4moms mamaRoo review – CNET
The Good The core idea of the 4moms MamaRoo is clever and solidly implemented. Being able to rock your baby to sleep hands-free can offer serious relief to new parents.
The Bad Most of the extra features are disappointingly low quality: the poor speakers, the plain mobile, and the completely useless ambient sounds.
The Bottom Line The MamaRoo is admittedly pricey, and it won’t be for every baby or parent. But for a parent that could use an extra set of arms, or any kid who can only sleep while being held, this 4moms device could make all the difference
In the weeks before the birth of our first child, my wife and I emptied our bank accounts buying every baby accessory we could imagine using even once or twice. After our son was born, we spent hours repackaging and returning a lot of them, because we found out the kid had his own preferences. He hated the first bassinet we bought for him, but loved the swaddling cloths. He hates to be cold, but he likes baths. And during this process, figuring out which devices to invest in took some experimentation.
At $270 (about £186 or AU$361), the 4moms MamaRoo is an expensive experiment — especially for new parents being bombarded with medical bills and nighttime diaper runs — but it’s one that could pay off. Essentially, the device is a Bluetooth-connected chair that, according the advertisements, “moves like you do.” 4moms attempted to replicate the range of movement patterns and speed that parents use to rock their children to sleep. Whether it calms your child will depend on his or her particular preferences, this base mechanic works really well.
The MamaRoo isn’t a perfect product. It has major technical shortcomings –particularly with its basic mobile app and terrible speakers. Even in light of these issues, I like the MamaRoo. Unless you’ve got $270 lying around, though, you should wait to buy it until you’re sure it’s what your baby needs.
An editor and his baby test out a smart infant…
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What does it do right?
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My son Idris came into the CNET Smart Home to test out the MamaRoo.
Chris Monroe/CNET
The 4moms MamaRoo is basically an adjustable seat that can rock your baby in various patterns at a few speed levels. The seat can sit up for babies getting a handle on balancing, and it can lie back for newborns. The seat itself is made of a soft multi-plush material that is gentle on the skin (though a slightly less expensive model just has a rough nylon material that you’ll have to line with your own blanket), and it’s machine washable.
Setting up the MamaRoo is a breeze. The instructions are clear, the pieces fit together simply, and connecting it to your phone with Bluetooth will take a minute at most. I had my MamaRoo up and running in less than 10 minutes.
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On the app, you can control the speed and pattern of MamaRoo’s movement. You can also control the ambient sounds and volume, but to connect your phone’s music to the device, you must plug it in with an auxiliary cord.
Chris Monroe/CNET
MamaRoo also features a hanging mobile, speakers, and sound effects to calm the baby. You can control the volume, select the sound effects, adjust the movement speed, and choose the movement pattern, all from an app. It’s like you get an extra pair of arms to rock your baby, and it’s mostly hands-free for you.
LG Action Camera Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
With its new LTE Action Camera, LG hopes to one-up GoPro and its other action camera ilk. How? This little device has LTE, a waterproof body (you won’t need to use extra housing), and you can broadcast directly to YouTube Live.
Built-in LTE is important because it lets you leave the camera streaming under its own 4G power, while you can use your phone to do something else. If you wanted to stream to YouTube Live without an independent LTE connection (as other action cameras use), you’d have to tether the action camera to the phone, much more rapidly draining your battery and slowing processing power while you broadcast live.
(P.S. LG is pretty much alone in offering an LTE-enabled action/lifestyle camera. Samsung tried it out with its connected Galaxy camera, which flopped. Samsung’s second attempt was Wi-Fi-only.)
I went hands-on with the palmable action camera at LG’s headquarters in Seoul, Korea, where I met with the company as part of a 19-day tech trip around Asia.
Check out the LG LTE Action Camera…in action…
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The device is coated in rubber, which makes it easy to hold and operate. There are two buttons, which are straightforward, one to record and one to broadcast to YouTube Live. Alternatively, you can manage the whole business of taking photos and recording video through a mobile app.
The camera and app were dead-simple to use, but the conference room where I saw the device wasn’t the kind of interesting setting where you’d usually use an action camera, so we’ll need to wait to get a review unit to see how it stacks up against rivals like GoPro.
LG’s new LTE-enabled action camera tethers to your phone to preview what you’re shooting — or broadcasting live.
Jessica Dolcourt/CNET
Again, since there’s no built-in screen, you’ll need to connect to a phone or tablet to see what you’re shooting — that wasn’t terrifically convenient.
At the bottom of the camera, a flip-open panel reveals an SD card card where you can stores your photos and videos.
LG says you can record and store over four hours of video and broadcast up to two hours of video at 1080p HD quality over 4G.
You’ll have three options for recording resolution and frame rate:
- HD: 1,280×720 (60 fps)
- Full HD: 1,920×1,080 (120 fps)
- 4K: 2,560×1,440 (30 fps)
LG didn’t have pricing or availability details for me, but will officially announce its GoPro rival soon — and hopefully answer those burning questions about when and where it’ll be available, and for how much.
4moms Infant Tub review – CNET
The Good The 4moms Infant Tub boasts simple and effective smarts, clever design and an affordable price.
The Bad This Infant Tub, like most others, is bulky and won’t fit all sinks. Plus, there’s room for more features.
The Bottom Line Compared to other infant tubs, the 4moms offering is a solid buy for new parents.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
If you’ve had a baby, one of the gifts you probably got at the shower was an infant tub. They’re bulky, usually colorful, plastic bins that might feature netting to cradle the baby, or a foam pad to keep them from slipping around. And if you’ve tried to use one of these before, you probably know it doesn’t make baby baths much easier. Once you’re a few weeks into parenting, with sleep running low and stress running high, you’re probably as likely to just use the sink as a bathtub as you are to pull out one of these tubs.
Enter 4moms, the maker of MamaRoo, with a $50 (£35 or AU$68) smart Infant Tub. This device is as bulky as competitors, and it costs about twice as much, but it benefits from really clever design and simple but well implemented smarts.
This smart infant tub keeps your kid comfy…
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How it works
First, you start the faucet over the thermometer.
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Once the screen turns green, indicating a comfortable temperature for your child, you can plug the bottom of the first pool. This will redirect the water into the tub where your baby sits.
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Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Finally, with your baby secure on the foam pad that keeps them from slipping, you can use the included cup to pour water over any body parts that need cleaning and aren’t submerged.
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Tyler Lizenby/CNET
I like the basic design of the Infant Tub — it keeps your baby in place pretty well, and it keeps the water at the perfect temperature, taking that extra concern off your mind while you try to hold a wiggling baby. The screen and temperature sensing are also helpful. For the future, though, including some sort of tool to clean harder-to-access places like clenched fists could help the $50 price tag feel like a better deal. And reducing its size would make storage much easier.
Although some of its shortcomings mean the 4moms Infant Tub isn’t quite a must-buy product yet, for anyone who needs assistance washing their baby, the 4moms Infant Tub is a solid investment.
2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid review – Roadshow
The Good All-wheel-drive comes standard in the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and it averages over 30 mpg. Toyota’s Entune Apps integrates online search and third party services into the navigation system.
The Bad The navigation system is not very aggressive about avoiding traffic, and Toyota does not yet support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Adaptive cruise control doesn’t work for stop-and-go traffic.
The Bottom Line Although the dashboard electronics and driver assistance systems fall behind the cutting edge, the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid makes for an excellent all-around car due to its cargo versatility, all-wheel-drive, comfort and fuel economy.
For many drivers, small SUVs make for a perfect everyday vehicle, economical enough for commuting and offering more useful cargo space than midsize sedans, extending their use for weekend recreation. In fact, sales figures back up the rise of the small SUV on US roads, with Ford noting its Escape model as its second best selling vehicle.
Entering the scene in 1994, Toyota’s RAV4 pioneered its segment. Now this small SUV gets Toyota’s ultra-efficient hybrid drive system, making it a killer everyday vehicle. Consider its standard all-wheel drive, and you’ve just about hit perfection.
Although it isn’t a serious off-roader, I was impressed by the lifted nose of the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, although faux skid plates under front and back are a bit much. The sides of the RAV4 Hybrid show similar sculpting to its bigger brother, the Highlander, but the narrow grille looks petite by comparison. Saddle-brown leather seating, in this Limited trim RAV4 Hybrid, gave the cabin luxury style.
Standard all-wheel-drive and fuel economy averaging above 30 mpg makes the RAV4 Hybrid a car for city and country.
Wayne Cunningham/Roadshow
Camry traits
Although the RAV4 Hybrid uses the same engine as the Camry Hybrid, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, it gets a more complicated hybrid drive system, adding a second drive motor to the rear wheels for all-wheel drive. And that comes standard.
Otherwise, the RAV4 Hybrid uses the same 245-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack as the Camry Hybrid, a little less sophisticated than the lithium ion battery pack in the new Prius. Toyota notes the overall drive system output of 194 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque for the RAV4 Hybrid, and fuel economy of 34 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. The hilly roads of San Francisco and its environs took a toll on my mileage, as I didn’t break 30 mpg until I drove a an hour on a flat highway.
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As with other hybrids in the Toyota stable, the RAV4 Hybrid mixed its engine and motor power seamlessly as I drove. The car rewarded gentle throttle pressure with an EV icon lighting up on the instrument cluster, meaning it had entered electric drive mode, although the nearly 4,000 pound curb weight of the car made that lighted icon a rare occurrence when taking off from a stop.
More frequently I would see that icon light up when I held a steady pace on a flat road. On hill descents I was gratified by the needle on the RAV4 Hybrid’s power gauge entering the charge zone, as regenerative braking recharged the car’s battery and minimized wear on brake pads.
The RAV4 Hybrid also features driver-selectable sport, eco and EV modes, the first two sharpening or detuning the throttle. I’m not a fan of drive modes in a car like this, but they can serve to customize the car’s response for different drivers. EV mode drives the car under electricity only for as long as the battery can hold out, but even on a full charge that won’t be much more than a mile.
The lifted nose looks good on the RAV4 Hybrid, and would benefit approach angles if this car were a real offroader.
Wayne Cunningham/Roadshow
Comfort and quiet
Over some bumpy roads, the RAV4 Hybrid could feel a little bouncy, but most of the time the suspension delivered a very competent ride. While short of luxury, it felt very comfortable on most road surfaces, complementing its smooth ride with minimal road noise. Given the hybrid drivetrain, I rarely heard any engine noise.
Adding to the RAV4 Hybrid’s suitability for long highway trips, its electric power steering left a little play at center, a comfort zone where I needn’t constantly be adjusting input. When actually in a turn, the wheel assumed a more responsive character.
That steering is tied to a lane keeping assist function, standard with the RAV4 Hybrid’s Limited trim, actively preventing lane drift. Trying out the system on the freeway, I found its programming very conservative. Rather than keeping the car center in its lane, as with more aggressive systems, it only stepped in once my wheels were running over the lane lines. And when I kept a loose grasp on the wheel to allow lane drift, the car very quickly warned me to take a stronger hold on the steering.
Garmin Forerunner 735XT Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Sarah Tew/CNET
Garmin on Wednesday announced its newest training watch, the Forerunner 735XT. The GPS-equipped sport watch appears to be the successor to the Forerunner 920XT and is designed for multisport athletes, specifically those who compete in triathlons.
The watch is similar to the Forerunner 235, which is a good thing given that it’s my favorite running watch. It features a built-in optical heart-rate sensor and includes GPS, all-day activity tracking for things like steps and calories burned, and can show notifications from an iPhone or Android smartphone. It also includes access to Connect IQ, Garmin’s third-party app store that lets you download watch faces, widgets and apps.
In addition to running, the 735XT can track cycling, swimming, hiking, cross country skiing, strength training, paddle boarding and cardio. There’s also a special multisport mode for triathlons that can be programmed to automatically change sport profiles. Another noteworthy feature is that the 735XT will be the first watch to come with Strava’s Live Suffer Score app preinstalled. The Suffer Score is calculated based on your heart rate and can determine how hard your workout was.
Sarah Tew/CNET
As with its predecessor, the watch is compatible with Garmin’s Vector pedal-based power meter system and its various Varia cycling accessories. It can also be paired with the company’s HRM heart rate strap to provide advanced running dynamics and measure things like stride length, ground contact time balance, vertical ratio and more.
As with all of Garmin’s watches, the 735XT can be worn both in the shower and while swimming, thanks to the 5 ATM water-resistant rating. In the water, the watch can measure distance, pace, stroke count, stroke rate and more. Battery life is said to be up 14 hours with an active GPS signal or up to 11 days in watch and activity tracking mode.
The Forerunner 735XT is available now for $450. You can also pick up a running bundle that includes the advanced HRM-Run strap for $500 or a special tri-bundle that include both an HRM-Tri and waterproof HRM-Swim strap for $600.
Olympus PEN-F review – CNET
The Good The Olympus PEN-F is fast, delivers great photos in a streamlined body and offers a nice feature set.
The Bad The camera lacks a grip and video is not one of Olympus’ strong suits. Plus, it really should be at least modestly dust- and weather-sealed for the money.
The Bottom Line Excellent photo quality and performance and a system with tiny, fast prime lenses make the Olympus PEN-F a great camera for street photography.
Olympus’ street-photography-focused PEN-F is the latest in the company’s line of enthusiast mirrorless interchangeable-lens models, the first of its cameras to use the 20-megapixel Four Thirds sensor and a departure from the PEN line’s viewfinderless design. It’s also the best thus far with respect to photo quality and performance, and is a terrific option in that sense. It lacks a grip, which always irks me, the back navigation control is more suited to a cheap point-and-shoot and Olympus has yet to match the rest of the pack for video quality, but it otherwise delivers an enjoyable and streamlined shooting experience that doesn’t disappoint when you get home and look at your photos.
I have a soft spot for Micro Four Thirds (MFT) cameras. The smaller sensor doesn’t deliver quite as good photo quality as some APS-C-based models, but given the significantly smaller lenses, it tends to be worth the trade-off when the ability to toss several fast lenses in a bag without breaking my back outweighs the slightly increased depth of field (less background defocus) and slightly crunchier look.
At $1,200 (£1,000, about AU$1,800), the camera is more expensive than its nearest competitor, the Panasonic Lumix GX8, but with a slightly less impressive feature set.
First-rate photos
I’m quite impressed with the photo quality from the PEN-F. (Keep in mind, however, that I lab-tested with an excellent lens, the 12-40mm f2.8, rather than the cheaper kit lenses, which can make a big difference.) It delivers excellent white balance, a noise profile that rivals recent APS-C equivalents through about ISO 3200 and the tonal range you’d expect from a camera of its price.
Olympus Pen-F full-resolution photo samples
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JPEGs look clean through ISO 800 and decent through ISO 3200, but beyond that they look somewhat smeary from the noise-reduction artifacts. If you shoot raw you can push that a little more.
Olympus’ video quality doesn’t match the photos, though it’s not bad. Naturally, the HD video isn’t as sharp as competitors’ 4K and there’s quite a bit of edge crawl, especially on fine lines in the background, plus there aren’t any presets to control the video’s color or curve. (You can use Color Creator and trial and error.) But low-light video doesn’t look as noisy as you’d expect and the in-camera audio recording is surprisingly full-sounding.
Analysis samples
The PEN-F’s JPEGs are clean through ISO 800, and you can start to see just a little smearing at ISO 1600. There are few more false color artifacts than usual in the fine details, though.
Lori Grunin/CNET
Note the significant drop in sharpness between ISO 80 and ISO 200.
Lori Grunin/CNET
Up through ISO 6400 you can see smearing from the noise reduction, but it retains a reasonable amount of detail in the in-focus areas.
Lori Grunin/CNET
Olympus’ High Res Shot mode, which combines multiple, slightly offset images to produce a high-resolution photo, does produce much better, more naturally resolved detail. (This shows a High Res image resized to match the standard size.)
Lori Grunin/CNET
Olympus’ Hi Res mode looks nice and sharp at actual size. Unfortunately, you really need to use a tripod for best results.
Lori Grunin/CNET
The PEN-F has excellent, accurate white balance and colors, and its default Natural color settings do a fine job. It does have a problem preserving details in bright, saturated reds, however.
Lori Grunin/CNET
Starting at about ISO 1600, you can do a better job preserving sharpness and texture by processing raw files.
Lori Grunin/CNET
Xiaomi Mi Max Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun shows off the company’s new 6.4-inch Mi Max. His hands, too, looked small.
Aloysius Low/CNET
With Apple proving that there’s still demand for smaller 4-inch phones with its iPhone SE, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is thinking otherwise. The company announced on Tuesday a 6.4-inch big-screen phone, and as silly as such a large device sounds, the company seems to think there’s demand for its Mi Max.
No doubt this is due to its low price, with the base model starting at 1,499 yuan ($230, £160 or AU$315 converted) and the highest-end phone, with 4GB RAM and 128GB of storage, going for a song at just 1,999 yuan ($350, £210 or AU$420).
Now, Xiaomi’s not the first Chinese company to go big: Huawei did it with the 6.8-inch P8 Max. This phone feels way too large for me, but I may change my mind over the next few days once I spend more time with it. My early impression, however, is that it’s troublesome to use. This isn’t a phone you can wield one-handed, like the bastard swords of yore, this is a strictly two-handed affair. My thumb got quite a good stretch trying to reach to the other edge of the screen but still failed to reach.
Thankfully the phone has a feature called palm rejection. This means that if your palm accidentally grazes the display while you’re holding the phone, the phone will ignore that as an input. This means you won’t accidentally scroll down the Web page you’re looking at, or turn on your caps lock when you’re typing. In my experience, this is really important in larger phones.
Specs and key features
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 hexa-core processor
- 4GB RAM and 128GB of onboard storage
- Xiaomi’s new MIUI 8 Android skin
- Fingerprint scanner on the back
- 16-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front
- 4,850mAh battery
A huge phone for all your video viewing needs.
Aloysius Low/CNET
The Mi Max has quite a few things going for it. It’s big and beautiful, and Xiaomi has wrapped it in classy metal. It feels hefty due to its size, but it’s only 11 grams (0.4 ounces) heavier than the iPhone 6S Plus, and while I do like it, those with smaller hands may find it a tad cumbersome. The 6.4-inch display sports a full-HD resolution and colors are bright and vibrant. It could just be the perfect phone for watching videos, and is more likely to fit in your pants pocket than, say, a slightly larger 7-inch tablet.
The Mi Max is one of the first phones to sport Xiaomi’s MIUI 8 software, which sports a new design based on colors and geometric shapes that change according to the context. Different months in the Calendar app will have a different color, for example, while if you’re using the audio recording app, the color changes based on the input volume. Animations have also been tweaked to feel more fluid and natural, while a new font called “Mi Lan” has been added. While the font’s more for Mandarin characters, there’s also one for the English alphabet.
It’s not hard to dismiss the Mi Max due to its ridiculous size — only the Huawei P8 Max is bigger — but perhaps Xiaomi is to be commended for giving big-phone lovers what they want. The phone is currently available only in China, but expect this to launch in India next and other markets in Southeast Asia where Xiaomi has a presence. It’ll likely only be available online in the US, UK and Australia.
The Mi Max makes the iPhone 6S Plus look small in comparison.
Aloysius Low/CNET
Fitbit Zip review – CNET
The Good Affordable; tracks steps, distance and calories burned; up to six months of battery life.
The Bad It doesn’t track sleep or stairs climbed.
The Bottom Line The Fitbit Zip is still a great entry-level tracker for people that don’t want to wear a wristband.
It has been almost four years since the Fitbit Zip was first released, and yet the affordable tracker still remains one of our favorites. That’s because for $60, £50 or AU$80 depending on your locale (even less if you shop around), you get a tracker that does all the basics. It can track steps, distance and calories burned. All of this information, including the time of day, can be viewed on the device’s small LCD display, or on the Android or iOS app.
Unlike many of Fitbit’s other trackers, the Zip isn’t worn on the wrist. The tracker comes with a silicone sleeve that can be clipped to your belt, pocket or bra, which makes it one of the most discreet trackers on the market today. It’s not pretty, but it works…and it’s the best affordable way to get into the Fitbit scene.
The affordable yet capable Fitbit Zip
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Why we like it?
While the Zip lacks some of the bells and whistles found in other devices, such as tracking sleep and stairs climbed or displaying notifications, it remains one of the cheapest entry points to the Fitbit ecosystem. The Fitbit app app is easy to use and provides tools to help you stay active. In addition to viewing all of your activity data, you can track what you eat and even compete with friends and family members in daily or weekly competitions.
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Another highlight of the Zip is that it never has be charged. It uses a traditional coin battery that will last between four and six months. You will eventually need to manually replace the battery, but they’re incredibly cheap — you can get a 10-pack at Amazon for around $6.
I’d still recommend the Zip over the Fitbit One because it costs less, and if all you’re looking for is a basic clip-on tracker, this does the job fine. While the One adds sleep tracking, you are required to place the tracker in a bulky wrist strap each night.
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Should you buy one?
You don’t need to buy a Zip to enjoy the Fitbit experience. You can use an iPhone and many Android devices with the Fitbit app to track steps, distance and calories burned. You get all the benefits of owning a Zip, but without having to shell out extra dough for the actual device. If you don’t always have your phone with you, though, and don’t want to pay up for (or want) a wristband like the Fitbit Charge HR, the Zip could be right for you.
Looking for another Fitbit device? Check out this guide to find the one that’s right for you.
LG G5 vs LG G4
The LG G5 marked a dramatic departure from the norm for LG, with their latest flagship offering being the first to feature an all metal build. As significant as the change in build material is, what makes the G5 stand out from the crowd even more is its modular nature, possible courtesy of a removable bottom chin, allowing for other useful add-ons to be attached.
The LG G5 is certainly very different, but are these differences enough to make it a worthy upgrade from its predecessor? We find out, as we take a comprehensive look at the LG G5 vs LG G4!
Buy LG G5 on Amazon
Buy LG G4 on Amazon
Design
As mentioned, LG completely changed the formula with the G5, not only when looking at the build quality, but also with regards to the design. The full metal build makes the G5 feel more premium than any of its predecessors, but it has to be mentioned that with the coat of primer and paint, the G5 does unfortunately fall short when compared to its metal brethren. An aspect like design always comes down to individual preference, but many will agree that the G5 isn’t exactly the most attractive phone that LG has produced.
Of course, the big story here is the modular capabilities that the device comes with. The bottom chin can be removed by the simple press of a button, and allows you to attach different modules in its place. Some of these modules, which LG calls “Friends,” include the Cam Plus, a camera grip with physical button and controls, and a Bang & Olufsen Hi-fi audio DAC, that provides higher quality audio. The removable chin means that you also have access to the battery, so despite the change in design and build quality, LG still managed to retain staple features like a replaceable battery, which is something that quite a few users will appreciate.
On the other hand is the LG G4, and when looking at these two smartphones side by side, its hard to imagination that these are part of the same flagship series, and only a year apart. The G4 is made entirely of plastic, or leather and plastic for those who opt for the leather back cover options. The G4 seems to also be the last LG smartphone to feature the company’s signature curved body and display, which is certainly a shame, as the curve not only allowed for a unique look, but also favorably contributed to the handling experience. The G4 also comes with a replaceable battery, which can be accessed in the more traditional manner of simply removing the back cover.
Another big different between these phones can be found in the button layout. The G5 retains the rear-mounted power button from the G4, but the volume rocker has now been moved to a more standard location on the side. The latest LG flagship has a smaller overall footprint compared to its predecessor as, which is understandable, given that it features a slightly smaller display.
As far as one-handed usability is concerned, the G5 does provide the better handling experience, but the G4 isn’t far behind either, courtesy of its curved back, and ultra-thin bezels along the sides of the display up front.
Display
The LG G5 comes with a 5.3-inch IPS LCD display with a Quad HD resolution, while the G4 features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD screen, with the same resolution. Apart from the additional screen real estate that is available with the G4, both these displays are comparable in terms of quality. You get good viewing angles, brightness, and color reproduction with both, but it has to be said that neither can be considered the best display out there.
The display of the G5 does exhibit much cooler tones when compared to the G4, but that is something you will only notice when have the two devices side by side. The other big difference is that the LG G5 comes with an Always On display, that can show you the time, notifications, or a custom message.
Performance and hardware
Under the hood, the LG G5 comes with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, clocked at 2.15 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 530 GPU and 4 GB of RAM. This is the latest and greatest that is available, and powers all other current generation flagship smartphones as well, so it’s no surprise that the phone is extremely fast and responsive.
On the other hand, the LG G4 is powered by the older hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, clocked at 1.82 GHz, and backed by the Adreno 418 GPU and 3 GB of RAM. While this remains a reliable processing package, and the G4 does still perform very well, it obviously doesn’t hold a candle to the far more powerful G5, and the generally snappier performance that you get with the latter.
32 GB is the only storage option available with both, and both smartphones also come with expandable storage via microSD card, for up to an additional 200 GB. Things remain largely the same in terms of hardware, but the LG G5 does come with a fast and accurate fingerprint scanner that is embedded into the power button on the back. LG has also made the switch the USB Type-C with their latest flagship.
The LG G5 comes with a 2,800 mAh battery, which is slightly smaller than the 3,000 mAh unit found with the G4, but things are about the same when it comes to battery life. Both smartphones can comfortably allow for a full day of use, but you won’t get much more than that from either. Both devices also come with fast charging capabilities, so if you are running low on battery, you can get back to a full charge very quickly. Finally, both batteries are also removable, so if battery life is a concern, you always have the option of carrying around spares.
Camera
Both the LG G5 and G4 use the same 16 MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS, but with the G5, LG has also tacked on a secondary 8 MP shooter with a wide angle lens, which allows for some incredible looking wide angle shots. This secondary camera is a lot of fun to use, and is by far one of the best features of the LG G5.
LG G5 camera samples
There are some subtle differences when it comes to the camera software, with the G5 coming with a few extra features modes, such as Multiview mode, which lets you use all three cameras at once, or Snap mode, that can be used to record a string of 3 second clips. Other than that, the camera application remains the same, with both featuring simple and auto modes, and if you are looking to dive in a little deeper, there is a robust manual mode with DSLR-like granular control over aspects like white balance, ISO, shutter speed, and more.
LG G4 camera samples
With both phones featuring the same 16 MP primary shooters, the assumption would be that the image quality would also be similar, but that is surprisingly not the case. Both take very sharp photos with a lot of detail, but the post-processing with the cameras is slightly different. The G5 creates images with more contrast and more vibrant colors, resulting in much darker shadows and less detail in these areas. On the other hand, the G4 goes in the opposite direction, with images coming with less contrast and slightly less color, but you do get a brighter shot overall, with more detail in the shadows. The only drawback here is that because of the brighter image, you are also getting overblown highlights.
Software
On the software side of things, both the LG G4 and LG G5 are running Android 6.0 Marshmallow but with two completely different versions of LG’s interface. The G4 comes with an older version of G UI which is packed with a ton of features that may or may not be all that useful, and it feels a lot more intrusive, with a lot of these features being activated by default. With the G5, the new LG UX may still not be the best interface out there, but it is a big improvement over previous iterations. It is still very cartoonish, with its brightly colored icons, but the overall aesthetics look a lot cleaner and more streamlined.
With the G5, LG also got rid of some features like Dual Window, and have hidden features like the QSlide apps and Smart Bulletin, but are still available for those who want to use them. The biggest change that has been made is the removal of the app drawer, which can certainly take some getting used to, and leaves users dependent on folders to keep things organized. Of course, you always have the option to download a third-party launcher from the Google Play Store to bring back the app drawer, and LG has an official option available as well, downloadable from the LG SmartWorld app.
Specs comparison
| Display | 5.3-inch IPS LCD display Quad HD resolution, 554 ppi |
5.5-inch IPS LCD display Quad HD resolution, 538 ppi |
| Processor | 2.15 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Adreno 530 GPU |
1.82 GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Adreno 418 GPU |
| RAM | 4 GB | 3 GB |
| Storage | 32 GB expandable via microSD card up to 200 GB |
32 GB expandable via microSD card up to 200 GB |
| Camera | 16 MP rear camera, f/1.8 aperture, OIS 8 MP rear camera, wide angle lens, f/2.4 aperture, OIS 8 MP front-facing camera |
16 MP rear camera, f/1.8 aperture, OIS 8 MP front-facing camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB 3.0 (USB Type-C 1.0) |
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB 2.0 (USB Type-C 1.0) |
| Battery | 2,800 mAh removable |
3,000 mAh removable |
| Software | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Dimensions | 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm 159 grams |
148.9 x 76.1 x 6.3 – 9.8 mm 155 grams |
Gallery
Final thoughts
So, there you have it for this closer look at the LG G5 vs LG G4! The big question here is whether the LG G5 brings enough to the table to be considered a worthy upgrade from its predecessor, and the answer really depends on how much you want all the new features that the G5 brings into the picture, such as the modular design, the dual rear cameras, and the fingerprint sensor.
The LG G4 does everything we expect from a smartphone really well, allowing for smooth performance, a great viewing experience, fantastic camera, and good battery life. With the G5, LG has certainly made improvements to all of those aspects, and something like its modular capabilities can prove to be quite compelling as well. All said and done, the LG G5 is definitely worth the upgrade, but if you do decide to stick with the G4, you can rest assured that you still have a more than reliable daily driver.
Buy LG G5 on Amazon
Buy LG G4 on Amazon
Withings Go review – CNET
The Good Months-long battery life; always-on e-ink display; comes with band and clip accessories; easy to use and set up. Water resistant for swimming.
The Bad Chunky design and unattractive band; no extra watch faces or ways to see health data on the Go screen; can’t be set to show the time as the always-on display.
The Bottom Line Long battery life, water resistance and an always-on screen are the best features of the Withings Go, but for its price you can find better overall fitness trackers.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
It’s hard to come up with a new spin on the basic fitness tracker. The Withings Go, with a few key changes, could have been a nearly perfect budget fitness band. Instead, the Go — available for $80 or £50 (equivalent to AU$100) — is a cute little fitness button that doesn’t quite add up to something I’d want wear. It’s got an e-ink display that’s always on. But it doesn’t make good use of it.
Withings, the French connected-wellness company that was just acquired by Nokia, makes a few fitness trackers — notably, the analog watch-like Activite Pop. That watch earned my love by being an easy-to-use everyday watch with long battery life and basic tracking. Imagine that watch but in a chunky plastic body with wrist and clip accessories plus a digital e-ink screen, and you have the Go. I wore one for about a week, and…it’s pretty bare-bones. And, unfortunately, it’s nowhere near as good a watch as the Activite.
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An e-ink screen stays on all the time, and can even be clicked (but doesn’t do much).
Sarah Tew/CNET
The Go is white, but comes with two packed-in accessories in one of five colors (black, blue, green, red or yellow): a rubbery wristband and a plastic belt clip that doubles as a keychain fob. It runs off a coin battery, lasting an estimated eight months. It can be worn while swimming, too. It feels durable, but also clunky.
AIVAnet 