The incredibly sad world of niche dating apps
When I exited the market in 2006, online dating was akin to wearing sweatpants in the club. It was a sign that you’d given up on the “real” world; a symbol of existential surrender.
Nearly 10 years later, both sweatpants and online dating are experiencing a renaissance. As the recent IPO for Tinder parent Match Group shows, digital matchmaking is big business, but for every Tinder, Grindr or Match.com, there are hundreds if not thousands of niche dating sites catering to the most specific and peculiar areas of interest.
There are services for salad lovers and bacon lovers, for admirers of sea captains and farmers, for pot smokers and sober sweethearts, for Filippina Christians, Ayn Rand enthusiasts and people who have the hots for hot sauce. If you can find a way to categorize a future mate based on a mutual love of something — anything — there’s an app for that. But can you actually find love when you’ve narrowed your options in the name of, say, a common love of Ursula the Sea Witch?
Since mid-December, I’ve been lurking in the background of two different incredibly niche online dating services in an attempt to find out. It was far sadder than I anticipated.
My initial reaction to news of Mouse Mingle betrayed my distaste for both adult cartoon fans and what I see as one of the worst parts of online dating today: excessive specificity.
“Like, I get wanting to connect with like-minded people, but if you’re basing an adult relationship on your mutual love of ‘The Little Mermaid,’ I can’t imagine things are going to work out for you,” I quipped in Slack.
But as the old bedroom adage goes: Don’t knock it ’til you try it. So I did.
Let’s get one thing out of the way up front: This is not the Magic Kingdom of dating apps, but it is, in fact, a real mickey mouse operation. The site (a temporary white-label app is also available) is devoid of Disney branding and claims no connection to the charming rodent and his empire. In place of all your favorite cartoon friends are a series of generic web forms and web 1.0 graphics. The only real visual cues that you’re on a site for Disney fans are a poorly lit snapshot from Disneyland and a white-gloved cursor.
With each box ticked I could see my Olympic-sized dating pool turning into a romance Lazy River, where I’d be lucky to see a fresh turd float by.
I didn’t let that deter me. I picked a screen name (Mickey Trout), uploaded a photoshopped image of myself wearing mouse ears and filled out a list of criteria (body type, ethnicity, etc.) before answering a list of granular but truly important questions. I’m a total Pluto person with a “Star Wars Nerd Level” of “Meh,” if you must know.
With each box ticked I could see my Olympic-sized dating pool turning into a romance Lazy River, where I’d be lucky to see a fresh turd float by. That’s not to say that Mouse Mingle is devoid of perfectly datable people, but the chances they live nearby and meet all of your other, albeit less crucial, non-cartoon criteria, are really quite small.
The one-man show behind Mouse Mingle, Dave Tavres, told me that he knew of two couples who had actually met in person. TWO. MET. IN PERSON. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but not particularly surprising, either.
In nearly two months, I got all of two “Winks,” Mouse Mingle’s cutesy version of a right swipe. I’d matched with nearly 10 times as many men in two days on Tinder. The first winker was a middle-aged school-bus driver and self-published gay erotic novelist from Washington. The other was a California state employee with a love for theater who admitted to “looking for love in all the wrong places.”
Had I been able to message him without handing over my credit card number, I would have told him he’d yet to break that cycle. Unfortunately, Mouse Mingle requires a subscription of $12.55 a month to move beyond a Wink. Maybe it’s the bargain-basement web design, but something about the site doesn’t quite inspire the level of trust I require to part with my banking details.
Besides, of all the men that the app suggested as perfect matches, only one was less than an hour away. I can think of about a million other ways to spend my money that have nothing to do with driving cross-country for a man who named his cat after a cartoon puppet who dreamed of being a real boy.
What it lacks in actual users, Mouse Mingle makes up for in sincerity. The same can not be said for Sizzl, Oscar Mayer’s bacon-based marketing-stunt-cum-hookup-app. Sizzl operates in much the same way as Tinder, allowing you to connect with other swine enthusiasts only after you’ve both shown interest. As opposed to a simple swipe, Sizzl uses a hard press to show your interest. Once you’ve mutually sizzl’d, the app alerts you that you are “bacon lovers.”
Profiles, are, unsurprisingly, bacon-centric. In addition to your age, location and photo, the app displays three bacon-based traits. As it turns out, I’m a “pork bacon lover” who “loves it crispy.” I am also a “bacon giver,” not a “bacon taker,” both of which sound incredibly messy and uncomfortable.
I got a little more action on Sizzl than Mouse Mingle — I’ve had four total matches since Dec. 16 — but that was due in part to some overzealous hard-pressing. I was determined to find out who would, in their right mind, download and engage with a thinly veiled Oscar Meyer ad. Luckily, I connected with a 21-year-old local crispy bacon giver, who said he downloaded the app “Bc it looked cool on tv.”
In the weeks that followed, he would message me multiple times, on one occasion inquiring about my taste in men, not bacon. It hadn’t occurred to me that there were people out there who so identified with a particular pork product that they would genuinely seek out a significant other based on their mutual love of that meat. I had known the pangs of emptiness brought on by hookup apps like Tinder and Grindr, but this was just depressing.
Oscar Meyer isn’t alone in capitalizing on our desire to make a genuine connection in what can seem like a soulless meat market. Salad Match, for example, is an app produced by a salad restaurant aimed at transforming salad lovers into actual lovers. In fact, nearly all of the niche dating sites I’ve come across — save for maybe ChristianFilipina.com — are based on a mutual desire to consume something. Whether it’s bacon or Disney cartoons or even hot sauce, the underlying message is “you are what you eat.”
I like to think of myself as more than a crispy bacon giver or a “Pluto person,” and I’d hope that the man of my dreams would be able to look past the chalupa and love me for the things that truly define me, not my taste in hot sauce. Apps like these reduce us to how we spend our money and, as a result, disregard the nuances of attraction and the benefit of an outside perspective.
When you go deep, like Mouse Mingle deep, you not only reduce yourself to a line item on your bank statement, you also alienate a huge part of the eligible population. In the words of the Little Mermaid, I wanna be where the people are. They are not on Mouse Mingle.
HBO Now tallies 800,000 subscribers in 10 months since launch
A standalone HBO streaming service was supposedly what the masses were clamoring for. Well, it turns out “about 800,000” people were really interested. HBO CEO Richard Plepler revealed the figure during an earnings call for the network’s parent company Time Warner earlier today. He went on to say that the figure isn’t as bad as it sounds for the $15 a month service that debuted on Apple devices in April. Of course, HBO Now was exclusive to Cupertino’s gadgets for 90 days, which likely didn’t help keep the interest of viewers who had to wait until later in the summer to sign up. However, it’s not too much of a reach to expect the first numbers the company revealed to be at least a million subscriptions.
“I wouldn’t say only 800,000 subs,” Plepler explained. “We’re just getting started.”
He may be right. As Plepler noted today, HBO has original series from both Jon Stewart and Bill Simmons on tap for this year. What’s more, the return of Game of Thrones this spring is sure to help the subscriptions numbers a bit, especially for folks who don’t have cable or aren’t sharing a log-in. And there’s the fact that HBO Now still isn’t on Xbox or PlayStation, and both consoles are popular streaming devices for HBO Go. The network could also look to lure customers with exclusive content, which may include stuff from the likes of Stewart and Simmons.
Via: The Verge
Source: Recode
Shooter classic ‘Descent’ gets a second crowdfunded revival
Apparently, there are a lot of gamers (and game developers) who are still fond of Descent‘s mind-breaking, 6-degrees-of-freedom shooting action. Just months after the success of Descent: Underground, the aptly-named Revival Productions is crowdfunding its own take on the formula, Overload. It doesn’t have the same name as the zero-G combat classic, but there’s arguably a stronger pedigree — co-founders Mike Kulas and Matt Toschlog were instrumental to making the earliest Descent games, and other higher-ups built Descent 3. They remember the mechanics and level design that made the original a cult hit, and they’re hoping to preserve that vibe while introducing modern technology.
It won’t take much to get involved. Revival is promising a digital copy of the game for PC, PS4 or Xbox One if you make a $25 pledge; paying more gets you art, strategy guides, in-game credits and hard copies. There are plans for Mac and Linux versions if the team meets stretch goals, too. You won’t get to play until March 2017 if Overload reaches its target, and it’s not clear if that will happen. How many gamers need to relive their glory days twice? If you missed out on Underground or want to reward some game industry pioneers, though, you now have your chance.
Source: Kickstarter
My toxic relationship with fitness wearables
Fitness gadgets were meant to make me a better man. Or at least a healthier (possibly more attractive) one. Over the course of my wrist-based romance, I’ve strapped on a Fitbit, a Jawbone Up, two types of Nike FuelBand and an Apple Watch. Surprisingly for me, it’s the Apple Watch that got the most extended use, given that it wasn’t defined by its fitness features. Yet, since November (midway through a fitness challenge at Engadget), I haven’t worn anything when I’m working out, nor anything to monitor my activity during the day. I’ve had enough of the constant nagging.
At the very start it was fun, maybe even cool, to have a wearable — one with an earnest aim, and not so modest battery life. Wearables were going to make us better! Healthier! Fitter! Sexier! For the past few years, if you stepped into a tech press event without something Bluetooth lashed around your wrist, counting things, you were in the minority.
I know I should go walk up the stairs or something, but I also know I went to the gym this morning, and dammit, I had a salad for lunch. Like some weirdo.
I could give a blow-by-blow rant about each and every fitness wearable I’ve used, but as much as the designs can differ, the features don’t. There’s the option of healthy competition with my friends, and a gentle poke/notification/vibration to get me moving after sitting at my desk practically all day. But clichéd as it is, we’re creatures of habit. Months — sometimes mere weeks — later, they simply stop being effective in the fight against lazy Mat.
How fair is a step-count challenge against friends whose jobs keep them on their feet, moving all day? I work at a desk, not even a standing one, and my wearable (pick one) regularly cried out that I hadn’t met my target for the day or week. The first few times, I felt guilty, ashamed, but then I’m soon just pissy — because the notifications appear when I’m busy with other things. I was in the middle of a phone call, or trying to hit a tight deadline. I know I should have gone for a walk up the stairs or something during the day, but I also know I went to the gym this morning, and dammit, I had a salad for lunch. Like some weirdo.
Despite my experiences, I tried again. I thought Nike’s FuelBand looked pretty cool, and I explained away half the cost of the Apple Watch because “fitness goals.” I kept going back, just to be disappointed all over.
And there was the watershed moment. What’s the actual point? Does it matter how many steps I’ve taken? I didn’t lose weight or become more mobile back when I strapped on my FuelBand. At the start, I moved around more, sure. But that didn’t solve my aching back or my blogger’s slouch, or give me the Olympian body I (don’t really) deserve. Why am I charging this thing twice a week? Why am I letting it irritate me as I type on a laptop, pinching at my hairy wrists and nagging me with reminders? I didn’t have a good answer, so I stopped. No more wearables of the week. I’ve kept hold of my Apple Watch, but the rest have been distributed to family members and friends who, despite my protests, think this is going to be “The One.”
T-Mobile shows some Valentine’s love with new devices and promotions
T-Mobile doesn’t want to let Valentine’s Day just squeak by without showing its appreciation. To round out the promotions over the past few days, the UnCarrier has just launched a couple devices – the LG K7 Android phone and ZTE Falcon mobile hotspot.
If the LG K7 sounds familiar, that may be because it was just unveiled last month at CES 2016. It’s an affordable offering, retailing for $139 in T-Mobile’s store.
The K7 has a 5″ display (854×480 resolution) and is powered by a Snapdragon 210 chipset (1.1 GHz quad-core processor and 1.5GB of RAM) and Android 5.1 (Lollipop). The meger 8GB of internal storage is expandable to 32GB via micro-SD card. Both the rear and front cameras have 5MP capture resolution.
The latter isn’t a smartphone, but it may be enticing for on-the-go lifestyles. The ZTE Falcon is a 4G LTE mobile hotspot that is capable of simultaneously supplying up to 10 devices with the interwebz.
The Falcon has support for UMTS 850/1700/2100/1900 and LTE 2, 4, and 12 bands. It also packs a 2,000mAh battery. Retail pricing is set at $79.
You should also know that there are discounts on several prepaid phones over the holiday. The Samsung Galaxy Core Prime and Galaxy Grand Prime are both cut by $40, putting them at $99 and $149, respectively. The LG G Stylo is also getting some love, cut by $75 for a price of $214.
Flagship smartphones aren’t left out of the fun either. T-Mobile has a Half-Off event underway, which cuts the costly price in half when you buy another (of equal or greater value, from the same manufacturer). This includes the latest from Samsung (Galaxy S6, Note5, S6 Edge+) and LG (G4 or V10).
Lastly, T-Mobile is renewing the “Get a Tablet on Us” promo. This gets interested customers a free Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 7 when a 1GB or higher data plan is agreed on.
Source: LG K7 | ZTE Falcon | Promos
The post T-Mobile shows some Valentine’s love with new devices and promotions appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Marshmallow update arrives for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in Europe
The European Marshmallow update has finally begun for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. T-Mobile Poland tweeted to say the update was coming a couple of days ago and the first OTA updates are arriving as we speak. South Korean Galaxy owners only got the update two weeks ago, so things are moving quickly.
See also: Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates roundup – February 2, 2016
As always in Europe, new Samsung firmware is typically soak-tested in either Poland or the Baltic states before rolling out to the larger Western European countries. Fortunately if you’re in Europe, you can simply grab the relevant unlocked firmware and flash it on your international S6 or S6 Edge rather than wait for the update to arrive in your country.
jQuery.ajax(
url: “//player.ooyala.com/v3/7f2b2d0412e84a188ede8d648751dc42?namespace=OoyalaPlayer4825&platform=html5-fallback”,
dataType: “script”,
success: function() [];
function aarunplayer() ooyalaplayers.push(OoyalaPlayer4825.Player.create.apply(this, [“ooyalaplayer-4825″,”JqYWJnMDE6SVOK0flM5oGZDoSMfu_5IK”,”auto”:true,”showadmarquee”:false]) ); ; aarunplayer();
);
Here’s the Galaxy S6 Android 6.0 Marshmallow update changelog which also holds for the S6 Edge:
- Exercise greater control over app permissions
- Purchase easily and securely with Fingerprint support
- Experience enhanced battery-life through Doze
- Redesigned App Drawer
To check for the update, go to Settings > About phone > System updates > Check for updates. If you think it might be a little while before you see Marshmallow touch down on your Galaxy device, take a look at Nirave’s video above of the update to see what’s coming.
When do you think you’ll see Marshmallow? What do you think of the changes?
Telltale’s The Walking Dead: Michonne mini-series comes to Android February 25
Last June, Telltale Games announced that a new episodic game would be coming to the Google Play Store sometime in the Fall of 2016, based on The Walking Dead’s iconic Michonne character. Up until now we’ve heard little to no other details regarding the game, but thankfully Telltale is now ready to spill the beans on some new information.
The first episode of The Walking Dead: Michonne, entitled ‘In Too Deep’, will launch on Android and iOS devices starting Thursday, February 25th. This episode will also launch on PC/Mac, Steam, PlayStation 3 and 4, and on the Xbox One and 360 on Tuesday, February 23rd. The second episode, ‘Give No Shelter’, will launch in March, and the final episode, ‘What We Deserve’, will come in April. All three episodes in the mini-series will be available for $14.99 when the first episode debuts. There’s no mention from Telltale as to whether or not each episode can be purchased on its own, but we’re thinking that’s not an option this time around.
It should be noted that the game won’t star Danai Gurira, who plays Michonne in the AMC television series. Instead, Telltale roped in the next best actress out there – none other than Samira Wiley of Orange is the New Black.
#gallery-3
margin: auto;
#gallery-3 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%;
#gallery-3 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-3 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Wondering what the first episode has in store? Here’s a description from Telltale:
In this premiere episode, ‘In Too Deep,’ Michonne joins Pete and his crew on the sailing ship The Companion as they cruise the coast for survivors and supplies. When a desperate signal for help draws them to a scene of horrific massacre, Michonne and the crew are lead further to the floating survivors’ colony of Monroe, which may just be harboring the person responsible for the carnage. Haunted by her past, and coping with unimaginable loss and regret, the story explores Michonne’s absence between issues #126 and #139 of the comic book. Over the three episodes of the miniseries, players will discover what took Michonne away from Rick, Ezekiel, and the rest of her trusted group… and what brought her back.
Before the official release, you’ll be able to check out an extended preview of the first episode on Telltale Games’ YouTube channel on Sunday, February 14th at 8:30 pm EST. You’ll get to see the first five minutes of episode one.
Sir Paul McCartney pairs up with Skype on special Valentine’s Day emoji
It’s not every day that a living legend like Paul McCartney shows up on Android, but the singer-songwriter has teamed up with Skype to create original music and voiceovers for a range of special Valentine’s Day emoji. They’re rolling out now, just in time for the most romantic day of the year.
There’s ten musically accompanied love-inspired Skype emoji in the latest version of the Skype app for Android, iOS, Windows and Mac. There’s something for everyone too: from a turtle getting its solo love on, to a horny banana, ready-to-party octopus and a variety of entangled snakes, fish and owls, all paired with jingles from one the of the most legendary musicians of modern times.
According to the announcement: “Paul genuinely loves Skype and, inspired by our existing Mojis, was excited to lend his voice to the Mojis family. Likewise, we were over the moon to work with Paul, and it was a great creative challenge for us to create the animations to compliment his legendary sound.”
See also: Skype bringing free group video calling to Android, iOS and Windows Mobile
I’m sure Sir Paul McCartney’s considerable talents were stretched to their limits. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has also added a truck-load of new emoji to its app as well, including some more Valentine’s Day inspired options. Whether you’re a fan of the day or not, at least you’ve got some new emoji to play with.
Who does the best emoji? What’s your most frequently used emoji?
The budget-friendly LG K7 now available on T-Mobile
There is certainly no scarcity of budget-friendly handsets on T-Mobile, and it looks like the Un-carrier can add one more to the growing list.
First announced at CES 2016, the LG K7 is now available on T-Mobile’s network. It may not win any awards in the specs department, but this could be a good option for those looking for a sub-$150 handset with 4G LTE connectivity. It has a 5.0-inch 480 x 854 FWVGA display, a 1.1 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor with 1.5GB of RAM, as well as 8GB of on-board storage and microSD expansion up to 32GB. It has 5MP front and rear-facing cameras and also runs Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box. We went hands-on with this device at CES back in January, so you’ll want to check out the full post if you’re at all interested in this handset.
Does the K7 have your attention? You can purchase it from T-Mobile’s website for $139.99 off-contract, or for $5.84 per month with a 24-month payment plan. Feel free to follow the link attached below to learn more about the new LG K7.
See the LG K7 on T-Mobile
Next: Best T-Mobile Android phones (January 2016)
Looking back at the LG G4
Mobile World Congress 2016 is just around the corner, and as has been the case every year, there is a slew of Android smartphones that we can’t wait to get our hands on. Particularly exciting is the upcoming launch of the flagship offerings from the two Korean giants, Samsung and LG, but before ushering the new, we thought that some retrospection may be in order. We’ve already revisited the Samsung Galaxy S6, and this is our look back at the LG G4.
More LG G4 videos
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
Last year, LG was the final holdout as far as offering expandable storage and removable batteries was concerned, and with even Samsung letting go of these previously staple features in favor of an admittedly premium design, the LG G4 was the only option if these features were important to you. Granted, expandable storage was still an option with some flagship releases that followed the G4, but removable batteries has almost entirely gone by the wayside with premium smartphones.
What the G4 offered over the competition was already a big plus, but LG managed to pack it all in to a beautifully-designed body as well; the G4 offers a slightly curved display that was adopted from the G Flex line, along with LG staples like the ultra-thin bezels and rear button layout. There were some extra, stylish elements found as well, with users able to choose a leather rear backing for the device, available in a variety of colors and textures. Of course, the more standard metallic (seen in this video) and ceramic finishes were available as well so there is certainly something for everyone.
The overall design aesthetic has paid dividends, with the ergonomically-friendly curved body making for a smartphone that is one of the most comfortable to use. With its unique elements, the G4 looks different from pretty much every other Android smartphone out there. However, this did lead to some issues, with the curved sides and thin profile of the device, resulting in a device that’s difficult to grip. This problem was particularly prevalent when lying in bed and holding the phone up above your face, resulting in a few, quite painful, drops.
If the current rumors about the LG G5 are true, we might actually be seeing the end of the curved display and still unique rear button layout. This will, of course, be a radically different addition to the flagship G series, and while LG is definitely going to make the design stand out, the death of these features will certainly be a shame. We really liked the design language of the LG G4, as the device stands out from the crowd, and we’re hoping that the LG G5 doesn’t disappoint.
In terms of hardware, the LG G4 brings to the table pretty much everything that is expected from a high-end LG flagship. Continuing from its predecessor, the LG G4 features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a Quad HD resolution, and comes with excellent color reproduction and high brightness levels, allowing it to be legible in broad daylight.
Under the hood is a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, and while Qualcomm did have a technically superior processing package on offer in 2015 in the Snapdragon 810, the former manages to do a good job. Overall, the Snapdragon 808 proves to be nothing short of reliable, with the G4 easily able to handle GPS navigation, YouTube and Netflix video playback, music playback and general day-to-day use. The only noticeable slowdown was while gaming, with the handset displaying a little stutter while navigating in-game menus or in some cases, while playing the games themselves.
Of course, the main claim to fame for the LG G4 is all that it offers, which primarily are expandable storage and a replaceable battery. It has to be said here however, that I haven’t used a replaceable battery since the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which is obviously a very long time ago. As far as battery life is concerned, I was able to get a full day of use out of the device, with an average of around 3.5 hours of screen-on time, which is on par with what you can expect from most smartphones..
Expandable storage is also something that I concern myself with only when I’m close to running out of space on the device, and the 32 GB of built-in storage proved to be quite sufficient to cover my needs. That said, if these features are necessary for you, the LG G4 remains your best bet, and we’ll have to wait and see if the micro SD card returns in the upcoming LG G5.
The 16MP primary shooter on the LG G4 comes with f/1.8 aperture, laser autofocus and a colour spectrum sensor, and proves to be pretty reliable. When using the G4 in Auto mode, I found the experience to be quite fun, requiring just a tap anywhere on the screen in order to take a shot. While the picture taken is good most of the time, Manual mode is perfect for those moments where Auto mode doesn’t quite cut it.
Camera samples
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
2015 was the year of the manual mode, and the LG G4 showed us what it could be like, with granular control over minute details. For example, even the Kelvin readings inside the white balance setting were available, so if the Auto mode wasn’t up to the task, I was able to tweak the settings to exactly what I wanted using the manual mode.
Camera shootout: Xperia Z5 vs LG G4 vs Galaxy Note 5 vs iPhone 6S
The only qualm with manual mode was the fact that using a touchscreen to change settings can be a little bit cumbersome, and it takes time to get settings correctly adjusted, which isn’t great when you’re trying to take a shot quickly. The overall picture quality has been good, with nice and detailed photos, even though the coloration could use the extra punch that I’m used to from other phones.
Finally, on the software side of things, you may have seen in the video above that I’m running the Google Now launcher on the LG G4. That may not come as much of a surprise as, unfortunately, LG’s G UI does not have that many useful features, even though it isn’t lacking in them. For example, the Smart Widget on the home screen only really served to offer weather updates. There is also the Smart Cleaner, which I have only used once or twice, and also the Q Slide, which I am thankfully able to hide in the notification drop down.
Gallery
#gallery-2
margin: auto;
#gallery-2 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 25%;
#gallery-2 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-2 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
So there you have it for this quick look back at the LG G4! The overall experience with this smartphone has been very good, and it remains a very reliable device to have, especially if you’re able to leverage features like expandable storage and a removable battery. The design aspect is what I have enjoyed the most about this phone, and we hope that, even if we don’t see some of the more unique elements make it over to the LG G5, we get to see them in other parts of LG’s lineup.
Are you using an LG G4? What do you think of the G4 now and do you intend to buy any of the new devices expected for MWC 2016? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Next: LG G5 rumor roundup
AIVAnet 