Predictably, the G4 brings a raft of updates to LG’s custom UI overlay, which runs on top of Android 5.1. None of these is particularly groundbreaking: the biggest new feature is the Smart Bulletin service, which – with a swipe left from the homescreen – brings up a card-based view presenting notifications from a handful of preset apps, such as LG’s Health app, the calendar, the QRemote app and a few others. You can customise the view by dragging elements around and enabling or disabling various services, but you’ll probably just want to turn the whole thing off.
LG has also upgraded the Gallery app: it now has a feature called “Memories”, which automatically organises your photos and videos into event-based albums – a bit like Google Photos does with its Stories feature, only offline. Potentially more useful is the “Timeline” feature, which brings up an overview of all the photos you’ve taken in a given day, month or year, as a stream of tiny thumbnails in one or several large blocks.
LG’s Google Now-esque “Smart Notice” system has been improved too: now, purportedly, it has the ability to learn from your “lifestyle and usage patterns”. We’re not convinced by this: during our testing
it seemed mainly to present weather- based advice, such as “It will rain today starting in the afternoon. Be careful on the road.” This particular gem was delivered on a day when I’d travelled by train to work.
However, owners of newish Volkswagens may appreciate the G4’s support for MirrorLink entertainment and navigation systems. Google’s Docs, Sheets and Slides apps come preinstalled too, and you get 100GB of Google Drive space, free for two years, when you first sign in to the service using the LG G4.
■Verdict
While we’re not bowled over by the software, it hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm for the LG G4. It’s incredibly hard to be different in the smartphone world, but with some bold design choices LG has managed to pull it off.
Critically, it hasn’t compromised performance, battery life or camera quality, and retaining both a microSD slot and a removable battery means the G4 will appeal to a whole tranche of customers for whom flexibility is most important.
Contract prices aren’t cheap right now. You’ll be paying at least £35 per month for a free phone on contract, which is around the same as you’ll pay for a Samsung Galaxy S6. SIM-free prices aren’t too bad, however, starting at £500 for the plastic-backed edition, ramping up to around £520 for the leather one. This suggests that contract prices should settle to a notch below Samsung’s flagship.
So, while the Samsung Galaxy S6 remains the price-no-object smartphone of choice, the LG G4 is a great option for everyone else. It’s a stylish, capable smartphone, and one that – refreshingly – does things a little differently. JONATHAN BRAY
ABOVEThe camera is one of the G4’s great strengths, producing clean, sharp images
BELOWThe plastic- backed models have a clean style and a slightly lower price
Reviews
@ P C P R O F A C E B O O K . C O M / P C P R OSCORE
✪✪✪✪✪
T
here are times when good looks and sleek design must take second place to practicality – situations when tough is more important than pretty. So it is with the 2015 edition of the Dell Chromebook 11. It may not be stylish, but it’s unfussy and practical, and for the target market – the education sector – that’s exactly what’s needed.That’s not to say that Dell has skimped on design. The manufacturer says the laptop has passed US Military Standard testing, and while you’re unlikely to need to use it under enemy fire, that sturdiness means it’s more than equal to the knocks of student life. It’s covered in solid-feeling matte-black plastic that hides any smudges or scratches, and encircled by rubber bumpers that protect against drops. Open it up and you’ll find a lid that can be swung back a full 180 degrees, with reinforced hinges that help to prevent any damage caused by rough handling.
One distinctive feature aimed specifically at classroom use is the Chromebook’s “activity light”. Set into the corner of the lid, facing outwards, this light bar can be illuminated in three colours, allowing students to discreetly attract attention if they have an issue or want to ask a question. It’s a smart addition that’s aimed at helping teachers to
encourage less confident students to contribute in class.
The sensible theme continues with the keyboard. The keys feel springy and responsive, and the layout is good too. However, we can’t say the same for the touchpad: the integrated buttons are annoying to use when cutting, pasting, dragging and dropping between multiple windows.
As for ports, there’s HDMI 1.4 out, one USB 3 and one USB 2, plus you get an SD slot and 3.5mm headset jack. There’s also a 720p webcam, dual- band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4 for a pretty comprehensive wireless- connectivity setup.
As with last year’s Chromebook 11, the weakest part of the package is the screen. The 1,366 x 768 TN panel is dull: it suffers from poor vertical viewing angles and a low maximum brightness of 239cd/m2– which
could make it hard to read in a sunny classroom – and a drab contrast ratio of only 306:1.
Under the hood is a 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Celeron N2840, backed by 4GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. This Celeron is based on the Bay Trail-M architecture, and as a result isn’t quite as powerful as last year’s model, which used the Haswell-based Celeron 2955U. It completed the SunSpider JavaScript test in 526ms and scored 1,453 in the Peacekeeper browser test, placing it close in performance to the midfield Asus Chromebook C200.
Still, the nature of Chrome OS and the fairly low-power, browser-based tasks that run on it mean this isn’t a huge problem, and it feels responsive and smooth in day-to-day use. The
laptop starts up in seconds, and even with 15 tabs open, we experienced very little slowdown.
The Chromebook 11 performed well in our battery testing, lasting 7hrs 35mins with a constant video loop and screen brightness of 120cd/m2– more than enough to get
through a school day.
The speakers are good too: there’s some distortion when you push the volume over 80%, but overall the sound is surprisingly loud, and clear enough to fill a classroom.
Overall, the Dell Chromebook 11 remains an excellent device for those who need a well-priced, practical laptop. It’s light enough to carry around and rugged enough to handle
a beating, and the price remains reasonable, at £227 for the non-touch version with 4GB of RAM, £275 for the 4GB touchscreen version and £200 for the non-touch version with 2GB of RAM. If you’re looking for a more stylish laptop, the similarly priced Toshiba Chromebook 2 or the HP Chromebook 11 make good alternatives. But neither combines toughness and practicality like Dell’s rubber-encased Chromebook 11. THOMAS McMULLAN
SPECIFICATIONS
2.6GHz Intel Celeron N2840●4GB RAM●
16GB storage●SD slot●11.6in 1,366 x 768
display●720p webcam●802.11ac Wi-Fi●
43Wh three-cell Li-ion battery●Chrome OS ●1yr NBD warranty●297 x 217 x 23mm
(WDH)●1.2kg (1.7kg with charger)
ABOVESturdy and practical – the Chromebook is ideal for student life
Rugged, practical and thoughtfully designed, with decent battery life
Disappointing display quality; irritating touchpad
DellChromebook11
(2015)
It’snotpretty,butthis
year’s DellChromebook11
is sturdy,practicaland–
bestofall–cheap
PRICE£189 (£227 inc VAT)from dell.co.uk (pcpro.link/250dell)
“Thelidcanbeswung
back180degrees,with
reinforcedhingesthat
preventanydamage
causedbyroughhandling”
RECOMMENDEDBATTERY: video feedback, 7hrs 35mins
ABOVEThe “activity light” indicates if a student needs help or has a question for the teacher