G4 Review from Nokia Lumia Icon

[Ben Fulks]

Pros:

Screen: The size is amazing and limited bezel really maximizes usability while limiting bulk. the screen isn't over saturated which makes it pleasant to look at for extended periods of time.

Size: though it is thick in the middle it doesn't "feel" very big as the edges really taper off and rest nicely in your hands. I have bigger hands so this phone may be a bit wieldy for some, but i have no issues.

ergonomics: Again, it "feels" good. Button placement prevents accidental volume up and down or power pushes. the curved display adds a nice feel when making a call. with the micro usb being on the bottom i dont have an ugly cable poking out the top of my phone flinging wire around the car.

App: its android so way better then what windows had. Nothing special compared to phones

Camera: Just beautiful. if you know what you are doing with the manual mode, you can take some truly beautiful pictures with easy.

Cons

Bloatware: still frustrates me that i am forced to have apps on my phone. (dont tell to me about rooting, great it can be rooted, but i have to root the darn thing to get rid of things i dont want is just annoying.)

Wireless Charging: kinda sad that i have to get rid of my leather back to add wireless charging right now. other options may come out but i like my leather back.

Bluetooth sound quality: This has been a wonky experience to me all together. Not sure what is causing this issue, but the sound quality of bluetooth media will just sound god awful. now i have learned to ensure almost all my apps are stopped in the background to help with this. some of you are thinking its cuz you stream to much, ect. That is a novel idea if it weren't for the fact that it sounds god awful with downloaded music. turned off the battery game optimization feature to see if that fixes it for good. i have had good luck with it so far.

Conclusion: all in all a good phone. nothing overly special so far to write home about, but its been a pleasure going back to a full app ecosystem. LG has added some good features (sad to see verizon strip some of those away) while keeping the interface clean. to be honest though i am already not fond of how android seems to accelerate the aging of a device. i personal have unlimited data but if i didn't android would not be my preferred platform as i have 2.6GB's of data usage from the system alone. i also dont wanna spend an hour each day optimizing my phone to ensure it works as advertized, i am hoping i dont have to do that to keep this phone for a year and a half.

 

[SpookDroid]

I agree with the camera. The manual mode is amazing. Wish the video had better controls though, and much better SloMo mode (in all honesty, this mode is utter crap).

As far as ergonomics... I have to say it didn't do it for me. Yes, it's comfortable to hold with the curve in the back, but it's a PITA to use on a flat surface without it rocking too much or launching itself into the air from pressing on the edges. Also, I know a lot of people say their fingers fall naturally on the back buttons, but they don't for me. AT ALL. If anything I actually strain my finger to reach back to the buttons, and forget about using those to take pictures in landscape mode. Place them on the back, at the level of the camera lens and on the side of it, and then I might consider it. But where they are right now, they just don't feel natural except if you're holding your phone by the bottom, which on a phone this size, not a great idea.