iPad Mini 4 review

WHAT IS THE IPAD MINI 4?

Often the unloved tablet in Apple’s lineup, the latest mini-iPad is pretty much an iPad Air 2 with a 7.9-inch display.

It probably is what the poorly received iPad Mini 3 should have been, thanks to the improved CPU, 2GB of RAM, laminated display and overall thinner body.

It’s a fantastic little media machine that while pricey, has all the functionality of its bigger brothers. Just in a smaller package.

IPAD MINI 4 – DESIGN

The iPad Mini 4 looks just like the iPad Mini 3 before it, which in turn looked just like the iPad Mini 2. Apple clearly feels it’s reached peak iPad design, and I mostly agree.

Those chamfered edges glisten, the curved sides sit comfortably in your hands, and the flat back helps the device perch, without rocking, on a table. It’s as slippery as ever, though: I often feel a little uneasy when holding the tablet in one hand.

Related: Best Tablets

Along the side of the iPad Mini 4 is a volume switch, and a lock button sits along the top; Apple has done away with the rotation lock slider of the iPad Mini 3. This is in order to make the device slimmer – 6.1mm as opposed to 7.5mm – and the trade-off is fine by me. It’s lighter, too, by about 30g.

On the bottom you’ll find the precisely machined speaker holes and a Lightning charging port.

The defining feature of the iPad Mini 4, as its name implies, is its size. It’s far more manageable in one hand than the iPad Air 2 or 9.7-inch iPad Pro, and when placed next to the iPad Pro 12.9-inch the difference is almost comical.

In certain situations, I much prefer the compact style. Reading, for instance, is far better on the iPad Mini 4. I can hold up the device comfortably with one hand for extended periods, something that wouldn't be possible with a larger tablet. It also feels more natural to be reading on a device that is the actual size of a paperback book.

The iPad Mini 4 is also the perfect companion when out and about. Pulling it out on the bus, tube or train feels less intrusive to others – especially on jam-packed public transport – than it does with a full-sized tablet, which makes it a great little media machine to always keep around.

However, I don’t find the iPad Mini anywhere near as productive as larger devices. Its smaller display leads to a smaller on-screen keyboard, making typing more difficult and therefore typos more common. The size issue affects third-party keyboard accessories, too, which again makes them far less functional than their larger counterparts.

Related: iOS 9 tips and tricks

IPAD MINI 4 – DISPLAY

Since it was announced months before the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, the iPad Mini 4's display doesn’t feature True Tone technology. Still, this is a fine screen – in fact, of all the iPads this is the most pixel-dense panel.

The 2,058 x 1,536 display is the same as both the iPad Air 2 and smaller iPad Pro, but those pixels are packed much tighter together in the 7.9-inch panel as opposed to the 9.7-inch version.

This is also the first iPad Mini display to be laminated, ditching that tiny air-gap that previously sat between the glass and the actual display. Of all the changes in the iPad Mini 4 this is one of my favourites, and you’ll really notice the difference if you’re coming to the iPad Mini 4 from previous generations of iPad. It feels like you’re actually touching the pixels.

There’s a wider colour gamut too – the same as the iPad Air 2 – so the panel can display a broader range of hues. Again, put the iPad Mini 4 side by side with either the iPad Mini 2 or 3 and you’ll instantly notice the difference. Blacks are deeper, reds are more vivid and whites are less dingy.

It’s an all-round fantastic display, and a huge step-forward over the screen on the iPad Mini 2 and 3 – both of which I found a little washed out and lacking in vibrancy.

Outdoor usability remains limited, however, especially in direct sunlight – and after even a few minutes of use the display is an absolute fingerprint magnet.

? WHAT IS THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 EDGE

The curved screen is Samsung’s new headline design trait, and it’s using it more and more frequently. The S7 Edge is the best version of it yet, I haven’t spent enough time with the Galaxy Note 7 just yet, and it makes for an iconic phone. It's more eye-catching than the regular Samsung Galaxy S7, too.

It doesn’t just impress in the looks department though; this is an all-round stunner. It has the best optics, crispest screen and even Samsung’s software has taken a step back. The sloping display might make it harder to hold for some, but it’s never become an issue for me.

It’s expensive, it’s always going to be, but you’re getting a lot of phone for your money.

Video: Check out our review of the Galaxy S7 Edge

Related: Samsung Galaxy S8

SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 EDGE – DESIGN

Metal and glass build, curved display, IP68 water resistant, available in black or gold

Design hasn't always been Samsung's strong suit. Just two years ago, Samsung released the Galaxy S5. The handset was the most powerful phone available at the time, but it wasn’t a looker. Last year’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge signalled a much needed change for Samsung, and the change is only more obvious with the S7 Edge.

Related: Best smartphones 2016

The Galaxy S7 Edge is downright gorgeous. In my eyes, it’s the best looking phone ever and makes the iPhone 6S Plus look blocky, boring and dated.

On the surface, the S7 Edge looks just like its predecessor. A metal rim is sandwiched between two slabs of Gorilla Glass 4, with a lock switch on one side and separated volume keys on the other. The back is almost completely clean, with a now flush camera sensor, heart rate monitor and a Samsung logo.

Along the top is the repositioned sim-tray, which now pops in a microSD slot too, plus a microphone. The bottom houses the headphone jack (this should always be on the bottom, can other manufacturers please take note), another microphone, a tiny and frankly disappointing speaker, plus a microUSB port for charging.

Related: Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

Rumours suggested Samsung was going to make the switch to the new, reversible USB–C connector that’s already being used on the Nexus 6P, OnePlus 2 and LG G5, but it hasn’t panned out that way. This isn’t really a bad thing, in fact USB–C is more of a hindrance than a help at the minute. Especially as it means getting rid of all those microUSB cables you’ve accumulated over the years.

The front is almost as clean as the back, and features an elongated home button set under the display, plus another Samsung logo – does it really need two?. Unlike the HTC One A9, the front control is a physical button, not a capacitive pad. The front button houses the Galaxy S7 Edge's fingerprint sensor, which is just as fast as all the others on the market now.

Samsung has once again decided not to use on-screen buttons, so glowing ‘back’ and ‘multitasking’ keys light up when needed. Ditching virtual buttons gives you more screen space, but this phone could be even more compact if Samsung went down that route.

Samsung's also redesigned the Galaxy S7 Edge's camera module. Unlike the S6's, the S7 Edge's module sits flat on the phone's back. This might sound like a small change, but it makes a big difference. I can now tap out a text with the phone flat on my desk without it jumping and rocking from side to side.

Related: Best Android smartphones 2016

But, the biggest change between the S6 Edge from last year and the Galaxy S7 Edge is the size. Instead of simply keeping both the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge the same, with just the Edge sides to differentiate them, Samsung has positioned the Edge as the ‘higher-end’ device, pushing up the screen size from 5.1-inches to 5.5-inches.

When I first heard Samsung made this changed, I was a little annoyed. There was something unique about having a fully-powered phone with a screen that was on the small and compact side. It’s a rarity these days. Pick up the S7 Edge though, and you might have to double to check the spec-sheet, surely this phone doesn’t have the same size screen as the iPhone 6S Plus?

Yet it does. Somehow Samsung has managed to cram a large screen into the body of a much smaller phone. Next to the iPhone 6S Plus, the S7 Edge is narrower, shorter and much lighter. I can even use it comfortably in one hand, stretching my thumb from one corner to the other without too much trouble.

There’s something else the size increase helps too: those gorgeous, sloping curved edges. The Galaxy S7 Edge is the fourth Samsung phone to use this design trait, but it’s the best implementation I've seen yet.

Related: IP68 – What does it mean?

The S6 Edge was difficult to hold for an extended period, while the Galaxy S6 Edge+ was simply too big. The Galaxy S7 Edge, though, is just right. There’s enough space between where the curved screens stops and the back starts to grip, while the newly curved back – reminiscent of the Galaxy Note 5 – slips nicely into my palms. In short, it feels great to hold and it’s an impressive feat by the Samsung design team that these slight changes have made such a big overall difference.

Just like the microSD slot, Samsung has brought back another fan favourite from the Galaxy S5; an IP68 rating for water-resistance. While this is by no means a vital feature, it’s admirable that it has been added without any noticeable loss to the design. There are no flaps covering the ports, no added thickness and no extra space between the display and glass.

What does an IP68 rating mean? Well, you’ll be able to dunk the Galaxy S7 Edge into one meter of water for up to 30 minutes without damaging the phone. Basically, you can use it in the rain without issue and even watch some YouTube in the bath without worrying about an accidental slip. Not that I did that, honest.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 EDGE – SCREEN

5.5-inch quad-HD panel, dual curved edges

If the design of the S7 Edge is stunning, then the same word can be used to describe the display. Not a whole lot has changed from the outgoing flagships, but this still holds up as the best screen on a smartphone for a number of reasons.

First up is the sheer amount of detail here. Samsung didn’t try and go all-out with a 4K display, but really when quad-HD (that’s 2560 x 1440) looks this good I don’t think there’s much of a need for more pixels. Maybe it would help make VR even better with the Gear VR headset, but that’ll probably come next year.

Related: Best apps and game for the Samsung Gear VR

Everything from images to films to games look beautiful, with pixels completely invisible to the naked eye. The 534ppi (pixels per inch) density beats the iPhone 6S Plus and means the S7 Edge easily outmuscles Apple’s phablet in the display department.

Samsung has stuck with its Super AMOLED tech for the Galaxy S7 Edge and that’s not really a surprise. AMOLED screens are much more vibrant than the LCD counterparts. Oversaturation isn’t as much of a problem as it was on older Samsung phones, and personally I like a bit more ‘oomph’ to my colours. But for those that like a cooler look there are options to tone things down.

AMOLED displays are also much better at showing off blacks than LCDs. Instead of looking slightly grey, the blacks here are inky deep. You’ll easily notice this when watching media and it’s hard going back to an LCD afterwards.

Now, there are a few niggles I have with the display on the Galaxy S7 Edge. There’s a really strong blue tinge on the two edge sides, especially when viewing content with white background. In both Twitter and Gmail I can pick this out and while it won’t come across in pictures, it’s annoying.

Viewing angles also aren’t the best. But, that’s really one of the sacrifices you get when you don’t use an IPS LCD panel. Tilt the phone to an angle and the sides become bright white, but the rest of it looks like it’s masked in a grey fog.

The new ‘Always-on Display’ mode, is also cool but needs some work. The Always-on tech takes advantage of the fact AMOLED screens don't need to light up the whole display all the time and can instead select individual pixels to charge. This means the S7 Edge can still show the time, date and a couple of bits of other information on the lock-screen when the phone is off without eating through too much battery.

Samsung says having the ‘Always-on display’ switched on will only use up an extra 1% of battery per hour and those claims stand true during my testing. Samsung also says you should save battery because you don’t unlock the phone as much with Always-on activated, but I disagree with this.

Yes, the Always-on mode shows the time, but it will only alert you to notifications from Samsung’s default apps like Messages, Mail and Phone. Use WhatsApp? Or Gmail? Tough, these won’t show up.

I’d also like a bit more control over the mode. You can’t alter the brightness, which causes some problems when you’re in a darker room, and aside from choosing whether or not you want a calendar showing, there isn’t much customisation allowed.

It’s a nice start and a feature that has potential to be very useful, but it needs work.

LG G5 review

PROS

• Lovely screen
• Great wide-angle camera
• USB-C fast charging

CONS

• Dodgy build quality
• Software is on the ugly side
• Expensive modules

KEY FEATURES

• 5.3-inch IPS QHD screen
• Snapdragon 820 processor & 4GB RAM
• 32GB onboard storage and microSD slot
• 2,800mAh battery
• USB Type-C v3.0 port
• Fingerprint sensor
• 16-megapixel rear camera & 8-megapixel front camera
• Additional 8-megapixel wide-angle rear camera
• LG UX 5.0 on Android Marshmallow
• Manufacturer: LG
• Review Price: £529.00

WHAT IS THE LG G5?

There was lot of hype surrounding LG’s quirky modular G5, but it didn’t last all that long. The visions of this Project Ara like device with a wide selection of add-ons that you switch at will hasn’t really happened, leaving us with a good phone that fails to stand out.

LG also probably didn’t count on other brand’s upping their game. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is fantastic, as is the HTC 10, and there’s even budget offerings like theOnePlus 3.

The lack of interesting modules has really hurt the LG G5, and it’s no longer the only modular phone on the market. Moto has the Moto Z and it’s already got a better selection of add-ons. There’s also the LG V20 coming soon, and it’ll be the first phone to run Android Nougat.

LG G5 – DESIGN AND MODULES

Metal body, removable battery, modular system, rear fingerprint sensor, sloped top, 159g

In pictures the LG G5 looks curvy and sleek, but pick up the smartphone and it feels oddly hollow.

LG played up its switch from the plastic body of the LG G4 to a metal one on the G5. However, in the hand the G5 really doesn’t feel like any other metal phone I’ve come across. the handset has an odd finish that feels much more like plastic than the advertised “microdized” metal. I do like the slightly sloping top, though, but it's the only feature that sets it apart.

Related: LG G5 vs Samsung Galaxy S7

The G5's design is very clean too, with only a single volume clicker and SIM-tray present on either side. The volume control suffers from having a very shallow push, but it's usable nonetheless. While LG has ditched the volume keys on the rear, the lock switch remains in the slightly unorthodox position just below the camera sensors.

In my opinion it's far better to have all the buttons in the same spot, be it on the back or sides of a phone. Positioned as they are, I’m forced to move my hands around the G5 more than normal just to reach everything.

Related: LG G5 vs LG G4

The standby switch now also houses a fingerprint scanner – something I consider a must for any 2016 flagship. V10 aside, for which there's been no UK launch, this is the first phone from LG to use a fingerprint scanner.

I'm pleased to report that it does a superb job – it’s fast and accurate. In addition, you don’t even have to press down to unlock the phone; simply glide your digit across and it’ll bypass the lockscreen completely.

As with all back-mounted scanners I’ve tried, it can sometimes go off randomly in my pocket. On more than a few occasions I’d pull it out of my pocket to be met with a message reporting "too many incorrect attempts, fingerprint blocked". But I guess this is a side-effect of it being so sensitive. The scanner itself is also quite small, which might be issue if you have large fingers.

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The LG G5’s modular system is its stand-out feature. Now, it isn’t quite at Google Project Ara levels of customisability – so you won’t be switching out the RAM or CPU – but it’s clever and unique nevertheless.

It works like this. Along the side of the handset there sits an almost indistinguishable button set just almost flush to the body. Press this in with the tip of your nail and the bottom chin of the phone will pop out; pull it off and out comes the battery.

The battery comes apart from the bottom unit – which can feel like you’re breaking the device – and then you can attach it to other modules, or "Friends" as LG calls them. At launch, there are two modules available and neither are going to be a draw in themselves to sell the phone.

The camera grip adds a touch more battery, a separate shutter button for both photos and video, and a jog dial for zoom. The second module is a DAC powered by some B&O tech. The DAC gives you 32-bit audio and an extra headphone jack.

Related: 5 modules for the LG G5 we'd love to see

I find myself wishing that LG had started off with slightly more enticing accessories. The DAC is a nice idea – I’m all for ways to improve smartphone audio – but the camera grip doesn’t actually make the camera any better; it just makes the shooting process "easier". I also don’t like the fact it encourages people to use digital zoom – photo tech that universally produces terrible photos on all the smartphones I’ve tested, including the G5.

These two modules are also much pricier than I'd anticipated. The B&O DAC costs £150, while the camera grip will set you back £79. Problems will also likely arise when you’re ready to upgrade to the LG G6 – will the new device support the same modules? I'm not convinced.

LG is encouraging third parties to make their own Friends, so hopefully they’ll be a few more to choose from in the coming months. However, if the LG G5 fails to sell in large enough numbers then maybe there won't be much incentive to build a costly module.

The modular system also hampers the build quality of the device. Both parts of the phone don’t quite fit flush together; there’s an ever-so-slight gap between the two. It’s minimal, but wide enough that I can see light filtering through.

LG G5 – SCREEN

5.3-inch, IPS LCD, quad-HD display with always-on mode

LG’s past few flagship devices have benefited from impressive displays.

While they can't be described as perfect, they’ve always adopted new tech and utilised it well. LG was one of the first manufacturers to really bring quad-HD, 2,560 x 1,440 panels to the mainstream, for example, and since the G3 it has gone from strength to strength.

I’m happy to say that the display on the LG G5 is the best yet – even though on the surface it appears that not a whole lot has changed.

LG hasn't made the switch to a 4K display; it remains quad-HD. Although in my opinion this isn't a bad thing – quad-HD is the highest resolution a phone needs to be unless it will be used for VR. The display on the G5 remains a IPS LCD panel too, rather than the AMOLED panels favoured by Samsung and Google.

The biggest change here is that the screen is actually marginally smaller than before – 5.3-inches as opposed to 5.5-inches. But the number of pixels remain the same; they're simply crammed into a smaller surface area.

The display is ridiculously sharp, far more true-to-life and softer than the Galaxy S7 display. This isn't necessarily a positive, though – it’s all down to personal taste, with some preferring accurate colours over vibrancy. Viewing angles are on point.

LG has also improved the brightness of the screen, not that the G4 suffered much in this area. At its highest, it's at 900 nits, but there will be few instances in which it will need to be set so high. Around 50% is right, or you can opt for auto-brightness.

I'm not a fan of auto-brightness on Android devices, and it's no different here. It’s too obvious, results in a stuttering motion and is rarely accurate in its judgements.

Related: Android N hands-on

The G5 display's black level – an area in which many IPS displays struggle – is solid. While not as deep as those on the Samsung Galaxy S7, blacks on the LG G5 are suitably inky and deep, and mean the display has a great contrast ratio.

Just like the Samsung Galaxy S7, the LG G5 has an "always-on" display mode, so the time and your notifications remain visible even when the phone is locked.

LG’s implementation is much better than that of Samsung in just about every way. It uses less battery, about 12% a day (8am to midnight) as opposed to the Galaxy S7’s 15%. The LG G5’s always-on screen also displays all your notifications, including those from WhatsApp and Gmail. This makes it far more useful than the S7, which pushes alerts from only a limited selection of apps.

The display on the G5 is less customisable, however, and since it isn’t AMOLED, it lights up every pixel rather than just the clock. This means it’s far more noticeable, and more distracting, in low light.

OnePlus 3 review

Introduction

A great act is tough to follow and sometimes delivering two great devices in a row requires that you take a completely different approach with the successor. Now on its third "flagship killer" (with the OnePlus X taking a different path), OnePlus has taken on the tough task to mature from a business standpoint, while still retaining that ambitious "never settle" attitude that brought it where it is today.

Only time will tell if that works out, but it's beyond the point of this review anyway. What we are determined to find out here is whether the OnePlus 3 is worth your hard-earned cash.

On paper, the formula is right - match the specs of rivals and undercut their pricing. However, it is the approach towards the latter that has really changed this time around. Instead of going for an absurdly low price and being unable to sort out production, mandating stuff like the dreaded invite system, OnePlus has gone to reasonable levels this time and dropped the sales tricks.

Overall, the OnePlus 3 is best described as driven by pragmatic choices. There is nothing really unusual, bold or even remotely eccentric from a design standpoint - just a really elegant and thin metal unibody with very few things that may raise questions. The same goes for the specs. They have always been more than robust in OnePlus devices, but typically hand-picked and arranged for optimal performance, rather than just there for the sake of pure numbers.

Key features

• 5.5" Optic AMOLED display of 1080p resolution; 401ppi; Corning Gorilla Glass 4; Metal back
• 64GB model with Snapdragon 820 chipset (2x Kryo at 2.15GHz and 2x Kryo at 1.6GHz cores); Adreno 530 GPU
• 16MP f/2.0 main camera with OIS and phase detection autofocus, single LED flash; 2160p video at 30fps;
• 8MP f/2.0 front-facing camera, 1080p video recording at 30fps
• 4G LTE; Dual-SIM support; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.2; NFC; GPS, GLONASS and BDS; Fingerprint reader; USB Type-C connector
• Oxygen OS, based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
• 3,000mAh non-removable battery
• Fast battery charging: 60% in 30 min (Dash Charge)

Main disadvantages

• No microSD card slot

With a Snapdragon 820 SoC and Adreno 530 GPU, pushing pixels to an extremely power-efficient 1080p, 5.5-inch AMOLED panel, you don't expect any performance bottlenecks. If anything the 6GB of RAM put it ahead of the pack and with a Sony-made 16MP OIS camera imaging department holds plenty of promise too.

   
OnePlus 3 in official photos

All bases seem covered, but a modern smartphone, and particularly a flagship is more than a mechanical sum of its parts. Premium user experience goes beyond the things you can put on a specs sheet and we are yet to see if OnePlus managed to deliver it. Follow along on the next page, as we unbox the 3 and take a closer look at its exterior.