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08 ADVISOR
Android L vs
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Motorola killed
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 Welcome...
I
t’s that time of year when Apple launches its new
tablets and smartphones – and now smartwatches
– in an attempt to claw back market share from
Android. Is it going to work? Not a chance.
Because while Apple is busy catching up with
Android, Google is on to bigger and better things.
Such as Android L. We’ll take an early look at the
differences between Android L and iOS 8 overleaf.
Samsung is Google’s best-known hardware
partner – the number of Android phones, tablets and
smartwatches it sells is frankly crazy. But at least you
can guarantee there is something for every budget
and every type of person; the same isn’t true for
Apple’s line-up. We pit the best of Apple against the
best of Samsung from page 28, and discuss which
manufacturer you should look to when buying your
next mobile device on page 12.
Of course, there’s really no need for all these
petty Android vs iOS, and Samsung vs Apple,
arguments. We’re not in the playground now. And
the fact is competition will only ever be a positive
thing for consumers (read our thoughts on page 20).
But if you want competition you’ve got it: there
is so much great new tech out there right now
– from tablets and phones to smartwatches and
accessories. It’s a great time to be an Android fan.
As always, we hope you’ve enjoyed this issue of
Android Advisor. Feel free to send us your feedback
via facebook.com/AndroidAdvisorUK or email
[email protected].

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 Android L vs iOS 8
We see how the latest version of Android performs
against its newly updated rival, iOS 8
Availability
The final version of iOS 8 launched in September,
while the finished Android L is expected any day
now. You don’t have to wait that long to check out
Google’s new offering, however – if you’re running a
Nexus 5 or 7 you can get the developer preview.
To run iOS 8 you’ll need an iPhone 4s or later, or
iPad 2, iPad mini or later; for Android L you’ll need
a Google Nexus 5 or Nexus 7 to get the developer
preview, and it will roll out to other devices soon.

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 Design
The design of iOS 8 is mostly unchanged from that
of iOS 7, which is no surprise as it was iOS 7 that
brought the major design changes. iOS 8 has that
‘flat’ design, ditching all signs of skeuomorphism
for minimalism.
This year, it’s Android’s turn for a bit of a design
shake-up. Google has introduced a new ‘Material
Design’ look for Android, which has also been
offered to developers for use in their Android apps.
Android L brings more depth to the operating
system’s appearance using shadows, and also

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 automatically generates little patches of colour
based on the content being displayed.
Additionally, there are new animations and touch
feedback, so the overall look and feel is both smooth
and responsive.

Notifications
In Android L, you’ll find new, enhanced notifications.
You’ll be able to get see them on your lock screen,
and they’ll be automatically listed in priority order.
Swipe them away to dismiss them, or you can
double tap to open them in the relevant app.
Similarly, notifications have improved in iOS 8.
They’re now interactive, so you’ll be able to reply
to text messages, accept calendar invitations,
snooze reminders and even Like Facebook statuses
you’ve been tagged in – all without having to leave
your current app. You can already swipe them to
automatically go to the relevant app, but you can’t
yet swipe to dismiss them (that’s new).

Lock screen
As mentioned above, Android L brings a new
lockscreen to its devices. As well as being able
to see notifications, you’ll also be able to swipe
up to unlock, right to launch the dialler or left to
launch the camera.
In iOS 8, the lockscreen is as it was before. Simply
slide right to unlock it or upward to access the
camera. There’s no quick way to access the dialler.

Multitasking
Multitasking in iOS 7 was already pretty good,
but Apple has taken it a step further by adding

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 recent and favourite contacts to the screen when
you double click the home button to access the
multitasking menu. These contacts appear in a
handy list along the top of your screen, to allow you
to quickly call, text or get in touch via FaceTime.
Android L brings multitasking to a new level for its
users, too. Now, open apps will appear as cards in a
carousel, which you can browse through by sliding
up or down on the screen. To close a particular app,
simply swipe the card to the left or right.
What’s cool (and it’s something that iOS can’t
do yet) is some apps will show multiple cards

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 depending on how you’re using them. For example,
if you’ve got multiple tabs open in Chrome, you’ll
see each of them as an individual card on the
multitasking screen.

Security
Google has introduced a new personal unlocking
feature that will enable users to unlock their
smartphone or tablet without entering their
passcode, but only when they’re close enough to a
device such as an Android Wear smartwatch.
Apple has its Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which is
built-in to the home button of the iPhone 5s. In iOS
7, it was only able to unlock the device or be used
instead of entering Apple ID details, but this will be
opened up to third-party developers with iOS 8 – so
users will be able to use their fingerprint to access
other apps such as banking applications.
The wealth of new security features in both
Android L and iOS 8 won’t be available to
everybody, of course. If you don’t own an iPhone 5s
or an Android Wear smartwatch, you won’t be able
to use them.

Battery life
We don’t yet know exactly how Android L and iOS
8 will affect the battery life of the devices they’re
running on, but both let you identify how individual
apps are draining power, and to make improvements
based on their consumption. Android L has an
additional battery saving mode, which iOS 8 doesn’t.
Google claims that the new battery-saving mode
bundled with Android L will give the Nexus 5 about
90 minutes more battery life.

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 New developer features
Both Google and Apple have added some new tools
for developers that could mean lots of exciting new
abilities will arrive on Android and iOS devices soon.
It’s particularly surprising that Apple has opened
up iOS to developers – as it’s a company that has
always been known for its closed nature.
Apple has introduced what it calls Extensibility,
which basically means that apps in iOS will be
able to ‘talk to each other’ like never before. For
example, using Action extensions, Safari could gain
a Bing translate feature, taking advantage of the
Bing app’s capabilities. Or, Safari could gain a Pin
button for Pinterest users if that app is installed. The
possibilities here are endless, and extremely exciting
for iOS users and developers.
Another element of Apple’s extensions is ‘Today
extensions’ which are actually widgets that can
be chosen to appear in the Today view in iOS 8’s
Notification Centre. Android has had home screen
widgets for a long time, so Apple is bringing itself in
line with its biggest rival with this feature.
Widgets and other extensions are
much more restricted in iOS 8

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 compared to those in Android, though. Apple is keen
to keep its OS secure and, historically, didn’t allow
developers to release apps that were just widgets or
keyboards. For the first time, iOS 8 allows users to
install third-party keyboards.
Google has added several new features in
Android L for developers, such as direct links to
apps from Google searches carried out using
Chrome (something that’s already been available for
a while, but only for a select bunch of developers).
Apple used last year’s iOS 7 to first introduce 64-
bit compatibility to the operating system, and that
continues with iOS 8. For Google, however, Android
L represents the first time the operating system has
been compatible with 64-bit devices. We expect to
see many more smartphones and tablets with 64-bit
chips to emerge in the coming year. This should
mean speedier and smoother performance, and a
big power boost for Android devices.

Health and fitness

Both Apple and Google have unveiled fitness and
health-tracking platforms for their OS updates.
Apple’s offering is called Healthkit, which works with
the new Health app; while Google’s is called Google
Fit for Android.
Both have similar purposes: they’ll help you keep
an eye on your health and fitness thanks to the
sensors on your mobile or wearable devices, and
also some input from you. Healthkit and Google Fit
are platforms for developers to take advantage of,
but Apple’s Health app is a bit like Passbook, pulling
together data from other health and fitness apps into
one, easy-to-access place.

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 Hey, Siri; OK, Google
There’s no doubt that Apple’s new ‘Hey, Siri’
trigger to activate the voice assistant hands-free,
is a feature borrowed from Android’s ‘OK, Google’
activation for Google Now. However, this works only
if the device is running on external power or if Siri is
already open.
Plus, in a similar way to Google Now, Spotlight in
iOS 8 will let you search more than just the contents
of your phone, including the App Store, iBooks Store,
Wikipedia, Maps and iTunes. It’ll also display local
film times and friends’ trending news.

Handoff
Also new in iOS 8 is Handoff, a feature that’s going
to be a huge bonus for anyone with multiple Apple
devices. It’ll mean that, if you’ve been writing an
email on your way home and have just got in the
door, your Mac will automatically ask whether you’d

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 like to continue writing it using OS X instead. It’s not
just for emails, either. Most Apple apps that work
across both OS X and iOS will work with Handoff.
You’ll also be able to pick up calls on your Mac,
and see all of your text messages, even if they’re
not part of iMessage.
Some of these features are available for Android,
too, although third-party apps are required, and
it’s not all quite as seamless or refined as Apple’s
Handoff. If you own a Chromebook, Android L
will automatically unlock your laptop when your
smartphone or tablet is close by, and notifications
will appear on both your laptop and mobile device.

CarPlay and Android Auto

With Android L Google has introduced Android
Auto, which is similar to Apple’s CarPlay feature
unveiled with iOS 7 last year.
They are both very similar services, using your
smartphone to offer you information and controls
on your dashboard, including maps and music.

Compatibility
Another factor to take into consideration when
comparing these two updates is compatibility. iOS 8
will be able to run on the iPhone 4s or later, the iPad
2 or later and both generations of iPad mini.
Those with Android devices might have more
trouble getting their hands on Android L straight
away. If you own a flagship phone or tablet from
Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony, Motorola or any other big-
name brand you should get the update quite quickly.
Anyone with a Google Nexus 5 or Nexus 7 should
get access to Android L right away.

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 Apple or Samsung?
As the two biggest players in the smartphone market,
we consider whether your next smartphone should
be a Samsung Galaxy or an Apple iPhone

S
hould I buy an iPhone or a Samsung is a
question we are often asked. Oddly. There
are, after all, myriad high-class smartphone
makers on the market. But it is the iPhone that
retains the mindshare it gained when exploding
the smartphone market in 2007, and Samsung is
the only brand that comes close. In fact, you could
substitute Samsung for HTC, LG, Sony or Motorola

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 – all have high-end devices that, in our opinion, are
every bit as capable as Apple’s new iPhone 6 and
6 Plus, and together they are the reason Apple will
continue to lose market share in 2015.
But let’s give Apple a chance. Here we attempt to
put aside our Android bias and give you an honest
rundown of your options.

Variety, availability, price range

Samsung wins this. Of course it does. No-one makes
more varieties of smartphone than does Samsung,
and its current products range in price from the £145
Fame up to the high-end S5 and Note 4. Screen
sizes range from the 3.5in Fame up to the frankly
massive 5.5in Note 4. And there are even more
specialised devices such as the Galaxy K Zoom that
is a phone-camera rather than a camera phone.
Yes, all of these devices are Android-toting
touchscreen smartphones, but that is to forget

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 the ATIV S Windows Phone, and to lay aside the
knowledge that the Galaxy Note devices have a
stylus for more complex input. Oh, and while almost
all Samsung handsets are plastic there is some
variety in the metallic Galaxy Alpha. And that is
before we get into varieties of colour and spec.
If it is variety you want, Samsung beats Apple.
But variety is another way of looking at
inconsistency, and if Apple locks down and limits its
product range, it does so because it wishes to sell
only at the high-end of the market. This tends to

“ Apple can’t match Samsung’s

spectrum of the cheap and expensive,
the big and the small, but it has a few
handsets to sell these days
mean that you get a good experience when you buy
an iPhone. And you may be surprised at the current
range – it can’t match Samsung’s spectrum of the
”
cheap and expensive, the big and the small, but
Apple has a few handsets to sell these days.
Available to buy new today from Apple is the
iPhone 6 Plus, the iPhone 6, iPhone 5s and iPhone
5c. Surprised? These are all touchscreen iOS
smartphones, but they range in price from the £319
Phone 5c up to the £789 iPhone 6 Plus. Screen
sizes range from 3.5in to 5.5in (sound familiar), and
like Samsung there is a variety of onboard storage
options from 8GB up to 128GB. Samsung wins out
here by also offering storage expansion slots on
most of its handsets, but it is fair to say that the
iPhone range is broader than it has ever been.

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 Apple iPhones are pretty widely available on the
high street these days, and you can of course buy
directly from Apple. You don’t have the latter option
with Samsung, but it is also fair to say that Samsung
phones are available from more UK vendors than are
iPhones. Perhaps this reflects the wider price variant,
and the cheaper range to which Samsung drops.
Apple wants to keep hold of its margin at the high
end, and Samsung chases volume. But it is only fair
to say that both iPhones and Samsung phones are
easy to find on the UK high street. (There are supply
issues with the iPhone 6 Plus at the time of writing,
but this is unlikely to last.)

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 Build and performance
We’re often asked – again – to ‘prove’ that either
Samsung or Apple phones are better. Faster, usually.
Indeed, we’ve written a whole in-depth feature about
which smartphones are fastest, based on synthetic
benchmarks. The trouble is that, with the best of
intentions, this sort of thing is meaningless. Every
iPhone we have ever used has been super-fast – at
least to start off with. And the same is true of every
Samsung handset, with the exception of the truly
cheap ones that tend to be a little laggy. But you
get what you pay for in the smartphone world. The
cheapest iPhone – the 5c – is a two-year-old 5s in
a plastic case. And it is priced accordingly. Some
synthetic benchmarks will tell you that Samsung

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 is the fastest, or iPhone rules all. But in reality it
is nonsense. Pay good money for an iPhone or a
Samsung and you will get good performance.
The question of design and build is more
nuanced, but boils down to this: out of the box
iPhones tend to be prettier, but Samsungs are more
robust. You will need a case for your aluminium
iPhone, but most Samsung phones are constructed
principally of plastic. It may not look as shiny, but it is
likely to withstand life in your pocket a little better.

“ Most Samsung phones are

plastic. It may not look as shiny,
but it is likely to withstand life
in your pocket a little better

Android vs iOS
Samsung vs iPhone is equal to Android vs iOS. And
”
it isn’t a simple question to answer. Android isn’t like
it used to be: if you are new to the smartphone game
there’s no obvious winner. These are the two most
popular and best mobile operating systems around
so it’s about picking which one is right for you.
In essence, if you are a long-term iOS user you
are probably best off sticking with what you know.
You have after all almost certainly spent a lot of cash
on apps that you’ll have to spend again in Android.
But it is worth considering that your iTunes music
files will work in Android, and Android offers the
opportunity of shopping around for music, movies,
books and TV shows.

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 So, basically, Samsung phones offer more
opportunity for customisation, and a variety of
places from which to buy. iPhones offer a more
locked down but curated experience. Samsung
phones mean that Google is using Android to collect
anonymous data to be used to anonymously target
advertising. But iPhones force you to pay through
the nose for iTunes (and no Samsung has ever
forcibly downloaded Bono and his mates on to
your phone). Read our Android L vs iOS 8 article
on page 3 for a more detailed comparison on these
two operating systems.

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 The verdict
If you are in the market for a new smartphone and
have never owned either an iPhone or a Samsung,
rest assured that you are looking at two of the best
brands around. But not the only brands. Samsung
will offer you something at the cheaper end of the
market, but it won’t be anything like as good as an
iPhone... or a higher-priced Samsung. And both
brands offer a variety of handsets, but Samsung’s
variety stretches wider. Ultimately, work out what you
want from a phone and how much you are prepared
to pay. Then consider the marginal differences
between Android and iOS, and make a decision.
And remember to try before you buy.

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 Opinion:
Everybody steals
Did Samsung copy Apple, or did Apple copy Samsung?
And, as the consumer, do we really care, asks David Price

A
few years ago, I was asked to appear
(extremely briefly) on a Channel 5 news
programme and talk about Apple’s then
patent dispute with Samsung. In those days, the
case seemed to have been going on for longer than
Jarndyce v Jarndyce, and patience was running thin;

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 most observers felt that Judge Koh should knock
the executives’ heads together and tell them to stop
wasting the court’s time.
Having never ‘done TV’ before, I was unprepared
for a classic presenters’ trick: rehearsing the
interview beforehand as a means to appropriate
my carefully prepared remarks and use them as
part of the filmed questions. (Keep your powder dry
during rehearsals if you don’t want to look like a
mug – there’s a bit of free advice for prospective TV
interviewees.) But more than this, I remember being
thrown by the suggestion that Apple v Samsung
“is just a playground argument, isn’t it?” We were
talking about products that bring in billions upon
billions in high-margin revenue. How much more
serious could it get?
The more I think about patent litigation, however,
the more I wonder if the presenter was right after
all – and as an Apple fan, the more relieved I am that
Tim Cook’s attitude to the courts is so much more
hands-off than his predecessor’s. Defending your

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 intellectual property is one thing, but most of the
major showdowns in the great mobile patent wars,
once you forget about the number of noughts on the
claims for damages, have been just as ‘he started it’
petty as the average primary school dispute.
Because, when it comes down to it, all tech
companies – indeed, all inventors – steal each
other’s ideas in some sense of the word. It’s
unavoidable. And it’s a good thing. It’s how the
transport industry went from horse-drawn carriages
to space shuttles within a lifetime. You couldn’t
double the number of transistors on a chip every 24
months if somebody had a patent on the transistor,
and charged everyone else a licensing fee.
Steve Jobs once famously claimed – in
characteristically melodramatic tones – that Android
was a “stolen product”, arguing that Google boss
Eric Schmidt had used his time on the Apple board
to gain an unfair advantage when launching Android
a short while after the iPhone. (I’d take this with a
grain of salt, but it’s probably fair to say that Android
was, at the very least, inspired by the iPhone, and
that in its absence, it would have looked a bit more
BlackBerry-esque.)
And yet, all these years later, it’s Apple that’s
most often accused of technological larceny, with

“
All tech companies steal each other’s ideas.
It’s unavoidable. And it’s a good thing

22 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 8

”
Android Advisor Issue 8.indd 22 10/10/2014 12:47
 “
While it’s reasonable to defend the specific
implementation of a concept, the ideas need to
be open for the good of the industry

observers pointing out that the widgets, system-

wide customisation options, whole-word predictive
typing, app preview videos and other ‘new’ features
”
in iOS – even down to the “Hey Siri!” hotword voice
activation – had appeared in some form in earlier
editions of Android.
In the end, the truth is that each one of these
great software platforms is utterly indebted to the
other: that inspiration is a two-way street, and a
vital part of the process of innovation. In 1979 Apple
strolled into Xerox’s research facilities and absorbed
lessons that would manifest themselves in the Lisa
graphical user interface; Microsoft took those ideas
and carried them forward into Windows (at which
point Apple did what it has since become famous
for doing: rang up the lawyers). But the synthesis of
those ideas, and the healthy competition between
operating systems in the years that followed, forced
each company to be more innovative.
iOS and Android couldn’t possibly exist in their
present incarnations without the other to spur them
on, criticise and compete with them, and frequently
inspire them. And, while it’s entirely reasonable to
defend the specific implementation of a concept,
the ideas themselves need to be open to everyone
for the good of the industry.

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 Opinion:
Childish arguments
Martyn Casserly provides his thoughts on the Apple
vs Samsung – and now Microsoft vs Google – disputes

A
t a recent bullying-prevention class in her
school, my nine-year-old daughter was
given some rather interesting advice:
“Say something to confuse them!” This left me

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 “ Google was presented as an
untrustworthy menace, reading your emails,
stealing your data, setting fire to your favourite

”
scarf and mugging your cats
wondering whether the teacher in question thought
that bullies were in fact evil robots from 1970s sci-fi
TV shows. If they were then this is sound advice,
as a surreal response would instantly send the
automaton into a spiralling frenzy of logic, bleating
“Does not compute! Does not compute!”, until finally
their circuits exploded in a cloud of confusion.
Like a playground spat, anyone who followed the
patent disputes between Apple and Samsung over
the past year or so will be able to tell you the two
companies aren’t very fond of each other.
The two companies locked horns repeatedly until
it was decided that Samsung had to pay around a
billion dollars in damages. This sparked one of our
favourite modern internet rumours, when some
people suggested that Samsung was filling up a fleet
of trucks to deliver the blood money to the Apple
campus all lovingly counted out in individual cents.
As wonderful as this seemed, the logistics alone
would probably have doubled the cost of the suit
itself, so the mountain of money never came to be.
Not to be outdone, Microsoft flexed its advertising
budget in the direction of Google, launching the
Scroogled campaign. In this series of ads, the
search specialist was presented as an untrustworthy
menace, reading your emails, stealing your data,
setting fire to your favourite scarf, mugging your
cats, and generally being a jolly nuisance.

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 Chromebooks had a separate mini-campaign,
which included Z-list celebrities explaining how it
wasn’t a real laptop because it didn’t run Windows
or Office – which, of course, would be seen as a
selling point by others. Microsoft got so excited with
its Scroogled catchphrase that it even had T-shirts
printed and sold them in its store. Google responded
to the attacks by saying that competition in the
wearable sector was indeed heating up, then
dropped the microphone and left the stage.
Then China got involved, banning Windows 8
entirely on any government-linked machines. The
reasons for this OSacide boiled down to the country
mumbling something about energy emissions, but
those of us who live to draw wild assumptions think
it’s more likely linked to Microsoft’s outrageous
behaviour when it prematurely ended support for
Windows XP (which runs on an estimated 50 percent
of PCs in China) after a paltry 13 years.
Of course, it could also have had something to do
with the US House Intelligence Committee declaring
several months before that Chinese technology
manufacturers Huawei and ZTE were spying on
Americans through their routers and other branded
devices. This became a particularly ironic claim
when reports were subsequently leaked showing

“ Z-list celebrities explained how

Chromebooks aren’t real laptops because
they don’t run Windows or Office

26 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 8

”
Android Advisor Issue 8.indd 26 10/10/2014 12:47
 “ Samsung, I don’t care what
Apple’s doing. Does that mean you have
to do the same? No. So put down that prototype

”
and brush your teeth
that the NSA had used invasive techniques to spy on
Huawei corporate servers.
Of course, the NSA hadn’t just kept its generous
surveillance and freedom-bringing joy to the Far
East. Oh no. Sadly, it came as no great surprise
when Edward Snowden revealed that the agency
had, in fact, been watching and storing pretty much
everything that happened anywhere in the world
– except for its own offices, which somehow seemed
incapable of presenting records of its endeavours.
So, in a short space of time we’ve gone from a
spat over how round a phone’s corner should be,
to everyone in the world in essence living in the Big
Brother house. To quote that paragon of modern
journalism Ron Burgundy, “Wow, that escalated fast.”
The truth is, they’re usually such good companies.
But, when everyone’s watching, they sometimes
get over-excited. A good night’s sleep and they’ll
be as right as rain.
What’s that Microsoft? Yes, you can wear the
Scroogled shirt in bed, but tomorrow that goes to the
charity shop. Now, no talking to Google or brokering
trade agreements with China, you need your rest.
Samsung, I don’t care what Apple’s doing. Does
that mean you have to do the same? No. So put
down that prototype and brush your teeth.

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 Samsung Galaxy S5 vs
Apple iPhone 6
How do Apple and Samsung’s flagship smartphones
compare? We find out

S
amsung and Apple are key rivals, so
naturally we wanted to compare the top-end
smartphone from each manufacturer spec
for spec. Let's see how the brand-new iPhone 6 and
six-month-old Samsung Galaxy S5 compare.
The iPhone 6 costs from £539 for the 16GB model,
£619 for 64GB and £699 for 128GB. By comparison,
the older Samsung Galaxy S5 is now available for
around £400, despite its £599 RRP.

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 Design
What’s more important, good looks or durability?
That’s the argument presented by the good-looking
iPhone 6 and the more durable Galaxy S5.
The iPhone 6 retains that luxurious and premium
desirability Apple is so good at, and is both thinner
and lighter than the S5. However, we’ve seen
nothing to suggest the device is any less delicate
than before, so it will require a case if you want to
avoid wear and tear.
Samsung’s use of plastic in its flagship
smartphones is something we’ve criticised for a long
time, but it does at least have the advantage that the
device is less delicate. The Galaxy S5 is also dust-
and waterproof, which is a bonus.

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 Screen
The headline news with the iPhone 6 is a larger
screen. But its 4.7in display is still smaller than the
5.1in panel on the Galaxy S5. The resolution is lower,
too, with the full-HD S5 offering 432ppi and the
750x1334 iPhone 6 topping out at 326ppi.
Apple and Samsung use contrasting screen tech:
the iPhone 6 uses a LED-backlit IPS LCD panel, while
the Galaxy S5 uses Super AMOLED. Both offer great
viewing angles, but the iPhone 6’s display looks
more natural than do Samsung’s popping colours.

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 Processor and memory
With the iPhone 6 Apple has introduced its new A8
chip, which it claims offers 25 percent more CPU
power and 50 percent better efficiency than the A7.
The new M8 co-processor can identify what type
of activity you’re doing, estimate distance and, with
the introduction of a barometer, detect elevation
change. Apple doesn’t state the amount of RAM, but
we’re hearing that it’s 1GB.
Inside the Galaxy S5 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon
801 processor, also found in many of its high-end
Android rivals. It’s quad-core, clocked at 2.5GHz,
and is accompanied by 2GB of RAM. The phone also
has the ability to track steps without the need for a
separate device connected over Bluetooth.
While the processor and memory
specs differ, as will – we’re sure
– synthetic benchmark
results, we’re talking
about two top-end
smartphones. You
can expect smooth
performance with
either device.

Storage
The amount of storage
you need will depend
on how you use your
smartphone. Both S5
and iPhone offer 16GB as
standard. While Samsung lets
you boost storage via microSD
(up to 128GB), Apple would

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 rather you paid for that storage up front: there’s no
support for removable storage, but the iPhone 6 is
also available in 64- and 128GB versions.

Other hardware
With the core hardware covered, let’s look at
additional features. With the iPhone 6 Apple has
added a few things already found in the S5, such
as 11ac Wi-Fi and NFC; the latter will be used for
ApplePay, which is available only in the US until
sometime next year.
Both phones have a fingerprint scanner built
into the home button, while the Galaxy S5 also
has a heart-rate scanner and an IR blaster.
If you intend to do any 4G roaming, the iPhone 6
supports a greater number of LTE bands.

Cameras
When it comes to photography it may surprise some
that Apple has stuck with an 8Mp iSight camera
on the iPhone 6, although it does now have phase
detection autofocus, digital image stabilisation and

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 slo-mo video at 240fps. It has the usual features
such as HDR and panorama, too, but it limited to
1080p video at 60fps.
The Galaxy S5 can record video in 4K quality at
30fps and does 1080p at 60fps with digital image
stabilisation and phase detection autofocus. It has
a 16Mp stills camera, but the pixel size is smaller at
1.12 µm compared to the iPhone’s 1.5 µm. Both have
a dual-tone LED flash, too, so we’d say the 4K is the
standout difference here.
If you’re a selfie fan then the Galaxy S5 has a
decent 2Mp camera, which can shoot video at
1080p. The iPhone 6 has a lower-resolution 1.2Mp
Facetime HD camera, which is limited to 720p video.

Software
Software is the key difference between these
two phones. While the iPhone 6 runs iOS 8, the
Samsung Galaxy S5 runs Android KitKat with
Samsung’s TouchWiz UI; it will soon be upgraded
to Android L, too. Check out our feature on
page 3 to see how they differ.

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 Samsung Galaxy Note 4
vs Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Samsung and Apple’s phablets go head to head in
our specification comparison review

A
pple and Samsung both launched their new
flagship phablets in September. Samsung’s
done this all before, but for Apple it’s its first
attempt at a phablet. Does it really stand a chance
against Samsung’s know-how? Let’s find out.
Even though the Galaxy Note 4 is priced at a hefty
£575 (at Clove), the iPhone 6 Plus is even more
expensive – one of the most expensive smartphones
we’ve ever seen, starting at £619.
There’s only one model of the Note 4, whereas
Apple offers the 6 Plus in three capacities – you
could spend up to £789 for the top-end model.

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 Design
Apple puts a lot of effort into making each iPhone
thinner than the last; the iPhone 6 Plus is 7.1mm,
which is impressive for a phone this size. The Galaxy
Note 4 is not much thicker at 8.5mm, and both weigh
very similar amounts at 172- and 176g respectively.
Either way, you’re buying a huge phone. The fact
Apple has moved the power button from the top to
the side on the iPhone 6 Plus is testament to this.
Samsung and Apple normally employ contrasting
use of materials when it comes to phones and
although the Note 4 has a metal edge, it still uses
a faux leather rear cover. The iPhone is still a
combination of glass and aluminium, with an iPad-
like rounded shape.
We’ve held both phones and the iPhone 6 Plus
is more desirable, but like previous iPhones it feels
delicate. The device will need a case if you don’t

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 want to tarnish its shiny exterior, whereas the
Galaxy Note 4 feels more durable.

Screen
With its 5.5in display it’s a huge jump in size for the
iPhone 6 Plus (1.5in bigger when compared to the
iPhone 5s). However, it’s still not as big as the Galaxy
Note 4 which remains at 5.5in like its predecessor.
There’s no difference in size then, but let’s look at
resolution. Not only is the iPhone 6 Plus the biggest
ever, it’s got the highest resolution and pixel density
of any smartphone Apple has made – a display
which it calls Retina HD. It uses a full-HD (1080x1920)
resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 401ppi.
Samsung has opted for a Quad HD resolution
like the LG G3, meaning the Galaxy Note 4 has
1440x2650 pixels and a resulting pixel density of
515ppi. The iPhone’s screen is still excellent –
just not as excellent.

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 Processor and GPU
The Galaxy Note 4 is one of the first devices to come
with a 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805
(or a 1.9/1.3GHz Exynos octa-core processor in some
markets). It’s a 64-bit processor, so ready for Android
L, and the phone has 3GB of RAM.
Apple’s A8 is another 64-bit ARM-based CPU. This
dual-core chip may seem less impressive, as does
the 1GB of RAM, but Apple does this to save power
and maximise battery life. The A8 is more powerful
than the A7 before it, and the M8 co-processor can
now detect activity types and elevation.
The Galaxy Note 4 may win on paper, but the
iPhone 6 Plus has benchmarked better than any
other phone we’ve seen to date and shouldn’t be
underestimated. That said, we’ve yet to run our
benchmarks on the Note 4. As two high-end phones,
we’d struggle to find someone who is disappointed
by the performance of either.

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 Storage
As we mentioned earlier, the Galaxy Note 4 is
available in just one model, 32GB. Apple offers
three choices: 16-, 64- and 128GB.
The Note 4 has more storage as standard, plus
it has a microSD slot that lets you add up to 128GB.
If you want that much storage on the 6 Plus you’ll
pay through the nose for it.

Wireless
The pair are fitted with the latest dual-band 11ac Wi-
Fi and NFC, although the latter is used by the iPhone
6 Plus only for Apple Pay, and only in the US for now.
While the iPhone 6 Plus has Bluetooth 4.0, the Note
4 has version 4.1. Apple’s new smartphone supports
more 4G LTE bands, which will
make it better for roaming, but
the Note 4 has faster 4G with Cat
6 (300Mbps) compared to Cat 4
(150Mbps). Bear in mind that these
are just theoretical maximums.

Unique features
With top-end design and core
specs, unique selling points
are becoming more and more
important to differentiate
smartphones. Let’s look at what
the iPhone 6 Plus and Note 4
have on offer.
Both phones have a fingerprint
scanner, while the Note 4 adds an
S Pen stylus, heart-rate monitor,
UV sensor and an IR blaster.

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 Cameras
The rear-facing camera on the Galaxy Note 4 is
16Mp and comes with Smart OIS (optical image
stabilisation). The HDR mode also offers a live
preview, which is nice touch. Apple has stuck
with the same 8Mp iSight camera, but has made
upgrades, including phase detection auto focus
and optical image stabilisation. The latter isn’t
even available on the iPhone 6.
On the video side of things the iPhone 6 Plus has
improved face detection and slow motion video at
240fps – twice that of the iPhone 5S – plus time-
lapse video. However, it doesn’t shoot video in 4K
quality like the Galaxy Note 4.
Samsung wins on the front camera, with a 3.7Mp
snapper that’s also capable of full-HD video. The
iPhone 6 Plus has an improved FaceTime HD
camera, but is 1.2Mp and limited to 720p HD video.

Software
Another key difference between these phones is the
software they run. Check out our feature on page 3
to see the differences between iOS 8 and Android L.

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 Coming soon:
Nexus 9 & Nexus X
It’s not just phones on which Apple and Google will
compete; both are also lining up their next tablets

A
pple was due to launch its new iPad Air and
mini tablets, plus potentially an iPad Pro, the
week after we went to press. But a Google
product launch is also imminent, and not only will
we see the final version of Android L, but some new
devices on which to promote it.
Of the rumours we’ve seen, the most likely are of
a potential Nexus 9 tablet and Nexus X phablet.

HTC Nexus 9
According to rumours, HTC is working
on a Nexus 9 device codenamed
Volantis. Convincing leaked
images reveal a very similar style
and design to the Nexus 7.
Both HTC and Nexus logos
are printed on the back,
which appears to have the
same matt-finish plastic rear cover.
The shape suggests a possible aspect
ratio of 4:3 – like the iPad mini – which would be a
departure from the 16:9 found on the Nexus 7.
If the rumours are to be believed then for that
money you get an 8.9in display with a 2048x1440
resolution (that’s 281ppi), an nVidia Logan Tegra K1

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 64-bit processor, 2GB of RAM and 16- or 32GB of
storage. Cameras will be 8Mp and 3Mp, with an LED
flash. The Nexus 9 will measure just 7.87mm and
weigh 418g, with a ‘zero-gap’ aluminium construction
and front-facing stereo speakers. The Nexus 9 may
also come with a Type Cover.

Motorola Nexus X
The other product thought to be in the pipeline is a
Nexus X phablet, built by Motorola and codenamed
Shamu. It’s expected to look like a larger version of
Motorola’s flagship Moto X, with a 5.9in Quad-HD
(2560x1440, 496ppi) display and a fingerprint reader.
According to rumours the Nexus X will run a
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 CPU and have 3GB of
RAM, 32GB of storage, plus 13- and 2Mp cameras.
With all the contradictory rumours flying around,
however, it’s quite possible that Google will launch
both a phablet and a smartphone.

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 Best new products
We round up some of the best new
Android devices and accessories

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Phablet
One of the most interesting smartphones
to launch for years is the Note Edge with its
new take on the curved screen. In essence,
it’s a Galaxy Note 4 with an additional
screen section on the side that can be used
to display icons, notifications and more. A UK
release for the device is still up in the air.
Around £650 inc VAT
samsung.com/uk

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 Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact
Tablet
Sony has finally made a smaller tablet and the hard-to-pronounce
device is one of the thinnest around at 6.4mm. The 8in Z3 Tablet
Compact has Sony’s classic style and is water-resistant. Key features
include support for high-res audio playback and PS4 Remote Play.
£329 inc VAT
sonymobile.com/gb

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 Samsung Gear VR
Virtual reality headset
Rather than an Oculus Rift rival, the firm has
teamed up with Samsung on the Gear VR. It offers a
96-degree field of view and a touchpad for control.
The price might seem outstandingly affordable but
you’ll need to slot in a Galaxy Note 4 for it to work.
£150 inc VAT
samsung.com/uk

Lenovo Tab S8
Tablet
Lenovo’s latest effort is a contender for best-value tablet with its sub-
£150 price tag. Not only is it well built, it also comes with decent specs.
Its 8in screen offers 1920x1200 resolution, and there is a 64-bit Intel
Bay Trail-T Atom Android L-ready processor and front-facing speakers.
£149 inc VAT
lenovo.com/uk/en

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 Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Smartphone
We liked the Xperia Z1 Compact and
are even more impressed with the Z3
Compact. It has a larger 4.6in screen in
a slimmer and lighter body, new colours
and many of the full-size Z3’s features,
including a 20.7Mp camera, high-res
audio and PS4 Remote Play.
£429 inc VAT
sonymobile.com/gb

LG G Watch R
Smartwatch
The hype around the Moto 360 has been monumental, so LG has quite rightly announced its own round
smartwatch. It runs on Android Wear and has almost identical specs to its rivals, which makes the
design the unique selling point. The device will come in black or silver with a leather strap included.
£199 inc VAT
lg.com/uk

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 Cardboard projector
Smartphone projector
We like simple, cheap and nifty gadgets and
this one ticks all those boxes. The cardboard
smartphone projector does what it says on
the tin, allowing you to project what’s on your
phone via the cardboard housing (complete
with retro styling) and an 8x glass lens.
£15 inc VAT
firebox.com

Asus ZenWatch
Smartwatch
Asus has joined the smartwatch party with
the ZenWatch. The wearable gadget runs
Google’s Android Wear OS, and features
a stainless steel case, leather strap and
1.63in 2.5D curved screen.
£199 inc VAT
asus.com/uk

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 Motorola Moto X (2014))
Smartphone
The second-generation Moto X has some
nice upgrades including a Full HD 5.2in
screen and a 13Mp camera. The Moto Maker
has now reached the UK so you can custom-
build it with different colours, materials and
engraving — although some cost extra.
£419 inc VAT
motorola.co.uk

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 Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Smartphone
Samsung has finally introduced
some cold, hard metal into a
smartphone design in the form of the
Galaxy Alpha. Like the Galaxy S5, it
has a fingerprint scanner and heart
rate monitor, though, the Alpha has
a smaller 4.7in 720p screen, a 12Mp
camera and no microSD card slot.
£500 inc VAT
samsung.com/uk

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 nVidia Shield Tablet
Tablet
If you’re looking for a tablet to game on,
then check out the nVidia Shield Tablet. It’s
been created specifically for gamers, and
as such has an optional dedicated wireless
controller. Inside is a Tegra K1 processor
and up-front is an 8in Full HD display.
£239 inc VAT
nvidia.co.uk

USB wall socket

USB wall socket
Fed up of losing your charger or struggling to find a
free socket when you do have it to hand? This straight
swap charging plate has two USB ports for charging your
devices while other things are plugged in. And if nothing
is plugged in the ports won’t draw any power.
£20 inc VAT
groupgear.co.uk

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 Asus ZenFone
Smartphone
Announced back in January at CES, Asus has
decided to bring its budget ZenFone range to
the UK. There are three different sizes available
ranging from 4- to 6in. All come with Intel Atom
processors (apart from the 4G model) and
removable rear covers in various colours.
£99 inc VAT
asus.com/uk

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 Parrot Rolling Spider
Mini-drone
Until now Parrot’s drones have been big and
expensive. The Rolling Spider mini-drone
weighs just 55g and can be controlled from
a free mobile app. Optional wheels let the
drone go up walls and race across ceilings.
£89 inc VAT
parrot.com

Cogito Classic
Smartwatch
Not all smartwatches have
a huge touchscreen and
the Cogito Classic is one of
them. Instead, it looks like
a regular wrist watch, while
providing notifications in the
background when connected
to an iOS or Android device.
It’s available in different
colours and is waterproof up
to 100m.
£129 inc VAT
cogitowatch.com

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 New product:
HTC Desire Eye
HTC’s Desire Eye continues the selfie craze with
a 13Mp front-facing camera

T
he selfie is one of the biggest trends of 2014,
and we’ve witnessed the launch of various
smartphones dedicated to the craze. As
expected, HTC announced the Desire Eye as we
went to press. Here’s what you need to know about
the HTC Desire Eye.
Announced alongside the HTC Re camera,
the Desire Eye will launch early November from
HTC.com and selected retailers including Three
and Carphone Warehouse. A price has yet to be
announced, but we expect it to be in the upper mid-
range: £300- to 400.

Specs and features

The unique selling point of the Desire Eye is its 13Mp
front-facing camera and dual-tone LED flash. This is
for improved selfies, and that same camera is also
found on the rear of the phone. It’s worth noting that
it also comes with a dedicated shutter button on the
side, much like Sony Xperia handsets.
It looks similar to the recently announced Desire
820, but has an IPX7 rating, which means it is
water-resistant. We suspect it is splashproof rather
than fully waterproof, however – HTC says not to
use the product under water.

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 Core specs include a 5.2in full-HD screen, a
Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 16GB of
internal storage and a microSD card slot.
The device comes with Android 4.4 KitKat and
HTC’s Sense 6 user interface. It’s the launch device
for the HTC Eye experience, which uses face
tracking to keep you (and your friends) perfectly
framed at all times.
The software also supports screen sharing and
‘Split Capture’, which combines simultaneous photos
and videos taken on the front- and back cameras
into one split-screen image or video. Crop-Me-In
places you at the heart of the action by cropping you
from the image or video taken with the front-facing
camera and positioning it within the scene captured
by the main camera.

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 New product:
HTC Re camera
This odd-looking device is a rival to the GoPro –
and it’s actually pretty cool

H
TC’s RE camera is a small handheld camera
that allows you to “naturally capture and fully
experience the moment, through video and
photography, without anything getting in your way”.
It’s a rival to GoPro, Autographer and others.
HTC has confirmed that the RE camera will be
available through EE, Three and “selected consumer
electronics retail partners” in the UK from early
November. The device will cost £169.

Specs and features

HTC says that the RE camera, which looks just like
a periscope, will ‘re-imagine the point-and-shoot
category’ with its 16Mp CMOS sensor, wide-angle
lens and full-HD video recording. It comes in a range
of colours, including white, blue, green and orange.
The RE camera doesn’t have a power button.
Instead, a sensor in the grip knows when you’re
holding it and switches it on, helping to avoid any
missed photo opportunities. The single shutter
button will take a photo with one tap and record
video when long-pressed.
With the accompanying RE app – available for iOS
and Android – you can get a live viewfinder in which
to frame shots and watch live action. It also provides

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 a way of browsing photos and videos already stored
on the camera, and can back up all the content to
your phone and the cloud.
• 16Mp stills, 1/2.3in CMOS sensor, 146-degree wide-
angle lens, f/2.8
• 1080p@30fps video, 720p@4x slow motion
• Compatibility: Android 4.3 and iOS 7 or later
• IP57 dust- and water-resistant (IP58 with cap)
• 8GB storage, microSD up to 128GB
• Bluetooth 4.0 LE, 802.11n, microUSB, 1/4in tripod
• HD microphone, speaker
• 820mAh battery (1,200 16Mp photos or 1 hr 40 mins
full-HD video)

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 Review:
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
The Tab S 10.5 is poised to take on the iPad Air
and Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet, but how does it fare?

£399 • samsung.com/uk •

S
amsung’s Galaxy Tab S range consists of two
models, the 10.5in tablet reviewed here, and
the 8.4in Tab S. Both are available in ‘Dazzling
White’ and ‘Titanium Bronze’.
At £399, the Tab S 10.5 is well priced to take on
key rivals the iPad Air and Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet.

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 Design and build
The Tab S looks very similar to previous Samsung
tablets, although it takes a few design touches from
the Samsung Galaxy S5. Like the smartphone it has
a dimpled plastic rear cover, which feels cheap in
contrast to the device’s metal edge, a physical home
button and a pair of touch-sensitive keys. There is
also a fingerprint scanner.
Two circles on the rear work with Samsung’s
optional Book Cover. This accessory clips on to
the tablet and holds on tight. It’s available in
various colours and allows you to tilt the tablet
into four viewing positions.
The Tab S is just 6.6mm thick, making it thinner
than the iPad Air but not quite as petite as the Sony
Xperia Z2 Tablet. At 465g it’s nice and light for a
tablet with a large screen, and it’s easy enough to
hold it one-handed for a reasonable amount of time.
That’s lighter than the iPad Air, but Sony’s tablet is an
even lighter option.

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 Unlike Samsung’s S5 and the Xperia Z2 Tablet,
the Tab S is not dust- or waterproof.
Samsung claims 50 percent of tablet owners use
their tablet for watching, or reading content, so it
makes sense for it to also claim the Tab S has the
“world’s greatest screen” for a tablet.
At 10.5in and with a 16:10 aspect ratio this display
is well suited to watching films and TV shows. The
resolution is extremely high, at 2560x1600, and
stunningly crisp with a pixel density of 280ppi.
This Super AMOLED panel makes content look
great but, as we’ve found in the past, it can be a
bit over the top. An adaptive display mode aims
to adjust the display’s gamma, saturation and
sharpness, depending on the content to hand.

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 Samsung has also supplied a pair of stereo
speakers, even if they are side-mounted.
The Tab S 10.5 is packed with technology,
including an IR blaster and a fingerprint scanner.
It supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS,
but not NFC. A 4G LTE model is also available,
adding roughly £100 to the price.
You get a choice of 16- or 32GB of storage,
and a microSD slot lets you add a further 128GB.
A generous 3GB of RAM is coupled with
Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa processor, which has
four 1.9GHz cores and four 1.3GHz cores. The more
powerful cores are employed for demanding tasks,
while the remaining four place less strain on the
battery when the tablet is busy with simpler tasks.
The Tab S performed very well in our benchmarks,
with 2769 points in Geekbench 3 (slightly higher
than the Xperia Z2 Tablet). It was also very close to
its Sony rival in SunSpider with 1079ms.
However, in our graphics benchmark, GFXBench
3.0 T-Rex, the Tab S underperformed with just 14fps.
This is in comparison to the Xperia Z2 Tablet’s 27fps.

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 And it’s not just in the latter benchmark that
the Tab S struggled: we found it surprisingly
laggy on occasion, even when it wasn’t under
a particularly great load.
Should you really want to take a photo on a 10.5in
tablet, the Tab S 10.5 is well-equipped with an 8Mp
rear-facing camera with an LED flash. There’s also a
2.1Mp front camera for video chat and selfies.

Software
The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat with
Samsung’s latest TouchWiz software. It looks just the
Galaxy S5 interface, with the same icons, widgets
and drop-down notification bar.
We like the way recent apps pop up at the bottom
of the screen rather than taking over completely,

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 and you can swipe in from the right to access Multi-
Window, which lets you run two apps side-by-side.
Another handy item if you have a compatible
Samsung smartphone is SideSync 3.0, which lets
you respond to calls and text messages.
The Magazine UX makes sense only if you use
the built-in email and calendar apps – use Google’s
alternatives and nothing will appear here, and you
can’t remove it.
Runtime is excellent, thanks to a high-capacity
7900mAh battery. In standby it holds its charge
incredibly well, and even when used to watch video
you’ll get around 12 hours playback from the Tab S.

Verdict
The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 is one of Samsung’s best ever
tablets. It has a thin and light design, although there
is still too much plastic. Hardware is decent, with
an impressive display and great battery life. It’s got
pretty much everything you could want in a tablet,
and it is priced competitively against its key rivals.

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 Review:
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4
Samsung’s baby Tab S is the best new
tablet we’ve seen in 2014

£319 • samsung.com/uk •

A
smaller version of the Tab S 10.5 reviewed
on the previous page, the Tab S 8.4 is one
of the best compact tablets we’ve ever
reviewed, taking on the likes of the iPad mini 2
and Google Nexus 7.
It’s priced to match Apple’s mini at £319, and like
that tablet you can add mobile connectivity at extra
cost. The Nexus 7 is cheaper, albeit not as powerful,
available from £199.

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 Design and build
As with its bigger brother, the Tab S 8.4 comes in
Dazzling White’ and ‘Titanium Bronze’. It’s also very
thin and light, just 6.6mm thick and 294g, making it
easy to hold in one hand.
The design is very ‘Samsung’, and the Tab S 8.4
takes the dimpled plastic rear cover, physical home
button and fingerprint scanner from the Samsung
Galaxy S5 smartphone.
The Tab S 8.4 is, like the 10.5, compatible with
Samsung’s Book Cover, which explains the two odd-
looking circles on the rear. Not only does it protect
the screen but it allows you to tilt the tablet in four
viewing positions.
Despite the slimmed down chassis and smaller
price tag, the Tab S 8.4 shares many of its hardware
specifications with the Tab S 10.5, in our view making
it the better buy.

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 So, while the screen
is a couple of inches
smaller, it adopts the same
16:10 aspect ratio and
whopping 2560x1600
resolution, producing
a higher pixel density
of 359ppi. In fact, that’s
the highest pixel density
we’ve seen on a tablet.
The quality shows: this Super AMOLED
panel is amazingly crisp and clear, and totally
lives up to Samsung’s claim that it has the “world’s
greatest screen” for a tablet. The punchy colours
can be a little oversaturated, but an adaptive display
mode adjusts the gamma, saturation and sharpness
depending on the content.
Side-mounted stereo speakers are better than
no stereo speakers, and combined with the high-res
screen make this a fantastic tablet for watching
films, browsing photos and playing games. They
pack a reasonable punch, but quality deteriorates
at high volume levels.
Unlike its rivals the Tab S 8.4 features both an
IR blaster (oddly this is found on the device’s side)
and a fingerprint scanner.
Storage is 16- or 32GB, plus you can add a
microSD card up to 128GB in capacity.
The Tab S 8.4 is fitted with the same processor
and RAM combo as its bigger brother: you get
Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa-core processor, with four
1.9GHz- and four 1.3GHz cores, plus 3GB of memory.
It’s no surprise that it performed almost identically
to the 10.5 in our benchmarks. In Geekbench we

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 saw 2675 points; SunSpider measured 1089ms; and
in GFXBench the 8.4 turned in the same lowly 14fps.
From a user perspective, performance is smooth.
But, as with the Tab S 10.5, at times we found the 8.4
laggy, even when it wasn’t under a significant load –
sometimes just switching on the screen or opening
an app could hold us up.
Connectivity wise you’ll find 802.11ac Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS, but no NFC.
The smaller Tab S 8.4 is more likely to be used
for photography than its larger sibling, so it’s good
to see the same camera setup. You get an 8Mp rear
camera with LED flash, plus a 2.1Mp front camera.
Both cameras are of decent quality.

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 Software
Alongside Android 4.4.2 KitKat Samsung has
preinstalled TouchWiz. As we mentioned in our
review of the Tab S 10.5, this is not our favourite
mobile OS overlay. However, it has both good
and bad points, and whether you like it will largely
come down to personal taste.
This interface mirrors that of the Galaxy S5,
with the firm’s own icons, widgets and drop-
down notification bar. We like the Multi-Window
multitasking functionality, and the Recent apps
menu pleasingly won’t take over the entire screen.
SideSync 3.0 is also useful when paired with a

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 Samsung phone, letting you respond to calls and
texts on the tablet.
There’s is a multitude of quick-access buttons
in the notification bar, including sliders for
brightness and volume.
The Magazine UX is much like HTC’s BlinkFeed,
sitting to the left of the main home screen and
providing content tailored to your interests. The
calendar and email sections will be useful only if you
use Samsung’s own apps, however.
A load of free content is up for grabs via Galaxy
Gifts. Having submitted a proof of purchase form
online, Samsung will let you download some apps
for free, including RunKeeper and Cut the Rope 2.
Even better are the three- and six-month free
subscriptions to Sky’s Now TV service and Deezer.
Battery life isn’t as good as with the Tab S 10.5,
given the smaller 4900mAh battery. We found with
average use it would last a few days.

Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 is one of the best
Android tablets ever made. In hardware terms it’s the
best you can buy right now, and the design is very
thin and light. There is very little not to like here, and
only the lower price of the Nexus 7 might sway you.

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 Review:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0
The Galaxy Tab 4 is a great device, but it needs a price
drop to truly compete with its rivals

£313 • samsung.com/uk •

T
he Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 has an 8in screen and
a SIM card slot for 4G (and 3G) data as well
as Wi-Fi. It’s also a phone, so you can use it
as a massively oversized smartphone.
It’s available in black or white, with or without
the SIM card slot, and sits alongside 7in and 10.1in
versions of the Tab 4.
The device is aimed at the more
price-conscious end
of the market than the
iPad-rivalling Galaxy
Tab S series. It lacks
the S-Pen of the Galaxy
Note models, too.
Since you can still buy
the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0, this
adds more models to
the mix and even more
confusion since they
have almost the same
specification.
What differs is the
design. The Tab 4

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 doesn’t have a faux-metal band, but a thin
chrome-like bezel with smaller rounded corners.
The rear camera is central instead of in the top-
left corner, but there’s still no LED flash. There’s still
a single rear-facing speaker but the Micro-USB port
is now on the bottom edge, not the side.
On the right are the power and volume buttons.
Below are two pop-out covers: one for the micro SIM
card and one for a microSD card (up to 64GB).
Either side of the physical home button are two
touch-sensitive controls. They don’t light up, so you
can’t find them in the dark, and are a pain when the
tablet is held in landscape mode — it’s all too easy
for a wayward thumb to press one.
There’s no metal in the casing so although build
quality is good, the Tab 4 lacks a premium finish.
The relatively low resolution of 1280x800
makes for a very low density of 188ppi, so text
look fuzzier than on high-res screens. Some
people may not find this an issue, but it could be
a disappointment for others.

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 At least the panel is decent quality — it appears to
be the same screen used in the Tab 3. Colours are
vivid and viewing angles and contrast are good. It’s
nice and bright but, like all glossy touchscreens, too
reflective to be much use outdoors in bright light.
One of the main differences is the processor.
The older model had a dual-core 1.5GHz chip, but
the new one has a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU. You can
immediately tell the Tab 4 is a low-powered device
by swiping between home screens. It’s fast enough
for basic tasks such as email and web browsing, and
running two apps on screen at the same time.
The change of processor also means a change of
GPU, from an Adreno 305 to a Mali 400 MP4. It’s a
step backwards, and the benchmark results speak
for themselves. In GFXBench, it managed only
3.5fps in the Manhattan test and failed to get much
above 10fps in the T-Rex. Although you’ll still be
able to play the latest games, the graphics quality is
pared back to maintain smooth framerates.
The Tab 4 8.0 has a GPS receiver, Bluetooth 4
(with aptX support), 802.11n Wi-Fi, support for Wi-
Fi direct and also ANT+ — used on sensors such
as heart-rate monitors and bike speed/cadence
counters. Most people won’t notice or care about
ANT+ support, but might miss the IR blaster usually
found on Samsung tablets.
One feature worth noting is
the Tab 4’s ability
to run two apps
on screen at
once. You
can use
split-screen

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 in landscape too, and it’s easy to adjust how much
space to give each app by dragging the dividing line.
Other features include SideSync 3 — handy if
you also own a Galaxy smartphone. Similarly, you
can mirror your tablet’s screen wirelessly onto a
compatible Samsung HDTV using the Link app.
You’ll find the usual collection of Google apps
including the Play Store as well as Samsung’s
own app store.
Oddly, the main camera still has just a 3Mp sensor,
and the front-facing webcam a 1.3Mp sensor.
The back camera shoots only 720p video, and
has no stabilisation at all. Both photos and video are
dismal but are usable if you’re desperate. As well as
lack of detail, the poor-quality lens means parts of
the image can be in focus while other are blurry.
One other thing to be aware of is that the lens
isn’t particularly wide-angle, so you can’t fit as
much in as you might expect. Switch to video mode
and the image is even more zoomed in.

Verdict
Even though the Tab 4 8.0 is cheaper than the
Galaxy Tab S and Tab Pro tablets, it’s expensive
when compared to its rivals.

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 Review:
Tesco Hudl 2
Tesco’s original Hudl was one of the bestselling tablets
last Christmas, so how does its successor live up?

£129 • tesco.com •

T
he original Hudl, a budget Android tablet sold
exclusively in the UK through Tesco, has sold
750,000 units. Now Tesco is back with its
successor, the Hudl 2, and it’s got a lot to live up to.
The Hudl 2 has seen a slight price increase, now
£129 rather than £119, but it still offers extremely

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 good value for money. Tesco Clubcard Boost, in
which £5 of vouchers is worth £10 against items sold
in its stores, means you can get your hands on the
Hudl 2 for as little as £65. Plus there’s £60 worth of
vouchers in the box, including a £25 Blinkbox credit.
The original Tesco Hudl remains on sale at
£79 while stocks last.

Design and build

The Hudl 2 has a similar but not identical design to
the original. It uses the same type of plastic casing,
which has a nice matt finish and a rubbery grip.
It feels nice to hold in the hand, despite being a
little larger and heavier – 401g up from 364g. It is,
however, thinner at 9mm compared to 10.5mm.
Tesco has done a good
job of making the Hudl 2 look
more sleek and desirable.
Its clean lines and rounded
corners are pleasing to the
eye. It has similarities with the
HTC Flyer and iPhone 5c. A
couple of caveats are that the
holes for the rear speakers
aren’t symmetrical, with one
side cut off by the camera and
the seam that runs the edge.
There are more colours
to choose from this time,
including blue, red, orange,
white, pink, purple, turquoise
and black. Plus there is a
choice of four cases, ranging

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 between £10- and £30. For kids there is a bumper
case to protect the Hudl 2 as it’s thrown off the sofa
and dropped on the floor.

Hardware
Several hardware upgrades are evident, and most
pleasingly to the screen. Not only larger – now 8.3in
– it has an impressive full-HD (1920x1080) resolution.
The display is bright, offers good viewing angles
and nice colours. With a pixel density of 272ppi
everything looks crisp. At this price, you absolutely
cannot fault the Hudl’s screen.
Tesco claims that the Hudl 2 is three times faster
than its predecessor. This is thanks to an Intel Atom
quad-core processor clocked at 1.83GHz. Tesco has
also doubled the amount of RAM to 2GB.
Geekbench 3 didn’t show this three-times
improvement, but an increase from 1371- to 2165
points is very good. Graphics are also improved, with
GFXBench’s T-Rex test turning in 17fps (the original
managed 5fps). Java performance, too: SunSpider
turned in 768ms against the original Hudl’s 1397ms.

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 The device is nippy and smooth the vast majority
of the time, and it copes very well with web browsing
and gaming. There are some signs of lag, such
as when switching between user profiles, plus
occasional jerkiness when moving between home
screens, although nothing major.
There’s just one model of the Hudl 2, which offers
16GB of storage. A microSD slot lets you boost this
by an additional 32GB. This is standard for a budget
tablet, although we were disappointed to find just
over half the internal storage was consumed by the
OS and preinstalled software out of the box.
Tesco has upgraded the rear camera to 5Mp,
yet downgraded the front cam to 1.2Mp. There’s
no LED flash, and photo quality isn’t great, but with
careful composition you can take some decent
shots for sharing online.

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 As before there are rear-facing stereo speakers,
and Dolby sound to boot. The multimedia
experience is more than acceptable, given the price.
Connectivity-wise the Hudl still features dual-band
Wi-Fi, GPS and a micro-HDMI port.
Tesco says it will offer eight hours of battery life,
which is one hour less than the original Hudl – likely
down to the upgraded screen. We found battery life
to be good, if nothing special. With varied usage
the Hudl 2 will last a few days before needing a
recharge.

Software
The Tesco Hudl 2 runs the most recent version
of Android, KitKat 4.4, and the platform is largely

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 untouched. You will find the addition of My Tesco, a
hub for everything Tesco – from grocery shopping to
Blinkbox. We’ve seen this before, but on the second-
gen Hudl it features a redesigned Google Now
cards-style interface.
There’s also a Top Apps list, plus a Get Started
app that will help new users get to grips with the
software and configure their device.
More handy for some users is the built-in parent
controls. This app displays only in landscape, but
that minor gripe aside it can help you control what
your kids can and can’t access online via a safe
browser and whitelists for specific sites and content.
You can also configure up to seven user profiles,
customisable in terms of age and suitability, and set
time limits for individual users.
The system is easy to use, but not flawless. The
time limit can’t be altered by task – for instance,
you can’t allow your child more time on the Hudl
2 in which to read rather than play games. And in
allowing your child access to the web you must allow
entire domains rather than specific sites, for example
bbc.co.uk rather than bbc.co.uk/cbeebies. Neither
will the address bar function as a search bar – you
need to enter the full URL.

Verdict
The cameras are still not great, but in almost every
area the Tesco Hudl 2 has been improved and it’s
still a bargain at £129 or even less with Clubcard
Boost. The software is good, but it takes up valuable
storage space, and non-Tesco customers won’t get
the most out of it. A great screen, decent processor
and microSD card slot make this an excellent tablet.

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 Hands-on: Sony Xperia
Z3 Tablet Compact
Sony has joined the compact tablet gang with its Z3
Tablet Compact. Here’s our hands-on from IFA 2014

£329 • sony.co.uk

I
t may be a bit of a mouthful and what the Xperia Z
Ultra should have been at launch, but Sony
has finally satisfied our desire to see a compact
tablet. The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact will launch
this autumn at £329.

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 This is one seriously thin and light 8in tablet.
We were impressed by the new Samsung Galaxy
Tab S 8.4, which is 6.6mm and 294g, but Sony has
trumped this at 6.4mm and 270g. It’s almost like
holding a phone because the device is so slender –
holding it one-handed is a breeze.
Available in black or white, the Z3 Tablet
Compact doesn’t have a glass rear cover like
its smartphone counterpart but is still dust- and
waterproof. Its soft-touch plastic rear cover matches
that of the Xperia Z2 Tablet.
Its IP68 rating is something you won’t find on
other tablets and may be a big advantage –
there’s nothing stopping you watching BBC iPlayer
in the bath or taking underwater photos of sea life
while snorkelling.
As we’ve mentioned the Xperia Z3 Tablet
Compact has an 8in screen, putting it in direct
competition with tablets like the iPad mini, Nexus 7,

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 Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and LG G Pad 8.3. Sony has opted
for a full-HD (1920x1200) resolution, and the screen
looks nicely crisp and has the advantage of Sony’s
Triluminos tech and Live colour LED.
Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-
core processor, which is the same as that found in
previous Sony devices such as the Xperia Z2 Tablet,
but the chip is clocked higher at 2.5GHz. Alongside
this is 3GB of RAM, and we can report smooth
performance during our time with the tablet.
Despite the faster-clocked processor, Sony
touts an impressive 15 hours video playback from
the 4500mAh battery.
In terms of storage only a 16GB model is available
(11GB available out of the box), but Sony offers a
microSD card slot for adding up to 128GB.
An LTE model lets you add 4G data. On the
standard model you get 802.11ac Wi-Fi, NFC and
Bluetooth 4.0 LE, but no IR Blaster or wireless
charging (although there is a dock connector on the
side if you wish to buy a compatible accessory).

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 If you’re into tablet photography then the Xperia
Z3 Tablet Compact has a pretty decent 8.1Mp rear-
facing camera with an Exmor RS sensor. However,
the 2.2Mp front camera is arguably more useful,
especially for video calls.
A new feature to the Xperia Z3 range is support
for High-Res audio (including DSD files) when using
the right headphones. If you don’t own such files,
Sony’s DSEE (digital sound enhancing engine) HX
technology promises to upscale content to near
high-resolution quality.

Software
Sony has done little to tweak the Android KitKat
interface and the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact looks
much like previous Xperia devices, with Sony styling
and apps such as Walkman.
There is one key new feature which will set
gamers’ hearts racing, though. Like the Xperia Z3
and Z3 Compact smartphone, the tablet includes
support for PS4 Remote Play. This means you can
play PS4 games on the tablet over Wi-Fi with a
DualShock 4 controller. Sony will sell an optional
GCM10 Game Control Mount to create a sort of
make shift handheld console.

Verdict
It’s great to see Sony finally make a smaller tablet,
and the 8in form factor is proving increasingly
popular. The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is super-
thin and -light, and waterproof to boot. Hardware is
decent but not mind-blowing, so rivals such as the
Galaxy Tab S offer more in the way of gadgetry. PS4
Remote Play will appeal to gamers.

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 Review: Leapfrog
LeapPad3 and XDi Ultra
These tablets are specifically built for kids, but are they
worth buying over a standard Android tablet?

£89 LeapPad3; £119 XDi Ultra • leapfrog.com

T
he Leapfrog LeapPad is one of the most
popular tablets for kids, being a top seller for
the past three Christmases. The latest models
include the LeapPad3 and LeapPad Ultra XDi.

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 The Ultra is a larger, higher-resolution screen 7in
tablet, but in terms of functionality there isn’t a huge
difference any more between the 5in entry- and top-
level models of LeapPad.
The LeapPad3’s smaller screen is still ample
space for Leapfrog’s large range of fun, educational
apps and games. It might even suit smaller hands
better than the larger and slightly heavier Ultra
model. Later on in this review we look at the
differences between the two LeapPads and compare
to suggest which might be best for you.
The new LeapPads build on the success of the
original LeapPad Explorer and later LeapPad 2 and
LeapPad Ultra, which won multiple toy awards and
were Christmas bestsellers. Its principal rival in the
kids tablet battle is Vtech’s InnoTab 3S tablet.

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 Should you buy your child a LeapPad or a
normal tablet?
The LeapPads differ from normal tablets – such as
the iPad or Androids – as they are built specially
for kids; Leapfrog recommends them for children
aged three- to nine. We think three- to seven is a
more realistic age range, although our eight-year-old
tester still enjoyed using them. Any older than seven
and we think children would prefer a more mature
tablet, such as Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, which has
decent parental controls such as screen-time limits.
LeapPads are also more robust than fragile
adult tablets.
The LeapPads, and compatible software, are
tailor-made for learning while having fun. They are
not tablets that you can use for email and to play
dumb-but-fun arcade games. You buy a LeapPad not
only to entertain your child, but principally to help
their education, from reading and writing to maths

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 and logic puzzles. They are childproof (well, as
much as anything can be) and child-safe, as they are
closed devices compared to other tablets that aren’t
configured to child-only environments.
The LeapPads are much cheaper than other
tablets, although the educational software is
certainly more expensive than from Google Play.
Some don’t like the fact you can’t load a LeapPad
with movies or properly browse the internet; see
below for an explanation of the limited internet
capability. Again this misses the point of them
as safe, fun, educational devices that teach kids
learning skills in a fun and child-safe environment.
If you just want a movie player for long car journeys
then consider buying a standard Android tablet.

Design
Thankfully both tablets are not overly childish in
design, unlike some of their competitors, and are

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 rather stylish in their own way. Both are available
in green or pink.
Unlike your screen-shattering Android tablet
the LeapPads are built to survive clumsy and/or
destructive kids and their friends, with impact zones
to protect the screen and tablet’s innards.
The LeapPad3’s 5in capacitive touchscreen is
responsive to a child’s touch, and also comes with
a soft-tipped stylus – as does the larger 7in backlit
touchscreen of the Ultra XDi.
Weighing just under 0.4kg the LeapPad3 isn’t too
heavy for kids as young as three. The larger Ultra
XDi (0.65kg) probably requires a little more strength
than the youngest users might have. Indeed,
Leapfrog recommends the Ultra for users aged
four- to nine, as opposed to the LeapPad3’s three-
to nine age range.

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 Setup
The LeapPads are easy to set up, and link via your
computer to the Leapfrog App Centre, which holds
over 500 purchasable apps and games.
Parents set up the LeapPad for their children by
starting a free Parent Account at Leapfrog.com.
You can set up to three profiles so that one
LeapPad can be used by more than one child. This
means that children of different ages or abilities will
have the apps and games set to their profile rather
than one-size fits all.
Having more than one LeapPad can also be fun
as there are peer-to-peer games that can be played
between tablets.
Once set up all the apps are easy for kids to get
to grips with, being walked through gameplay – so
parents shouldn’t need to sit with their child all the
time they are playing. In fact, the children won’t want
you cramping their play, and as all the software is

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 kid-friendly you don’t have to worry about anything
inappropriate – unlike with most tablets that can
have less appropriate apps downloaded.

Wi-Fi and browsing

Last year’s LeapPad Ultra added Wi-Fi, peer-to-peer
gaming, and kid-safe web browsing to the platform.
This has now been extended across the whole
range of LeapPads, making the LeapPad3 almost
feature-identical to its big brother.
Leapfrog uses Zui technology as its backbone
technology for web browsing. Together they built
LeapSearch, a proprietary kid-safe web browser that
parents can trust.
Parents often don’t consider that other tablets are
just a click away from all the dangers of the internet,
although there are ways of adding parental controls
and internet-safe features to normal tablets.
Give your child unrestrained access to an Android
tablet and you can’t guarantee that little Jonny
or Jane won’t browse into the web’s rough stuff.

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 With LeapSearch’s parental tools, including a four-
digit security code, parents are in control of what
their child is able to access using their LeapPad.
LeapSearch is very much a closed environment
of pre-approved, whitelist YouTube video and site
content. An example of an approved website is
PBS Kids. Over 200 parents and teachers review
the content available on Zui, and Leapfrog’s team
of learning experts have to review and approve
all web and video content available on the Ultra.
It is updated on a weekly basis to ensure content
is kept fresh.
But if you’re expecting thousands of web pages
to browse you’ll likely be disappointed. You can’t
access CBeebies or the Disney sites, for instance.
And the videos on offer, although educational or
fun, aren’t as good as those you might find on an
unconstrained internet.
Most of the content right now is photos or videos
of animals, and there’s no search, which makes the

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 LeapSearch name somewhat irrelevant. Clearly this
is a tiny fraction of what we’d expect of the internet,
but most kids can stare at cat video and photos for
longer than cats can stare at each other.
Some of the web categories are too American –
yes, ‘football’ is NFL, but there is at least a ‘Football
soccer’ section, albeit again American. There is a
lot of great educational content in there and some
neat ‘How to Draw’ video tutorials, but it’s definitely
limited to some parents’ browsing wishlists.
LeapSearch works well but seems a little slow,
although this may have been our Wi-Fi connection
at the time. On other supposedly child-friendly web
browsers we were quite quickly able to browse
to inappropriate content. Leapfrog’s closed-
environment approach removes this element of
parental worry, and is a major benefit of choosing a
closed system rather than the iPad or Android. But
don’t expect a huge amount to browse. It’s a great
idea but in need of expansion to be truly useful.

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 The addition of Wi-Fi gives parents and children
extra benefits, too. Parents can now directly sync
content to their child’s LeapPad Ultra. And the
kids can play peer-to-peer games with their
LeapPad Ultra pals.

Specs
Both LeapPads now feature more cost-efficient
rechargeable batteries – the older LeapPad2 used
to rely on endless AA batteries. Battery life is
around six hours for the LeapPad3 and eight
hours for the Ultra XDi.
The LeapPad3 has 4GB of storage for apps,
photos, videos and music. The Ultra XDi has twice
this at 8GB. If making videos is going to be an
important part of your LeapPad activity then the
extra storage makes sense, although you can of
course transfer photos and videos taken with the
tablet to your laptop or PC.
Leapfrog says 4GB is enough to store 20,000
photos, which sounds like more than enough, even
for a tap-and-snap-crazy child.
The LeapPad3’s 5in touchscreen has a resolution
of 480x272 pixels. The larger Ultra XDi has a 7in
backlit screen measuring 1024x600 pixels, and
offers easier gameplay, although the smaller
screen is not cramped.
Other technical specifications you probably don’t
need to bother too much about include processor
speed. Weirdly the Ultra’s 800MHz chip speed is
slower than the LeapPad3’s 1GHz.
All the games and apps come with annoying
(to adults) music and sound effects so the volume
controls are a godsend, as is the headphone jack.

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 Both LeapPads have the same 2Mp front- and
back cameras as the previous LeapPad 2.
The LeapPad3 measures 190x130x25mm and
weighs 400g, while the Ultra XDi is 230x155x23mm
and weighs 650g.

Apps and games

The LeapPad3 comes with 10 free apps, including
Calculator, Notepad, Clock, Calendar and Voice
Memo, plus you can choose an extra app to
download from the Leapfrog app store.
There’s also Music Player (with 10 learning songs),
and you can add your own MP3s to the tablet.
Pet Pad Party and Pet Chat let kids play and
communicate with their friends over a Wi-Fi network. 
Photo Fun Ultra lets kids customise and edit their
photos with carnival, mirror and blender effects, nine
colour tint filters and silly masks that turn an ordinary
picture into a personalised creative masterpiece.
The effects are fun but pretty basic.
The LeapPad Ultra XDi has all these apps, plus
Art Studio Ultra and Roly Poly World, both worth

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 £12.50. The former lets kids draw and colour
masterpieces, then bring them to life with fun effects
and animations, using a variety of pattern brushes,
backgrounds and frames, plus tool colours, sizes and
options. Roly Poly World sees them tilt and turn the
tablet to collect gold coins, find gems, herd cowbugs
and battle bandit and pirate bugs, as well as pick up
spelling skills.
The App Store is stuffed with games and apps,
all of which aim to merge learning with fun. You
can buy more learning games and videos,
interactive storybooks, e-books and music, based
on subjects such as reading and writing, maths,
science and creativity.
There are Disney-themed games, including Ben
10, Monsters Inc and Frozen. Other brands include
Octonauts and Moshi Monsters. Wallace & Gromit
and Peppa Pig. All the child brand favourites are
here, which might make up for the lack of Angry
Birds, Temple Run and other mobile apps.
There aren’t any third-party games, so the
Leapfrog educationists retain complete control and
parents needn’t worry about inappropriate content.
You can’t get Angry Birds and other Android apps
on the LeapPad, so parents might still have to hand
over their own device on occasion.
Children have the chance to watch trailers and
create a wish list of new apps at the App Centre.
Parents can choose whether children may view
pricing and buy buttons.
Parents used to 69p smartphone apps will likely
choke on the prices, which range from £3.50 to as
much as £20, although most are in the £5- to £7.50
bracket. To be fair to Leapfrog all the software

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 is thoroughly tested by educational PhDs and is
aimed at encouraging structured learning so the
value should be higher than an arcade app on your
iPhone. There are also no nasty in-app purchases to
be worried about.
The LeapPads also combine well with Leapfrog’s
LeapBand kids activity tracker.

LeapPad3 or Ultra XDi?

Now that both LeapPads have Wi-Fi and LeapSearch
there’s not a huge difference between the two
tablets, apart from size. The 5in LeapPad3 is smaller
and lighter than the Ultra XDi and its 7in screen.
The cameras and video capabilities are identical,
as are most of the settings. However, the Ultra XDi

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 does have twice the storage as the LeapPad3, which
you may find appealing if you want to load the tablet
with videos, music and photos.
The LeapPad3 costs £89, and the Ultra XDi
is priced at £119. Online retailers will likely offer
both at a discount in the busy run up to Christmas.
We’ve seen the LeapPad3 as low as £80, and the
Ultra XDi a bargain at under £90 on Amazon, so
it’s worth shopping around.

Verdict
The specially built-for-kids LeapPad3 and LeapPad
Ultra XDi are similar in specs and functionality. The
larger 7in Ultra XDi has twice the storage as the 5in
LeapPad 3, but younger children may prefer the
3’s smaller size and weight. We think their upper-
age range is seven rather than Leapfrog’s claimed
nine, but our eight-year-old tester still enjoyed her
time with both. While the hardware is cheaper than
normal tablets, note that the software can be more
expensive. The advantage of Leapfrog software is
that, while not as cheap as normal mobile apps, it
has been built by educational PhDs with both fun
and learning in mind. With its whitelist web browsing
it’s safer online than most adult tablets, although
it’s limited in its scope from that point of view. The
LeapPads are bestsellers every year and the latest
models build on an award-winning and popular
formula without any huge leaps forward in terms of
design or functionality.

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 Review:
Motorola Moto G 2014
The best ever budget phone has been updated for 2014,
and it’s still one of the best deals around

£149 • motorola.co.uk •

N
o sooner had Motorola updated the original
Moto G with 4G and a microSD card, there’s
another update: the Moto G. That’s right –
a completely new smartphone with the same name.
Very confusing.

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 The second-gen Moto G is easier to find online by
searching for its part code: XT1068. Visually, though,
the 2014 model is easy to tell apart from the original
(and revised 4G version) thanks to the prominent
front-facing speakers and larger 5in screen.
The new Moto G costs from £149 for the 8GB
version, which is all you’ll be able to buy in the UK.
Motorola is now selling the smartphone directly from
its website, and it isn’t much more expensive than
the revised 4G Moto G, which you can pick up (in
8GB format) for £130. We’re sure that discounts will
be available soon from other retailers.

Design and build

The new Moto G addresses feedback Motorola
received from the original and has a bigger
screen, better speakers and dual-SIM card slots.
Unfortunately, support for 4G has been dropped,
so this phone is limited to 3G.
Design-wise, the new Moto G follows the original
almost exactly. There’s no
metal and no disguising the
plastic finish: it feels cheap
compared to the plastic iPhone
5c. However, let’s not forget
the massive difference in price
between those phones.
Buttons and ports are in
the same places, and the
rear cover is removable to
reveal both SIM slots and the
microSD slot (which accepts
up to 32GB).

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 It’s bigger than its predecessor in width and
height, but not in depth – it remains the same at
roughly 11mm. Weight is practically the same, too, at
a shade under 150g. The handset is well balanced
and feels lighter than you’d expect.
There are two colours, black and white, and you
can buy coloured rear shells for £10 in the following
colours: Chalk, Black, Violet, Spearmint, Raspberry,
Royal Blue, Turquoise and Lemon Lime.
Flip shells have a magnetic front cover, which turn
on and off the Moto G when opened and closed

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 it. These cost £22 and come in Chalk, Black, Royal
Blue, Turquoise, Lemon Lime and Cherry.
The smartphone isn’t much bigger overall, but the
5in IPS display feels like a nice upgrade over the
4.5in of the original. Even so, it’s a bit disappointing
that the resolution is still 1280x720, meaning a drop
in pixel density to 294ppi (compared to 329ppi).
It’s still a great screen, though, with vivid colours
and great viewing angles. Brightness is decent
enough, if not the brightest around.

Performance
Oddly, Motorola hasn’t upgraded the processor. The
Snapdragon 400 quad-core chip runs at 1.2GHz and
has the Adreno 305 graphics processor. That means
performance is the same – which is to say very
good, especially at this low price.
In Geekbench 3 we saw an average score of
340- (single-core) and 1144 (multi-core) points. These

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 scores are on par identical with those of the original
Moto G: 334- and 1168 points respectively.
In GFXBench 3 the Moto G returned 11fps in the
T-Rex test – exactly the same as the old model, so
no surprises there.
Web browsing performance is measured using
SunSpider 1.0.2, in which the new Moto G managed
an average of 1526ms, marginally slower than the
original’s 1504ms.
In other territories the new Moto G will also be
available in a 16GB version, and both this model and
the 8GB version have dual-SIM slots. The bad news
is that 4G is not supported. If you need faster mobile
internet, you’ll have to either go for the revised first-
generation Moto G or look elsewhere.
The handset has the basic specs you’d expect:
802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS. Note that the

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 Wi-Fi is at least dual-band, so will work with dual-
band routers that support 5- as well as 2.4GHz.
Compared to the single rear-facing speaker
of the original Moto G, the new front-facing
speakers are superb. There’s no need to turn
up the volume so much since the audio is directed
straight at your ears.
They’re not great for music, but when playing
games and watching videos on YouTube or iPlayer,
you’ll really appreciate both the stereo separation
and the decent quality.

Cameras
The mediocre cameras have been upgraded, with
an 8Mp sensor at the rear and 2Mp at the front. As
before there’s an LED flash at the back.
Video is still captured at only 720p, which is
strange as 8Mp is more than enough for 1080p.
We found still image quality much better than
video. One slight disappointment is that the images
from our test Moto G weren’t sharp to the edges of

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 the frame. For the most part you won’t notice this,
but it’s easy to spot when you zoom in on photos.
Instead of using Google’s own Camera app you
get Motorola’s. This is easy to use and includes
Panorama and HDR modes. You can tap to focus,
and tap and hold to take photos in burst mode.
The HDR mode can be auto, on or off. This can
make a huge difference in the right circumstances.
It’s worth bearing in mind that the app defaults
to 16:9 photos, which crops the top and bottom and
uses only 6Mp of the sensor’s resolution. If you want
the full 8Mp switch to 4:3 mode, which returns those
top and bottom sections.
Video lacks detail, even considering the 720p
limit. It’s not as jerky as some phones we’ve tested
recently, but there’s no optical stabilisation either.

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 Audio is recorded in stereo and is usable enough.
If you want to have a bit of fun, there’s a slo-mo
video mode that also records in 720p. It’s best to
hold the phone still rather than moving it about in
this mode if you want to avoid getting jerky footage.

Software
One of the benefits of buying a Motorola
smartphone is that in essence you get plain
Android, with nothing in the way of manufacturer-
implemented overlays and customisations. Motorola
has also guaranteed an upgrade to the new Android
L mobile OS when it launches later this year, but for
now the Moto G ships with KitKat 4.4.4.
It’s worth noting that there are no hardware- or
touch-sensitive buttons – the usual Android trio
are found onscreen, and in some apps such as the
Camera you have to swipe to display them.

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 You do get Motorola’s useful Migrate app, which
helps transfer all your stuff from an old Android
smartphone or an iPhone. Plus there’s Motorola
Assist app, which can automatically detect when
you’re driving and read out incoming text messages.
Using Google Now you can even dictate a reply
without touching the phone.
Assist also has a sleep mode, which silences the
phone between ‘quiet hours’ that you set, a Meeting
mode that uses your calendar to work out when to
keep quiet, and a ‘Home’ mode that will read out
texts so you don’t have to pick up the phone. 
If you’re considering the new Moto G for its
dual-SIM slots, bear in mind that the old model was
also available with two slots – if you can find one.
The benefit of this new version is that it’s very
easy to switch between SIMs, and an Intelligent
Calling feature will learn which numbers you call

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 from each SIM and automatically switch to the
appropriate SIM. You can manually select the SIM
to use, but pop-ups will offer messages such as
“You called this number on the other SIM last time.
Do you want to switch?”.
The Moto G’s battery life is pretty good. With light
use it lasted exactly two days before demanding a
recharge. That light use involved around an hour of
watching YouTube, an hour of web browsing, several
phone calls and some emails.

Verdict
With a bigger screen, much better speakers and
improved cameras, the new Moto G is a great
budget smartphone. The lack of support for 4G will
be a deal-breaker for some, though. It isn’t without
its rivals, but if you’re specifically looking for a
budget dual-SIM Android phone, it’s a good choice.

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 Review:
HTC Desire 610
A mid-range successor to the One M8,
the Desire 610 has got a lot going for it

£239 • htc.com/uk •

T
he HTC Desire 610 is HTC’s latest mid-range
smartphone, a cheaper sibling to the flagship
HTC One M8 and successor to the HTC
Desire 601. With a 4.7in display, a nice
design, front-facing speakers and a
good camera it’s got a lot going for it,
but it falls down when it comes to the
display and processing power.

Design and build

The first thing we noticed about the
Desire 610 is that it’s very, very bright.
HTC says it’s “crafted to please your
eyes”, but we’re not so keen on the

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 Coral sample sent to us for review. The Navy Blue
and White options are much nicer.
Elsewhere the design is good. Despite its
plastic casing, the Desire avoids looking tacky or
cheap. A matte coating around the edges and on
the front is nice, but we wish HTC had extended
this to the glossy rear.
The bezels are rather large, making this phone’s
dimensions much bigger than its 4.7in display
might suggest. It’s also relatively chunky at 9.6mm,
although it doesn’t feel fat. And at 143.5g prolonged
use is comfortable.
The Desire 610 is a solid and well built
smartphone, with nicely finished buttons and a
discreet flap covering the SIM and microSD slots.

Hardware and performance

A 4.7in display is of a useful size, but its resolution
is limited to just 540x960, with a pixel density of
234ppi. At this price that’s not unusual, but it’s
disappointing given that the HTC’s front speakers
would otherwise have made the Desire 610 a great
device on which to watch movies and play games.

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 HTC has fitted the same 1.2GHz Qualcomm
Snapdragon 400 processor as is found in the
Motorola Moto G, which it couples with 1GB of RAM.
Performance is sufficient, but given the £90 price
difference between these two handsets we might
have expected a little more.
The HTC fared reasonably well in our
benchmarks, averaging 1224ms in SunSpider
and 1161 points in Geekbench 3 (multicore). It also
managed 15fps in GFXBench 3.0’s T-Rex test. These
results put it on par with the cheaper Moto G.
You’ll find launching apps on the HTC Desire 610
smooth and quick, and we didn’t notice any lag while
navigating the device or launching apps. 
There’s 8GB of built-in storage, which can be
expanded via microSD (up to 128GB).
Connectivity includes 4G LTE and 3G, as well
as NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. It’s not
surprising to see a lack of additional features such as
an IR blaster at this price.
An 8Mp rear-facing camera has an aperture of
f/2.4 and an LED flash; it can also capture 1080p

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 video. We were pleased with its results. Meanwhile,
the front-facing camera is 1.3Mp and can capture
720p video.
A wide range of filters and effects are found in the
Camera app, including HDR, vignette, depth of field,
vintage and greyscale.
When looking back over your photos you’ll find
a gimmicky but fun video slideshow playing at the
top of the screen in the Gallery app. HTC’s Zoe
app offers an expanded version of these video
slideshows, enabling you to share them with friends.
The HTC Desire 610 runs Android 4.4 KitKat
with HTC Sense 6.0. It’s a marked departure from
standard Android, but features a clean design, a
simple navigation system, easy-to-access settings
and some extras, including the aforementioned
HTC Zoe and the BlinkFeed social media- and news

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 aggregator. (You can remove BlinkFeed if it’s not
your cup of tea.)
You’ll also get HTC Sync Manager, which is
particularly helpful for anyone switching from an
iPhone or another Android phone, and offers a quick
and easy way to get your files including music and
photos on and off the Desire 610.
HTC Connect is also supported, letting you easily
connect to your home-entertainment system to play
audio and video from the Desire 610. It’s a bit like
Apple’s AirPlay system.
HTC says that the 2040mAh non-removable
battery will last up to 15.8 hours of talk time or up to
650 hours on standby. We found the 610 managed
up to two days of general use without charging, but
if you spend much of your time watching video and
playing games you will find your mileage will vary.
Pleasingly, HTC also offers a power saving mode
and an extreme power saving mode for when the
battery level becomes critical.

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 Verdict
The HTC Desire 610 will appeal to anyone looking
for a reasonably priced and good all-round
smartphone. Its HTC Sense software is sleek and
easy to use, and you’ll be satisfied with the battery
life. We really enjoyed our time with the HTC Desire
610 and have few qualms other than the large bezels
and slightly disappointing display.
But while the HTC Desire 610 is a very good
phone when considered on its own, bring into
the picture the Nexus 5 and Motorola Moto G
and it becomes difficult to recommend. The latter
offers a £90 saving and very few sacrifices, while
Google’s handset costs an extra £60 but has a faster
processor, a better display and more.

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 Review:
HTC Desire 816
If you can grab this phone for around
£200 you won’t be disappointed

£289 • htc.com/uk •

N
ot everyone wants to shell
out for a flagship phone,
but you may not want to
buy the cheapest phone going
either. HTC is aiming the Desire
816 squarely at the mid-range
buyer, and it looks like it’s got the
formula perfect.
Perfect, that is, if you’re looking
for a large-screen smartphone:
the Desire 816 has a 5.5in panel
that makes this feel huge if
you’re upgrading from a 4- to
4.5in phone. It has to compete
with other mid-range Android
smartphones such as the Nexus
5 and more recent OnePlus One,
which also has a 5.5in screen.

Design and build

The 816 is available in a Nokia-like
selection of hues, but we prefer
the white model we were sent for

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 review. The casing is all plastic – no surprises there
– with a glossy non-removable rear panel and
matte-finish sides and front.
Volume and power buttons are at the top of
the lefthand side, slightly unusual but easy to
get used to, and there’s a headphone socket on
top. The Micro-USB port is on the bottom, and
a pop-out panel on the righthand side hides the
nano-SIM and microSD slots.
Build quality is very good, if not up to the level
of the much more expensive
iPhone 5c or the cheaper
OnePlus One.
One of the compromises made
to keep down the price is the
720p resolution. This works out at
267ppi – a far cry from the 401ppi
of the OnePlus One and 445ppi of
the Nexus 5.
It’s still an IPS panel, though,
which means the resolution is
the only weakness. Colours and
contrast are strong, and it’s great
for watching videos, which look
sharp enough.
If you prefer to use built-in
speakers rather than headphones,
the Desire has the advantage
of HTC’s BoomSound stereo
speakers. These sit either
side of the screen. They’re not
outstanding, but a clear step
above smartphones with a single

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 rear-facing speaker, such as the Lumia 1320.
They’re ideal for catch-up TV, YouTube and games.

Hardware
There’s another compromise: processing power.
The 816 has a Snapdragon 400 processor: four
cores running at 1.6GHz and backed by 1.5GB of
RAM. It feels zippy enough in general use, but it’s
no match for the Nexus 5 or OnePlus One with their
much speedier chips.
It’s the same story for graphics: the Desire could
manage only 11fps in GFXBench T-Rex, but the other
two phones deliver smooth 24fps-plus gameplay.
Our review model didn’t have NFC (HTC says this
is an optional feature), nor does the 816 benefit from
802.11ac Wi-Fi – it’s limited to 802.11n, and 2.4GHz
not 5GHz. There’s GPS, though, and Bluetooth 4.0.
A small bonus is that it supports aptX for better
Bluetooth audio streaming if you have a compatible
speaker system.

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 The microSD slot will
accept cards up to 128GB,
and you’ll certainly want to
add to the meagre 8GB of
internal storage. Around 6GB
of this is available.
The 816 supports 4G, and
we had no complaints about
signal strength or call quality
in our tests.
We also ran the
smartphone through
Geekbench 3 and SunSpider.
In the former test the 816
managed 439 points in the
single-core component, and
1503 points in the multi-core
segment. In SunSpider it
managed 940ms.
Keen photographers will
probably be looking at the
816 because of its cameras. At the front is a 5Mp
snapper that can also shoot 1080p video, and there’s
a 13Mp main camera with an LED flash at the back.
It’s the same arrangement as on the HTC One mini 2.
Video options include 720p and 1080p, but you
can also switch to 60fps or slo-mo.
Video quality is reasonable, given the right
conditions. It’s fairly sharp and the stereo sound
track helps improve the perception of quality.
One big issue is that there’s no stabilisation, so
video footage is shaky. But, as with the One mini 2,
there’s too much compression for our liking,
leading to a lack of detail.

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 With stills you’ll get better results if you switch
to HDR mode whenever there’s high contrast in
the scene, as the main camera doesn’t deal with
bright backlighting very well. There’s manual
control over ISO and EV correction, plus a self-
timer, but not much else.
Photo quality is decent unless you zoom in and
look at the actual pixels. Snaps are fine for small
prints or sharing online but, unfortunately, this is not
the best smartphone camera we’ve seen.

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 With a 2,600mAh battery, we found it necessary
to enable the Power Saver mode to get the 816
through a full day. There’s also an extreme power
saving mode, which turns off practically everything
(and dims the screen) to eke out an extra day of life
when you’re unable to charge your device.

Verdict
Like HTC’s 610, the Desire 816 sits awkwardly
between other smartphones in terms of price, with
rivals including the OnePlus One, Nokia Lumia 1320
and Nexus 5. You won’t be disappointed if you can
find one around £200.

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 Review:
Sony Xperia T3
Need a bigger screen? Sony’s T3 is a good phablet
that’s available at a reasonable price

£245 • sonymobile.co.uk •

S
ony’s Xperia T3 is a mid-range phablet that
you can pick up online for around £245.
That makes it just a few pounds cheaper
than Sony’s other phablet, the 6.4in Z Ultra.

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 Design and build
The T3 follows the same square design Sony has
adopted for its Xperia smartphones over the past
few years. This slab has thick bezels, but an
attractive stainless steel frame. Unlike premium
Xperias, the rear is not made from glass, but has
a soft-touch plastic cover. It’s available in black,
white and purple.
Also unlike other Xperias, this rear cover is
contoured at the edge, allowing the T3 to sit better
in the hand, although it’s still difficult to use one-
handed. Neither does it feature IP67-certified dust-
and waterproof protection.
Sony claims the T3 is the thinnest 5.3in phone
in the world. True, it’s nicely svelte at just 7mm and
148g, although no other 5.3in phone springs to mind.

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 The build quality is reasonable, but nothing
special. Despite the primarily plastic design, the
steel frame makes the T3 reassuringly solid.
But small flaws – clicky, wobbly buttons and
those chunky bezels – signify its mid-range
price. The recess for the ear piece also collects
dust and dirt very easily.

Hardware and performance

The Xperia T3 delivers as expected for a
mid-range smartphone. The 5.3in screen has
only a 720p resolution, although benefits from
Sony’s Triluminos technology for good colour
reproduction. It has a nice natural look and the
IPS panel makes for great viewing angles.

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 There’s also 8GB of storage, which Sony lets
you boost via microSD (up to 32GB).
A middle-of-the-road Qualcomm Snapdragon
400 quad-core chip is clocked at 1.4GHz. Paired
with 1GB of RAM it delivers smooth, if not
outstanding, performance.
The Xperia T3 scored 1389 points in our tests
running Geekbench 3, 11fps in GFXBench’s T-Rex
test and 1342ms in SunSpider.
Given the Sony T3’s low-power processor
and low-resolution screen, battery life is good.
The non-removable 2500mAh battery should offer
a couple of days of use, and with light usage you
might even get three.
NFC and 4G are supported,
but connectivity is otherwise fairly
basic. You’ll find 802.11a/b/g/n
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE and A-GPS,
but no IR blaster.
As always, Sony delivers on the
photography front. We were pleased
to find the Exmor RS for mobile
image sensor in the Xperia T3’s 8Mp

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 camera. A dedicated camera button lets you launch
the Camera app from any screen; half-press it to
focus, while a second press captures the scene.
Sony’s Superior Auto Mode will suit most
users and achieve decent results in most lighting
conditions, but don’t be scared to switch to manual
mode. Here you’ll find various shooting modes, the
most useful of which is HDR.
Other camera modes include Creative effect,
Timeshift burst, Sweep Panorama and AR effect.
These are all fun or helpful, sometimes both, but
we’re not taken with the Portrait retouch option.
On the video front you can shoot in full-HD
quality, and there’s a 1.1Mp front-facing camera that
can take decent selfies in good light. This is limited
to 720p video recording.
Sony’s software hasn’t changed much over
the past couple of years. The Xperia T3 comes
with Android 4.4.2 KitKat and the now familiar
Xperia user interface.
While we like the fact Sony’s interface is clean,
simple, stylish and easy to use, it doesn’t really

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 add any major features. It’s pretty much stock
Android with Sony styling, which means you get
some decent wallpapers, widgets and a slightly
different lock screen.
Sony preloads some additional apps. We like
the Walkman, Album and Movies apps for browsing
and accessing different media. Less attractive are
those enticing you to buy content from the Sony
Entertainment Network. You can just ignore these.
Other additions include OfficeSuite (handy for
opening various documents) and Gamin Navigation,
which sounds good but is only a 30-day trial.

Verdict
The Xperia T3 is a good but not great smartphone,
which will suit those wanting a large screen
smartphone without spending loads of cash. It
delivers on this, but you should also consider
the slightly smaller £299 Nexus 5 for improved
performance and a better screen, or even Sony’s
own 6.4in Xperia Z Ultra.

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 Review:
Samsung Galaxy S5 mini
A more compact version of the Galaxy S5, the S5 mini
also has some slimmed-down specs

£389 • samsung.com/uk •

P
riced in line with its closest competition, the
HTC One mini 2, the Samsung Galaxy S5 mini
looks to be a good deal. But the tiny price gap
between it and the standard S5 (£414 SIM-free) 
leads us to wonder why anyone might choose this
smartphone over its full-spec sibling.

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 The most obvious difference between little and
large is the screen. Not only is the mini’s display
smaller, at 4.5in versus 5.1in, it’s also just 720p
against the S5’s 1020p.
The processor-, memory- and storage options
have also been downgraded, and the Wi-Fi, main
camera and battery capacity reveal more cutbacks.

Design and build

Despite these tweaks, in terms of design the S5 mini
is exactly what its name implies: a smaller version
of the Galaxy S5. It’s available in the same colours
– white, black, gold or blue – and has the same
dimpled plastic rear cover. As with the S5 this cover
is removable, giving access to an also-removable
battery, plus SIM and microSD slots.
Unlike other phones with removable covers, the
S5 mini won’t flex or creak under pressure. And
that’s reassuring, given that Samsung claims this
phone features IP67-rated dust- and waterproof

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 protection. It doesn’t have the same fiddly (annoying)
Micro-USB cover flap as the standard S5. 
Samsung has been heavily criticised for this rear
panel, and we have to agree: it makes the S5 mini
look much cheaper than it is. That’s not to say this
is a bad-looking phone, although it’s got nothing on
the all-metal HTC One mini 2.
A sleek slab with rounded edges, the S5 mini’s
design is identical to that of previous S-series
handsets. You get a 3.5mm headset jack and IR
blaster on top, power on the right side and a volume
rocker on the left. At the front is a physical home
button, which now includes a fingerprint sensor, plus
two software buttons: Recent apps and Back. Turn it
over and you’ll find an 8Mp camera with single-LED
flash, a speaker and a heart-rate sensor. 
Its smaller dimensions make the mini a much
better fit in the hand than the larger Galaxy S5, even

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 if that does mean sound is muffled from the rear-
facing speaker, while its extra width makes up for the
reduced weight in securing a grip. 
At 4.5in this phone’s display is hardly tiny, but the
0.6in between S5 and S5 mini is noticeable. 
Because Samsung uses a Super AMOLED
panel, the S5 mini’s 720p HD panel is much better-
looking than most. Its colours are bright and vivid,
and the phone’s 326ppi pixel density is still up
there in what Apple terms ‘Retina’ quality (indeed,
it has the same pixel density as both the iPhone 5s
and HTC One mini 2). Text is sharp and clear, and
viewing angles are good.

Hardware and performance

With a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM
and Mali 400 graphics, we weren’t expecting mind-
blowing performance from the mini.
In Geekbench 3 the Samsung Galaxy S5 mini
recorded 372 points in the single-core test, and

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 1186 points in the multi-core component. That’s only
slightly faster than the HTC One mini 2’s 1153 points.
In GFXBench the mini managed 9.5fps in the
T-Rex test. That’s sufficient for casual games, but it’s
a long way from the best we’ve seen.
Finally, in SunSpider, Samsung’s tiny Galaxy
recorded 1104ms, putting it slightly behind the older
Samsung Galaxy S4 (1092ms), but ahead of the HTC
One mini 2 (1504ms) and LG G2 mini (1698ms). 
In terms of real-world use we found the Galaxy S5
mini fairly snappy. There is some lag when opening
apps, but it’s reasonable in day-to-day use. 
The S5 mini comes with 16GB of onboard
storage, of which 11.62GB is available. There’s a
microSD slot that lets you add 64GB, and you can
also take advantage of Google Drive and third-party
cloud-storage apps.
Like the S5 the mini is a 4G phone, but it
doesn’t feature Samsung’s 4G- and Wi-Fi-pairing
Download Booster. Neither does its dual-band
Wi-Fi connectivity stretch to 802.11ac, and the mini
doesn’t support MHL or DLNA. Wi-Fi Direct, Wireless
Hotspot, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS are all present.

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 It’s only 8Mp, but we were impressed with
the S5 mini’s rear camera. This is paired with a
single-LED flash and autofocus, plus several filters
and special-effect modes. There is an impressive
amount of detail, with no evidence of blurring.
Colours are realistic, too.
The rear camera is also capable of shooting full-
HD video at 30fps, which is decent but down from
the 4K video of its bigger brother.
Following on from the full-size S5, the S5 mini
features a fingerprint scanner, built into the Home
button. It can be used to unlock your device, verify
your Samsung account or pay with PayPal. It also
takes the S5’s heart-rate sensor.
The Galaxy S5 mini runs Android 4.4 KitKat out
of the box, and will be upgraded to Android L.
Samsung overlays its TouchWiz UI, which has seen
a few tweaks, including a redesigned Settings
menu with round, colourful icons, new quick-access
buttons for S Finder and Quick Connect, and
the ability to hide any preinstalled apps that are
cluttering up your app tray. 
The S5 mini’s 2100mAh battery easily lasted a
day in our tests, while an Ultra Power Saving Mode
turns off non-essential features to squeeze out
useful extra capacity.

Verdict
The S5 mini is a decent Android phone, but
it struggles to justify its price. The dust- and
waterproof casing is a nice touch, but the
heart-rate monitor and fingerprint scanner are
welcome but not essential additions.

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 Review:
Asus Fonepad 7 LTE
If you need a 7in tablet that can make phone calls
this could be it. But do you really need that?

£199 • uk.asus.com •

T
he Asus Fonepad 7 LTE certainly qualifies as
a ‘phablet’. It’s a 7in tablet that also acts as a
phone. It might not be to everyone’s taste
but it does its job well.
At £199, it seems a little overpriced, particularly
compared with Asus’s own impressive £120 Memo
Pad 7. However, that model doesn’t have a SIM-card
slot, so there’s no 3G/4G connectivity and you can’t
make phone calls and send texts.

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 The FonePad 7 comes in black or white,
unlike the Memo Pad 7, which is available in
several bright colours. We tested the black unit,
which has a slightly sparkly, textured finish on its
plastic back. Unfortunately, rather than adding
a bit of glamour, this looks tacky.
Aside from this, we found the overall design and
build of the Fonepad 7 to be solid and attractive,
though, the bezels around the display are a little
thick for our liking. Dust and dirt tended to get stuck
in the uncovered microSD and Micro-USB port, too.
Then there’s the matter of weight and thickness.
It’s a great size overall, measuring 198x120mm, but

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 it’s thicker than many rival tablets at 10.5mm, such as
the Memo Pad 7’s 9.6mm and the Nexus 7’s 8.7mm.
It also feels heavy, at 333g compared with the
295g of the Memo Pad 7, though, it’s only 2g heavier
than the larger 7.9in Retina iPad mini.
We found the Fonepad 7 easy to hold in both
portrait and landscape orientations, though, it did
begin to feel heavy after prolonged periods of time
– watching a film on the train home or browsing the
web for several minutes, for example.
Additionally, if you’re planning on using the
Fonepad to make phone calls without using
the speakerphone functionality or plugging in
headphones, you’ve got to hold it up to your ear.
Not only does it look silly, it’s also uncomfortable –
a Bluetooth headset or headphones with a built-in
mic will be a good investment.
The Fonepad 7 has a 7in HD display with
a 1280x800 resolution IPS panel, which is
disappointing when compared with the Nexus 7’s

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 323ppi display. However, the screen is bright and
crisp enough to enjoy watching movies, browsing
the web and viewing photos.
Inside is a 2x2 Intel Atom Multi-core Z2560
processor clocked at 1.6GHz, and paired with 1GB
of RAM. That’s not as impressive as the MemoPad
7’s quad-core 1.86GHz 64-bit processor, but it’s still
pretty good for a tablet at this price.
We still found that the Fonepad 7 LTE coped with
most tasks we threw at it, launching apps quickly on
most occasions, even the Camera app.
You’ll get the option of either 8GB or 16GB internal
memory, but it’s not a decision you’ll need to take
too seriously, as there’s a microSD slot for adding up
to an extra 64GB storage if you need it. Plus, you’ll
get 5GB lifetime Asus Web Storage space for storing
photos, videos and other files in the cloud, with an
additional 11GB for the first year.

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 The Fonepad 7 LTE has 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth 4.0, as well as 3G and 4G LTE connectivity
if your contract supports it. There’s no NFC, though,
or other premium features like an IR blaster.
The Fonepad 7 has rear- (5Mp) and front-facing
(1.2Mp) cameras. We particularly like Asus’s camera
app, which offers filters and effects as well as
features such as Smart Remove for getting rid of
unwanted objects from a photo.
Asus has given the Fonepad an Android 4.4 KitKat
update complete with the new Asus ZenUI. This

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 offers a flat, simple and colourful interface with easy-
to-understand icons and nicely designed apps.
We were impressed by the battery life, too. Asus
claims that it’ll last for 11-and-a-half hours of constant
use, or 735 hours in standby. Our test unit managed
four days between charges, and in that time we used
it to take photographs, record video, browse the
web, make phone calls and run apps. It’s got a 15Wh,
non-removable battery.

Verdict
For anyone looking for a 7in tablet that can make
phone calls, the Asus Fonepad 7 LTE is worth a look,
though, we’re not convinced anyone would want to.

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 Review:
ZTE Blade L2
If you’ve not got much money to spend on a phone
the ZTE is attractive, but you could do better

£89 • zteuk.co.uk •

T
he Blade L2 is the latest super-budget
smartphone from Chinese phone maker
ZTE. At £89, its closest rival is the same-
price Motorola Moto E (tinyurl.com/moj7l7e), a 4.3in
qHD-screen Android KitKat phone with a dual-core
processor. This phone’s faster than Motorola’s
cheapest handset, but speed isn’t everything in the
highly competitive smartphone market.
Neither, of course, are looks, although they do
help. Whereas the Moto E is incredibly well built,
just a slightly chunkier version of its best-selling
pebble-design Moto G, the Blade L2 caused us
problems even before we turned it on.

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 The rear cover is removable, allowing you to
access the SIM and microSDXC slots – we say
removable, it felt like it had been superglued on.
Once you’ve prised off the cover once, it’s much
easier to remove, but this isn’t necessarily a good
thing. With the 2000mAh battery inside a non-
removable model there’s no need to get under the
cover, yet you’re left with a phone whose chassis
now creaks under pressure.
It’s not all bad. The all-white ZTE doesn’t suffer
the usual tell-tale budget belly, measuring just
8.95x142.5x72.2mm. It’s not too heavy either, at just
130g. And despite the now-creaky chassis, the Blade
L2 is fairly sturdy, with nothing rattling inside.
It’s plastic, sure, and with a silver plastic trim
that is rather obviously painted plastic rather
than chrome bling. But this is a ridiculously cheap
smartphone, which feels good in the hand – despite
its large 5in screen – and its ports and buttons
lie about the chassis
exactly as you’d expect.
The speaker might
have been better-
positioned, not only
on the rear but
falling directly under
the palm of your
hand.
Turning our
attention to
what’s on the
inside things
start to look up
for the Blade

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 L2. A quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM at £89
is very good, even if this MediaTek chip is clocked
at only 1.3GHz. We found it faster than the Moto E’s
1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 and 1GB of RAM
combo. Significantly faster, in fact: in Geekbench 3’s
multi-core test, the ZTE scored almost twice as high
as that of the Moto E, with 1191 points versus its 608.
We also recorded 356 points in the single-core test.
The Moto E’s 400MHz Adreno 302 graphics took
the upper hand over ZTE’s 416MHz ARM Mali-400
in GFXBench, though. In the T-Rex graphics test,
we recorded just 9fps for the ZTE, but 11fps for the
Motorola. Even ZTE’s £39 Kis 3 scored 12fps.
That’s not to say graphics are unusable on the
Blade L2. Although we found frames a little sluggish,
we were able to stream video from the preinstalled
YouTube app and play casual games such as Temple
Run 2 and Jetpack Joyride without issue.
The 5in screen is also welcome, if only for its size:
viewing angles are poor and the display is dull at all
but its maximum brightness setting. With a 480x854
resolution and 196ppi pixel density, the Blade falls
short of the Moto E’s qHD (540x960) 256ppi display
in terms of clarity. In fact, the L2’s screen even falls
short of that of the Kis 3, which has a 233ppi density.
Amazingly at this price you get support for
microSDXC, which makes up for the 4GB inside.

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 The ZTE gives away its low pricing on the
connectivity front. Not only does it lack NFC, 4G and
802.11ac Wi-Fi, but it features old Bluetooth 3.0.
The 2000mAh battery should get you through
a full working day, but with the screen brightness
ramped up don’t expect any more.
The Blade L2 has a 5Mp rear camera with an LED
flash. A device that can take photos whenever the
moment happens is a useful thing to have in your
pocket, but this isn’t going to replace your dedicated
camera. It’s slow to focus, and colours washed out.
On the front is a 0.3Mp webcam that will do the
job for Skype, but this isn’t a phone for taking selfies.
With more than half (56.5 percent) the Android
phones in use today running Android Jelly Bean, the
Blade L2 is in good company. But a device that ships
brand-new running Jelly Bean at a time when KitKat
is about to be superseded with Android L isn’t a
good sign. After all, this isn’t even the latest version
of Jelly Bean (4.3), this is 4.2.2. The Motorola Moto
E, which ships with KitKat, certainly beats it in this
regard. As does ZTE’s own Kis 3, also running KitKat.
ZTE has tweaked the standard Android OS
slightly. To access the phone from the lock screen,
for example, you have to press and hold the lock
icon rather than swiping across the screen.

Verdict
The Blade L2 has a lot to offer at just £89, with a
quad-core processor, a large screen and support
for microSDXC. But while it may be faster than the
Motorola Moto E, in many respects the ZTE is the
inferior phone and even gets shown up by the
significantly cheaper ZTE Kis 3.

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