi/4G LTE
    Size  46.4 x 53.6 x 9.7 mm 49 x 46 x 12.9 mm
    Weight  62 grams 62 grams
    Sensors Gyro/Accelerometer/Compass/ Heart rate/Microphone/ Barometer Gyro/Accelerometer/Compass/Heart rate/Microphone/Speaker/Barometer/GPS/NFC/Magnetic transceiver/Wireless charging
    Features IP67 - Dust and water resist  IP68 - Dust and water resist
     Requirements  Any Android device running 4.3 Any Android device running latest OS