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Rogers Lights Up VoLTE Support

Posted in Commentary with tags , on March 31, 2015 by itnerd

Rogers has announced that they are the first carrier in Canada to turn on turn on Voice over LTE (VoLTE), the next evolution in wireless calling. VoLTE technology allows customers with a compatible phone to place and receive calls over the Rogers LTE network instead of the traditional voice network.

Here’s the non-nerdy explanation of how this works and why this is a big deal. Currently if you’re on LTE and you make or receive a phone call, your phone drops down to 3G speed until you hang up. Then it goes back to LTE speed. Now the problem with that is that the speed of anything that you’re doing on the phone drops as well. For example, if you get a phone call while your phone is tethered to your laptop, your laptop’s ability to surf the net will take a hit.

With VoLTE, you stay at LTE speed. Not only that, voice calls improve as the way that voice calls are packaged up and sent across the LTE network is improved. That means you get much better sound quality.

Now, there are some caveats:

  • Users need a smartphone compatible with VoLTE
  • Users need a software update to enable VoLTE
  • Users need to be in an area where VoLTE is available
  • Users need to be calling another customer that has a VoLTE enabled phone with all of the above

As of now, there’s only one phone that Rogers carries that works with VoLTE and that’s the LG G3 Vigor which coincidentally launches today for $0 on a two year plan. But I would expect that this support will come to other phones soon. For example, the iPhone 6 does support VoLTE. So one presumes that Rogers simply has to flip the switch on that for those users to be supported.

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Review: LG G3

Posted in Products with tags , on August 22, 2014 by itnerd

When I reviewed the LG G2 last year, I thought it would be competitive with the top smartphones out there. But it did have a few shortcomings with the camera being at the top of the list. But that was last October. Today we have the LG G3 which was supplied to me by Rogers. which as far as I am concerned is a big improvement over the G2.

LG has a absolutely beautiful phone in the form of the G3. It’s thin and light and has a stunningly gorgeous 5.5″ 2560 x 1440 IPS display. Having said that, it is very prone to attracting fingerprints though so you’ll need to keep a microfiber cloth handy. It also tends to wash out in sunlight. The back is removable and so is the battery which is a good thing. It feels very solid in your hand and is easy to hold. It may fit into your pants pocket, but I would suggest that you carry it in something such as a man purse or put it into a coat pocket. The rear volume/power button combination has returned on the G3. It works because your finger land naturally on them. They’ve tweaked the design though as each button has a more defined feel which is welcome by yours truly.

Here’s a quick look at the specs:

  • LG customized Android 4.4.2 KitKat
  • 5.5″ 2560×1440 pixel IPS display
  • 2.5Ghz quad core processor
  • 3GB RAM
  • 32GB internal storage expandable via a microSD slot up to 128GB
  • 13MP rear camera w/ Laser Auto Focus + dual-tone flash
  • 2.1MP front-facing camera
  • 4K video capture

One of the cool things that LG has done is come up with a cool way to unlock your phone which is included in LG KnockOn. It allows users to use a combination of taps to unlock the phone with a PIN as a backup option. It’s cool once you get the hang of it. It also allows you to double-tap anywhere on the screen to cycle power, and on the status bar at any time to turn it off, even when in third-party apps. I’ll also give LG credit for having a flat (as in iOS 7) look for their implementation of Android. A couple of Quick-branded apps make an appearance such as QuickMemo+ and QuickRemote, are present. There are other tweaks as well that I think that you’ll like that Rogers has supplied. They’ve brought apps for Rogers One Number, City TV, My Rogers, Anyplace TV among other apps to the G3. One thing that you’ll notice is that this phone is quick. It is easily on par with the Samsung Galaxy S5 when it comes to opening apps and moving between them. Another area that you’ll notice the speed is on Rogers LTE network. It clocked in at an average of 56.07 Mbps downstream and 11.58 Mbps upstream which means that you will not be starved for speed when surfing.

The camera is improved over the G2 that I reviewed last October. On that phone, the phone auto-focused constantly when I tested the video functions. That’s gone on the G3 for the most part. But I am getting ahead of myself. I should show you what the still pictures at 13MP looks like. As usual, I took a trip down to Pearson Airport to take pictures and videos of planes landing. Click on the pictures to see them at full resolution:

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The quality is very good and I will note that it has an autofocus function that is easily on par with the Samsung Galaxy S5. In other words, it was quick to focus. Very quick. Now the video was shot at 4K resolution. So you want to set the video to full screen and set it to 4K to see how good the video quality is.

Now I will note that there was some autofocusing, but it was not even close to being as bad as the G2 because it autofocuses very, very quickly. Kudos to LG for improving that. I should note a couple of things about the camera. First, the user interface for the camera is very simple and straightforward. Anyone can use that interface to tweak the camera to suit their needs. Second, if you’re into taking selfies, the G3 has a neat feature that allows you to take a selfie by using gestures.

Finally, there’s battery life. I got just over a day and a half of battery life before I had to recharge. The G3 does have a few tricks like screen dimming that will help to stretch this which is a good thing. But the bottom line is that the battery life on the G3 is right up there with the class leaders.

What’s my bottom line? The G3 is certainly an improvement over the G2. It’s got a great screen, good battery life, an improved camera, and lots of speed. It’s $79.99 on a 2 year plan or $599 outright at Rogers. That’s very competitive with most of its competition. Speaking of competition, the only competition that I can see for the G3 is the Samsung Galaxy S5. If you’re considering the S5, you need to take a look the LG G3 as well and you very well may end up going home with it.

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LG G3 And Nokia Lumia 635 Now Available At Rogers

Posted in Commentary with tags , , on August 1, 2014 by itnerd

Rogers today dropped me a note to say that the LG G3 in metallic black is now available in Rogers retail locations and online at Rogers.com for $179.99 on select two year Share Everything plans. If you’re wondering how good this phone is, I’ll be getting one to review so watch for it!
Now if you’re looking for an even more affordable option can check out the Nokia Lumia 635, $0 on select two year Share Everything plans. The device is now available in black at Rogers retail locations and online at Rogers.com.  The Nokia Lumia 635 is also available in Fido locations and online at Fido.ca for $0 on select two year plans. Both Rogers and Fido customers will receive an exclusive free interchangeable bright green shell in the box.  I’ll be requesting one of those to review as well, so watch for that to go online very soon.

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Official LG Wireless Charger – WCD-100 Arriving At Retailers

Posted in Commentary with tags on July 26, 2014 by itnerd
LG’s Qi Wireless Charger has is starting to appear at retailers now. This is the official model for the LG G3 if you’re lucky enough to have that phone, but works with all Qi compatible smartphones. At least from pictures, it looks like one of the more elegant wireless chargers that I’ve seen as it a foldable design that supports both portrait and landscape modes for hands-free viewing while charging. I’ve reviewed a Qi Wireless Charger in the past and I really liked it. I think you will too. Mobile Fun is one retailer who has started stocking them, so check them out if you’re looking for one.

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LG G3 QuickCircle Snap On Case Now Available

Posted in Commentary with tags , on July 18, 2014 by itnerd

If you have an LG G3, then this case will interest you. The LG G3 QuickCircle Snap On Case is now available at MobileFun. This is the version that fits over the existing back cover on the G3. It’s ideal for checking the time or viewing and answering incoming calls. Check it out if you’re one of the lucky ones that has G3.

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Review: LG G Flex

Posted in Products with tags on May 30, 2014 by itnerd

A curved smartphone? Really?

Rogers, and only Rogers, has one in the form of the LG G Flex. So, why should you get a curved smartphone? First, let’s talk about the curve. It’s very subtle:

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The curve doesn’t affect your ability to hold the phone. Though the phone is a bit on the large size. If you have small hands, this might be an issue. It won’t fit in your pockets, so a purse or a man purse is a requirement. The 6″ plastic OLED screen is stunning. Any image or video that I put on the phone looked amazing. The only catches to this are that it attracts fingerprints like crazy and it washes out in bright light. Having said that, running videos is where having a curved phone might be an advantage. Compared to the LG G2 that I reviewed some time ago, there’s a sense of depth and better contrast that I normally don’t see in your average smartphone. So perhaps LG knows what they’re doing when it comes to having a curved smartphone. The next thing that you notice is the location of the buttons. On the back of the phone there are the volume buttons and the power button. There are no other buttons on the phone. It makes it look very clean and stylish. Plus it’s functional as that’s where your finger naturally wants to rest when you’re talking on your phone. The back of the phone has a self healing feature that will keep it looking new by resisting scratches. However, it like the screen doesn’t resist fingerprints.

In terms of what this phone brings to the table, here’s the specs:

  • Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean With A Custom Skin By LG
  • 6-inch 1280×720 Curved Plastic OLED display
  • 2.26Ghz quad core processor
  • 2GB RAM
  • 32GB internal storage
  • 13MP rear camera
  • 2.1MP front-facing camera
  • WiFi (b/g/n/a/ac)
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • NFC
  • LTE

It’s easily as fast as the LG G2 that I tested some time ago as anything I threw at it was quick to open and use. In terms of its performance on the Rogers LTE network, I got 62 Mbps downstream and 27 Mbps upstream. Needless to say that’s quick! The skin that LG installs with Android 4.2.2 (Which by the way is over a year old on a device that came out in 2014. What’s up with that?) is highly customizable and well suited for one handed operation. However, compared to TouchWiz (Samsung), Sense (HTC) or even iOS 7.1, it seems a bit dated from a looks perspective and it is in need of an update. One thing to keep in mind is that you get 32GB of storage which is not expandable.

In terms of the camera, it has a 13 MP rear camera that has one handy feature that I tried out at the Toronto Harbour at the Redpath sugar factory. The feature is the panoramic mode. There was a ship that was docked at the Redpath sugar factory that caught my eye. With the default camera settings, this was the best I could do. Click the picture to see it at full resolution:

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Now here’s the same ship with panorama mode turned on. Click the picture to see it at full resolution:

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You’ll note the picture isn’t as sharp, but it’s still very usable. Next it was off to Person International Airport to get pictures of planes landing. First the still picture. Click the picture to see it at full resolution:

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There is a very nice level of detail here. You’ll have no complaints taking still pictures. Now for the video. Set it to 1080P and to full screen to view it:

There was some autofocus issues with this video. Although I will note that it did this less than the LG G2, so that’s a good thing. One thing that I will point out that there was some distortion of the sound. It’s minor, but it’s noticeable. Finally, an image stabilization function would be welcome.

As an aside, if you want to see more example of how the camera on this smartphone works, check out my review of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee. All the photos were taken with this smartphone.

In terms of battery life, you can get a day and a half of battery life out of it. Plus you might be able squeeze more out of it by using the battery saver function which aggressively saves power when the remaining charge dips below 30%. All of that is good because the battery is not removable.

My verdict? This is a decent all around phone in terms of capabilities. Seeing as it’s priced at $199.99 on a two year plan or $450 outright exclusively at your local Rogers store, it will get some looks from those who want an Android smartphone. If you can deal with the size of the phone, this might be the one for you.

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Rogers To Carry The LG G Flex This Spring Exclusively

Posted in Commentary with tags , on February 20, 2014 by itnerd

Introduced back in October, the LG G Flex is the world’s first curved smartphone!. And today Rogers announced that they will be carrying it exclusively in Canada. Here are some features that you should take note of: 

  • The LG G Flex is designed to fit in the palm of your hand and follow the curve of your face with its six-inch curved screen (it even has a curved battery!);
  • It has a self-healing coating, which means the phone’s back cover can recover from day-to-day nicks and scratches;
  • The LG G Flex is super-fast and can run on the our 2100 and 2600 MHz spectrum, reaching top speeds on the Rogers LTE network. This speed, coupled with the LG Flex’s curved design, enhances video experiences with virtually no buffering or delays.

Rogers will have more details to share in the coming weeks, but customers who can’t wait to get their hands on this device can reserve theirs on the Rogers Reservation System beginning today.

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Do LG Smart TV’s Monitor Your Viewing Habits? [UPDATED]

Posted in Commentary with tags , on November 21, 2013 by itnerd

The claim that LG Smart TV’s monitor what you watch is being reported by news outlets including the CBC today. Here’s the details:

The investigation comes after Jason Huntley, a 45-year-old IT consultant in Britain, detailed in his blog how his LG smart TV logged the channels he was watching and sent the data to LG.

He said the company continued to collect which channel he was watching even after he disabled the information collection feature.

“The (LG) server acknowledges the successful receipt of this information back to the TV,” he said in an email. The information appeared to be sent to LG unencrypted, he said.

Also collected were the names of files saved in an external USB hard drive plugged into the TV as well as the TV’s unique identification information.

Now LG is investigating, but this does raise a question: What are the odds that other TV companies that have so called smart TVs are doing the same thing? After all, this info is very valuable. I think it would be handy for Sony, Samsung, and other companies to come clean on what they may or may not be doing. In the meantime, I think I will go for a “dumb” TV for my next TV when the time comes.

UPDATE: News.com is reporting that LG is working on a firmware update to make this problem go away.

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Review: LG G2

Posted in Products with tags , on October 23, 2013 by itnerd

Welcome to the third of four phone reviews in a single week.

LG is trying to make an impact in the smartphone market. Their weapon of choice is the LG G2 provided to me by Telus which is meant to be their answer to those who would rather get phones from Korean competitor Samsung. How does it stack up? The first thing that you notice is the 5.2″ screen which is huge, sharp, and bright. In my mind, it puts it on par with the Galaxy S4 from Samsung. The case feels solid but it and the screen does attract fingerprints. Though I will note that like the Samsungs that I have tested lately, the fingerprints on the screen are not noticeable when the screen is on. The next thing that you notice is the location of the buttons. On the back of the phone there are the volume buttons and the power button. There are no other buttons on the phone. It makes it look very clean and stylish. Plus it’s functional as that’s where your finger naturally wants to rest when you’re talking on your phone.

The phone comes with 32GB of memory and you can’t upgrade it. The other thing that you can’t do anything with is the battery. It’s non-removable. But the upshot is that the battery lasts for well over a day in normal usage which is very impressive. If you want long battery life from an Android based phone, this is the phone for you. Speaking of Android, it comes with Android 4.2.2 and it’s highly customizable. Starting with the lock screen, there are a number of shortcuts like the phone, messages, camera and more. You can customize this, and utilize the convenient nature that this feature introduces. Another feature that I appreciated was the guest mode that allows you to set up a mode that someone else can use without getting access to your stuff. That’s a feature that I wish that more phones would have. There’s also QSlide, which is a multitasking feature exclusive to LG phones. It allows you to run two apps simultaneously.

The phone feels very fast as apps popped up instantly compared to some other phones I’ve tested recently. That likely is due to the 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Processor that LG has decided to use. In terms of connectivity, it comes with WiFi, NFC, Infra Red, and LTE. When it comes to the latter, I got 21Mbps downstream and 12Mbps upstream using Speedtest.net. That’s pretty speedy.

In terms of the camera, the rear camera is a 13MP shooter with the ability to do 1080P video. Here’s a still picture taken at Pearson International Airport. Click the picture to see it at full size:

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This was taken in light conditions that were constantly changing because of the cloud cover. All things considered, it wasn’t bad as it shows the phone can cope very well with these sorts of conditions. Next is the video. It was shot at 1080P so you want to display it in full screen and at 1080P to see it as it was recorded:

The sound quality was good. But the one thing that was a bit of a downer was the fact that the phone auto-focused constantly. I couldn’t figure out how to turn that off. But other than that, the video quality was good.

My verdict? The LG G2 is a great alternative to the usual phone suspects. It has a great screen, great battery life, a guest mode that you’ll find useful, and it is fast. You should take a look at this smartphone and compare it to the Galaxy S4. If you do, I think you’ll have a tough decision as to what phone to buy. It is $199 on a two year plan from Telus or $650 outright. A very good price for a very good phone.

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LG G2 Hits Canadian Carriers Today

Posted in Commentary with tags , , on September 27, 2013 by itnerd

If you’re in Canada, LG’s latest flagship phone hit Rogers and Telus stores today. The G2 has the following going for it:

  • Stunning 5.2″ display – This FullHD and super responsive display is built with IPS+ technology, meaning users get the best picture, with true-to-life colour, from all angles. Even with a large screen, the G2 is built to maximize screen space and fit perfectly in the palm of the hand.
  • Longer battery life – Equipped with a powerful 3000mAh battery, and screen and processor optimized to reduce their strain on power, the LG G2 will keep users connected longer than other devices in its class.
  • 13MP camera – Complete with image stabilization and multiple camera modes such as burst. The LG G2 also comes with features to enhance video quality: ”Audio Zooming” to focus in on the sounds users want while cancelling out background noise and ”Object Tracking” to easily follow a moving object.
  • Quad-Core LTE Snapdragon 800 chipset – this top-of-the line mobile chipset ensures that multi-tasking, playing games and running high-demand apps is a smooth experience, with no lag or dragging.
  • Customizable software – users can customize everything from how their back/menu buttons are laid out, to how menus and notifications are presented – the G2 allows for an additional layer of customization that Android users will enjoy.
  • It’s first LTE smartphone in Canada based on category 4 technology, meaning the LG G2 smartphone can theoretically access LTE speeds of up to 150 Mbps. That will be of interest to customers on the Rogers network.
  • Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) software

This is a phone that is worth checking out if you want a fast, powerful phone. Visit Rogers or Telus to get your hands on one. I’ve requested one for review. Watch for that coming soon.

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