Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge vs LG G Flex 2

Smartphones have reached the point where designs are more iterative than innovative. While the look and feel changes only slightly on new models each year, manufacturers haven't done much to wow consumers beyond the traditional rectangular slab of glass, metal and plastic.

LG attempted to shake things up last year with first G Flex, a 6-inch smartphone with a curved display and slightly flexible frame, and Samsung soon followed with their own take on this concept, courtesy of theGalaxy Note Edge, a phablet-sized model featuring a display that wraps around the right side.

These Korean tech titans wasted no time announcing all-new versions of these devices for 2015, and we sat down with both in an effort to determine whether curved and flexible displays actually enhance the experience or are little more than a marketing gimmick.

Screen

Although it won't hit stores until April 10 (with preorders now available in 20 countries), theSamsung Galaxy S6 Edge is little more than a variant of this year's Samsung Galaxy S6, featuring nearly identical specs with one notable exception: The Edge's display gently wraps around both sides of the front.

Otherwise, the Galaxy S6 Edge offers the same 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display as its less curvaceous sibling, with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 that packs in a whopping 577ppi.

The new LG G Flex 2 one-ups Samsung's latest with a 5.5-inch Full HD P-OLED display which curves slightly from top to bottom, and like its predecessor, can handle a bit of bending without breaking.

Despite the larger screen, the G Flex 2 tops out at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 with a pixel density of only 403ppi, but LG attempts to make up for this shortcoming by comparing the curved display to its high-end televisions, offering a more cinematic viewing experience in landscape mode with three modes (Standard, Vivid or Natural) to make any content look great.

Design

Weighing only 4.66 ounces (132 grams), Samsung's curved Galaxy S6 Edge offers a premium feel that's slightly less ergonomic along the edges, but the aluminum frame and 7mm thickness make the device feel lighter than the Galaxy S6.

Roughly the size of an iPhone 6, Samsung borrowed a somewhat annoying trait from Apple's latest flagship handset: The rear camera protrudes from the back ever so slightly, presumably a design compromise to keep the device slim and trim.

Instead of curving around the edges, LG's G Flex 2 bends the entire case inward vertically, and because of the larger display size, its contoured body weighs slightly more at 5.36 ounces (152 grams) with a 5.87 x 2.96 x 0.37-inch (149.1 x 75.3 x 9.4mm) frame.

Processor and Storage

Just because it looks so nice on the outside, that's no reason to be a slouch when it comes to what's on the inside.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge obliges with an octa-core, 64-bit Exynos 7 Octa 7420 processor clocked at 2.1GHz capped off by a Mali-T760 MP8 GPU and a whopping 3GB RAM and up to 128GB of storage for good measure.

LG mostly made up for the lack of oomph on the first G Flex by slapping an octa-core, 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor into the sequel, clocked at 2.0GHz with Adreno 430 GPU and the same 3GB RAM.

Unfortunately, the built-in storage on the G Flex 2 maxes out at 32GB, but up to a totally insane 2TB of additional storage is available from an optional microSD card - a feature sadly lacking on the otherwise hardware-rich Galaxy S6 Edge.

Battery

If you love the flexibility of swapping in a new battery when the current one runs out, neither of these curvy smartphones are likely to make you smile.

It's too early to know what the battery life will be like on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, but the 2600mAh power pack doesn't offer a whole lot of encouragement on this front.

By comparison, the G Flex 2 packs a 3000mAh battery (reduced from 3500mAh in the previous model), but before LG can boast about having more power, there's the matter of that larger 5.5-inch display to consider.

Thankfully, the fast charging capabilities of both models should have you back in action quickly - our own review of the LG G Flex 2 topped up from a complete discharge in just over an hour and a half.

Cameras

Samsung hasn't held back when it comes to the Galaxy S6 Edge camera: Rocking a 16MP, f1.9 aperture sensor with dual LED flash and optical image stabilization capable of shooting 4K video up to 3840 x 2160, the rear camera is no slouch.

By comparison, the LG G Flex 2 borrows liberally from the LG G3 to provide a 13MP sensor that otherwise checks off the same feature list above on the Galaxy S6 Edge, although the laser auto focus is one noteworthy addition.

Neither model breaks much new ground with the front camera, however: Samsung touts a "best-in-class" 5MP sensor with 120º wide angle lens, while LG's tops out a 2.1MP, which the manufacturer claims is enough to use it as a "full HD camcorder."

Features

The remaining feature checklist is relatively the same for both handsets: Each ships withAndroid 5.0 Lollipop out of the gate, with the usual Bluetooth 4.1, NFC and 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac wireless on board.

Aside from curved edges, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge also offers built-in Qi and Powermat-compatible wireless charging.

LG instead opted to include a selfie-friendly "Gesture Shot" mode on the G Flex 2, which provides a three-second timer on the front-facing camera that can be activated with a gesture; tilting the camera down allows the user to review images instead.

Like the original G Flex, the sequel also features that bizarre self-healing back, which didn't do all that much to impress in our own review of the G Flex 2. More impressive is the Glance view, which offers a peek at what's happening without the need to actually turn on the device.

Galaxy Edge 6 vs G Flex 2 Verdict

This two-horse race ultimately comes down to just how curvy you want: Along the edges of the handset with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, or on the entire smartphone with the LG G Flex 2.

LG has a slight advantage since the handset is already available from two carriers for early adopters to take home, but to be honest, the whole concept of curved displays on a smartphone still causes us to scratch our collective heads more than be impressed.

Samsung isn't likely to woo many potential Galaxy S6 buyers away from the flagship device in favor of the Galaxy S6 Edge either, but those in search of a more premium edition worthy of making friends envious will want to wait it out a bit longer - assuming you can afford it, that is.

Meizu's M1 Note is a dirt-cheap iPhone 5c on steroids

While many Chinese smartphone makers have recently stepped up their efforts in delivering more original designs, we can't say that's the case with Meizu's latest offering. In fact, we already knew the cheeky company was up to something when the Chinese media received an iPhone 5c chassis in their invitations, and now we know why. As you can see above, the plastic M1 Note announced today comes in the shamelessly identical set of colors as the iPhone 5c: green, pink, white, yellow and blue. Starting at just CN¥999 (about $160) unsubsidized, this is Meizu's cheapest Android smartphone yet, as it attempts to compete directly with the likes of Xiaomi and Huawei in the sub-CN¥1,000 entry-level market.

On paper, the M1 Note is surprisingly good value. This dual-SIM phone comes with a 5.5-inch IGZO display with a generous 1080p resolution (whereas Xiaomi's slightly cheaper Redmi Note 4G only has 720p), Gorilla Glass 3, a 13-megapixel f/2.2 main camera with dual-tone flash, a 5-megapixel f/2.0 front-facing camera and a nice 3,140 mAh battery. It's powered by MediaTek's MT6752 chipset with an octa-core (Cortex-A53 1.7GHz x 8), 64-bit ready processor, a Mali T760 MP2 GPU, 2GB of RAM and FDD-LTE radio (TD-LTE also supported for the China versions). Like the higher-end MX4 Pro, the M1 Note runs on Meizu's heavily customized Flyme 4.1 based on Android 4.4.4.

What this new model does lack is the fingerprint reader featured on the MX4 Pro, and likewise with the microSD expansion (so you're stuck with the built-in 16GB or 32GB). That said, at this price point, we're certain that most folks won't be complaining too much.

Despite its plastic body, the M1 Note is just 8.9mm thick and weighs just 145g. As with most recent Meizu phones, this device also seems to offer better grip comfort than the less-curvy iPhone 5c, and the ceramic finish should make a nice icing on the cake. What's less impressive is Meizu's blatant rip-off of even the tiniest things like the iPhone 5c's microphone plus loudspeaker design on the bottom side. But hey, at least Meizu did openly pay tribute to Jony Ive at last month's MX4 Pro launch event.

Unless Apple does something about this cheekiness, Meizu's "gift to the next generation" is expected to head to the Western market in the second half of January. For now, the company's taking online pre-orders in China ahead of the local launch on December 30th, with the 16GB version going for CN¥999 (about $160) and the 32GB version for CN¥1,199 (about $190).

Lamborghini 88 Tauri review

EXPERT'S RATING(4)

READERS RATING

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REVIEW THIS

TOP FEATURES

- Excellent build quality
- Great camera
- Smooth performance

Lamborghini 88 Tauri is a luxury smartphone from Tonino Lamborghini, a merchandising company founded by the Tonino, son of Lamborghini (the company that makes luxury sports cars) founder Ferruccio Lamborghini. 

The phone not only features premium materials and a unique design but also boasts top-end hardware specifications unlike most other luxury phones. Of course at a price of Rs 4 lakh plus, the smartphone is targeted at high net worth individuals, who'd care more about the snob value quotient than the value for money it offers. 

We got a chance to spend a week with the Lamborghini 88 Tauri and here's what we feel... 

Build & design 

The 88 Tauri is a limited edition phone available in 8 colour variants. Three colour variants of metal panel (black, gold and steel silver), while leather panel comes in 5 colour variants (black, blue, red, orange and brown).

 

Only 1,947 pieces of each colour have been made to honour the year of birth of the company's founder - Tonino Lamborghini. 

Our gold and black review unit came in a premium case that opens like the hood of a Lamborghini car. The case comes with premium headphones, a USB 3.0 charging cable, international chargers and a cleaning cloth. 

The phone is assembled by hand and receives a unique device number. We couldn't help but notice that it features some design elements borrowed from Lamborghini's family company that makes super premium cars. 

At 250 grams, the Lamborghini 88 Tauri is an unwieldy device and measuring 158.6x80x13mm, it's hard to put the phone in your pocket. However, it's unlikely that people who buy it would not want to flaunt it. 

The front of the phone sports a 5-inch custom shatter and scratch-proof glass. 

There's an 8MP front-facing camera and three capacitive touch, backlit navigation keys. The screen is flanked by leather and metal on the sides and you'll see the familiar Lamborghini logo as well. The right edge of the phone has a metal (stainless steel) flap that hides two sim card slots along with plastic buttons for volume control. 

The buttons have decent tactile feedback. The left edge has the power key (again in plastic) and a metal flap that conceals the micro-USB 3.0 port and microSD card slot.

 

The golden metallic part is a little prone to smudges. Also, you'll need to keep the metal flap open while charging. 

The back of the phone showcases stitched leather and riveted 20MP camera module, dual LED flash and two speaker grills. 

The back also features the metallic Lamborghini emblem and the golden metal extends from the two sides. The 3.5mm headphone jack sits on top, again enclosed in a metal strip. 

According to the company, the phone has 19 components, each made separately of stainless steel and coloured using the Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) process, for resistance to abrasion and wear-and-tear. 

The Lamborghini 88 Tauri is a solid, well made device but we're not sure the design would appeal to everyone. We found the look to be more boxy and gaudy than sporty. Still, the fine leather (0.5mm thick), gold finish and metal accents give it a super premium feel. 

Display
The phone sports a 5-inch custom shatter and scratch-proof glass. The display is a full-HD (1920x1080p) IPS panel. The display looks crisp and bright, and colours look true to life. Viewing angles were wide and under sun legibility was quite impressive. 

 

However, the full-HD display is still behind the curve, at least on paper. Although, 2K displays don't really offer a significantly enhanced experience compared to full-HD ones, we'd expect a super-luxury phone to come with the best of the available hardware components. We're also not sure why Lamborghini did not opt for a sapphire panel instead of glass when it's producing only a few thousand units. 

Software
Lamborghini 88 Tauri runs Android 4.4 KitKat and besides a few skinned app icons, the UI does not feature customisations and is close to stock version of the OS. It does feature an enhanced image browser PiQture that allows you to hide pictures and a music app QissMusic in addition to a settings app for the music equaliser. The two apps support browsing content via hand gestures. Hand gestures also allow you to browse across home screens and accept and reject calls, without touching the phone. In our use, the gesture control worked well. We did miss double tap to unlock though.

 

We have to say the customised system app icons don't really look special. For a phone that costs the same as a budget hatch, we find the absence of any special apps and UI features very disappointing. There are custom ringtones created by DJ Ravin though. These tones are well composed and sound great through the phone's enhanced speakers. 

Camera 

The 88 Tauri has two cameras - an 8MP front-facing one and a 20MP main unit at the rear with autofocus, dual LED-flash, face recognition and white balance correction. It's been reported that the phone's rear camera lens is the same one that's found on the Sony Xperia Z3.

 

The phone's camera app UI is close to the stock Android camera app but includes granular settings for attributes like sharpness, contrast, saturation and others. It also offers different scene modes for different ambient lighting situations and HDR and Panorama modes. 

The phone's rear camera takes quality pictures in daylight with excellent level of detail, accurate colour reproduction, little noise and good contrast.Low-light shots also came out well, though these had some noise, especially under 100% zoom. 

 

The phone features a dual-LED flash that is one of the best we've seen and does a great job of filling up light. 

The 8MP front camera also takes good quality selfies, even in low-light conditions.

 

We found that the quality of videos captured by the rear camera was excellent and featured good detail and accurate colour reproduction. However, we miss 4K video recording. 

Hardware & performance
The Lamborghini 88 Tauri is powered by a 2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB RAM. 

It comes with a 3400mAh battery, 64GB internal storage expandable via microSD card and Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G (FDD LTE 1800MHz) and NFC connectivity options. Interestingly, the phone is a dual-sim device. 

Thanks to all the power under the hood, we did not notice any stutter or lag while launching and switching between apps, editing photos, browsing the web, clicking pictures, watching high definition videos or playing graphics-heavy games. 

In terms of synthetic benchmarks, it scored 20,633 in Quadrant Standard, 42,919 in AnTuTu and 60 in NenaMark 2. The benchmark scores are comparable to that of HTC One (M8) and Sony Xperia Z3. We don't endorse benchmark tests and do not ​recommend a phone based solely on benchmarks as real world performance is different at times.

 

We were able to play videos of popular file formats without any hiccups. 

The phone works well even in weak signal areas and we did not face any network-related issue. It comes with GPS and A-GPS for navigation and maps and was easily able to lock a signal. It has NFC connectivity as well. 

The phone's 3400mAh battery is one of its strengths. The phone lasts almost one and a half days with moderate to heavy use. 

Another area where the phone excels is in the multimedia department. The phone comes with DTS-HD sound technology and Wolfson sound amplifier. The sound quality delivered by its stereo speakers was excellent and the bundled headphones also offer rich, clear and loud output. 

Gaming
We played games like Looney Tunes Dash, Riptide GP2 and Asphalt 8 (with Visual Quality set to High and Engine at 100%) without encountering any frame drops or freezes. 

Verdict 

Lamborghini 88 Tauri is one of those few super premium phones that also score well in the performance department. While the leather and steel materials and boxy design may not appeal to everyone, it's hard to ignore the phone's unique form factor. 

 

We expected Lamborghini to endow the phone with high-end features like a 2K display, 4K video recording and sapphire glass, especially at this price, to make it more future ready but perhaps the target segment it's catering to doesn't really care about these. Another disappointing bit is that the phone is assembled in China. 

Lamborghini 88 Tauri is priced at $6000 and after adding taxes and import duty it will set you back by almost Rs 4,30,000. In terms of rivals, the Vertu Aster comes closest at $6800 (before taxes and duties). The Aster features a sapphire display panel and has the same processor but a lower capacity battery and an inferior front camera.

In case you're open to spending less and buying a top of the line Android phone that also looks unique, we'd recommend taking a look at the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge or the forthcoming Galaxy S6 edge.

Lenovo CEO Allegedly Leaks A Possible Follow-Up To The Moto 360, Complete With Exposed Lugs... And The Same 'Flat Tire' Screen

You knew it was coming. With the Moto 360 being easily the most exciting Android Wear device from the initial video almost exactly a year ago, and then being something of a disappointment upon release thanks to its ancient chipset and not-really-360-degree "round" screen, a follow-up was inevitable. It looks like an executive from Lenovo (the new owners of Motorola Mobility) may have let the cat out of the bag on the company's next Android Wear smartwatch.

Chinese Facebook community HelloMotoHK posted the image above last night, claiming that it was a photo taken by Lenovo's CEO Yang Yuanqing. It shows a padded case containing a series of fully and partially-assembled watches that greatly resemble the Moto 360, along with loose bodies, screens and digitizers, and a variety of straps in leather and metal. In fact you could confuse the photo with a bunch of loose parts for the original Moto 360, except for one tiny detail: the lugs.

Lugs are the part of the watch that connects to the springbar and holds the strap in place. The current Moto 360 uses hidden lugs integrated with the main body of the watch, tucked underneath the case and dial for a "modern" look. Most conventional watches, and in fact most of the competing Android Wear watches available, use an exposed lug design with the arms extending outside of the body of the watch. The watches in the case above clearly use an exposed lug design in addition to a body that looks like the original 360 - check out the clear cutouts on the bottom part of the image. That's good news for fans of replacement straps, as the cramped design of the current model makes it incompatible with many thicker straps.

What's less appealing is the presence of the "flat tire" cutout. Five of the watches in the photo include the screen component, and it looks like all of them still use the cutout, even with the new lug-equipped watch body. It's possible that this means the next iteration of the Moto 360 will retain its distinctive (and derided) shape, or it could simply mean that the prototypes seen here are still using the old screens. It's too early to tell. There's also no way to know if new models are still using the relatively underpowered and inefficient Texas Instruments chipsets from the original Moto 360.

OnePlus Goes Beyond Smartphones, Teases New Gaming Hardware

Recently, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015 in Barcelona, Co-Founder of OnePlus, Carl Pei, hinted that it might be working on a new product category. Pei suggested that the new product may not fall under the category of a smartwatch or a tablet. Now, OnePlus has released a series of three images, which have been posted on the company’s website. Each of the images clearly indicate that the Chinese company is interested in playing games.

The posters come with the captions: ‘Start A New Game’, ‘For The Fun Of It’ and ‘You’re in Control.’

The first image shows a red circle with a tagline “Start a new game”, the second image shows a line depicting the logo of the company and reads, “For the fun of it”, whereas the last image portrays a pair of hands holding something which could be larger than a gaming controller and says, “You are in control.”

It’s been a little over a year since OnePlus was founded, and while we launched with our flagship killer smartphone, we have, and always will be, a technology company. Innovation and revolutionary ideas that shake up the industry are what OnePlus has built itself upon.

Official OnePlus Forum Post

OnePlus shot to fame in 2014 when it released its flagship Android phone, the OnePlus One. This phone delivered all the specifications of top end flagships, only much cheaper. By the look of the three images, the best guess a person may make is of a gaming console.

Xiaomi has already stepped into the uncharted water of gaming with the release of the Mi Game Controller, a bluetooth-enabled game controller back in January. It seems like it is now time for OnePlus to follow the same path.

Acer Chromebook 15 review: the big Chromebook has arrived

$350 can buy you a hell of a computer

Say the word “Chromebook,” and the image that comes to mind for most people is a small, cheap, basic computer. That’s exactly what most Chromebooks are. The best Chromebooks you can buy have 11- or 12-inch displays, are priced well under $400, and do basic web browsing and not much more.

But the reality of the matter is that most people looking for a cheap laptop don’t want an 11- or 12-inch model. The vast majority of computers purchased in the $400–$600 range have big 15.6-inch displays. And they run Windows. Even though Chromebooks have long been billed as the computers for “everybody,” they haven’t been the computers for most people.

That’s starting to change, however, as Google’s Chromebook partners are beginning to embrace the larger Chromebook. Last year, one of the most popular models on the market was HP’s Chromebook 14, an arguably terrible option with poor build quality and a lousy display whose only saving grace was that it was big. Now Acer is launching the Chromebook 15, the first Chromebook with an even bigger 15.6-inch display. It goes right for the heart of the cheap Windows laptop market: the giant hulks of laptops priced around $400–$500 that fill Best Buy and Walmart’s shelves.

The Chromebook 15 actually starts at $249, a significantly lower price than most Windows laptops. But that rock bottom price comes with a low-res 1366 x 768 pixel display, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been using the $349.99 model, which steps up to a 1080p display, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. It’s powered by a dual-core Intel Celeron processor — a real laptop chip, as opposed to the lower-power mobile processors used in other Chromebooks. I strongly recommend ponying up for the more expensive model; the increased screen resolution and added RAM make for a much better experience. And even with those upgrades, the Chromebook 15 still falls under the price of the average entry level Windows notebook.

THE CHROMEBOOK 15'S MOST DEFINING FEATURE IS ITS MOST OBVIOUS

The Chromebook 15’s most defining feature is its most obvious: it’s big! In fact, it’s bigger than the 15-inch MacBook Pro I use as my daily workhorse. It’s kind of clunky, kind of chunky, pretty ugly, and the white textured finish on my review unit doesn’t do any favors to hide its bulky dimensions. (Acer is also selling a black model, which is definitely more pleasing on the eyes.) That makes it difficult to use on the go: it barely fit on my lap during my commute on the train to the office, and forget about fitting this thing on the seatback tray of an economy seat on an airplane. The all-plastic Chromebook 15 also weighs nearly five pounds, which is practically an anvil in the Chromebook world and is even heavier than my aluminum MacBook Pro.

But none of those things really matter if your computer sits on a desk for the majority of its life. Instead, the big dimensions of the Chromebook 15 prove to be an asset here: the screen is 27 percent larger than a 13.3-inch Chromebook, the keyboard is full-sized and spacious, the trackpad is the biggest you can get on a Chromebook, and there are two big, loud speakers on the deck that pump tunes straight up, instead of to the side or off of another surface. It doesn’t skimp on ports or connectivity either: there’s a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port, a full-size SD card slot, a headphone jack, and support for 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks. For someone that’s going to buy a basic computer for simple tasks and leave it on a desk the vast majority of the time, those are all attractive features.

The 1080p display won’t impress anyone used to the color-rich, high-res panels on MacBook Pros or high-end Windows ultrabooks. But it’s adequately bright, has acceptable viewing angles, and has a matte finish with virtually no glare, which is really easy on the eyes. It also doesn’t suffer from the graininess or harsh colors often seen on other Chromebooks. Aziz Ansari’s latest Netflix special didn’t look great — his black suit and the dark backgrounds on the stage were various shades of dark grey instead of black — but the jokes were no less funny on the Chromebook 15 than they were when I watched it on my plasma TV. The extra screen real estate afforded by the 1080p resolution also lets me put two browser windows side by side, proving that you can actually multitask with a Chromebook. It lacks a touchscreen, but Chrome OS’ support for touch is still nascent, and I don’t miss having one.

The chiclet keyboard is quiet and comfortable to type on, as opposed to the slippery and noisy keyboards on other Chromebooks I’ve used. Its travel is shallower than my MacBook Pro’s, which isn’t much of a surprise, but it isn’t fatiguing to use. The only thing it’s missing is backlighting, but you’ll have to step up to the thousand-dollar Chromebook Pixel to get 

that on a Chrome OS computer.

THE TRACKPAD IS FAR BETTER THAN WHAT YOU EXPECT FROM A $350 COMPUTER

Like the keyboard, the spacious trackpad is actually a joy to use. For some reason (Google says it’s thanks to the Pixel), Chromebooks have been racing ahead of their Windows counterparts in trackpad performance, and the Chromebook 15’s trackpad is fast, responsive, and arguably the best trackpad you’ll find on a computer in this price range. It’s got just the right amount of friction to make multi-touch gestures like two-finger scrolling work effortlessly, and it never caused my cursor to jump around erratically. Its low-cost roots are betrayed by the cheap clacking sound it makes when you depress it, but that didn’t hinder its functionality in any meaningful way. To beat this trackpad, you pretty much have to step up to a MacBook Air (or the aforementioned Chromebook Pixel). It’s that good.

The worst part of most cheap computers is their laggy, slow performance when you’re just trying to check Facebook or pay a bill. A lot of Windows laptops and a number of other Chromebooks (especially models with fanless, mobile processors) are frustrating in this regard. The Chromebook 15 doesn’t have this problem: as I’m typing this review, I have 22 tabs open across two windows, plus another window running the Sunrise calendar Chrome app, and it’s not breaking a sweat — the fans aren’t even on. It’s actually disheartening to say that Chrome OS on this $350 computer runs as well as the Chrome browser does on my $2,500 MacBook Pro, but performance has not been an issue the entire time I’ve been using the Chromebook 15. (It also demonstrates how badly Chrome runs on OS X, but that’s a complaint for another time.) Pages load quickly, scrolling is smooth even on resource-heavy sites like ESPN’s front page, and there’s no lag when moving windows or tabs around. Chrome OS is still mostly just a browser, but it sure feels like more than that when I think of all the things I’ve been able to get done on the Chromebook 15.

It’s obvious that the Chromebook 15’s main purpose is to sit on a desk and stay there, but if you do need to move it around and work unplugged, the battery life is actually pretty great. It lasted 11 hours and 32 minutes on our rundown test — significantly more than the 9 hours that Acer claims. In real-world use, it consistently goes for 7 to 8 hours between charges, which is well above the usual 3 to 4 hours you get from entry level Windows laptops.

For years, I’ve been recommending Chromebooks to people looking for a simple, inexpensive computer to do day-to-day tasks, only to be shut down when I suggest a model with an 11- or 12-inch display. There are other reasons stopping people from picking up Chromebooks: networked printer support is abysmal, and if you have a large library of music, the tiny SSDs and 100GB of Google Drive storage aren’t going to get it done. But the Chromebook 15 addresses the number one roadblock for most people: screen size. It also offers many of the features that make other Chromebooks so desirable: fast, simple operation, a great trackpad, and a low sticker price.

I rely too much on desktop apps to make the Chromebook 15 my main computer, but for a lot of people looking for an inexpensive machine to pay the bills, do the occasional video call, and browse Facebook, it’s more than sufficient. And it has the big screen that so many of them are looking for.

THE CHROMEBOOK 15 IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF APPLE'S NEW MACBOOK

The Chromebook 15 is pretty much the exact opposite of Apple’s new MacBook or Google’s new Chromebook Pixel: it’s big, chunky, has more than one port, and is pretty ugly to boot. It’s also about a quarter of the price. But if the MacBook and the Pixel — expensive, technological tours de force with golden and aluminum finishes — represent the future of laptop computers, the Chromebook 15 represents the computer of today. It’s the laptop for the average person that values price over design or portability, but also doesn’t want to put up with the lousy, frustrating experience so often associated with cheap computers.

It may sound counterintuitive, especially if you focus on the bleeding edge of laptop technology, but the biggest Chromebook yet arguably had a real chance of becoming a success in the mass-market, entry-level laptop world. It’s not the computer for people who work all day on a laptop, or for people who are constantly on the road. But for a lot of other people, the Chromebook 15 offers the size they are looking for without the headaches of entry-level Windows computers. There’s your revolution.

Photography by Sean O'Kane

Acer Chromebook 15

7.8 SCORE

GOOD STUFF

• Big screen
• Great trackpad
• Fast performance
• Long battery life

BAD STUFF

• It’s big and clunky
• Plastic finish feels cheap
• Good luck printing

THE BREAKDOWN

More times than not, the Verge score is based on the average of the subscores below. However, since this is a non-weighted average, we reserve the right to tweak the overall score if we feel it doesn't reflect our overall assessment and price of the product. Read more about how we test and rate products.

• DESIGN6
• KEYBOARD8
• TOUCHPAD9
• DISPLAY8
• PERFORMANCE8
• HEAT / NOISE8
• BATTERY LIFE8
• SOFTWARE7

Moto E Gen2 Review

The Bottom Line

PROS

• Signature Motorola design and build quality
• Near stock Android software experience
• 4G LTE support
• Fantastic price point
• Great battery life

CONS

• Low resolution display
• Subpar camera experience

8.0

Priced at just $149.99, the Moto E (2015) is one of the cheapest smartphones available that offers LTE support. It’s not without its issues, as its entry-level nature would suggest, but when considering what it does offer for this price point, this device is definitely a great bargain.

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Along with the original Moto X and Moto G, rounding out Motorola’s comeback into the world of Android was the entry-level Moto E. Introduced last year, the Moto E was one of the best budget-smartphones available, packing a lot more than what its entry-level nature and price point would suggest. Motorola took the wraps off of the successor to this device less than a month ago, with the next-gen handset boasting even more in terms of features and enhancements, most notable of which is 4G LTE support. Does the latest iteration of this entry-level device continue to be an incredible bargain? We find out, in this review of the Moto E (2015)!

DESIGN

Motorola has created a very distinctive design language for their smartphone lineup, and when looking at the Moto E, there’s no mistaking it for anything other than a Motorola device, with the phone featuring the same rounded corners, sloping curve and the signature dimple housing the company logo on the back. The back is made of a soft touch plastic material, while the outer frame features a ridged texture that goes all the way around, allowing for a very comfortable grip. Motorola has also been focusing on offering some sort of customization with their smartphones, and in the case of the Moto E, that comes in the form of a removable outer frame that can be swapped out for a variety of color options.

What users will really appreciate about the Mote E though is it’s one-handed usability. Given how small and compact it is, it is easy to grip the entire phone in one hand, and not even the slightest of hand gymnastics is required to get to every part of the display. Given the trend of large smartphones nowadays, one-handed use is generally overlooked, but it’s always a very refreshing feeling when using a device of this size again.

Looking around the device, the power button and volume rocker are found on the right side within easy reach, and both offer a very solid feel and tactile feedback. The power button features the same ridged texture found on the Moto X (2014) and Nexus 6, making it easier to locate by feel. The microUSB port and headphone jack are placed at the bottom and top respectively, and up front are the usual sensors, along with the earpiece/speaker, as well as the newly added front-facing camera.

DISPLAY

The display has seen a slight increase in size between generations, with the Moto E (2015) featuring a 4.5-inch IPS LCD display, but with the same resolution of 960 x 540, resulting in a pixel density of 245 ppi. The resolution is of course fairly low, and pixels are noticeable with a closer look, especially while gaming. The display is more than capable when it comes to general, everyday tasks though, such as browsing webpages or keeping up on social media. Color saturation, outdoor visibility, and viewing angles are all quite good, and the only really big drawback of having a non-HD display is that you do lose out on HD playback.

PERFORMANCE AND HARDWARE

The processing package of the Moto E (2015) is different depending on whether you choose the LTE version or the 3G iteration, with the former packing a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor and the Adreno 306 GPU, while the latter comes with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 and the Adreno 302 GPU. Both processors are clocked at 1.2 GHz though and also come with 1 GB of RAM.

When it comes to performance, the device handles most tasks like navigating around the OS, web-browsing, and opening and closing apps, very easily, but there were some instances of stutter when trying to multitask. Gaming is also manageable, but loading times can get a bit long, and dropped frames do occur occasionally with more graphic-intensive games. Touch responsiveness also proved to be an issue, as having to swipe or tap the screen multiple times became necessary quite often.

Besides the slew of standard connectivity options, the Moto E (2015) also introduces 4G LTE support, along with the internal storage getting a bump to 8 GB, double of what was available with its predecessor. That still isn’t very much, but expandable storage up to 32GB via microSD is available, with the slot hidden beneath the replaceable outer frame. The earpiece on the front now doubles as a speaker and it automatically gets points for being on the front, but is otherwise fairly run of the mill. It’s decently loud and produces a clean sound, but since it’s just a single driver at the top of the phone, it does sound lopsided, especially when using the phone in the landscape orientation.

The Moto E (2015) packs a 2,390 mAh battery, and while it may seem a little small, it is actually more than enough considering everything it has to power, such as the small, low-resolution display. Even with a lot of gaming and taking a ton of pictures, the screen-on time never went below 5.5 hours, and on low usage days, where it mostly about texting and keeping up with social media, the device managed upwards of 6.5 hours of screen-on time, so it’s not unreasonable to expect at least a day and half of battery life from the Moto E (2015).

CAMERA

The camera on the current generation Moto E remains unchanged from its predecessor, for the most part. It is still a 5 MP sensor and doesn’t come with an LED flash, but does feature auto-focus this time around. The camera UI is minimalistic and easy to use, and will be very familiar if you’ve used a Motorola device before. Taking a photo is as simple as tapping on the viewfinder, and swiping inwards from the left side will reveal what is mostly basic camera settings, but with shooting modes like HDR, panorama, and 720p slow-motion video also available.

Picture quality is what you might expect from such a basic camera that didn’t receive much of an upgrade. The addition of auto-focus is nice, but doesn’t actually do much to improve the image quality. Color saturation and sharpness is quite underwhelming, providing for some very bleak images. Noise levels are also very high and noticeable in even the most well lit of environments. If this is the only camera you have, it’ll certainly get the job done, but it’s safe to say the camera is the biggest weakness of the Moto E (2015).

The device now packs a front-facing camera as well, so selfies are possible, but with a 0.3 MP (VGA) unit, don’t expect an optimal selfie taking experience.

SOFTWARE

The Moto E (2015) is running what is mostly a stock version of Android 5.0.2 Lollipop. It may not be the latest Android 5.1, but considering Motorola’s recent track record with updates, we assume it should get the update fairly quickly.

To enhance the experience on this entry-level device, the Moto E brings some of the staples features that can be found on Motorola’s flagship smartphone, such as Moto Assist to keep your phone quiet during meetings or while asleep, Moto Actions to quickly launch the camera by simply twisting your wrist, as well as Moto Display, for those subtle notifications when the screen is off. One thing to be aware of though is that, since the Moto E has a LCD display, these notifications do not continuously pulsate like on the Moto X (2014). If they did it, it would quickly drain the battery. The notifications do, however, show up when you pick up the phone, and when the notification is initially received.

PRICING AND FINAL THOUGHTS

The best part about the Moto E (2015) is its price, with the device available for just $149.99 off-contract for the LTE version, with the 3G iteration an even cheaper $119.99. We do recommend spending the additional $30 on the LTE version though, as high-speed internet does do a lot in enhancing the overall usability and experience of this smartphone.

So there you have it – a detailed look at the Moto E (2015)! Motorola is proving once again proving their dominance in this price segment, offering a sub-$200 smartphone with Android 5.0 Lollipop and 4G LTE on-board. I’ve really enjoyed using the Moto E (2015), and to answer the question asked during the introduction, this device is a solid entry-level smartphone and a great bargain for what it offers at this price point.

SPECIFICATIONS

Display	4.5-inch IPS LCD qHD (540×960) 245 ppi
Processor	3G - 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 Adreno 302 GPU 4G LTE - 1.2 GHz quad-core Snadragon 410 Adreno 306 GPU
RAM	1 GB
Storage	8 GB, microSD card slot, up to 32GB
Camera	5 MP rear camera VGA front camera
Battery	2,390 mAh
Connectivity	GPS, microUSB 2.0, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
Networks	3G/4G LTE
Software	Android 5.0 Lollipop
Dimensions	129.9 x 66.8 x 12.3 mm 145 grams
Colors	Black, White