On Monday, we asked you to send in questions for Volume 27 of the DL Q&A Sessions. We got a ton of great questions, but have narrowed them down to just a few which our team has tackled.
From what you asked, it appears many of our readers are jumping ahead into the later part of this year, curious about what we should expect from other companies besides Samsung and HTC. You asked us our opinions on what LG is going to bring to the table, what we should expect from Motorola, and which company will likely surprise us the most in 2015. All of these questions and more are answered below.
Let’s get to it.
Reminder: K is Kellen, T is Tim, and R is Ron.
What changes do you want to see in the Xperia Z4 and LG G4?
K: LG clearly needs to go more premium this time around with materials. Everyone else has gone metal except them. Other than that, put a better display in the G4, continue to improve an already great camera experience, and figure out a wait to extend battery life. The G3 was a huge hit, so don’t mess with the formula too much. As for the Z4, it’s not even on my radar at this point. Too excited about the Galaxy S6 and what LG will respond with.
T: Sony, with its unchanged design language and awful UI, has never been on my wish list. While I can respect the devices they introduce, they are not the ones I beg to review for the site. However, if they can give a few awesome specs, update the UI, and change up their hardware designs I might be interested. As for LG, I loved the G3 last year. The look was really different, which I appreciated. If the G4 keeps that same feeling going, minus the terrible UX that came with its buggy software, it could be a winner. Plus, reports say they are moving to metal materials, which could be huge. Look for the G4 to be completely awesome.
R: I’d love for both phones to be a lot closer to stock Android. I’ve really liked Sony’s hardware design, but all I really want from them in the software department is software that makes the camera app work better with the sensor; everything can be stock. With LG I’d love to see them pull a Samsung a step up their hardware game with premium materials.
Would you say you are underwhelmed by the HTC One M9?
K: 100% underwhelmed. This is going to sound terrible, but I have little interest in it whatsoever. If I didn’t talk about top tier phones for a living, I’d pass without hesitation on even using the M9. HTC didn’t need to go out and change up the formula completely, but they needed to do more than give us the same 2-year old design. Plus, with early reports complaining about how terrible the new camera is, I don’t know why anyone would want this phone over the new Galaxys. I don’t even know why you would want this phone over the One M8.
T: HTC gave us the same phone as last year and said they fixed the camera issue. Unfortunately, from what I have read and seen, that is not true. Some bloggers are even saying it is worse than the M8. Seriously? How do you screw up the one thing you changed? HTC claims they are updating software and making optimizations, but at this point, I’m really disappointed. And they kept the black bar? Gosh, that’s a bummer. As a company that prides itself on innovative designs, I was expecting so much more. And I have to emphasize that I don’t dislike HTC, it’s just that I expected too much from such a cool company.
R: I would say HTC had to get one thing right: the camera. Early reports indicate that the camera is somewhere between the original Droid Incredible and the One M8, which is to say good in good light and as soon as the sun starts to set put your phone away. It’s not that this was their make or break moment, but rather that they had one thing to nail for anyone to really recommend it and they failed for the third year in a row. For a company that has made a big deal about their cameras (and sort of entered the camera market in general with the Re), they sure don’t seem to know how to make a good camera on their phones. I’m more disappointed than underwhelmed.
If you had to take a guess, what will be the phone of the year in 2015?
K: It’s going to be the Galaxy S6 Edge. I don’t know that Motorola or Google or even LG can match what Samsung just did. 2015 is going to be the return of Samsung whether you want that to happen or not. They knocked it out of the park with their new phones, the S6 Edge especially.
T: If the year ended right now, it would go to the Galaxy S6 Edge. However, it is only March. We still have Sony’s phone, LG’s, Motorola’s, Huawei’s possible Nexus device, and the Galaxy Note 5. There is a lot to be seen. But if I had to take a guess, I might lean towards the G4. Something about a metallic G flagship device really turns me on.
R: If I had to guess right now I’d say the S6 Edge, but I’d be surprised if the Note 5 isn’t also a contender.
What do you think about Samsung’s decision not to include a microSD slot and removable battery on the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge?
K: Well, it’s unfortunate for fans of those features, but removable batteries have been a thing of the past for years. I do wish they had at least included an SD slot, though. The battery I get – missing SD slot I don’t get at all. Only thing I can think is that they want people to buy their more expensive models that have more storage to increase their margins. It’s just like what Apple does. If you offer an SD slot, then everyone just buys the lowest model and inserts a cheap SD card. Without one, storage hogs have to pay the outrageous storage upgrade prices that Samsung will charge.
T: Honestly, I don’t use microSD cards in my phones. To me, it’s just another piece of tech I might lose while I constantly change phones. Although, I do recognize their importance in a few cases, but I don’t see it a deal breaker. As for the removable battery, I don’t think that’s a big deal either. I have been using phones without that feature for quite some time, so it’s just another day in the life for me. If iPhone users can live with it, so can I, dang it!
R: I have mixed feelings about it. I wish they would have added a tray for the microSD slot like they have a SIM tray. The removable battery certainly would have been more difficult to accomplish with the metal back. I think the bigger disappointment for me, though, was the removal of water proofing. It’s not something I need in a phone, but it is nice to know that if I spill some water or want to use my phone in the rain (the three times a year it rains in California) I don’t have to worry about anything.
Google Wallet and Android Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay – Who do you think will win the mobile payments battle?
K: I wish it was Google Wallet, and it may be once we see what they have in-store for Google I/O, but the safe bet is on Apple Pay. Samsung Pay is the best of the three, but it’s limited to Samsung phones. Apple’s is limited to the iPhone, but has Apple behind it. Google’s could work everywhere, we just need Google to make it happen.
T: Samsung really impressed a lot of people with Samsung Pay, no doubt about it. But with Google really taking their stuff seriously, partnering with carriers and buying IP from Softcard, they could be a real contender against Apple. For now, my money is on Samsung, but I would like to see Google innovate and become the overall king of mobile payments.
R: I don’t think we need to have a “winner.” I think they should all coexist and compete on features. If Samsung Pay really works on pretty much any card reader then I think they’ll have a huge marketing advantage over Apple Pay and Google Wallet. That alone makes a Samsung phone far more valuable if I want to perform mobile payments.
What was the last phone you rooted?
K: Probably the Nexus 5. I think I rooted it a couple of times for some odd reason which I can no longer remember. Haven’t needed to since, though.
T: That would be the Nexus 5 phone and Nexus 7 tablet. I needed my Paranoid Android.
R: My purple RAZR.
Which company do you think is going to surprise us in 2015?
K: Huawei. Get ready for a Huawei push in the US. Their new watch, maybe a Nexus, and other stock Android phones are all coming and could be really good. They are getting big everywhere, so it’s time they push here.
T: Hate it or love it, Huawei is coming to the US in a big way. If the papers are signed and Huawei is truly making the next Nexus, per reports, then we are in for a big surprise. While I don’t know what quite to make of it yet, I know Huawei believes in a great experience for users, and I can get behind that. And have you seen the Huawei Watch? This company can make sexy products if they try.
R: Samsung really surprised me this week by reducing their software, improving their stellar camera, implementing a fingerprint scanner the right way, and making a phone with a premium design. Tack onto that the Edge, which I’m saving my feelings about until I get it in hand, and I have to say Samsung really knocked it out of the park (which I understand is a “baseball” term). I’d love to see someone else surprise us, too, but I have my doubts.
What do you think we can expect from the 2015 Moto X?
K: Good question, and one I really have no answer to. Maybe just more of the same? Motorola likes to let you customize things, so Moto Maker is here to stay. But after that, I don’t know, other than I can hope they finally get a real camera in something. If the Moto X had a great camera, it would just about be the perfect phone. Is it time they do something completely different? Maybe. It’ll be interesting to see how it works this year, since the majority of the people behind the two Moto Xs have all departed the company.
T: Probably another barely usable camera. But don’t worry, at least you will be able to choose if its made of wood or leather. All jokes aside, I still love my Moto X (2nd Gen), but I don’t even use Instagram as much anymore because I can’t stand the picture quality. If there were two areas they could work on, I’d hope it is camera and battery capacity. I need more juice!
R: That’s a great question. Sadly, I think the answer is going to be something that is a marginal update to the 2014 X. I’d love to see them bring the traditional dimple back and get a great camera on their phone, but I think the latter might be a lost cause. If you liked the 2014 X then I think you’ll like this one with many of the same shortcomings.
the author simply doesnt understand what the heck he is talking about. The LG Ui has been the best UI sice G2 and will continue to do so. i agree with his point on Sony and disgaree on Huawei, Huawei will not get nowhere, it is a brand orientated world and for times to come, it will only be Sammy and Appy, all the rest will always play catch up. i cant wait for S6 Edge in Green. lack of sd card and non removable battery doesnt bother me since i am a loosing nexus user
For the first time in three-four years, I am actually interested in a Samsung phone. I just can’t get over the capacitive buttons…. It’s not that I care if they are on-screen or not. I just don’t like them being in a right-to-left order where as every other device has the back button on the left. I’ve been using Android approaching 6 years now and I’m too stubborn to change my use habits. It would be nice if Samsung allowed us to change which side the buttons were on.
Better question, with Moto getting bought by Lenovo, a company that given their recent spyware lappy-gate, is there a phone with decent radios out there other than Moto that we can trust without having to worry about Chinese spyware? I could care less about camera quality, as my two shooters are the mighty D800 for stills and GH4 for video (I own a media company.) I just want a nice phone with good radios. Samsung’s radios are junk. So are Apple’s. With the loss of Moto to the Chinese spyware company, where do we turn now???
The Superfish “spyware” you’re referencing is from an American company in Palo Alto, California.
The atom bomb was helped along by Albert Einstein, but if Iran dropped one on Israel tomorrow, are we going to blame Einstein?
I blame Polish Madam Curie, for pioneering research of radioactivity
As you should.
i am using a nexus 6 which has no bloody signal in most places. it is made by moto. if u want good radios your only choice would be Lg and Lumias
That’s interesting. Carrier? Geographic location? I’m in the Dallas Fort Worth market and get good signal with my Moto X on VZW most places. People around here get better signal with ATT, but ATT better have better signal considering their headquarters is downtown Dallas.
Ooooo’s and ahhhhh’s are in our future for sure. I’m not in the market for a new phone but it’s fun to just sit and watch.
Its a Long Year. Don’t Count out Motorola Yet.
I’m betting Moto will include Qualcomm’s new Sense ID into the dimple and make it the fingerprint scanner it was always meant to be.
Moto is owned by Lenovo now. The same Lenovo that just the other week was caught red handed compromising their laptops with spyware. No way I’m trusting a Lenovo product for the foreseeable future.
Phone of the year 2015: Moto E. Not really even joking. For the price, I can get a Moto E for a phone and a Shield Tablet for “consuming content” for less $ than any top-tier phone. Still mad that Google changed the game on Nexus pricing.
The company already surprising us, at least me is Xiaomi with their Gorgeous hardware, economical prices and reasonable software. I am definitely looking forward to the company and how they do once they start selling their phones in the US. They are already making it big in China and India.
With the way you guys rip on the M9, I can only assume you’re being willfully ignorant. HTC literally addressed every issue people had with the M8. The camera is much improved, currently pre-release software so we’ll see but it’s praised for being super fast and with good daytime pics, while putting the UP camera in the front will make it the best front facing camera out there. The bezels are smaller all around while keeping the same perfect 5″ display at 1080p, so the whole device is a bit smaller and more comfortable in hand. They moved the power button to the side. They made it less slippery in hand. They made the black bar smaller – sure I’d rather it was gone but if that’s what it takes for the great stereo speakers, now further improved, so be it. They made the now all metal body more scratch resistant. They added customizable on-screen buttons. Improved the battery. Gave it the best GPU set up for gaming. Kept the SD slot. And it still has the fastest response time touch screen ever. And an FM radio. And it is one mm less wide than the S6, and only 2mm taller, even with the dreaded black bar. And it will cost significantly less than the [rumored to be] overpriced S6, and especially the S6 Edge.
Ok, OIS would have been nice. But honestly the only thing I really wish it had that it doesn’t is wireless charging. That would have made it the most perfect device by far, and a day one purchase for sure. Without it, it probably still is.
But you guys dismiss it because it looks like the previous version. (Which incidentally was widely praised for its design.)
Meanwhile you guys are in love with the obvious gimmick S6 Edge, apparently because it looks sexy. I agree that green _looks_ nice. But are we really reduced to acting like school girls and buying something just because it looks nice, regardless what’s under the hood? Isn’t that the kind of thing we criticize Iphone buyers for? Talking about it being current Phone of the Year – Is it April 1 already? It has no SD slot, smaller battery, now non-removable, same basic design as the last four GS versions (which unlike with the One, is not a good thing), just now with finger print covered glass on the back and some metal. Still the same front panel design: ugly speaker, no front facing speakers, same awful home button (now with improved finger print reader gimmick/ convenient NSA tracking device), same backwards non-customizable buttons, touchwiz maybe toned down but still the same ugly look.
Display and wireless charging are the only two areas where this beats the M9. M9 is better in every other way. But for all of this the S6 is getting praised endlessly.
I expected better from you guys. Though I must say after you gave the deeply flawed Moto X 2014 Phone of the Year, I’m not too surprised. Just disappointed that after years of relying on DL for your good perspectives, this S6/M9 insanity might be the event that finally forces me to look elsewhere for smart, balanced coverage.
Opinions expressed are merely opinions. Sorry we can’t agree on everything.
FWIW I’m surprised about the HTC hate (but love my Moto X 2014). I’ve stopped browsing the site except through Google Newsstand almost completely just because of the ads. I work in marketing and understand you have to monetize, but I think between the “deals” and unrelated “related stories” ads and even pop-ups sometimes (I got a mobile pop-up ad telling me my phone was infected!) I think it’s gone overboard. Just my respectful two cents, Tim!
The Internet and ads, the two were made for each other. Thanks for the support, though. Anyway you want to digest what we throw out there is fine by me. Thanks for the comment.
No need to apologize; you answered THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED and because you all didn’t answer the questions in the same way and in agreement with him, he pretty much lost it. I’d say his comments on the M8/M9/S6 were decent but then they veered off into fanboy territory at times. Interesting that it took this Question/Answer session to make him abandon the DL site.
While his opinion that the GS6 Edge is gimmicky is fair, at least Samsung is taking chances with their designs. The One M9 plays it too safe for me, as someone who enjoys seeing experimentation incorporated into consumer devices. Like the Flex line from LG, and the rounded edges on the Note Edge and S6 Edge, I enjoy seeing companies try new things.
Appreciate the response, also your comments in today’s DL show. I’m not hating on you. I passed on the M8 for three reasons: Camera, lack of wireless charging, and I wished the bezels were a little smaller. HTC addressed two of my three issues, along with a lot of other refinements. So if the bootloader is unlockable on Verizon, I’ll probably get the M9. I realize that to most M8 owners the M9 probably isn’t worth the upgrade. For me (currently 2013 Moto X) it is clearly the best current option.
Forgive them…they’re still recovering from the Samsung juice that was given to them.
Must. Have. More. Kool-AId.
Oh yeah!
Sexist
You wouldn’t be the only one onboard with the phone of the year thing, and now this. I stoped regularly reading this site long ago. They just can’t compete with the likes of Android Police, who posts in depth content, reviews, apk tear downs, etc. If you want Android news, AP is the only place to go. Droid Life has become a Motorola fanboy site, where all they care about is the Moto X, even with its forgivable flaws. They say the S6 Edge is going to be phone of the year 2015, but no doubt they will eventually pick the less than stellar Moto X 2015.
Okay, I’m up in the air about agreeing with you. Yes, the M9 has fixed the woes of previous models, and yes, the camera software is indeed pre-release, so criticism about its capturing at absolute is a little salt grain that reviewers have to pass up on until the final software is released for consumer purchase. Also, an SD card slot. Big win for me.
But, here’s where you lose me. Your remark against the opinions of DL are contradictory to your own.
You blast into Samsung with the first punch of calling their design a gimmick. In a world where so many people had complained about the S5 not adding any features worthwhile, you jump on the first opportunity to pummel a design change with an unnecessarily deserved buzzword. If HTC had curved their panel on the sides in an attempt to add dimension to the media they’re watching, for example, “Dolby Audio meets No Borders Entertainment with BoomSound,” I somehow doubt you would be calling it a gimmick.
Design, a division of product quality, makes >50% of a consumer’s weighted decision to purchase a product. Samsung made two sexy, sturdy phones, and they will sell. We criticize iPhone users for making choices based solely on design, yes, but this goes deeper than design. The software has been dialed back, the fingerprint unlock (another one of your attack points, calling it a “convenient NSA tracking device” to show your blatant bias), and the introduction of Samsung Pay are just a few of the software improvements Samsung has packed underneath their newest flagship(s). Your criticisms against the speaker, lack of front facing units, the home button, the soft-touch buttons, and TouchWiz are all opinionated and cannot in any way be presented as fact, or as you refer to it, “smart, balanced coverage.”
The most credible statements you made were when you dissented the staff’s opinions with fact about their taking the M9 at face value. As I said, I agree with you on that standpoint, but yes, opinions are opinions.
The S6 is being praised “endlessly” because last year was a terrible one for Samsung, and their refreshed and bold charge forward in design and functionality deserves its praise. It only just happened this Sunday. News can report, compare, and utilize data with experience until the product loses its muster. The S6 models’ praise is well deserved.
I’m not going to touch the bottom of your statement. It’s too slanted to even try to adjust with reason.
Wait until the devices are in the hands of the staff, the software is final, and statements aren’t just being fabricated based on company produced propaganda and the limited time many sites and staff have had with them. Until then, everyone had their own experience with the phones and the software.
Wait for the reviews before you blast the staff.
I’ll purchase the G4 if it is metal and has a finger print scanner. Literally the only 2 things I think it is missing.
I’d say the software needs some polishing too, but it’s close.
Interested in seeing how Samsung transforms the S6 Edge into the Note 5 Edge (this phone should be a BANGER).
Will a Huawei Nexus (2015), *since I think Google is probably done with the “number” naming system*, work on all major carriers? VZW doesn’t have to carry it but it’d be nice to buy it and throw an activated SIM into one.
Now that everyone’s doing the “premium” thing, can we move on to great cameras and optimized battery life for all OEMs?
Also, can we get more OEMs to use stock or near-stock Android (or even near near stock) and make the best features of their skins downloadable apps from the Play Store? Seems like updates would be smoother and faster that way…
I would say good luck.. But with Samsung removing their proprietary apps, it could be true. I’m waiting to see if they tone down Touchwiz at all.
What’s the incentive?
I guess I’m the only one not drooling over the Edge phone..
I can respect it, but I’m not impressed. Touchwiz just doesn’t do it for me.
Nope, you have company. It looks like a dumb pointless gimmick but I’ll reserve final comment until I can see it in action.
Don’t worry…you’re not the only one. It’s still running crapwhiz and it still has that damn home button. Kellen and co can drool all they want. I feel LG is going to best them anyway. Just like last year and the year before that.
I would like to see LG bring a bit more WoW factor, but keep the back buttons.
Me too
I’m excited to see what Huawei can do. Bring dem big batteries and show how it’s done.
I’m all for them doing the Nexus, too, if the rumors prove true.
They should release the Ascend P8 in the US.
I think I’ll need to learn how to pronounce it soon. Hopefully they won’t bring a whale of a nexus.
It’s “wah-way” 🙂
Thanks. That was going to bug me.
Doesn’t it bug you now that you know how to say it? What a stupid name. They can stay in China
Their chinese name can stay in china? Xenophobe much?
Yes I hate the Chinese and their billion and a half people that are a large part of global pollution.
Google, Yahoo, and Apple are all pretty silly names but they have made some great advancements in technology.. Most of the components in your phone was probably made in China anyway..
Really? I thought it was “Hoo-ah-way.”
Hm. Now my brain’s not matching up.
or the highway
As long as they can prove they don’t have ties to the People Army like ZTE, but they were called out by congress too.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/us/us-panel-calls-huawei-and-zte-national-security-threat.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
I never heard if they closed the issue, but when congress asked for specifics, ZTE and Huawei both declined to present the evidence congress asked for at times of the hearings. I watched the cspan hearing, they were also pressuring the companies for copying (stealing) intellectually protected property from several companies.