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Author: The Editor

  • Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review

    2014_note4
    Welcome to the 2015 Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review. Finally we managed to post our review on the Galaxy Note 4 because we thought we'd already done one!  After a very long tenure with the Sony Xperia Z1 Ultra it was clear to us that a phone with a large screen is the way of future. Maybe not as big as the on on the Z Ultra but more the screen size on the Galaxy Note 4 and that is exactly we bought one. The Galaxy Note 4 is not a cheap phone with a RRP price of around $900. However with the high price also means it has top specification - and indeed it has arguably the best specification of any mobile phone on the planet - at the time of this post. In terms of construction the Galaxy Note 4 is very well made. The chiseled metal surround and glossy screen make you want to touch it. The rear is a rubberised plastic finish which happens to removable and is the point of the Note 4. The real panel fits perfectly although uses a material unlike any we've collectively touch before which is a first. Overall the conservative design looks good and feels very good thanks to the extra weight and worthy of the prices tag. The design is business class rather than pop candy as per the iphone6 Plus for example. In terms of hardware the Galaxy Note 4 is equipped with all the latest tech hardware you can possibly dream of in 2015. Very few so called reputable websites point out this simple fact. It is the most advanced mobile phone on the planet - even next to the new Samsung Galaxy S6! We can't say much more. So if your shopping based on specifications alone then you do not need to read any more reviews because the Galaxy Note 4 has everything and yes it is future proofed for the next 2 years... For example the QHD screen has more pixels than your regular LCD computer and the first 4K video camera resolution can't be fully appreciated on 99% of displays on sale to date. Other features which literally hammer the tech advantage over the other phones is the inclusion of the Heart rate, UV, oxygen etc sensors and the multi-purpose infrared remote control. The Note 4 is in a specification class on its own for the moment. In terms of use the Galaxy Note can be really easy or really complex. Apart from being fast left in default setup the Note 4 works as good as any other phone, if you haven't setup a new phone in awhile then it is just as easy as a Windows phone or iPhone. However you can really customise your experience on the Note 4 to any level you want to which makes this a key selling point. Lots of standard Apps on the phone including our favourite infrared remote control program now called Smart Remote that makes it the easiest universal remote control we've ever used. No need for weird bluetooth settings or wi-fi etc.. to get your phone to control things through the proven method infrared. The ability to add a microSD card is fantastic. The live widgets which are the key feature of any Android based phone works well on the large screen. Note that despite the larger screen the text has not been proportionally reduced like on the Sony Ultra Z hence everything is nice and readable.  The S pen feature is a great idea for workers, it is faster than any keypad even with swipe activated. The heart rate monitor, UV oxygen sensor on the back of the Note 4 for health trackers are great additions including the strangely hyped non-activty reminders. No other large screen mobile phone has the lot like the Note 4. To conclude, if you want a mobile phone or smart phone with the lot in a still easy to handle size, the ultimate burger so to speak of mobile phones - the Galaxy Note 4 for the time being is THE model to get. It can do everything you could possibly want in a mobile phone in 2015. There is literally nothing else in the class to compare it against. Specifications
    • Samsung Galaxy Note 4
    • Network Quad-band GSM - All Tri-band 3G - All Tri-band 4G - All
    • Design Touch screen
    • L153.6 x W78.6 x D8.5 mm
    • Weight 176 grams
    • Display 5.7 inch 2560 x 1440 QHD AMOLED
    • Camera 16MP auto-focus LED Flash 2nd forward facing video call camera 3.7MP
    • Video Camera 4K UHD 30FPS main video camera 3.7
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Quad core 2.7 Ghz Separate Andreno 330 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 3Gig RAM Up to 32 Gig for user Up to 128 Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features A-GPS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope Proximity, Ambient Light, Humidity, Temperature UV, Heart rate, Barometer, RGB, NFC, Fingerprint Ring tones: MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others Google Play store Free Google Navigator (requires data plan) MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint, PDF, ZIP compatible Organiser/Calendar SMS, MMS, IM, Email Speaker Phone/Hands free Li-Po 3220 mAh battery Up to 370 hours Standby Up to 17 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $980 AUD April 2015 (Outright)

  • Apple Watch preview

    While waiting to check out the Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition in real life we decided to post our collective review of Apple’s PR aka promotional campaign for their Apple watch. We’re trying to keep the reviews real since no one seems to want to.

    1. According to Apple, the Apple watch and its variants are a fashion accessory. True but any watch is a fashion accessory. Accessory is the key word as watches are not essential.

    2. Apple further promotes it’s watch as being high fashion aka in the same class as Chanel, Lous Vitton etc… We don’t think so – it has a rectangular face for a start – ordinary. Admittedly top end one watch is coated with a gold alloy is playing to technicalities. It won’t match the iphone because the ‘gold’ iphone is a shade of copper. It’ not made of platinum which is more expensive so a bit of rip off for essentially a colour.

    3. Much press is made of the different bands which are nice to look at but any smart watch can be fitted with new ones which are just as good. Also  the design of the Apple bands are custom so you’re paying the ‘Apple Tax’.

    4. Apple promote the functionality of the watch – fair enough. However it’s a little geeky and middle class certainly not high fashion or fashion in general just a geeky.

    5. The watch is noticeably bulky which is fashionable but because is just a rectangle it seriously does not look good. The Moto 360 and even LG Watch are far more intriguing. The LG G watch R more impressive as it hide it’s size very well and the Moto 360 genuinely looks like a designer item. You can tell those who are in Apple’s pocket book by their reviews that miss the obvious ungainly size yet critise the sine of the other brands!

    6. Fashion is about personality, individual and creative hence millions of the same Apple watches is not fashionable. The Apple watch is still priced as mass market model and combined with the manufactured millions, unfortunately it is the ‘kiss of death’ for any fashion brand. It’s like a Target product at best.

    7. The Apple watch is completely made and assembled in the millions in a factory in China by anonymous factory workers. As a result the Apple watch will never be fashionable. Real fashion watches like Rolex and Omega are assembled be watch makers in Switzerland, admittedly the materials may be from other countries.

    8. Real watches have real gold, diamonds, rubies, shappire etc.. The Apple watch is made of exotic materials for the electronics and it uses a ‘gold’ like material as a coating but nothing like real diamonds and other precious stones that don’t need a battery to sparkle. We cannot imagine music rappers showing this one off.

    9. The tech in the Apple watch is not cutting edge it will date quickly like its battery. It’s a tech gadget that will have a6 month life span for most people. However it will work like any other fitness band or health watch and existing Android watches so may result in some longevity beyond 6 months.

    10. Most tech bloggers have never owned a real Rolex, Omega or even the lower end TAG, Longiness etc.. so have no idea. They may have owned a digital watch though.

    Conclusion, the Apple PR is just like any PR from any tech company and its not particularly sophisticated as in the past. As for the Apple watch no fashion models have been used to promote the product so far which is interesting. We believe that the Apple watch will probably be a geek style icon like the Casio calculator watch, which is not a bad thing. Finally, it will be interesting to see if one of the latest current product placement kings singer Jason Derulo or even the Kardasians will have an Apple watch.

  • ONIX Windows Phone – 2015

    2015_onix_2
    Welcome to the 2015 version ONIX Windows Phone review. This review is probably a one off for a number of reasons but they are personal biases as opposed to generic consumer type things we review these smart phone for. The ONIX smart phone is sold by ALDI as a Feburary 2015 ALDI store special priced at $129. The price point is not completely a new for this reasonably spec Windows Phone but it is for a dual-SIM phone which is essentially the only reason why we bought it! Note as per images, we don't take good pictures so that's why we use PR images! In terms of construction the 2015 version of the ONIX Windows phone feels pretty good in the hand. It is after all made in two halves the back plate which covers the main body, battery and 2 SIMs and micro SD slot. The rear end is made of hard plastic, physical side buttons vague to press but at least the touch screen buttons and screen are responsive and also vibrates in a very 'expensive' fashion when touched. Overall it looks and feels OK for the price. The camera and flash are set a little way back so won't get scratched which is nice since the screen smudges very easily we don't think ONIX have included the latest Gorilla glass. The only problems are the screen is very prone to smudges, the older screen tech which bleeds light along the edges if you look at some angles and that the screen is also a little set back.  That said the screen resolution does look a little sharper than say the older Lumia 520. 2015_onix_12015_onix_4 In terms of hardware specifications, the 2015 ONIX Windows Phone is quite reasonable equipped for the price. Quad core CPU feature although no GPU is stated, A-GPS, Bluetooth 4, 2 cameras and a flash and so forth but nothing out of the ordinary. It is only 3G via one SIM only! See the Key specification table below for more. BTW it only can only of a maximum of two finger touch screen though. Battery life running the two SIMs continuously and simultaneously is about 4 days on standby with few calls or text interrupting which is pretty good for what is essentially 2 phones in 1 body. The Dual SIM capability that we where looking for and the 2015 ONIX Windows Phone is currently the only one we can get access to and it does work! Since we've only had it for a 1 day before we posted this review we can't really say much more. However we will update the review once we get more time with the phone. In terms of use the 2015 ONIX Windows Phone works well, it is running Windows Phone 8.1 after all. All the usual Apps and functionality is included and the Windows Store has all the additional one you need. When setting up the phone you don't need to input an email address although it does ask many times. Both SIMs work at the same time and there are differentiated by having numbered icons. When calling you can select which number to use via a slider on the top part of the screen - its all very logical. The phone book is central but call history text appears to separated by the choice of SIM. is Nothing complain about really - for the price. The conclusion so far is that the 2105 ONIX Windows Phone Dual SIM is actually a pretty good effort for a cheap phone. It does work as advertised with the dual SIM the key selling feature. We wish more high end mobile phones had the option of two numbers. Update: the only problem we had was the camera lens cover falling off the back. 2015 ONIX Windows Phone Specifications
    • 2015 ONIX Windows Phone
    • Network 3G Mhz850/2100 2G 850/900/1800/1900
    • Design Touch screen
    • L120.25 x W60.5 x D12 mm
    • Weight 124 grams
    • Display/s 4 inch External 480 x 800 pixels
    • Camera 5MP Main camera VGA Face camera
    • Video Camera ??? pixel main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Quad core CPU 1.4 Ghz
    • Memory 512MB RAM Up to 4 Gig on board Up to 32GB MicroSD
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features Mini-SIM A-GPS, Gyro-meter Download HERE maps Free off-line navigation
    • Power Li-Po 1420 mAh battery (BL-4G-I) Up to 4 days Standby Up to N/A hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $129 AUS 2015 (Outright)

  • Microsoft Lumia 530 Review

     2015_lumia530
    Welcome to the Nokia Lumia 530 review. The new Lumia 530 released globally in early 2015 is the latest Windows OS based phones designed to complete with the low end of the smart phone/mobile phone market. The Recommend Retail Price of the Lumia 530 is $150 outright which is significantly lower than it's predecessor the Lumia 520 which we actually bought! In terms of construction the Lumia 530 very well made - let's face it there are only two parts for the 530, the rear plate and the main body which is the screen and frame of the phone. Yet the plastic or polymer back doesn't feel completely down market. Overall quite good to hold and weights nicely in the hand. In terms of hardware specifications the Lumia 530 is quite well equipped with a quad core CPU and GPU largish battery and reasonable sized screen (for the price). Windows 8.1 IS the smoothest interface currently available out of all the three main operating systems. Since it works just was well on the prior 520 you can expect the 530 even better. The screen resolution is not exactly high end but is as good as any other in the class. The only disadvantage - if you can it that in the price range is that it can't do 4G. Other than that there are no additional hardware features to comment on, which is not surprising since it is one of the cheapest windows smart phones you can currently buy. In terms of use the Lumia 530 works well, quickly and smoothly, easy to use and logical controls. There is nothing to complain about the way the system is designed. However the biggest problem  is still the lack of Apps in the Microsoft store which is a separate issue however the situation is improving as the other have had a noticable head start. In the end the Lumia 530 is just like any other Windows Phone, although a base model it works quickly and can do 90% of what the top range phone can of a faction of the price.  Furthermore unlike cheap entry level phones notably Android OS ones in the past the Luima 530 is a great buy for anyone wanting to try a Windows Phone. So give the Lumia 530 a go you may actually like it. Specifications
    • Nokia Lumia 530
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Dependent on network) Dua-band 3G 850/2100
    • Design Touch screen
    • L119.9 x W62.3 x D11.7 mm
    • Weight 129 grams
    • Display/s 4 inch External 480 x 854 pixels
    • Camera 5MP
    • Video Camera 848 x 480 pixel main video camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU Quad core CPU 1.2 Ghz Adreno GPU
    • Memory Up to 4 Gig on board Up to 15G cloud storage Up to 32GB MicroSD
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features Micro-SIM MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint A-GPS, GLONASS, Accelerometer HERE maps Free off-line navigation FM radio with RDS
    • Power Li-Po 1430 mAh battery Up to 22 days hours Standby Up to 13 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $150 AUS 2013 (Outright) Under $80 AUS 2013 (Pre-paid)

  • BlackBerry Classic Review

    2015_bbclassic
    Welcome to the BlackBerry Classic review, the first ever official one for us. Before the very popular iPhone and Nokia the various BlackBerry models where at the top of the game in terms of text and talk communication. Back in the day Blackberry had genuine secure communication hardware and software before anyone else hence the choice of the VIPs, rich an famous. Unfortunately like Nokia, BlackBerry failed to innovate fast enough on their user interface and their App stores fast enough to compete with Apple hence their dire situation in 2015. So a brand new Blackberry Classic was the top of our collective must try review lists and the conclusion... The new Blackberry Classic recommended retail price is around the $500 mark outright which is probably just about right but a $400 tag would help gain sales traction but it is available on various plans which is good for new users. After all - let's face it existing users and demographics will probably buy one outright because they can afford it! In terms of construction the new Blackberry Classic is very good. Despite being the entry level model it is solid and very well made phone. The Blackberry is a retro design in some eyes but perfection in others. It genuinely does not have any design flaws like the iPhone for example. You can mumble about the plastic rear back but it does serve it's purposes of be tactile to hold and use securely. Perhaps it's could be considered heavy but not really since if feels good in the hand. If the weight tires you out you really need medical help. In the world a slabs with featureless faces with curve edges it's a stand out and classic design. Put it this way it has a business class look the latest flawed iPhones or even Samsung's simply cannot match. In terms of hardware the BlackBerry has the latest relatively large high res screen equal to the latest phones in terms of clarity it just happens to the half the length. Thanks to the touch screen being genuinely 3.5 inches wide is better than the narrow iPhone despite the larger overall size for example. Sure the screen should have been bigger fair enough and often quoted viewing angles but isn't that the point of security? I don't want the person next to me reading my email? Apart from that it's CPU and other hardware is modest but thanks to an efficient orating system it seems quicker and smoother than Android based mobile phones running the same hardware spec and just a slick as the latest iPhones although none is as smooth as Windows Phone OS. In terms of use the latest BlackBerry Classic OS is quite logical. For those coming from Windows Phone or iPhone may find it different at first but it doesn't take long to workout how things works. It's all about BBM software really and the user interface which is a logical combination of touch screen and keypad. Aside from that the BlackBerry Classic is also reasonably quick to load and run apps and browse the internet as any other reasonable mobile phone we can think off. The focus of the BlackBerry is that is focused as messaging, video and voice comms for formal or business/professional use. If you're a younger person who simply can't deal with actually talking or responding to emails then this is not the phone for you, it's not a multi-purpose App platform like the others. A great keypad, decent touch screen, security, some entertainment options but limited apps make the BlackBerry Classic a great phone for communicating not really for entertainment. The Blackberry Classic is great at what it was designed to do and if it meets your requirements than its the phone for you. There is no other phone bar the entry level phones that is targeted so specifically at a particular type of user. Specifications
    • Blackberry Classic (2014 edition)
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Quad-band 3G and 4G 850/2100/900/2100 (depend on country)
    • Design Keypad and Touch screen
    • L131 x W72.4 x D10.2 mm
    • Weight 177 grams
    • Display/s 3.5 inch 720 X 720 pixels
    • Camera 12MP
    • Video Camera 1080p @ 30FPS main video camera 2MP video phone
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4
    • CPU 1.5 Ghz Dual core Separate Graphic CPU
    • Memory 2 Gig RAM Up to 16Gig for user Up to 128Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features Ambient light, Proximity, Accelerometer FM radio A-GPS
    • Li-Po 2515 mAh battery Up to 2 weeks Standby Up to 11 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $500 AUD Jan 2015 (Outright)

  • Nokia 208 review

    nokia_208
    Welcome to the Nokia 208 mobile phone review. Released in 2013 it is one of the last genuine Nokia phones left that you can still purchase. Although very basic by 2015 smartphone standards it has a number of features that will keep any one after a mobile phone only for calls, txt and notifications very happy. The Nokia 208 is priced under $90 outright and can also be purchased at a measly $29 as a pre-paid package as we write this review! The Nokia 208 still has a huge market around the world due to many countries limited mobile networks and limited competition. The 208 stands out from the competition by have 3G capabilities missing from others and still has the brand recognition in this end of the market. In the smartphone dominated market these days the Nokia 208 and it's competitors are living fossils which is also oddly a good place to be. (More on this in later posts) In terms of construction the 208 is put together really well, there is nothing to complain about in this price range. The rubber keypad actually feels ok and probably hard wearing. The materials can only be described as minimal and together with the various bright colours in comes in once again stands out and hard to loose. It's not expensive looking so should keep pick pockets away. In terms of use the Nokia 208 is responsive as with all phones in this class. The S40 user interface has not changed much over the decade so you will be familiar with it very quickly. Of course there aren't new apps for the phones anymore so you are reliant on what's in the box. Of course you can still find caches of downloads to try on the internet but that's not what this model is about. The Nokia 208 is great for those who want a simple and resonably tough phone to talk and text on. The added bonus is being able to use it as a notification device like a smart watch so it uses very little data. As a final swan song to 'Nokia' brand we wished that the released a high quality standard phone like the Nokia 8800 Sirocco or the Sony W880 phone would be a fitting send off. Specifications
    • Nokia 208
    • Network Quad-band GSM 900/1900/850/1800 Dual Band 3G 2100/850
    • Design Standard
    • L114 x W50.9 x D12.8 mm Weight 90 grams
    • Display/s 2.4 inch TFT 240 x 320
    • Camera 1.3 MP
    • Video Camera 176 x 144 pixel main video camera 15FPS
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V3 Micro-USB
    • CPU xxxMhz
    • Memory Up to 256MB available to user MicroSD up to 32Gig
    • Ring tones MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
    • Features JAVA Apps Music and Media player Organiser/Calender SMS, MMS, IM, Email JAVA MIDP 2.0 FM radio with RDS and recording Speaker Phone/Hands free 3.5mm AV/headset BL-5C 3.7V 1020mAh Up to 21 days Standby Up to 12 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Under $89 AUD early-2015 (Outright) Under $30 AUD early-2015 (Pre-paid)

  • LG G Watch R vs Motorola 360 Comparison

    LG G watch vs Motorola 360
    Plenty of reviews out there so here's our own addition to the LG G Watch R vs Motorola 360 comparison and review. We're comparing the two purely because they are the only decent circular or round smartwatches you can buy.  Needless to say that we prefer the LG watch because we bought one over the Motorola 360 (see prior review). Both are great 1st generation round smart watches! We feel that aesthetics first and functionality second are the key features that will make you decide which one is better suited on your wrist. Hardware specifications are considered separately most probably don't care as long as it works well. Needless to day that the LG G Watch R is the hardware winner - surprisingly. We also prefer the completely round screen rather than the flat tire effect on the Moto 360. In terms of design the LG G watch R looks good hiding its size very well.There plenty of regular quartz, G-Shocks and mechanical watches bigger that the LG.  Where as the Motorola 360 due to the completely round body doesn't hide it's size so well but still its not as big as some other regular watches mentioned above. The different body colours and metal band options of the Moto 360 are a nice touch and well worth getting! In terms of use the LG has a better screen and one that works in dimmed mode most of the time without draining the battery it is also smoother to use (thanks to the new CPU) than the Moto 360. Since they run the same OS the functionality is the same. Both have a multitude of watch faces you can change at any time which makes them so cool! Both feature Heart rate monitors and sensors to measure steps which make them good replacements for regular health monitors like lower spec Fitbit etc..
    LG G Watch R Motorola 360
    Operating system Andriod Wear Android Wear
    Display/Screen 1.3 inch 320 x 320 pixels OLED 1.5 inch 320 x 290 pixels LCD
    CPU 1.2 Ghz Snapdragon 400 1.2 GhzTI OMAP3630
    Battery 410mAh  320mAh
    Memory  4GB/512 RAM  4GB/512 RAM
    Connectivity  Bluetooth 4.0 Bluetooth 4.0
    Size  46.4 x 53.6 x 9.7 mm  46 x 11.5 mm
    Weight  62 grams  49 grams
    Sensors Gyro/Accelerometer/Compass/ Heart rate/Microphone/ Barometer Gyro/Accelerometer/Compass/ Heart rate/Microphone
    Features IP67 - Dust and water resist  IP67 - Dust and water resist
     Requirements  Any Android device running 4.3 Any Android device running 4.3

  • LG G3 Review
    Welcome to the 2014 LG G3 is the latest top end phone from a company we have ignored for the simple reason that they didn't make any decent phones. After looking at the L70 we decided to review the G3 version and glad we did. Looking at the specifications the G3 best even the Samsung S5 in the some important categories but of course a phone is more than just a list of parts specs. Being a new release (July 2014) the recommended retail price RRP of the LG G3 is a $750 which is quite expensive but also reasonable considering it's specifications and that other top range phones are about the same price too. In terms of construction the LG G3 is very very good. Sure it's mainly plastic/metal coating but its it impressive to look at, more so than iphone, HTC One, Galaxy 5S etc.. However once in the hand it does have the feel of expense but missing that extra solid feel that Nokia can do, HTC that other metal constructed phones have. Nevertheless it still feels great to hold and very well made. In terms of use the LG G3 is a standard Android OS experience with few specific enhancements. Thanks to the App Store you can essentially get any additional functionality or change the appearance any time you want. We like having the microSD slot since transferring data to a new phone very easy. To conclude our short review the LG G3 is a feature packed and highly competitive smartphone. It has all the benefits and problems associated with being Android based. As a result only it's hardware design differentiates it from the rest and it does succeed. It's a good looking phone but there are other very good looking phones else where too. It needs something special to separate it from the rest. Specifications
    • LG G3
    • Network Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 Tri-band 3G 850/900/2100 Penta-band 4G 700/800/900/1800/2600
    • Design Touch screen
    • L146.3 x W74.5 x D.8.9 mm
    • Weight 149 grams
    • Display 5.5 inch 2560 x 1440
    • Camera 13MP Dual LED Flash Laser Autofocus 2.1MP 2nd forward facing camera
    • Video Camera 2010p 30 fps 1080p or 60 fpsHD 2.1MP Video phone camera
    • Connectivity Wi-Fi Bluetooth V4 NFC USB
    • CPU Quad core 2.2 Ghz Separate Andreno 330 Graphics CPU
    • Memory 2Gig RAM Up to 16 Gig for user Up to 128Gig micro-SD expansion
    • Features Wireless charging Removable battery A-GPS and GLONASS FM Radio with RDS Wireless charging Li-Po 3000 mAh battery Up to  23.5 Days Standby Up to 21 hours Talk Time
    • Price history Approx $750 AUD August 2014 (Outright)

  • LG G Watch R review

    lgvssony
    You've been waiting for this one too no doubt. We've finally go our hands on arguably the best Smartwatch on the market. Say hi! to the LG G Smartwatch R (W110) review. It has been about 12 months since the Sony Smartwatch2 was released and this time we decided to try the LG version dubbed the 'LG G Smartwatch R' which is quite a mouth full. While the Sony smartwatches where essentially the first by a manufacturer they haven't achieve mainstream success.That said the Smartwatch is a great piece of programming and reasonable design. The Sony's interface is very smooth and the applications work really well. But after a year we understand why not many have taken up the tech. The Smartwatch2 is not an essential part of everyday life it is merely anther gadget to charge. It's handy for notifications and telling the time but that's it. Furthermore it is still quite a large watch who's styling is still greek cred rather than designer or jewel like. So why did we go for another smartwatch? Simple the LG G smartwatch R is the one of two watches with round faces and the only one that is truly a circle. It is the key selling feature that is enhanced by some very cool watch faces and a decent resolution and vibrant color screen. Additional features include the tech for health monitoring including a heart rate monitor. Finally thanks Android Wear OS the phone will work with any Andriod OS smart phone not just the LG, we use it with the Sony Z Ultra at the moment. In terms of construction and design the LG G Watch R is very good. The black coated stainless steel body is not heavy, the design of the body is just like any other regular watch and the overall proportions. It's not particularly stylish since the body design is a close copy of any number of existing regular watches. In fact if LG had done this in a proper gold color many ladies would consider one especially since many already have the different colours of the 'Ice watch' on their wrists which are equally big. Not saying the smart watches in general should stay large but it is absolutely not an issue.  Some so called reputable website should really get a life or girl friends. The only short fall is the leather band, which is black on the outside and beige on the inside which is fine but the quality is not up to the standard of equally priced regular watches that said it is quite comfortable. The LG watch also has a microphone, magnetic power plug on the back, gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer,compass and a heart rate sensor for health related data. They all work but the OS needs more development as the readings where only a little off in terms of accuracy. Aside from the additional health hardware, it still does actually do much and certainly less than the year old Smartwatch2 at the time of writing. In terms of use the LG G Watch R is a smooth experience but not as smooth or eager to scroll as the Sony Smartwatch2. This is interesting since the Sony watch has tiny (180Mhz)  processing power compared to the 1.2 GHZ CPU in the LG. Apps run as quickly and as smoothly as each other. The LG Watch runs the latest Android Gear OS software which by all accounts is quite good so far but it is missing standard apps like a calender views, note views and email browsing out of the box. We should not have to pay for these features in 2014. Presumably these will be standard over the next few versions as without them standard Android Gear OS will be going nowhere fast is possibly destroying the whole segment before it even starts. We like the movement detection to light up the screen and the 'on all' the time clock faces of which are actually very good to look at! Finally there aren't too many Android apps to try or buy yet so we are watching to see what other developers can do with the new platform. To conclude, the LG G Watch R is arguably the best looking smartwatch on sale at the moment (2014). It also works really well and a standout in terms of design replication. but not a standout improvement on the Sony OS strictly in terms of standard functionality. However there are other functions which make up for any short fall such as the heart rate monitor, step counter and a range of excellent watch faces. Speaking of Sony OS we think it is a pity that they have now dumped it for Google Gear OS.  If you want another round watch only the Moto 360 is a direct competitor, which we had the choice of too but the thinner profile of the G Watch R made us buy it (We couldn't get the Moto 360 in a metal finish and didn't like the flat tyre screen which made the decision even easier). The age of the smartwatch has arrived and the LG G Watch R probably one of the best all rounders for now. Specifications : LG G Watch R
    • Design Stainless Steel Smartwatch
    • L46.4 x W53.6 x D9.7 mm Weight 62 gms
    • Display/s OLED 220 x 176 1.3 inch screen
    • Camera N/A
    • Connectivity Bluetooth V4
    • CPU 1.2 Ghz Snap dragon 400
    • Memory 4Gig
    • Ring tones Vibration only
    • Features IP67 Water resistant
    • Power 410 mha Up to 2 days Standby
    • Package contents USB cable, charger, cradle
    • Price history 2014 Approx $350 outright.