LATEST SMARTPHONE, TABLET AND APP REVIEWS

ANDROID
ADVISOR

ISSUE

13

Best
Android
phones
2015

HTC ONE M9 VS SAMSUNG

GALAXY S6 & S6 EDGE

PLUS:

VS

Huawei Watch
Apple Watch

HOW TO BACK UP
ANDROID

Welcome...
L

ast month we were excited to have just

returned from MWC, where we got our first
glimpses of the HTC One M9, Samsung Galaxy
S6 and S6 Edge. Now we've had the chance to do
some further testing, and on page 64 reveal what is
the best Android phone of 2015 so far.
So the S6 has lost its microSD card slot. It's not
really such a big deal, is it? We show you how to
add storage to Android on page 100. We've also got
advice on how to back up Android (page 91) and
recover from a suspected virus (page 96).
Just about to go on sale as we went to press was
the Apple Watch. It has to be one of the most hyped
smartwatches ever... until the Huawei Watch came
along. So, while everyone's getting excited about
the Apple Watch, we check out how this stylish new
Android Watch compares on page 85.
Motorola's been lining up the new phones, too but this time we reckon it's just got it plain wrong.
Find out how what was once the best budget phone
got beaten by its little brother on page 74.
If you're looking for home entertainment, both
Amazon's Fire TV Stick (page 22) and the Google
Nexus Player (page 65) made their way to the UK
this month. About time, too.
As always, we hope youve enjoyed this issue of
Android Advisor. Feel free to send us your feedback
via facebook.com/AndroidAdvisorUK or email
[email protected].

2 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 2

09/04/2015 17:39

Google picks London

for first shop-within-a-shop
Google has opened its first shop-within-a-shop in London,
yet another retail experiment by the company

ocated inside the Currys PC World store on

Tottenham Court Road, Googles first shopwithin-a-shop features Googles Nexus devices,
Chromebooks and other products.
Its not a full-blown retail outlet like Apples huge
and sophisticated stores, but more of a modest test
balloon for the searchgiant. It builds on dedicated
areas Google already has in big electronics shops.
Although not very big, the store is prominently
located by the entrance, so its impossible to miss.
Shoppers can test and buy Googles Android phones
and tablets, as well as Android Wear smartwatches
and Chromebook laptops from partners such as LG
Electronics, Motorola, HP and Asus.
To attract visitors, Google has also built a doodle
wall where digital spray cans are used to create new
versions of the companys logo.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 3

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 3

09/04/2015 17:39

Xiaomi celebrates 5th

birthday with 65 Redmi 2A
As part of its fifth birthday celebrations Xiaomi has
announced a budget 4G phone

s part of its fifth birthday celebrations Xiaomi

has announced a budget 4G phone. Here's
everything we know about the Redmi 2A.
Xiaomi's Redmi 2A 4G budget phone was
announced on 31 March in an event organised to
celebrate Mi's fifth birthday. The Xiaomi Redmi 2A
will be available in China from 8 April, although like
all Xiaomi phones it won't officially be available to
buy in the UK. You can get around that by buying
from unofficial channels such as Amazon, eBay or
sites such as Geekbuying.

4 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 4

09/04/2015 17:39

Other products announced by Xiaomi on 31 March

include a Xiaomi Mi Note Pink Edition, Mi TV 2 55in,
Mi Smart Scale and a Mi Power Strip.
The Redmi 2A costs 599 yuan, which directly
translates to 65 or $96. Expect to pay a little more
than this if you're going to ship it to the UK.
Despite its tiny price, the budget Xiaomi Redmi
2A has some relatively decent specs. As well as a
4.7in IPS HD (1280x720) display the Redmi 2A has a
Leadcore L1860C quad-core Cortex A7 processor,
1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage (plus microSD support
up to 32GB), 2- and 8Mp cameras, and a 2200mAh
battery. Connectivity includes dual-SIM, Bluetooth
4.0, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, GPS and 4G.

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 5

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 5

09/04/2015 17:39

HTC One M8s unveiled as

cheaper alternative to M9
The One M8s is now a mid-range alternative
to the flagship One M9

an you spot the difference? This is the new

HTC One M8s, a new, cheaper phone for
those that can't (or won't) stretch to the
flagship HTC One M9. In looks and design, it's
impossible for the average person to tell the older
One M8 and new One M8s apart.
They have the same full-HD, 440ppi 5in screen,
and the same all-metal shell. That's a good thing: this
is a premium phone that still looks great, and is the
right size, in 2015.

6 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 6

09/04/2015 17:39

The processor is new: a Snapdragon 615 instead

of the 801. The differences are that it's now 64-bit
and octa-core instead of 32-bit and quad-core. We'd
be surprised if you can tell much of a difference in
normal day-to-day use, though.
There's still 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, with
microSD expansion up to 128GB.
Battery capacity is very slightly up from 2600- to
2840mAh, but whether or not it will last longer will
have to wait until we've run our benchmarks.
A bigger change is the new 13Mp main camera,
which replaces the 4Mp ultrapixel camera in the old
phone. There's still the 'duo' arrangement so you'll
benefit from the clever features such as being able
to change the focus of a photo after taking it. There's
no 4K capture, unfortunately, and the 5Mp front
camera is the same as before.
Out of the box the One M8s comes with Android
Lollipop, and HTC Sense 6.
The One M8s
will cost 379 SIM
free in the UK, a
considerable saving
on what the One M8
cost last year, and
still costs where you
can find it right now.
Initially available
in Gunmetal Grey,
the phone will be
available almost
immediately from
the usual retailers as
well as HTC's site.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 7
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 7

09/04/2015 17:39

HTC One M9+

The One we were waiting for
A Quad-HD HTC One M9+ with a fingerprint scanner
has been announced in China

n HTC One M9+has been announced in

China, and it's the HTC One M9 we were
hoping for at MWC. The second variant of
the HTC One M9to be announced, the M9+ is a
premium phone with a larger Quad-HD screen and a
fingerprint sensor, while the HTC One E9+ is a plastic
phablet with a larger Quad-HD screen.
The HTC One M9+ was announced for the
Chinese market and, to our knowledge, it is not
officially coming to the UK. However, there will be
ways and means of getting hold of it.
The fact HTC hasn't yet announced official pricing
is therefore largely irrelevant; when buying from

8 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 8

09/04/2015 17:40

the grey market you will have to pay whatever the

site requests. In general, though, buying tech from
China is cheaper than from the UK (even taking into
account Customs charges), which may mean you'll
be able to buy a HTC One M9+ for less than what
you'll pay for the HTC One M9 (currently 569 SIMfree in the UK), despite the improved specification.
HTC has not yet announced the exact release
date of the HTC One M9+ in China. At a guess,
following its usual pattern, we'd suggest it will be
available from the end of April.
The HTC One M9+ was rumoured to come with
a 5.5in Quad HD screen, BoomSound speakers, a
2.3GHz Snapdragon 810 octa-core chip with Adreno
430 graphics and 3GB of RAM, pus 32GB of storage.
At the rear of the phone there would be a 20Mp
camera, and at the front a 4Mp Ultrapixel model. A
3000mAh battery would keep it all going, and HTC
Sense 7.0 would be installed alongside Lollipop.
Only some of those rumours were true, it would
appear. HTC has indeed placed a larger QuadHD (2560x1440)screen at the front, but it's 5.2in,
not 5.5in. There is also a touch-based fingerprint
sensor built into the Home button, but inside is
not a Snapdragon 810 but a MediaTek Helio X10
processor, another 64-bit chip with eight Cortex-A53
cores running at up to 2.2GHz.
As expected the HTC One M9+ features
BoomSound front-facing speakers and a 20Mp rear
camera. This is a Duo Camera, like that seen on the
HTC One M8, with a secondary sensor for depth. An
UltraPixel camera is found at the front camera, as is
the case with the HTC One M9. There's also 3GB of
RAM and a 2840mAh battery.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 9
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 9

09/04/2015 17:40

HTC One E9+

A cheaper plastic phablet
Another China-only release, the E9+ is a cheaper plastic
version of the One M9 with a 5.5in phablet screen

he rumoured plastic HTC One M9phabletthe HTC One E9+ - has been confirmed for
the Chinese market by HTC. There is no
guarantee that this phone will officially come to the
UK, although as with the M9+ you'll be able to get
one through unofficial channels.
We'll bring you full details of pricing and
availability as it emerges, but in the meantime you
can expect this plastic HTC One E9+ to be at least

10 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 10

09/04/2015 17:40

50- to 100 cheaper than the HTC One M9,

which went on sale in the UK at the end of March
from 569 SIM-free.
Standout features in the E9+ include a 5.5in
Quad-HD display with 534ppi density, and great
sound with Dolby Audio and BoomSound speakers.
Inside the HTC One E9+ is a64-bit MediaTek
MT6795M octa-core chip with 2GB of RAM and 16GB
of storage. There's a 2800mAh battery to keep it all
going, and the E9+ still weighs only 150g.
Connectivity-wise there'sdual-band 802.11ac
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC.
The E9+ is also a4G phone,
with support forFDD-LTE
and TD-LTE bands. The
fact it is also a dual-SIM
phone suggests to us that
it won't be officially released
in the UK.
According to the Chinese
site the E9+ matches the One
M9 with a 20Mp rear camera
and HTC's UltraPixel camera
at the front, but this has been
reported to be an error, and
the E9+ will actually feature a
13Mp rear camera.
The HTC One E9+ will run
Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC
Sense 7.0 out of the box. It will
be available in meteor grey,
gold sepia and rose gold
two-tone colour options.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 11
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 11

09/04/2015 17:40

BT returns to mobile market

with best 4G deals in the UK
The communications giant is back to the mobile market
with a massive bang, offering unrivalled 4G data plans

aving acquired EE for 12.5bn comms

giant BT is returning to the mobile market,
offering unrivalled 4G SIM-only plans for BT
Broadband customers from just 5 per month.
All BT's mobile plans come with free access
to BT Sport, which holds the viewing rights to
exclusive Barclays Premier League football matches,
plus unlimited access to BT Wi-Fi hotspots. On a
12-month SIM-only plan from BT you can also make
use of parental controls, and switch freely between
plans during your contract.

12 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 12

09/04/2015 17:40

There are three tariffs to choose from, with

the cheapest just 5 a month for BT Broadband
customers (10 for everyone else). This deal nets you
500MB of 4G data, unlimited texts and 200 minutes.
A second plan is suited to regular internet users,
with BT charging 12 a month (17 for everyone else)
for 2GB of 4G data, unlimited texts and 500 minutes.
Finally, heavy internet users can grab a massive
20GB of 4G data, unlimited texts and unlimited
minutes for 20 a month (25 for everyone else).
By comparison, Vodafone is offering a special
deal on the same tariff (Red XXL), but even while it's
reduced by 10 it's still 10 more expensive than BT's
20GB plan at 30 per month.
EE's highest 4G SIM-only plan offers 5GB of 4G
data for 27.99 a month, O2 offers 8GB for 30 per
month and Three offers unlimited everything from
27 per month. Even GiffGaff can't compete with
BT, charging 18 per month for 5GB of 4G data,
unlimited texts and 1,000 minutes.
John Petter, chief executive of BT Consumer, said:
Our customers are consuming increasing amounts
of data and they want the best possible connection
wherever they are. We will meet this demand by
combining the power of our fixed fibre service with
Wi-Fi and the convenience of mobile.
All BT's plans are SIM-only and for 12 months.
You can use your existing phone, or pick up a
4G phone from the BT Shop from 99. BT Mobile
customers can also benefit from a 50 discount.
Any person living within a BT Broadband
household can take advantage of the deal, and a
customer can have up to five plans on one bill to
cover the entire family.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 13

09/04/2015 17:40

4G vs LTE
What's the difference?
4G isn't the same thing as LTE. We explain the difference,
and why you're not getting true 4G speeds

G, LTE, LTE-A, carrier aggregation. It's all tech

nonsense if you don't understand what the
jargon means. Here we explain the differences
between 4G and LTE so you're better equipped to
choose the best phone and the best tariff.
There are a lot of decisions to make when getting
a new phone. Along with deciding which handset is
best for you, you might also have to choose a new
tariff, and that's a complex business in itself.
4G is the latest buzzword you'll hear or see, but
what exactly is 4G? Is it the same as LTE? In a word,

14 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 14

09/04/2015 17:40

no, but phone manufacturers and mobile operators

love to use them interchangeably, and further muddy
the waters with dumbed-down marketing materials.
In this article, we'll explain everything you need to
know about 4G, the speeds you can expect to get
and equip you to choose a phone and tariff that's
right for you.

What is 4G?
The International Telecommunications UnionRadio (ITU-R) is the United Nations official agency
for all manner of information and communication
technologies, which decided on the specifications
for the 4G standard in March 2008.
It decided that the peak download speeds for 4G
should be 100Mb/s for high mobility devices, such as
when you're using a phone in a car or on a train.
When you're stationary (low-mobility local wireless
access), it decided that 4G should be able to deliver
speeds up to around 1Gb/s.

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 15

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 15

09/04/2015 17:40

If true 4G is supposed to offer us download

speeds of up to 1G/s, then why are we getting
100x less in the UK, at around 10-12Mb/s.
Unfortunately the ITU-R doesnt have control over
the implementation of the standard, which led to
first-generation technologies like LTE being criticised
for not being up to scratch with true 4G.
The reason for this is that other groups (3GPP
being an example) that work with the technology
companies who develop the hardware had already
decided upon next-gen technologies, leaving us with
sub-standard 4G capabilities.

What is LTE?
Though originally marketed as 4G technology, LTE
(Long Term Evolution) didn't satisfy the technical
requirements that the ITU-R outlined, meaning that
many early tariffs sold as 4G weren't actually 4G.
However due to marketing pressures and the
significant advancements that LTE brings to original

16 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 16

09/04/2015 17:40

3G technologies, the ITU later decided that LTE

could be called 4G technology.
So, LTE is a first-generation 4G technology
that should theoretically reach speeds of around
100Mb/s. Unfortunately, Ofcom reports that the UK
average is around 15.1Mb/s. While that's around twice
the speed of an average 3G connection, its a long
way off from the theoretical top speed of LTE.
As well as lacking in overall download speed,
LTE also lacks uplink spectral efficiency and speed.
Uplink spectral efficiency refers to the efficiency of
the rate that data is uploaded and transmitted.
It falls short of the true 4G capacity mainly
because of the lack of carrier aggregation and also
phones not having many antennae. MIMO (Multiple
Input Multiple Output) is a practical technique for
sending and receiving more than one data signal on
the same channel at the same time by using more
than one antenna.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 17
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 17

09/04/2015 17:40

With better carrier aggregation and MIMO, we can

head towards a new standard: LTE Advanced. This is
also known as 'true' 4G.
Imagine playing a PlayStation 3 when you could
be playing a PlayStation 4. The PS3 isnt necessarily
too slow to use, but youd have a better experience
using the faster console, the PS4. Its the same with
LTE LTE is the PlayStation 3 and LTE Advanced
(LTE-A) is the PlayStation 4.

What is carrier aggregation?

Carrier aggregation is part of LTE-Advanced and lets
operators treat multiple radio channels in different
or the same frequency bands as if they were one,
producing quicker speeds and enabling users to be
able to perform bandwidth hogging activities like
streaming HD video much faster than ever before.
Think of your wireless connection as a pipe. You
can't increase the size of the pipe, but you can add a
18 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 18

09/04/2015 17:40

second and third pipe. Use all three simultaneously

and youll have three times the flow rate. Its the
same concept with carrier aggregation.
Another advantage of carrier aggregation is that
speeds dont decrease, no matter how far away from
the cell tower you are.
Combining two signals - or channels - should
double the download speed to around 150Mb/s.
In future, there could be aggregation across more
than two channels, potentially up to five, which was
defined in the LTE Advanced standard.

What about HSPA+?

HSPA+ may be marketed as 4G technology but its
technically 3G. HSPA+ stands for High Speed Packet
Access Plus. It was the next step after 3G, with UK
network provider Three aiming for it to be used by
2012 (before the introduction of LTE).
The technology was developed with a theoretical
top speed of 21Mb/s, which is pretty impressive for

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 19

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 19

09/04/2015 17:40

technology that doesnt count as 4G (3G has an

average speed of around 1Mb/s). However, it was
quite a way away from its theoretical top speed as
the average is around 4Mb/s.

Who offers the fastest 4G LTE connection?

Now you know more about what the difference
is between true 4G and the 4G LTE were being
sold, which UK network provides the best 4G LTE
connection? In November 2014, Ofcom tested the
3G and 4G connections of every major provider in
the UK in five cities.
The results proved that EE has the fastest 4G LTE
connection, measuring in at 18.4Mb/s on average,
though still far from the theoretical top speed of LTE.
Its not just the download speed that dictates
overall responsiveness of a 4G connection; latency
also plays an important part. A lower latency
provides better responsiveness and reduced delays
when using data for browsing and video calling.
Surprisingly, EE wasnt the best provider when it
came to latency that award went to Three. Ofcom

20 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 20

09/04/2015 17:40

reports that Three took the least time to deliver

data on both 4G (47.6ms) and 3G (53.8 ms), while
O2 came last with the highest levels of latency,
measuring in at 62.7ms on 4G and 86.4ms on 3G.

LTE-A: Availability
Surprisingly, LTE-A is already available in selected
areas Vodafone announced the start of its
LTE-A rollout in October last year in Birmingham,
Manchester and London. EE has also joined the
LTE-A race, trialling the technology in Londons Tech
City. Upgrading infrastructure to support LTE-A will
be a slow process and is likely to take a couple
of years, much like the initial 4G rollout. You wont
automatically get LTE-A though: there are other
factors that have to be taken into consideration.
The main one is compatibility. Your phone needs
to be able to support LTE-A. As it was with the 3G
to 4G migration, many existing phones dont have
the technology to be compatible with LTE-A. There
are a few exceptions though, including: Amazon Fire
phone, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Blackberry Z10/
Z30/Q10/Passport, HTC One M8 & M9, Motorola
Nexus 6, LG G Flex 2 & G3, Huawei Honor 6, Galaxy
Note 3 & 4, Galaxy Note Edge, Galaxy Note S4, S5 &
S6, and the Sony Xperia Z2 & Z3.
The good news is that it appears that both Vodafone
and EE arent charging people for the extra speed.
As long as youre in a supported area and using
a compatible phone, you should be able to enjoy
the benefits of LTE-As carrier aggregation and see
download speeds of around 150Mb/s. Just watch out
you don't burn through your monthly data allowance
in a few minutes.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 21
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 21

09/04/2015 17:40

Amazon Fire TV Stick

Now available in the UK
Amazon takes on Google Chromecast and Roku's
Streaming Stick with its Fire TV Stick

mazon's Fire TV Stick, a rival to the Google

Chromecastand Roku Streaming Stick, is
now available in the UK.
The Fire TV Stick is an HDMI dongle version of
the Fire TV set-top media streaming box. It's a very
similar product to Google Chromecast and Roku's
Streaming Stick.
"Fire TV Stick combines all your favourite
subscriptions and streaming services with Amazon's
massive selection of digital content. Watch tens of
thousands of TV episodes and movies, rent videos

22 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 22

09/04/2015 17:40

from just 0.59, or kick back with your favourite

sports, news, music and games," said Amazon.
The Fire TV Stick was previously available only
in the US, but today comes to the UK. You can now
pre-order it and it will officially go on sale on 15 April.
The Fire TV Stick costs 35, with all Amazon
Prime members able to pick one up for 19.
The Fire TV Stick plugs directly into your TV (or
a monitor with an HDMI port) and connects to your
router so you can stream content over the internet. It
comes with services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime
Instant Video, Spotify and Plex.
Unlike the Chromecast, the Fire TV Stick comes
with a physical remote control but can also be
controlled via an Android app. The iOS app is
coming soon. If you like, you can buy the Amazon
Fire TV Voice Remote control for use with the Fire
TV Stick but voice search is available on the app.
If you're not a Prime member, then the Fire TV
Stick is a good way of trying the 30-day trial and
Amazon touts access to 200,000 TV episodes and
movies, millions of songs, and hundreds of games
via the device.
Amazon boasts that the Fire TV has four times
the storage (8GB) and twice the memory (1GB) of the
Chromecast. It also features a dual-core processor
and dual-band Wi-Fi with MIMO.

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 23

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 23

09/04/2015 17:40

The components that will

power your next phone
Qualcomm, MediaTek, Samsung and LG are all working
on exciting new products

he past couple ofmonths haveseen

thelaunch of a clutch of new phones and
also new chipsets that aim to make the
nextgeneration of phones more powerful and
simpler to recharge.
Competition between processor makers is
increasing, with companies spurring each other to
improveperformance. Here arethe components and
technologies that will help make it happen:

Qualcomms next-generation chips

The Snapdragon 820 will be the first processor
to use Qualcomms homegrown ARM-based Kryo
24 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 24

09/04/2015 17:41

Qualcomm will still face stiff competition

from companies such as MediaTek and Intel
and even Samsung
architecture and also the first to use the companys
new Zeroth platform for adding machine learning
capabilities. The company plans to make samples
available to phone manufacturers in the second half
of the year. Qualcomm will need to have the chips
ready for mass production in the first half of 2016
to catch the next wave of high-end smartphone
launches, or manufacturers may look elsewhere.
In February, the company also launched four new
processors for mid-range smartphones, including
the Snapdragon 620.This eight-core processor
integrates LTE-Advanced and has enough power to
shoot 4K video at 30fps. The first devices containing
it will go on saleduring the second half of the year.
All this doesnt change the fact that Qualcomm
will still face stiff competition from companies such
as MediaTek and Intel, which despite all its struggles
in the mobile space doesnt seem ready to give up
anytime soon. Also, if the Samsungs Galaxy S6 and
S6 Edge become big successes it might embolden
the company to use its own Exynos processors in
more products.

LGs Neo Edge screen technology

Smartphone vendors try to tempt us to upgrade
with screen improvements. Typically, they target
screen size and resolution, but these have reached a
plateau, especially on high-end products, so display
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 25
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 25

09/04/2015 17:41

makers are turning their attention to other areas,

including the size of the bezel.
At the end of 2014, LG Display said it had
developed a 5.3in full HD panel for smartphones
with the worlds narrowest bezel at 0.7mm less
than the thickness of a credit card. The development
has been possible thanks to a technology LG
calls NeoEdge, which uses an adhesive instead
ofdouble-sided tape to attach and seal the edges
of the panels circuit board and backlight unit.
Hopefully, the company will be able marry the
technology higher resolution screens, as well. On
screen sizes around 5.5in just a couple of millimetres
can do a lot to improve handling. Even if it cant, the
5.3in screen could if combined with the Snapdragon
620 processor and Samsungs new 128GB storage
26 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 26

09/04/2015 17:41

module form the basis of a really competitive midrange smartphone.

Samsungs 128GB integratedstorage

One area where affordable smartphones have trailed
their more expensive counterparts is integrated
storage size, but a chipset Samsung launched
recently may signal a change. The companys new
128GB storage product is targeted at mid-range
smartphones and tablets, the company said.
Even though high-end smartphones usestorage
with better performance, the development adds to
the attraction of budget smartphones, which have
recently improved to such an extent that they make
itharder to decide whether buying higher-end
models is really worthwhile.
Samsung expects to see devices with 128GB
of storage in the near future. To what extent that
happens remains to be seen, but it seems unlikely
since vendors like to upgrade their products in
small increments, and many existing models have

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 27

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 27

09/04/2015 17:41

just 8GB of storage today. Samsung hopes vendors

will forego microSD card slots and instead use its
chipset to keep consumers happy. Thats what the
company has already done on its own Galaxy S6
and S6 edge.

Wireless charging chipset from MediaTek

So far, wireless charging has mainly been anoption
on high-end smartphones, but thatlooks likely to
change this year. This month MediaTek launched a
chipset that aims to make the technology available
onmore affordable devices.
One of the main advantages with the MT3188 is
compatibility with all existing standards for wireless
charging, so users arent limited in what chargers
they can use.The chipset is currently in mass
production and will be adopted by smartphones as
well as tablets and wearables, says MediaTek.
Chip maker NXP Semiconductors is also helping
lay the groundwork
to boost wireless
charging adoption.
The company recently
introduced a reference
design that will help
cut the cost of wireless
chargers based on the Qi
specification. A reference
design is a blueprint that
makes it easier for vendors
to build products, in this case
a charger based on NXPs
components.
28 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 28

09/04/2015 17:41

New haptics technology to

transform mobile gadgets
The era of ubiquitous haptic user interfaces has been
predicted for two decades. Now its finally here

aptics aren't new. When you put your

smartphone on vibrate, or when you
playfirst-person shooters on your Xbox,
those vibrations arecalled haptics.
Most people are familiar with broad applications
of haptics such as those. In the case of a phone,
its usually just a utilitarian vibration that youre
supposed to notice. In the case of the Xbox game,
the haptics help create a richer experience that
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 29

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 29

09/04/2015 17:41

strengthens the illusion or immersion into a game.

Three new uses for haptics in widely used consumer
devices are helping to usher in what Wired called
a Neo-Sensory Age of incredible haptics-enabled
experiences.
The first is for augmenting the tactile experience
of using hardware. The second isfor conveying
pattern-specific information. The third is for
communicating.
Heres how all three will transform the experience
of using your gadgets.

Augmenting the tactile experience

Last year, Amazon launched two ebook readers and
three Android tablets. One of the most interesting of
these is the Kindle Voyage.
To both the left and right of the Voyages screen
(which itself is textured to simulate the feeling of
paper), Amazon designed touch zones for turning
pages. A gentle squeeze on either side turns the
page of the book youre reading,
accompanied by a haptic
vibration to substitute the feeling
of paper sliding across paper.
Likewise, the recently
announced Apple MacBook
has a touchpad that uses
sophisticated haptics that
add another dimension to
the experience of using the
hardware itself. The Apple Watch
also has a Taptics engine for
providing some interesting
andtargeted haptic feedback.
30 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 30

09/04/2015 17:41

When you turn the Watchs crown,

which Apple has sub-branded the Digital
Crown, theres an instant and specific
haptic vibration that dances on your wrist
to enhance the experience of feeling the
metal scrolling wheel. When you draw on
thescreen, press the big button under the
crown or do any number of things, the Taptic
engine sends physical sensations toyour
wrist to accompany those actions in a way that
reinforces to your brain whatyoure doing.
And Samsung recently unveiled its
SmartMultiXpress series of multifunction printers,
which have a tablet-like user interface with haptics
designed to simulateon-screen controls.
These new devices are all taking advantage
of a new field of engineering called haptography,
which involves recordingphysical sensations and
later playing them back to simulate the action
associated with the sensation that was recorded.
Haptography is still in its infancy.As it becomes
more sophisticated, our devices will gain a third
dimension, withtextures you can feel added to what
you seeand hear. Those cold, flat screenson mobile
phones and tablets willcome alive. All kinds of
user interfaces,from car dashboards to refrigerator
doors and TV remotes, will respond to our touch by
touching us back. Itwill make these experiences
more compelling and even addicting.

Conveying pattern-specific information

The Apple Watch also conveys pattern-specific
information. For example, when using turn-by-turn
directions in Apple Maps on the watch, the Taptics
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 31
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 31

09/04/2015 17:41

engine will give you directions by zapping the left or

right side of the watch. You can follow the directions
without looking at the watch, because the basic
information is conveyed with vibration.
A new 2015 Mercedes hybrid car called the
S550 includes haptic feedback that conveys critical
information through your foot. Specifically, it sends
a certain vibration through your foot that serves as
arecommendation to back off on the gas pedal and
coast to save juice or charge the battery. A different
vibration tells you when the car switches from
electricity to gas.
Wearable computing devices such as
smartglasses (which, unlike Google Glass, look like
regular glasses) will vibratein specific ways to alert
the user silently to different kinds of information.

Communicating
One of the most interesting applications of haptics
is for communicating with otherpeople. This is one
of the most compelling uses for the Apple Watch.
If youselect a person from your list of favourites
32 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 32

09/04/2015 17:41

and thentap on the screen, the person you

selected feels those taps (assuming that they are
wearing an Apple Watch). You can also send
your heartbeat to that persons Apple Watch,
and you both will see a beating heart on the
screens of your watches and feel a haptic
simulation of your heartbeat.
This is similar to numerous devices from
startups, such as the Tactilu bracelet, which
transmits touch from one person to another.
As one user touches her bracelet, the other
user feels it on his.
Youll be able to reach out and touch someone
with your phone as a matterof course. Whatever you
touch on its screen will be conveyed to the other
person if he or she is holding a compatible phone.
The generic vibration pattern of your phonesvibrate
mode will be replaced by custom patterns of
vibration for specific individuals, so youll know
whos calling without looking at the phone.
Whats amazing about this isnt the practical
laziness of having the information that a specific

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 33

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 33

09/04/2015 17:41

Haptics will add depth, texture and

literally a good feeling to computers, phones
and wearable devices

person is trying to reach you, but the psychological

experience of near telepathy where you suddenly
feel a persons presence.

How haptics improve the user experience

We are just at the beginning of the Neo-Sensory
Age. Over the next couple of years, extremely
lifelike haptics will be integrated into all kinds of
devices. It will reach the point where consumer
expectations will compel vendors to integrate highquality haptics into all of their gadgets.
As weve seen with the Apple Watch, thiswill be
especially true of wearable computing devices. In
fact, some willuse haptics as their only interface.
Haptics will add depth and texture and literally
a good feeling to computers, phones and wearable
devices, as well as car dashboards and home
automation appliances. Theyll have some practical
benefit, but mostly theyll make us love ourgadgets.
The world of ubiquitous haptic user interfaces
has been predicted, promised andhinted at for two
decades. Now its finallyhere. Can you feel it?
34 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 34

09/04/2015 17:41

Badges of honour
How Google won MWC 2015 with tiny Android pins,
by Chris Martin

ack in March, MWC 2015 took place in

Barcelona and this is the story of how
Google stole the show with a simple
but extremely effective PR stunt.
As we do every year, we packed our bags and
set off for sunny (warmer than the UK) Spain
to check out all the new smartphones, tablets,
wearables and other gadgets on offer. Around
85,000 head to the Fira Gran Via for eight halls
worth of shiny new things.
The week started off as per usual with me and my
colleague, Ashleigh Allsopp, wandering round the
show getting our handson products, taking photos
and videosof them to post on the web site. As we
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 35

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 35

09/04/2015 17:41

were leaving the Acer stand someone handed us

each a small packet that contained atiny pin badge.
We thought it was quitecool, but we simply put it
awayandthought nothing of it.
However, the next day at the show we realised it
was much more than a little giveaway that Acer had
decided to do. That badge was in fact one of 124
designs that were available to collect at the show.
Each a different character with a name from the
firms current be together, not the same campaign.
We suddenly felt like young teenagers again in a sort
of Pokmon gotta catch them all type way.
Google had many partners at MWC showing
off various devices running Android and it put
something in place that changed the show entirely.
Each of Googles partners was given a 2ft high
Android statue to display that reportedly cost
$10,000 andeach day those stands had exclusive
Android pin badges to give away. Google hasgiven
36 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 36

09/04/2015 17:41

away pins before, but not on this scale a total of

200,000 were given out.
A handy map showed you which stands had the
pins and which one they might give you. There
were also two outside Android stands and Google
staff walking around the show with satchels full of
the pins who would gladly hand out any you hadnt
collected, plus a candy lollipop to match the name
ofthe most recent version of Android.
It really changed the feel of the entire show and
saw all kinds of people running around trying to get
new pins from PR women to business men in suits.
It was quite a spectacle. Even people at the office
were asking us to bring some back for them.
Some pins were harder to come by than others,
and Google had even set up a site where you could
tick off which ones you had collected and trade
duplicates with others at the show. There were
many we wanted but just couldnt find and didnt
realistically have the time to. Since returning from
the show we discovered the most hard-to-find pins
were found by locating a particular Googler and
making sure you were wearing pins and they would
give you a badge.
We quickly realised we wouldnt be able to collect
them all but did our best. Handily, the stands we
needed to visit were mostly ones handing out pins,
though some that were listed on the special map
seemed to have no idea about it (IBM and Nokia).
In the end, we managed around a third ofthe
124 goal, and we didnt particularly mind as it just
made the show for us and formany others. Im sure
there will be copycat attempts at future shows, but it
wontbe the same as MWC 2015.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 37
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 37

09/04/2015 17:41

You look familiar

Why the Galaxy S6 makes Samsung look stupid,
by Ashleigh Allsopp

amsung unveiled its new Galaxy S6

smartphone at MWC 2015, surprising us with
its many similarities to Apple. Now, I love
the iPhone, but I dont love everything about it. I
love the design, but I dont love the non-removable
battery or the lack of microSD card slot, or the fact
that its not waterproof. Weirdly, Samsung seems to
have taken several steps backward with the S6, and
those aforementioned Apple similarities arethings
we dont like about the iPhone, all of which the S6s
predecessor boasted. Whats going on, Samsung?
Yes, thats right, the S6 doesnt have a microSD
card slot, so youll have to pick from32-, 64- or
128GB when you buy it in the same way that you

38 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 38

09/04/2015 17:41

have to with the iPhone 6. You wont be able to

replace the battery easily, so if something goes
wrong its not a simple case of popping off the back
and slotting in a new battery.
Additionally, damaging the horribly shiny glass
back is worse than ever because you wont be able
to simply buy a new one and pop it on. Whats worse
is that if you were used to the stress-free waterproof
factor thatcame with the S5 youll have to readjustto the fact that if you drop the S6 down the
toilet, its probablygoing to be a costly mistake.
It seems that these sacrifices have been made in
favour of a more premium design that does away
with the plastic and introduces an iPhone 4/4s-like
glass front and back, combined with sides that
have anuncanny resemblance to the iPhone 6/6
Plus, complete with drilled speaker holes along the
bottom and even a protruding camera on the rear.
I think the new design is ugly, and theglass portions
have a mirrored effect that take bling to a new level.
Samsung has been attacking Apple in its adverts
for years, but this backtrack highlights one of the
reasons its Apple-bashing ads were a mistake.
When the S3 came out, Samsung published its 'It
doesnt take a Genius' print ad comparing the new
smartphone with the iPhone 5. Some of the qualities
it mentioned about the S3 included the microSD
card slot and the removable battery looks like
youll need to cross those off the list now Samsung.
Whats even weirder is how Samsung has
backtracked when it comes to software, highlighting
that the company has taken away 40 percent of its
software features.If it was so unnecessary why was
it there in the first place?
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 39
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 39

09/04/2015 17:41

The S6 does still have a lot going for it. Ithas an

amazing 577ppi screen, the powerful processor
and that improved fingerprint scanner (one of the
only qualitiesthat were glad it copied from Apple).
The S6 Edge also offers additional option for those
looking for something a bitmore innovative, even if
the edge doesntactually do an awful lot.
But Im not sure its enough to stop Samsungs
fans feeling let down by the decisions its made
with the S6. They have always had pride in being
different from Apple, but now its more difficult, and
while it doesnt mean theyll suddenly become Apple
fans, there are plenty of greatAndroidcompetitors
that have just become more appealing than ever.

40 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 40

09/04/2015 17:42

The One M9 won't be HTC's

knight in shining armour
The company will once again face competitors with
higher marketing budgets, and this time they
havebetter products as well

he One M9 may be a knockout, but its not

likely to save HTC. The device looks similar
to its predecessor at a time when competitors
have multiplied and stepped up their game,making
it even harder for the struggling company to make a
mark in thehigh-end segment.
Design has, since the launch of the first One
model, been HTCs biggest strength. The HTC
One M9, however, doesnt have the same wow
factor as its predecessors since the design is no
longer as groundbreaking.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 41

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 41

09/04/2015 17:42

To most consumers the One M9 will look almost

identical to the One M8, which preceded it, and
thats a big challenge for HTC, explained Ben Wood,
chief of researchat CCS Insight.
This feeling of dj vu is highlighted in our review
on page 34. HTCs uphill battle is made more difficult
by advancements made by Apple and Samsung,
with bigger screens on,respectively, the iPhone
6 and 6 Plus, andthe design and hardware of
theGalaxyS6 and S6 edge.
Samsung is under pressure to improve sales after
a disappointing 2014, and is aboutto unleash the
biggest marketing campaign in its history, which
HTC cant hopeto match, according to Wood. Also,
thefact that the Galaxy S6 costs the same yet has
more impressive specs than the OneM9 is bad
news for HTC.

42 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 42

09/04/2015 17:42

The One M9 will also face new competitors in

some parts of the world, including the Note Pro from
Xiaomi, whichhas more integrated storage, RAM
andmore pixels per inch.
High-end products serve two purposes: to
generate sales and propel the rest of a companys
portfolio. Not having a successfulflagship phone has
been aproblem for HTC for some time.
The companys shipments fell by 2 percent year
over year in the fourth quarter,while the overall
market grew by 31percent. It was the vendors
twelfth straight quarter of global volume decline
andit continued to lose traction in the important
North America and China regions,according to
market research company Strategy Analytics. HTCs
market share was ameasly 1.2 percent, it said.
Declining unit sales can make life more difficult
for smartphone vendors. It becomes harder to
secure the best components since chipmakers
prioritise larger competitors. From that point of
view, Samsungs choice of its own processor over
Qualcomms Snapdragon 810, which powers the
One M9,was a good thing for HTC.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 43
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 43

09/04/2015 17:42

To grow, HTC plans to launch more mid-range

models in key territories like Taiwan (its home
market), and to expand into tablets and wearables.
However, a more diversified product portfoliowill
take resources and time to develop time and
money that HTC simplydoes not have in its current
weakened state, according to Strategy Analytics.
Wood is bit more upbeat in his assessment of
HTCs expansion: Partnering with Under Armour
on the Grip fitness band and with Valve on the Vive
virtual reality headset are smart moves.
Strategy Analytics thinks the best option for HTC
is to merge with a company like Xiaomi or Huawei
Technologies both Chinese companies. The
rationale for such a deal would be the same as the
strategy behind Lenovos acquisition of Motorola
Mobility from Google: to combine forces for abigger
footprint in global markets. However, mergers and
acquisitions are always risky, and a smartphone
market without HTC would be a little less exciting.

44 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 44

09/04/2015 17:42

HTC One M9
vs Samsung Galaxy S6
Two new flagship phones were announced by Samsung
and HTC at this year's MWC, but which is best?

n 1 March Samsung and HTC both unveiled

their new flagship smartphones for 2015, but
which is best? We compare the specs in our
Samsung Galaxy S6vs HTC One M9comparison.
Both phones were unveiled in press conferences
prior to MWC 2015 on 1 March 2015. The HTC One
M9 was first to go on sale on 31 March from 569,
while the Samsung Galaxy S6 (and S6 Edge) went on
sale on 10 April from 599 and 760 respectively.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 45

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 45

09/04/2015 17:42

Design and build

The HTC One M9 looks very similar to its
predecessor, but now has a scratch-resistant
coating, machine-drilled buttons and a sapphire
glass lens on the rear of the camera. The power
button has moved to the side, and HTC has
employed a new two-tone design with the back and
sides getting contrasting adonisation.
The Galaxy S6 shows much more of a departure
from the norm for Samsung, with the company finally
tackling plastic build quality concerns. This phone
actually looks a bit like the iPhone 6. While last
year's Samsung Galaxy S5 had a dimpled plastic rear
cover, the S6's mirror-finish metallic back is made
with Gorilla Glass 4, just like the display. Like the
HTC the S6 now has a unibody design with a metal
frame, which will upset some long-term Samsung
fans as there is no longer a removable battery or
support for microSD. (HTC's is also non-removable,
but it has squeezed in a microSD slot.)
46 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 46

09/04/2015 17:42

The Samsung is much thinner than the

HTC, measuring 143.4x70.5x6.8mm against its
144.6x69.7x9.61mm. It's also lighter, just 138g in the
face of the One M9's 157g.

Screen
Neither phone has seen a size increase in the
display department, with the HTC offering a 5in
panel and the Samsung 5.1in. However, while HTC
has stuck with its full-HD Super LCD 3 screen,
Samsung has switched its full-HD Super AMOLED
panel for a Quad-HD version, apparently 20 percent
brighter than that found on the S5 and with much
higher resolution. So, while the HTC has a superhigh pixel density of 441ppi, the Samsung has a
staggering 577ppi.

Processor and memory

HTC uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 64-bit octacore processor inside the One M9, with four cores

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 47

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 47

09/04/2015 17:42

clocked at 2GHz and four at 1.5GHz. Samsung has

opted for its own Exynos 7420 processor, another
64-bit octa-core chip, with four cores clocked at
1.5GHz and four at 2.1GHz. Both phones have 3GB
of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy S6 was significantly
faster in our benchmarks, and although these should
be taken with a pinch of salt, both it and the Galaxy
S6 Edge are faster than anything we've ever seen.

Storage
Both the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9
come with 32GB of storage, and the Samsung is
also available in 64- and 128GB models. Sadly, the
Samsung Galaxy S6 has lost its microSD support;
the HTC One M9 supports microSD up to 128GB,
meaning it has 32GB more total storage potential
than the Galaxy S6.

Cameras
Photography is another area in which it is difficult to
judge performance on specs alone. However, HTC
has moved its One M8's 4Mp UltraPixel camera to
the front and placed at the rear a 20Mp camera.
Although this means it's lost its dual-camera setup
at the back, this one uses a dynamic exposure
algorithm that produces a similar effect.
At 20Mp its higher in megapixels than Samsung's
48 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 48

09/04/2015 17:42

16Mp camera, but this has been tweaked since

the S5 with smart optical image stabilisation, an IR
sensor that can automatically adjust white balance,
a f1.9 wide-angle lens, and the fact it is always on
in the background allowing you to pick it up and
begin shooting in 0.7 seconds. At the front of the S6
is a 5Mp camera with real-time HDR. Both HTC and
Samsung support 4K video recording.

Other hardware
Beyond core specs, the Galaxy S6 comes with
dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi
hotspot, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, A-GPS and an IR blaster.
The fingerprint scanner and heart-rate monitor are
also still present, with the former working via touch
rather than swipe. Samsung has also unveiled its
Samsung Pay mobile payments service, which will
be coming to the UK later this year.
HTC offers high-end wireless connectivity to
match the Samsung Galaxy S6, but no fingerprint
scanner, heart-rate monitor or mobile payments tech
(although NFC is supported).

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 49

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 49

09/04/2015 17:42

The HTC has the higher-capacity battery in this

comparison, at 2840mAh against the Samsung's
2550mAh. Neither are removable.

Software
The HTC One M9 and Samsung Galaxy S6 both
come with Android 5.0 Lollipop, which is the latest
version introduced with the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9.
Although they will run the same operating system,
the experience will be quite different since Samsung
adds its TouchWiz UI and HTC adds Sense 7.0.

Verdict
HTC has traditionally launched some of the prettiest
Android phones, but Samsung has turned things
around with its all metal and glass, Quad HD
Samsung Galaxy S6. With a better screen, faster
performance and some extras such as a fingerprint
scanner and heart-rate monitor, the Samsung Galaxy
S6 would certainly appear to be the better deal.
50 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 50

09/04/2015 17:42

5 best HTC One M9 cases

Got a shiny new HTC One M9? Weve found
the best cases for you

f youre looking to buy the gorgeous new HTC

One M9, youll need a case to protect the phone.
But with so many available, how do you know
which is best for you? Weve rounded up five of the
best HTC One M9 cases available.

Spigen HTC One M9

Crystal Clear Case
First up is the Crystal Clear
Case from Spigen. Clear cases
are a good idea for people
who appreciate the design
of their smartphone, but are
scared of dropping it. It has
a clear hard-back panel with
flexible edges, made possible
by a combination of TPU and
polycarbonate.
Its also got what Spigen
calls 'Extreme Drop Protection',
which is air cushion technology
in each corner to absorb
impact and reduce damage to your phone. It's also
thought about drops where the phone lands on its
screen, adding 'lips' to the front of the case that
protects the screen from impact.
Price: 4.99 from Amazon
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 51
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 51

09/04/2015 17:42

XQISIT Slim Wallet Case

The XQISIT Slim Wallet case is ideal for those of us
who like the idea of combining your phone case and
wallet. The rather stylish Slim Wallet case has been
crafted to be slim, so its comfortable in your hand.
As we mentioned, it also holds up to two bank cards
pretty impressive for an 18mm thick case.
The case features a magnetic closure for a
more premium feel, enabling effortless opening
and closing. It also stops the front of the case
flapping around, a pet hate of ours. The integrated
polycarbonate hard case offers improved impact
protection, with complete coverage of the screen so
there are no issues with scratches.
Price: 19.99 from
Carphone Warehouse

HTC Dot View Ice

(Premium)
One of the best features
of the HTC One M9 is
52 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 52

09/04/2015 17:42

the interactivity available when used with a HTC Dot

View case, much like with the M8. With the screen
covered, you can use the dot matrix cover to take
calls, check notifications, schedule reminders, get
weather updates and more. Its a refreshing take
on interactivity with cases, combining a rather retro
looking design with innovative technology.
You also get wrap around protection with a clear
back and Ice blue dot view cover. If youre not a fan
of the Ice blue colour, HTC also produces dark blue
and black versions.
Price: 32.99 from HTC

Krusell FrostCover
The Krusell FrostCover caught our eye simply
because of its stunning design, rather than
wowing us with extra functionality. Thats not
to say that its not a decent case though, as
this one piece snap-on cover comes with
a transparent anti-slip surface. It also has
'feet' at the corners of the case for those
heart stopping screen-face-down drops,
which should absorb any impact and
leave the screen untouched.
Rather than adding bulky buttons
to the case to make it easier to press
buttons, the FrostCover opts instead
for traditional cut-outs that contributes to its
simple yet eye-catching design.
Price: 14.99 from HTC

Urban Armour Gear

The Urban Armour Gear, designed specifically
for the HTC One M9 is the best option from our
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 53
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 53

09/04/2015 17:42

selection with regards to protection, though it comes

at a cost. This armour shell has a combination
of an impact resistant soft core and feather light
composite construction. The result? The Urban
Armour Gear meets military drop test standards.
It has a HD screen protector to guard against
scratches, as well as oversized tactile buttons and a
ruggedized grip to improve its overall robustness.
The down side? It adds a lot of bulk to your
beautifully thin HTC One M9, more than any of the
other cases listed here. With that being said, it may
be a sacrifice worth taking, especially for the more
accident-prone people (you know who you are).
Price: 23-24 from Urban Armour Gear

54 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 54

09/04/2015 17:42

5 best Galaxy S6 cases

Samsung's done a lot to improve the build quality in its S6
but, even so, it still needs protecting on the road

amsung's done a lot to improve the build

quality in its new Galaxy S6 phone but, even
so, it still needs protecting on the road particularly with that gorgeous Quad-HD screen.
We round up some of the best cases for Samsung
Galaxy S6.

Olixar FlexiShield Gel Case

Cheap and cheerful, the 5.99 FlexiShield clips on
to the rear of the Samsung Galaxy S6 without adding
bulk, aiding grip and protecting it from bumps
and scrapes. Slightly raised from the screen, the
FlexiShield can also keep the Quad-HD panel from
coming into contact with hard surfaces when placed
face down. The gel material is strong and durable,
and available in blue, light blue, purple or clear.

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 55

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 55

09/04/2015 17:42

Verus Damda Slide

Forget those leather flip cases
with the credit-card slots that
just about everyone will be
carrying with their Samsung
Galaxy S6. Like those cases
the Verus Damda Slide offers storage
for two credit cards, but it does so with style:
the rear of the case slides open to reveal a secret
storage compartment. The 19.99 Verus has lots
more going for it, too, with a tough hardshell
construction building in ample air space to absorb
shock without the case feeling oversized. The satin
silver design appeals, too.

YouSave Accessories Samsung Galaxy S6

Case Black PU Leather Wallet Cover
Of course, for some people, the flip case with credit
card holder is the only
way forward. We like this
version from YouSave,
made from black PU
leather with a magnetic
clasp, stitching detail
around the edges and
even some space for
cash. You'll get a screen
protector and polishing
cloth in the box, too - a
bargain at 5.99 from
Amazon UK!
56 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 56

09/04/2015 17:42

Obliq Slim Meta

It's a little on the pricey side at
34.99 from MobileFun, but
we really like this stylish S6
case from Obliq. Its two-tone
black polycarbonate and
titanium space grey metallicstyle back plate makes the
Samsung Galaxy S6 look
even more like an iPhone
6 than it already does and for some of you that
will be very good news. It's slim, it's lightweight,
and it has a matte surface to improve grip.

Official Samsung Galaxy S6 S View

Premium Cover Case
Last but not least is the official Samsung Galaxy S6
S View case, which costs 39.99 from MobileFun.
This works by replacing the rear cover of the Galaxy
S6 and adding a flip-out leather cover to the front,
thereby adding as little to the overall size and weight
as is possible, and providing ultimate protection for
the screen. The S View functionality is
cool, allowing you to view incoming calls
and messages, control music, check the
time or weather and more without even
lifting the cover. It's even clever enough
to work out what colour case you are
using and customise the background
colour to compliment it.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 57
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 57

09/04/2015 17:42

Samsung Galaxy S6
vs Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
With two versions of the Samsung Galaxy S6 available
to buy, which should you choose?

here are two versions of the Samsung Galaxy

S6, the standard S6 and the S6 Edge, so
what's the difference? We look at the specs.
A key difference between these two phones is
price, with the Edge costing you an extra 100. While
the standard Galaxy S6 costs 599 SIM-free, this is
the 32GB version of which there is not a comparable
Galaxy S6 Edge. The 64GB S6 will cost you 660
SIM-free, while the 64GB Edge costs 760. Pricing
for 128GB models has not been announced.

58 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 58

09/04/2015 17:42

Design
The Galaxy S6 Edge looks almost identical to the
regular Galaxy S6, as you'd expect. Both use a
metal frame reminiscent of the iPhone 6, and Gorilla
Glass 4 front and back. However, the S6 Edge has
a curved screen which wraps both sides. It is also a
little sharper around the edges, particularly below
the Home button.
Both S6 and S6 Edge are available in black, white
and gold, but each has an exclusive colour: blue for
the regular S6 and green for the S6 Edge, with the
latter our favourite of them all.
With just a couple of colours and the curved sides
separating the two on design, it's no surprise that
they are almost identical in size. The Galaxy S6 is a
tiny bit thinner at 6.8 mm compared to 7mm, but the
S6 Edge is lighter at 132g - 6g lighter than its brother.
It's worth noting that the thickness doesn't include
the protruding rear camera.

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 59

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 59

09/04/2015 17:42

No matter which model you choose, Samsung's

new design means there will be no removable
battery or microSD card slot, plus the device is no
longer dust- or waterproof. Three things Galaxy fans
will not like to hear.

Hardware
Almost everything on the spec sheet for the Galaxy
S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge is the same. This means that
either way you'll get a 5.1in SuperAMOLED Quad HD
screen, an Exynos 7420 octa-core processor (quadcore 1.5GHz Cortex-A53 and quad-core 2.1GHz
Cortex-A57), 3GB of RAM and a Mali-T760 GPU.
Interestingly, in our benchmarks the Edge was
significantly faster - in fact, the fastest phone we've
ever seen. It scored 5076 points in Geekbench
3.0's multi-core test against the S6's 4438, 990ms in
SunSpider against 1048ms, and 39fps in GFXBench
3.0's T-Rex against 30fps.
60 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 60

09/04/2015 17:42

With both phones you also get dual-band 802.11ac

Wi-Fi with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, an IR blaster,
USB OTG support and Cat 6 4G LTE support with
Samsung's Download Booster. The heart rate
monitor remains on the back and the fingerprint
scanner just requires a touch rather than a swipe.
Cameras are also the same, at 16Mp on the rear
with smart OIS, and 5Mp at the front. You'll get
Android 5.0 Lollipop with the latest TouchWiz user
interface, and the only software difference is what
the dual edge can do. So what is the difference
between the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge?
Well before we explain what the dual edge screen
does compared to the regular one, there are a
couple of small hardware differences to note relating
to storage and battery.
While the regular Galaxy S6 comes in 32-, 64- and
128GB capacities, the Edge comes in only 64- or
128GB (as we mentioned earlier, there's no longer a
microSD card slot).
The Galaxy S6 Edge's battery is slightly larger
at 2600mAh, but the 2550mAh S6 actually fared
better in our battery life benchmark, with 6 hours 53
minutes against 6 hours 41 minutes (Geekbench 3.0).
Wireless charging is a new feature, with support for

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 61

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 61

09/04/2015 17:42

both PMA and Qi protocols, and Samsung touts four

hours of usage from 10 minutes charging using the
supplied adaptor.
We've already seen an edge screen on the Galaxy
Note Edge but while that just wrapped around the
right-hand edge, the Galaxy S6 Edge does both.
Samsung understandably calls it the dual edge so
this is the reason (apart from the green colour) to
buy the Edge over the regular S6. But should you?
Apart from looking great, it's more about what
the dual edge can offer, and after some hands-on
time with the device we realised it doesn't do all that
much. You don't get an extra bar there in regular use
like on the Note Edge to show icons and the like.
You can choose which side to use, so lefthanded
users will be happy, but for most features it seems
silly to limit it to just one side. What if that side
62 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 62

09/04/2015 17:42

happens to be facing away from you because of how

you put down the phone?
Once you've chosen which side you want to use,
you can get notifications and a clock during the
night. However, the main feature is People Edge.
When switched on this adds a little grey bar to the
side which you can swipe to open your favourite
contacts to easily call or txt them.
That's cool, and you can also assign them colour
codes so when a contact calls the edge screen will
light up that colour so you know who it is. It sounds
good, but is designed to work when the device is
placed faced down on a flat surface, which we're
pretty sure most people won't do.
Apart from the gorgeous bezel-free look of the
Galaxy S6 Edge compared to the regular model,
we're not convinced it's worth the extra money.
There are only a handful of functions and while
this may change over time with software updates
there's no guarantee.

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 63

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 63

09/04/2015 17:42

Verdict
Both S6 and S6 Edge are expensive phones, even
considering the fact the price will likely be quick
to fall. With no 32GB version of the Galaxy S6
Edge, the starting price of 760 is just too high.
It's faster than the standard S6, but both are faster
than anything we've ever seen before. The battery
is larger, but it doesn't perform as well. The dualedge feature is cool, but adds little. So it's incredibly
difficult to recommend the Galaxy S6 Edge over the
standard S6, which we reckon is the best Android
phone of 2015 so far.

64 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 64

09/04/2015 17:43

Review:
Google Nexus Player
Now available in the UK, the Nexus Player isn't a
Chromecast beater but shows promise
79 play.google.com

nnounced last October alongside the Nexus

6 and Nexus 9, the Nexus Player is Googles
set-top media streamer. Its like Apples TV,
but even more like Amazons Fire TV. Is it the one to
buy? We explain all you need to know in our Google
Nexus Player review.
Media streamers used to boast about their vast
support for file formats, but these days its all about
the content you can get online. No longer do you
need your own local video library: you just search for
anything you like and start watching immediately.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 65

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 65

09/04/2015 17:43

Content
So, what does the Nexus Player offer? Being a
Google device, its no surprise that its a portal to
Google Play Movies & TV where you can rent or buy
films, TV episodes and box sets. You can also use
Google Play Music and as youd expect YouTube
(because its owned by Google).
What Google doesn't have is a streaming service
to rival Netflix or Amazon Prime. It has Google Music,
but no subscription service for video. It's much more
expensive to use a pay-per-view service, so you're
much better off signing up for Netflix and renting the
odd new movie from Google Play.
The default home screen also has links to a
massively slimmed-down Google Play store where
you can install some apps and games: the Nexus
Player wants to be your go-to device for casual
gaming, just like Amazons Fire TV or Roku 3.
You can play games using the included remote,
or spend an extra 35 on the Bluetooth game

66 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 66

09/04/2015 17:43

controller. Thats the same price as Amazons, to

save you checking. Games are divided into three
categories: TV Remote, Casual for Gamepad and
Action for Gamepad.
It isnt hard to guess what youll find in each
category, but at the moment the selection is pretty
limited just like the Fire TV. You dont need a
gamepad to play some action games, though. Fire
up Asphalt 8 without a gamepad paired and it will
give you a diagram showing how to drive with the
standard remote. Its the same with Rayman Fiesta,
which is why youll see them in the TV Remote
category with 15 others, including the excellent
Badland (which is free).
Action games include Star Wars: KOTOR and Soul
Calibur, which are surprisingly expensive at over 6
and 8 respectively. Game progress is synched to
your Google account, so you can play on an phone
or tablet and then continue where you left off on the
Nexus Player.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 67
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 67

09/04/2015 17:43

Apps from the Play store include Netflix, VLC,

TED, Bloomberg TV, Plex, dailymotion and others,
but theres nothing UK specific so you cant directly
watch iPlayer, 4oD or other catch-up services.
Theres also no Amazon Prime Instant Video app,
and we wouldnt be surprised if there never will be.
The Nexus Player has an ace up its sleeve,
though: Google Cast. Unlike Amazons box which
uses a Fire Tablet as a second screen for IMDB-style
info and remote control, you can use an Android
phone, tablet, Chromebook or laptop to cast
content to your TV via the Nexus Player.
In this respect, the Player is much like the
Chromecast: you can use one of many apps and
tap the Cast symbol to connect to the Nexus Player.
This even works on iPhones and iPads. Fire up the
iPlayer app, press the Cast button and you can start
watching a show on your TV even though theres no
iPlayer app as such.
The stream doesnt come from your phone: its
directly from the internet to the Nexus Player, so you
can turn off your iPhone or switch to another app.
You can also watch photo slideshows and videos
from your Android phone or tablet using the Cast
button, but not from the camera roll on an iOS
device, unfortunately.

68 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 68

09/04/2015 17:43

Interface
Unlike the Chromecast which essentially has no
interface, the Nexus Player is the first device to run
Android TV an operating system designed to be
operated from your sofa. This isnt to be confused
with Google TV, which was developed back in 2010
with Sony, Intel and Logitech and flopped badly.
Android TV is leagues better: its intuitive and has
lots of design cues from Android Lollipop. System
menus, icons, animations and even the on-screen
keyboard are all blown-up versions from a tablet or
phone, and it looks great.
Theres certainly still work to be done, but in
general you can find your way around easily. To
make searching easier without a keyboard, the
remote has a built-in microphone that lets you speak
to search ( just like the Fire TV).
This makes sense as Google Now is already
established in Android and even the Chrome web
browser. People are getting used to voice searching
and it works well in general on the Nexus Player.
You press the button on the remote, say your piece
and the results appear.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 69
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 69

09/04/2015 17:43

Its clever, too, as you can search different

platforms in one search by saying Breaking Bad
episodes on Play and outtakes on YouTube. What
it doesnt like is background noise. In a room where
others are talking, the system doesnt know when
to stop listening, and wouldnt stop until we pressed
the back button on several occasions. We prefer the
Amazon approach of holding the button down while
you speak, walkie-talkie style.
You can ask questions as well, such as Who was
in Gone in 60 Seconds? and a list of actors will
appear: you can select one to see other movies and
shows theyve been in, as well as being able to rent
the movie from Google Play.
The search is context aware, so if youre at the
home screen youll get results from Google Play and
YouTube, but if youre already in the YouTube app,
the icon changes in the search box and you see
results from YouTube only.
Voice search extends to all the Google services,
but it doesnt work in third-party apps including
Netflix. You wont see Netflix results when searching
from the home screen, for example, and pressing the
microphone button in Netflix merely launches the
on-screen keyboard.

70 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 70

09/04/2015 17:43

Options are kept to a minimum, but you can

enable SafeSearch in YouTube and filter content in
the Play store, just as you can in Android.
You cant have multiple Google accounts and
switch between them a feature we hope will be
added in a future update but there is the option to
set up a Restricted Profile and choose which apps
and services are allowed, which could be handy if
you want to block certain things when your kids are
using it. You have to enter a pre-set PIN to exit the
Restricted profile and return to owner mode.

The YouTube app doesn't remember

where you paused or exited a video
On the home screen is a carousel of
recommended content based on your YouTube
subscriptions, browsing history, Google Play library
and other factors. It would be nice to also have a
recent list so you can quickly go back to something
you were watching or playing, but either theres a
bug or the feature doesnt exist yet.
Another niggle is that the YouTube app doesnt
remember where you paused or exited a video. If
you have the daydream function set to show lovely
photos after five minutes and press the back button
to exit it, you dont end up back at your paused
video, so you have to find it again and fast-forward
to where you were.
Because youre signed in to your Google account
you can see all your subscriptions and playlists on

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 71

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 71

09/04/2015 17:43

YouTube, but you cant create a playlist or subscribe

to a new channel. Oddly, videos you watch arent
added to your YouTube history, which could be
another potential bug that needs fixing.
The Netflix app is the same as on other devices,
so if youve used it on an Apple TV or YouView
box, youll be right at home. Your progress through
videos is stored as part of your account, so you can
dive right into an episode you were watching on
another device.

Hardware
Theres not all that much to say about the Nexus
Player itself, other than it's made by Asus, making
this another partnership with Google. Quite
obviously, the streamer is circular and underneath is
a cutout at the rear for the three connectors: power,
HDMI and microUSB. Theres no HDMI cable in the
box, so make sure you have one ready.
Inside the puck is a 1.8GHz quad-core Intel
Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage and an

72 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 72

09/04/2015 17:43

Imagination PowerVR Series 6 GPU. Theres no

wired Ethernet port, nor an optical S/PDIF which you
get with the Fire and Apple TVs, but there is at least
the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi radio and Bluetooth 4.1.
The bundled remote feels a little lightweight, but
is nice enough to use. Its similar to the Apple TV and
Fire TV with a D-pad and central selection button.
Generally, Android TV zips along on the
hardware, but theres the tell-tale glitches of
immature software which were sure will be ironed
out in software updates.

Verdict
The Nexus Player is a decent media streamer, but
its not an unqualified success. Its only truly good if
youre pairing it with an Android phone or tablet in
order to stream a much wider selection of content.
However, if you only want to do that, you may as well
buy a Chromecast which costs as little as 20 these
days. iOS users are better off with an Apple TV.
If you want to play games, its a pretty much a
toss-up between the Amazon Fire TV and Google
Nexus Player. Adding the cost of the Bluetooth
gamepad, which is a must, the price shoots up
to 115, which is dangerously close to previousgeneration games consoles.
And we haven't even mentioned the Roku 3,
which offers a heck of a lot of content for basically
the same price. For those in the UK, the Roku 3 and
Streaming Stick are hard to beat.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 73
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 73

09/04/2015 17:43

Review:
New Moto G 4G 2015
Once the best budget phone, the new Moto G 4G can't
keep up with the cheaper Moto E 4G
149 motorola.co.uk

otorola's just upgraded its Moto G for

the fourth time, and we can't think why it
bothered. It's turned what was the best
budget phone on the market into something that
can't compete with even the cheapest Moto in the
line-up. If you think that's a bit harsh, read our new
Moto G 4G 2015 review to nd out how we justify
that comment.
The third Moto G (that would be the model
with a 5in screen, 3G connectivity and dual-SIM

74 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 74

09/04/2015 17:43

functionality) is to this date the best budget phone

you can buy in the UK. This new Moto G 4G is in
essence the same phone with a couple of tweaks, so
why is it suddenly so bad, and why have we marked
it down on value?
The problem becomes clear when you take into
account the type of customer looking to buy this
smartphone. If you want a cheap 4G smartphone
then this is not the best Moto for you; Motorola also
offers the Moto E 4G, which is 60 cheaper and,
bizarrely, faster. It's such a good deal that it makes
the Moto G look bad. So the addition of 4G to the
Moto G is of little recompense when you consider
what Motorola hasn't considered in the new Moto G.
If you want a cheap dual-SIM phone you're going
to be annoyed. In upgrading what was a very good
budget phone Motorola has taken away its dual-

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 75

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 75

09/04/2015 17:43

SIM functionality (why does everyone think us Brits

aren't interested in that?) and completely neglected
to upgrade the core hardware. And while the Moto
G was a great phone last year, this year we want
something better for our money.
Given that this Moto G and its predecessor are
in essence the same phone (though one has 4G
and one is dual-SIM), we've taken a slightly different
tack to usual with our new Moto G 4G 2015 review.
In each of the key criteria on which we judge a
smartphone we'll compare it to the new Moto E 4G.

Moto E and Moto G versions explained

Motorola is desperate to confuse us with its Moto E
and G line-ups. In this review we're comparing the
very latest Moto G to the very latest Moto E, but it's
worth trying to get your head around the differences
between the earlier models, all of which are still
available to buy (pricing is correct at time of press
from Amazon UK).

Moto E 4G

76 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 76

09/04/2015 17:43

Mk 1 Moto G: 3G connectivity, single-SIM, 4.5in HD

screen, 8GB storage, 128
Mk 2 Moto G: 4G connectivity, single-SIM, 4.5in HD
screen, 8GB storage, 117
Mk 3 Moto G: 3G connectivity, dual-SIM, 5in HD
screen, 8GB storage, 140
Mk 4 Moto G: 4G connectivity, single-SIM, 5in HD
screen, 8GB storage, 149
The Moto E is the second-generation E from
Motorola. It offers several upgrades over the original
Moto E, including 4G connectivity, a faster processor
and double the amount of storage (now matching
the Moto G at 8GB). The original 3G version of the
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 77
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 77

09/04/2015 17:43

Moto E will set you back 70, while right now you
can pick up this 4G version for 89. (Motorola has
also unveiled a new 3G version of the Moto E, but
until that goes on sale in the UK we'll ignore it.)
This puts a price difference of 60 between the
89 new Moto E 4G and 149 new Moto G 4G.
As we'll explain below, we cannot for a second
imagine why anyone would buy the Moto G 4G
over the Moto E 4G.

Design and build

The new Moto E 4G and Moto G 4G are incredibly
similar in their design. Both are reasonably chunky,
which we've come to expect from budget phones,
with curved rears that fit well in the hand. There's
just 10g between them, with the Moto E weighing in
at 145g and the Moto G 155g.
As before you can change the rear shell on the
new Moto E and new Moto G, but with the new

78 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 78

09/04/2015 17:43

Moto E 4G

Moto E 4G you can also change the grippy band

that runs around its edge, allowing you to mix-andmatch colours and create your own design. These
are optional extras, mind: the Moto E ships with
matching black or white shell and band, while the
Moto G 4G is available only in black.
(You'll notice our photography depicts a white
Moto 4G. It isn't a clever Photoshop trick; this is the
otherwise identical mark 3 Moto G.)
The Moto E is a little fatter at 12.3mm (against
11mm), but the Moto G is taller and wider at
71x142mm against the E's 66.8x129.9mm. That's not
surprising, since it houses a larger 5in screen. This
screen is also higher in resolution, with 720x1280
pixels offering a density of 294ppi. The Moto E's
screen is a qHD panel, just 540x960, but stretched
over a smaller 4.5in panel not too far behind at
245ppi. Both are splashproof IPS displays with tough
Gorilla Glass 3; bright, clear, with realistic colours
and good viewing angles.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 79

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 79

09/04/2015 17:43

Turn over the phones and only the Moto G boasts

an LED flash. This is important not only for low-light
photography, but also if you want to use the phone
as a torch. The Lollipop OS includes a quick access
toggle to turn on or off the flashlight within the
notification bar, which is handy.
Whereas the Moto E has lost one of the two metal
bars that sit top and bottom on front to conceal the
speaker, the new Moto G 4G retains both and offers
very good stereo sound for a budget smartphone.
The new Moto G wins this category, but there's not
enough between the pair to warrant its extra cost.

Hardware and performance

One category the new Moto G 4G absolutely does
not win is performance. And that's weird, right?
The Moto E is faster in every single benchmark.
80 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 80

09/04/2015 17:43

Moto E 4G

It's not difficult to see why when you look at the

spec sheets. While both phones have 1GB of RAM
and 8GB of storage (plus up to 32GB via microSD),
the Moto E has the faster '410' variant of the
Qualcomm Snapdragon processor when compared
to the Moto G's '400'. Both are quad-core chips
clocked at 1.2GHz. It also has the Adreno 306 in
place of the Moto G's Adreno 305.
The Moto E was the clear winner in our
benchmarks, turning in 464- and 1463 points in the
single- and multi-core components of Geekbench 3
respectively, 13- and 6fps in GFXBench 3 T-Rex and
Manhattan, and 1301ms in SunSpider. By comparison,
those figures for the Moto G: 345- and 1182 points in
Geekbench, 11- and 4.2fps in T-Rex and Manhattan,
and 1968ms in SunSpider.
When we're talking about flagship phones such
differences in performance aren't an especially big
deal - the average person is unlikely to grumble
with the performance of any high-end smartphone.
But when it comes to budget phones performance
is key, with core hardware often falling victim
to scrimping and saving. Motorola hasn't even

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 81

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 81

09/04/2015 17:43

bothered to upgrade it for the Moto G, while the

upgrades to the Moto E mean it's no longer just a
cheap phone for first-time or light users, but a proper
Android smartphone that is more than capable
enough for day-to-day use.

Cameras
The new Moto G 4G regains the lead in the
photography department but, even so, if you're
looking for the best camera phone you won't be
interested in either of these Motorolas.
The 2015 Moto E update added a front camera
to Motorola's cheapest smartphone. It's only a
VGA camera and, to be quite honest, it's rubbish but it allows you to use the Moto E for video chat
(probably not selfies). The Moto G improves on this
with a 2Mp camera but, although there is a clear
difference in clarity here, it's still only 2Mp. The best

82 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 82

09/04/2015 17:43

selfie phone you can buy today has a 13Mp front

camera (we're referring to the HTC Desire Eye), and
the new HTC One M9 should join that party with its
front-facing UltraPixel camera.
Round the back the Moto G pairs the
aforementioned LED flash with an 8Mp camera and
f/2.0 aperture, while the Moto E has a 5Mp version
with an f/2.2 aperture. They support the same
features, including a 4x digital zoom, burst mode,
auto HDR, tap to focus, quick capture and slo-mo
video. Both support HD (720p) video recording, but
we'd really like to see 1080p from the Moto G 4G.
In our test shots you can see the Moto E (above)
clearly benefitted from the better weather (these
were not taken on the same day), but the Moto
G's duller image is much sharper. You'll find more
revealing test shots, video and analysis in our full
reviews of these phones.

Connectivity, software and battery

In connectivity these handsets are on par, both
featuring 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 83
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 83

09/04/2015 17:43

and GPS. As we might have mentioned earlier, the

new Moto G 4G is not, like the previous Moto G, a
dual-SIM version.
Interestingly these phones are fitted with the
same 2390mAh non-removable battery. Motorola
promises all-day battery life for each and, given that
it has a slightly larger, higher-resolution screen, but
less powerful hardware, we'd be surprised if battery
life wasn't similar for the Moto E and Moto G.
We ran the new Moto G through the Geekbench
3.0 battery life test. It recorded 7 hours 35 mins,
which interestingly is longer than even the Samsung
Galaxy S6 (6 hrs 53 mins) and S6 Edge (6 hrs 41
mins), but the battery score is half of those phones at
2024 points.
Both Moto E and G run a vanilla version of
Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box (with guaranteed
upgrades to Android M), along with Motorola's usual
preinstalled software. This includes Motorola Assist,
Alert and Migrate.What it doesn't include - for the
Moto G - is the Moto E's cool double-twist gesture to
launch the camera.

Verdict
If you're looking for a cheap 4G smartphone then the
Moto E 4G is the best deal on the market right now.
If you would rather have a cheap dual-SIM phone
with 3G connectivity then the mark 3 Moto G is your
best bet. But the new Moto G 4G for 2015 is not the
best phone for either customer, and its larger, higherresolution screen, marginally improved photography
credentials and stereo sound are not enough for
us to turn a blind eye to its 60 higher price, slower
hardware and missing software features.
84 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 84

09/04/2015 17:43

Apple Watch
vs Huawei Watch
Apple's iWatch is about to go on sale, but Huawei's Watch
was the talk of MWC. We see how they compare

015 is dubbed as the year to make or break

smartwatches and Apple and Huawei have
both gone for the minimalist naming system.
Find out how these two wearables differ in ourApple
Watch vs Huawei Watch comparison preview.
Huawei has unveiled its Watch, but it hasn't
confirmed pricing or release date information.
However, Mobile Fun is taking pre-orders for the
Huawei Watch at 300 for the black or silver models
and 350 for the gold.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 85

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 85

09/04/2015 17:44

At the cheaper price it matches the Apple Watch

Sport edition, which will set you back 299. Apple's
cheapest model is bound to be the most popular, but
you can spend more by opting for the Apple Watch,
which starts at 479, or the Apple Watch Edition
which starts at 8,000. The most expensive Apple
Watch is 13,500. It goes on sale on 24 April.

Design
Since the initial introduction of the Apple Watch last
year, we've seen a number of rival manufacturer's
bring more luxury designs to their smartwatch lineup including the LG Watch Urbane.
The Huawei Watch is round like LG's latest
models, the Motorola Moto 360 and some others
while Apple has opted for a square shape. We prefer
the round option when it comes to smartwatch
screens but each to their own.
86 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 86

09/04/2015 17:44

There are three colours of the Huawei Watch:

silver, black and gold plus the choice of either
leather or stainless steel straps. The body choices
are just colours rather than a reflection of the
material they are made from, though.
That's not bad and there should be at least one
you like the look of but pales into insignificance
compare to Apple's whopping choice of 38 different
combinations of body and strap.
It's partly because the Apple Watch is available in
two sizes (38- and 42mm height) to fit different size
wrists a clever move for anyone who doesn't fancy
a giant smartwatch on their arm. The Huawei Watch
is coincidentally 42mm in diameter and is a little
chunky at 11.3mm. The Apple Watch is a little thinner
at 10.5mm and varies on weight depending on the
model but the smaller model is 40-55g while the
bigger case is 50- to 69g.
Both Apple and Huawei use premium materials
including stainless steel and sapphire crystal glass
but you'll have to pay serious cash if you want
Apple's 18-carat rose and yellow gold models.

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 87

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 87

09/04/2015 17:44

Apart from touchscreens you can interact with

the Apple Watch using the digital crown which sits
on the right side of the device. Huawei just uses a
simpler on/off button which is also on the right but at
the 2 o'clock position to make it easier to press.

Hardware and specs

On hardware, the Huawei Watch fits in with other
Android Wear devices meaning it has the usual array
of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 4GB of
internal storage, 512MB of RAM and Bluetooth 4.1.
Meanwhile, Apple uses its own S1 chip and has
double the amount of storage at 8GB. However, as
it stands you can only use 2GB for music and just
75MB for photos. Apple doesn't quote RAM.
Both watches have a heart-rate monitor on the
back and sensors such as an accelerometer to track
activity. Each uses Bluetooth to connect to a phone,
but the Apple Watch also has Wi-Fi onboard.
88 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 88

09/04/2015 17:44

The screens are very different with either round or

square on offer. Specs aside this will probably have
a big impact on which you choose. Apple's is quoted
as Retina while Huawei's is 400x400 pixels.
In terms of battery life, Apple touts up to 18 hours
of varied use which drops to 6.5 for audio playback
and just 3 for phone calls. The Huawei Watch will last
longer, according to the firm, with one and a half to
two days usage.

Software
Software is a big difference between the two
smartwatches. For starters the Apple Watch will only
work with iPhones and the Huawei Watch will only
be compatible with Android since it runs Google's
Android Wear (although Google is reportedly
working towards adding iOS support).
The functionality of each is very similar but
the information is presented in a different way.
Android Wear uses a card style system to provide
notifications and various bits of data like weather
and number of steps. You can also interact with it
with voice to send messages or ask questions. You
can also control music playback on the connected
smartphone and the camera shutter.

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 89

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 89

09/04/2015 17:44

Something which they share is the ability to

install apps like you would on a smartphone or
tablet. There are many for Android Wear and while
there may be less for the newer Apple Watch system
it will quickly go up after launch.
The Apple Watch can do what Android Wear
does, providing notifications to the device over
Bluetooth and built-in apps include Messages,
Phone, Mail, Calendar, Activity, Workout, Maps,
Passbook, Siri, Weather and Photos. You can
also use the Apple Watch to make payment and
with certain partners check into flights, hotel
rooms and the like.
It's early days for the Apple Watch in terms
of software so there's no way of coming to a
conclusion yet compared to Android Wear. The
main thing is whether you want to use a smartwatch
with iOS or Android.

Verdict
There's no doubt the Apple Watch and Huawei
Watch are both desirable smartwatches. It's early
days, but the key differences are the choice
between round and square designs and either iOS
or Android compatibility.
90 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 90

09/04/2015 17:44

How to:
Back up Android for free
Whether something goes wrong or you just get a new
device, here's a simple guide to backing up Android

ou can be as careful as you like in ensuring

your phone or tablet isn't lost or stolen,
but one day it could simply refuse to turn
on. Then you'll lose everything if it isn't backed
up. Here's a simple guide on how to back up your
Android phone or tablet, including how to back up
photos, video, app data, contacts and more.
While you can purchase third-party apps that
promise set-and-forget backup solutions, it's easy
enough to back up your Android phone or tablet
yourself - and for free. Our screenshots have been
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 91

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 91

09/04/2015 17:44

taken on an HTC Desire Eye with HTC's Sense UI,

so yours may look a little different but the settings
will be the same.

Back up App data, settings and Google

data on Android
There are a couple of settings within Android
that can safeguard some of your important data.
Open your Settings menu, then choose Backup
& reset. Ensure the option to 'Back up my data' is
enabled. This takes care of your app data, Chrome
bookmarks, Wi-Fi passwords and other settings.
There's also a setting here to automatically restore
any backed up settings and data to a reinstalled app,
which will also be useful if you get a new device.
Next head to Settings, Accounts & Sync, then
click on Google. Tap on your Gmail account to
see a list of what is and is not being synched to
Google's servers, and enable any that you want to
ensure are backed up. All the services in this list
are associated with the Google apps preinstalled
on your phone or tablet, such as Contacts and
Calendar, Chrome, Play Music, Gmail and Sheets (for
Google Drive spreadsheets). By synching the data
92 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 92

09/04/2015 17:44

within these apps to Google's server you also make

them available on any other device to which you are
signed into your Google account.

Back up photos and video on Android

The easiest way to back up photos and video stored
on your phone or tablet is to automatically back
them up to Google Photos, where they will remain
private unless you specify otherwise, visible only to
you within your Drive, Google+ and Photos apps.
Photos allows you to store an unlimited number of
standard-resolution files (2048px), but if you want to
upload them at their full size (the default) it will count
against your Google Drive storage limit. Google
Drive gives you 15GB for free, and thereafter you can
buy 100GB for $1.99/month, or 1TB for $9.99/month.
You can access the option to Auto-Backup images
through the Google Photos app preinstalled on your
Android phone or tablet. Launch Photos, tap the
three dots in the top right corner, then choose
Auto-Backup and slide the toggle on.
If you don't want to pay for extra storage, tap
Photo size and choose Standard size. We'd advise
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 93
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 93

09/04/2015 17:44

leaving at their defaults the options to back up

photos only over a Wi-Fi connection and not while
roaming (video will only ever upload over Wi-Fi). You
can also select an option to back up photos only
when the device is on charge.
That takes care of the photos and video
captured by your device's camera. To also back up
screenshots, photos and video downloaded via the
web, Bluetooth or apps such as WhatsApp, open
Google Photos and tap the three horizontal lines
icon at the top left of the screen. Choose On Device,
then tap the cloud icon next to each category you
want to back up.
This bit's important: if you want to delete a photo
or video from your phone to save space, but keep
it on Google Photos, open Photos, tap the three
horizontal lines icon at the top left and choose On
Device. Tap and hold on an item to select it, then
tap the trash can icon. If you have Photos rather
than On Device selected, you will delete it from
everywhere. (If that happens you will be able to
94 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 94

09/04/2015 17:44

restore it from the Trash folder for up to 60 days,

as long as it was backed up properly and you
haven't emptied the trash.)
You can also manually back up your photos and
video by connecting your phone or tablet to a PC
over USB, then accessing it as you would an external
hard drive. You'll find photos and video in the DCIM
folder, which you can simply drag-and-drop to your
PC to copy them. Mac users should use the Android
File Transfer tool.

Back up text messages

on Android
You may find your phone
has preinstalled software to
back up your text messages,
as is the case with our HTC
Desire Eye, so it's a good
idea to check. Open your
Messaging app, open the
options menu and look for a Backup/Restore option.
If you don't have one you can download a third-party
app such as SMS Backup +, which also backs up call
logs and multimedia messages.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 95
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 95

09/04/2015 17:44

How to:
Remove a virus from Android
Viruses on Android are rare, but they exist. Here's a
simple way to remove a virus from Android

f you believe your Android phone or tablet has

a virus then the good news is it's really easy to
delete. Here's how to remove a virus from Android.
First of all, it's worth pointing out that it's unlikely
that your Android phone or tablet has a virus. What
you're more likely to be seeing is an ad that wants
to convince you Android is infected and you need
to download an app, or a dodgy pop-up, or perhaps
your device is just misbehaving. But viruses for
Android do exist. If you're sure your device has one,
here's how to remove it.

96 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 96

09/04/2015 17:44

All Android viruses are delivered via apps

installed on your device, so if your phone or tablet
doesn't already have a virus, the best way to avoid it
getting one is to never install software outside of the
Google Play app store. Open your Settings menu,
look for the Security option, then ensure the option
for Unknown Sources (allow installation of apps from
unknown sources) is disabled.
If you're determined to install an app from
outside Google Play, do your research. Check its
permissions (does a video player need to see your
contacts?), look online for reviews and have a good
look at the developer's site to see what else it offers.
You can also install an antivirus app, and plenty
of free Android antivirus apps are available that
are able to detect and remove malicious apps, for
example 360 Mobile Security, Avast and Lookout.
These all include an app scanner that will seek out
anything dodgy, but note that these apps can also
trigger false-positives - reporting an app you've been
using for months as malware when you know it's
fine. In most cases you can ignore these alerts.
If you believe you already have a virus on your
Android phone or tablet - perhaps one that is
resisting your attempts to uninstall the associated
app or even let you bypass the lock screen - a
factory reset will remove it, returning your device
to its out-of-the-box state. But doing so also means
you'll lose everything on your phone that's not
backed up. Instead, follow the below steps to
remove a virus from Android.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 97
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 97

09/04/2015 17:44

Step 1. Put your phone or tablet into Safe mode. This

prevents any third-party apps running, including any
malware. On many devices you can press the power
button to access the power off options, then press
and hold Power off to bring up an option to restart in
Safe mode. If this doesn't work for your device then
you should Google 'How to put [your model name]
into Safe mode' and follow the instructions. When in
Safe mode you'll see 'Safe mode' at the bottom left
of the screen.
Step 2. Open your Settings menu and choose Apps,
then make sure you're viewing the Downloaded tab.
If you don't know the name of the virus you think has
infected your Android phone or tablet, go through
the list and look for anything dodgy-looking or that
you know you haven't installed or shouldn't be
running on your device.
Step 3. Tap on the malicious app (clearly it won't
be called 'Dodgy Android virus', this is just an
98 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 98

09/04/2015 17:44

illustration) to open the App info page, then click

Uninstall. In most cases, this is all you need to do to
remove the virus, but occasionally you might find the
Uninstall button is greyed out. This is because the
virus has given itself Device administrator status.
Step 4. Exit the Apps menu and tap on Settings,
Security, Device Administrators. Here you'll find
a list of any apps on your phone or tablet with
administrator status. Simply untick the box for the
app you want to remove, then tap Deactivate on the
next screen. You should now be able to return to the
apps menu and remove that app.
Step 5. With the virus now off your Android phone or
tablet, all you need to is restart the device to take it
out of Safe mode. Now that it's working correctly it's
a good time to back up whatever important data you
have stored on the device, and install an Android
antivirus app to protect you from any future viruses
that come your way.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 99
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 99

09/04/2015 17:44

How to:
Get more storage in Android
The S6's lack of a microSD card slot may have some of
you worried. Fear not...

f your Android smartphoneor tabletis running low

on storagefor your apps, photos, video, music and
other files - perhaps you have received an error
message suggesting you have insufficient storage
available - there are several ways to get around
it. Here's how to get more storage on an Android
phone or tablet.

MicroSD card
The easiest way to add storage to your Android
phone or tablet is with a microSD card - if it supports
one, of course.
100 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 100

09/04/2015 17:44

When buying a microSD card for your phone or

tablet, first check the manufacturer's spec or reviews
of that device to see what type of cards it will accept.
Many budget phones, for example, will accept only
32GB, while higher-end devices typically handle
128GB. You certainly don't want to pay out for a
128GB card only to find it won't work in your phone.
You'll find manufacturers offer various types of
microSD card, with some claiming to be faster or
more secure than others. For simple storage of your
files any microSD card will do, but note that fakes
can be found online, so be wary of anything too
cheap or brands you haven't come across before.

USB OTG storage

You might not realise it, but many Android phones
and tablets support USB OTG (On The Go), which
allows you to plug in peripherals such as storage
drives, just as you would with a PC.

ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 101

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 101

09/04/2015 17:44

Whether or not a device supports OTG won't

always be listed in its spec. A quick and easy way
to check whether your device supports OTG is to
download to it the USB OTG Checker app, free from
Google Play.
Once you've established that your device
supports OTG you simply need an OTG adaptor such
as the Inateck HB3001G. It costs just 12.99 from
Amazon, and has an assortment of USB slots and
card readers for letting you attach peripherals to
your phone or tablet. If you're going to use it simply
to insert a microSD card to a phone that doesn't
support removable memory then the phone should
be able to power the device by itself. However, if you
want to add an external hard drive you'll probably
need to also power the OTG adaptor (a USB power
cable is provided).

Delete unwanted apps & clear app cache

Sometimes you don't really need more storage,
you just need to make better use of what you've
got. Your phone or tablet probably came with
several apps you have no interest in using, and
102 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 102

09/04/2015 17:44

you've probably since installed even more that

you never use.
If you don't use them, uninstall them. If you later
decide you need them then just download them
again - any apps you've paid for at Google Play will
be available to any Android device on which you're
logged into your Google account.
Even the apps you want to keep can be taking
up more space than they require. Over time every
app on your phone fills space with cached files, and
clearing these out can free up some room without
you resorting to one of the other methods listed
here. Clearing your app cache can also help to solve
problems with misbehaving apps.
Clearing your app cache won't delete any
important files on your phone, but keeping things
backed up is never a bad idea.
In clearing your app cache you have two choices.
You can go to Settings, Apps and go through each
app, clearing the cache as required, or you can wipe
the whole lot at once.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 103
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 103

09/04/2015 17:44

We're not referring to a factory reset (although

that will solve your storage problems by returning
your device to its out-of-box state), but to wiping
the app cache. In order to do this you need to enter
Android's Recovery mode and choose to wipe the
app cache.
It's not exactly the same process for all phones,
so it's worth Googling your exact model to see how
you enter recovery mode. On my HTC Desire Eye,
for example, you need to switch it off, then press and
hold volume down, then press and hold the power
button to enter recovery mode. You then press
and hold volume up and power to access recovery
options. An option here offers to wipe the cache
partition (make sure you don't choose wipe data/
factory reset).

Cloud storage
Another really good option for freeing up space on
your Android is to embrace cloud storage on your
smartphone or tablet.
Cloud storage apps such as Dropbox can
automatically back up all your photos to the storage
site, or you can upload only those you want to store
online. Once in the cloud you can free up space by
deleting them from your phone or tablet.
The only down side to using cloud storage is that
you will be able to access those files only when you
have an active internet connection.
Google offers several apps that are usually
built into your phone or tablet for storing online
your music, photos and more. For example, Play
Music lets you store all your tunes in the cloud
for accessing on any device, and if you need to
104 ANDROID ADVISOR ISSUE 13
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 104

09/04/2015 17:44

hear them offline you can also download them to

your phone or tablet. Similarly, Google Drive lets
you store online all your word documents and
spreadsheets.
Using a service such as Spotify is an alternative
to storing tracks on your own device. This musicstreaming service offers a free service (with ads) that
will let you listen to almost any tune you like.

Wireless hard drive

One final option you have for getting access to
more storage on your Android device is by using a
wireless hard drive. A wireless hard drive is exactly
the same as a normal portable hard drive, but you
connect to it via Wi-Fi. Loads of options are available,
and they're becoming more affordable, too.
ISSUE 13 ANDROID ADVISOR 105
Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 105

09/04/2015 17:45

Android Advisor Issue 13.indd 106

09/04/2015 17:45