You might be dreaming of the time when smartphones would be available at the price of feature phones. A new Android phone has just been spotted for less than $10.
Technology-centric news site Motherboard has got a chance to spot the highly affordable Android phone called TracFone LG Prepaid Lucky LG16. This new smartphone has just been listed on the Walmart site with a price tag of $9.82 (around £7, €9) exclusive of some shipment charges.
The cheap Android running phone is marketed in the US by prepaid wireless service provider TracFone Wireless and is manufactured by LG as a basic smartphone to let novices experience Google's open-source operating system without being much of a burden on their pockets. The smartphone does not have components like a front-facing selfie camera sensor or high-speed LTE support but comes equipped with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and features a 3.8in TFT touchscreen display. Also, there is a 3-megapixel rear camera sensor with VGA video recording support.
LG has provided Android 4.4 KitKat operating system on the $10 Android phone with a tweaked interface on top. We speculate that the smartphone would not receive an update to the latest Android Marshmallow version or even its preceding Android 5.0 or 5.1 Lollipop. However, the smartphone does have Google Play Store to let you download new Android apps and there are 3G as well as Wi-Fi connectivity options.
The Android smartphone is currently available for purchase through Walmart with an optional $5 care plan for the first two years. It would also be available through other sales channels and other regions like the UK in the coming future.
Although LG's attempt to come up with the $10 phone might not alarm its rivals such as Samsung and Sony, it does suggest a way to offer some really cheap smartphones. Google is already working on its Android One initiative to expand the presence of Android by offering affordable smartphones.
You can go ahead and spend $10 on the new smartphone, but if the latest Android experience is your primary requirement, there isn't anything pleasing. That being said, the new smartphone strives to persuade some feature phone users to start keeping Android in their pockets.
The LG Watch Urbane LTE runs on the company's own operating system.LG
WebOS, the cult favorite smartphone operating system pioneered by Palm, is making a comeback in mobile thanks to LG and its latest smartwatch.
LG on Thursday took the wraps off the LG Watch Urbane LTE, the first smartwatch able to connect to a high-speed 4G wireless network. The smartwatch doesn't run on Google's Android Wear software, but instead on what the Korean electronics conglomerate calls its LG Wearable Platform operating system.
The LG Wearable Platform has its roots based on the WebOS operating system, according to a person familiar with the product. It's the same platform that powers the company's line of smart televisions.
The use of WebOS, which LG acquired from Hewlett-Packard in 2013, on both devices suggests the company has more ambitious plans for its proprietary operating system. WebOS, like Samsung's Tizen mobile operating system, could be a way for LG to pare back on its dependence on Google and its Android operating system and power multiple products with its own platform.
Samsung has employed its Tizen software, developed with partners like Intel, on affordable smartphones focused on consumers in the emerging markets, its smart televisions and some of its Gear smartwatches.
It's an unusual path for WebOS, which began life at Palm, designer of the Palm Pilot, with its Pre smartphone. The operating system built a small, but loyal fan base, but saw mixed success with the mainstream market. In 2010, Palm sold itself to Hewlett-Packard for $1.2 billion. While HP's ambitious plans for WebOS crumbled, just over a year later the company turned it into an open-source platform. When LG picked it up in 2013, the company initially wanted to only use its ability to multitask on different apps for its smart TV. Things appear to be changing.
LG, however, isn't looking to break from Google. Earlier this month, it introduced the LG Watch Urbane, which lacks a 4G connection and runs on Android Wear, Google's version of Android designed for wearable devices.
LG Watch Urbane LTE is the first 4G-powered smartwatch.LG
It's unclear how different the LG Wearable Platform is from Android Wear from a user perspective -- no screenshots were provided.
LG will likely continue supporting both operating systems, staying in good graces with Google while fostering an alternative platform that is more flexible to its own needs.
Android Wear itself also hasn't been taking the world by storm. Six products running the operating system accounted for 720,000 units, or just 15.6 percent of a total of 4.6 million wearable products shipping last year, according to research firm Canalys.
There remains a question of whether consumers actually want a smartwatch, although Apple could certainly clear things up with its Apple Watch, expected to hit the market later this year.
The Urbane LTE marks the fourth smartwatch from LG. Like the Urbane and G Watch R, the Urbane LTE has a 1.3 plastic-organic-light-emitting diode circular display, which has an always-on "ambient mode." The Urbane LTE and Urbane also employ the same 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and 4 GB of memory.
But the Urbane LTE has a few key differences from its non-LTE sibling. With an independent LTE connection, it can make and receive calls and text messages. It also has a heftier 700 mAh battery, offering several days in standby mode. It includes a near-field communication chip to potentially turn it into a mobile wallet able to pay at NFC-enabled registers.
It also has three physical buttons on the right side of the smartphone -- a top button for access to settings; a center button to switch between the watch and apps; and a lower button to act as a back function. Users can hold the back button down to send out a safety beacon to a preset emergency contact.
While the Urbane came in gold and silver, the Urbane LTE only comes in silver.
Both the Urbane and Urbane LTE will be paraded out at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona.
LG has launched the much-anticipated G Flex2 smartphone at CES 2015. The smartphone will be available at the end of January in Korea, and release in global markets thereafter. So far, no pricing has been revealed - though the flexible phone should cost more than the LG G3.
Most notably, the LG G Flex2 is the first announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (a 64-bit octa-core SoC) smartphone. It is coupled with the Adreno 430 GPU and 2GB of LPDDR4 RAM. The single-SIM smartphone runs Android 5.0 Lollipop and features a 5.5-inch full-HD curved P-OLED display with a 1080x1920 pixels resolution and a 403ppi pixel density.
The LG G Flex2's display has a 700mm-radius curvature, while the back is slightly sharper with a 650mm-radius curvature for grip. LG says the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 has been toughened approximately 20 percent from the previous generation with the firm's own special chemical treatment technology - LG calls this Dura-Guard glass. The whole phone is supposedly 30 percent more durable than the original.
The company has also improved upon the 'Self Healing' back from the original LG G Flex, and it will now get healed within 10 seconds at room temperature - significantly lower than the last-generation's three minutes.
The LG G Flex2 sports a rear 13.0-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS+), dual-LED two-tone flash, and laser-guided autofocus just like the LG G3. It sports a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera. The G Flex2 will come in 16GB and 32GB storage variants that are expandable via microSD card.
Connectivity options on the LG G Flex2 include 4G LTE-A with tri-band carrier aggregation, HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth Smart Ready (Apt-X) 4.1, NFC, SlimPort, GPS/ A-GPS, GLONASS, and USB 2.0. The device measures in at 149.1x75.3x7.1 - 9.4mm, and weighs 152 grams. The curved handset packs a curved embedded 3000mAh non-removable battery, and will initially be available in two colours: Platinum Silver and Flamenco Red.
The other features include things like a simple hand 'Gesture Shot' recognisable from up to 1.5 metres away; 'Gesture View' to check last clicked shot; 'Glance View' to swipe down for notifications even when the screen is off, and 'Fast Charging' - which can charge the battery up to 50 percent in under 40 minutes.
Juno Cho, President and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, said of the launch, "The original G Flex demonstrated LG's pioneering spirit and with the G Flex2 we have refined the curved form factor, staying true to our philosophy of innovation for a better life. The G Flex2 not only has the stunning looks, it also has the powerful guts to be at the cutting edge of current smartphone technology. Simply put, it's a true head-turner in every sense of the word."
Electronic gadgets with curved displays are not just marketing hype, they have both promise and style, says Molly Wood...
Subtle improvements, overstated innovations and marketing sleights of hand come fast and furious from the makers of consumer electronics. From 3-D TV to every possible permutation of wearable device to Bluetooth toothbrushes, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of what is innovative and what is just money-grubbing.
This year, marketers have new bait: curved screens on phones and televisions. LG and Samsung, for example, both offer a curved-screen phone and new, high-end televisions with curved displays.
After spending some time with both, I can tell you this: The new gimmick works on TVs, but not on phones - at least not yet. For TVs, LG and Samsung claim the curved displays offer a more “immersive” viewing experience and the illusion of a bigger screen. Also, if you are sitting to the side of a TV, the image will still look good, they say.
“If you imagine you’re sitting in the center of your couch, every point on the screen as you sweep from left to right is an equal distance from where you sit,” said Dave Das, a senior vice president for home entertainment at Samsung. “It’s easier on the eyes, and the curve perceptually widens the field of view and makes the TV seem bigger than it is.” Then of course, there’s design - and design matters. Curved TVs are undeniably good-looking. But also, Das said, they will usher in the next evolution of TV displays.
When TV makers started producing high-definition sets, designs changed. Screens became bigger while the sets became thinner. Now, Das said, the industry is moving from high-definition to ultra high-definition, and curved screens are the visual cue for the next generation.
So the argument for a curved-screen TV is the same as the argument for any wave of new TVs: better picture, better style. From what I can see, these TVs offer both, but it is unclear whether the curve or the improved display is the bigger benefit.
For phones, the reason for the curve is, as an LG spokesman, Chaz Abbott, put it, “view better, hold better, hear better.” The curved display supposedly gives you the same edgeless feeling it does on TVs when watching video, and better ergonomics in the hand. Also, the shape molds to your face a little more like old, arched telephones.
To test those claims, I spent the last week with the LG G Flex, the company’s first phone with a curved display. After the initial rush of newness wore off, I was disappointed. The G Flex is confused by LG’s decision to combine two new trends in one: the curved display with a phablet-size phone. The G Flex has a 6-inch display, and stands 6.3 inches tall and 3.2 inches wide. It is a huge phone, even for a phablet-lover like me.
Any ergonomic benefit from the arched design is lost in the phone’s tabletlike unwieldiness. For example, the curved phone is much easier to hold than a flat phone, and would be much safer to operate one-handed without fear that it will slip out of your hand and onto the floor. Sadly, it’s hard to accomplish much one-handed on a phone this size.
The display is also a minor letdown. It’s HD, but barely, at 1280-by-720 resolution - a blow to the immersive viewing experience. Watching video is indeed enjoyable, and the curve of the screen does offer a nice visual illusion of a display without discrete borders. Some of that, though, could be the sheer size of the screen, and compared with video on an iPhone 5S, the picture quality just wasn’t as good.
I also found the touch screen itself to be less polished than those on other phones. I could not smoothly scroll through a list of emails, for example, without opening several of them along the way. I’m not sure if that results from the technological challenge of the curved display, but I definitely found the touch screen responsiveness inferior by the latest standards.
Abbott of LG said the G Flex was “selling better than expected,” but he also characterized the phone as a proof-of-concept device that is helping the company retool its manufacturing processes for curved screens. Eventually, they could find their way into a variety of devices, from future phones to future wearables.
Proof of concept? I’ll buy that. At $600 (Rs 36,105) without being attached to a wireless carrier contract, it’s cheaper than a Galaxy Note 3, but I’d still say the Note 3 is the better phone. I doubt that curved displays will be a major selling point for phones, but I do think the manufacturing improvements will lead to better designs in other devices.
On the other hand, if I had the money for a curved-screen OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TV, I think I’d be in. I spent a day with LG’s 55-inch OLED TV, the 55EA9800, currently available at a sale price of $5,999.99 (Rs 3,60,989). No, I didn’t add an extra 9 to the price.
Does the curved design make a difference? It is a bit difficult to say for certain because it is combined with a next-generation display.
Either way, it’s lovely. The curved display created a “Mona Lisa” effect, where I felt that the picture looked the same no matter where I was standing or sitting. And despite the drawback of not being able to wall-mount a curved display, the design is, to me, elegant and distinctive.
Still, I may be in the minority among tech pundits, many of whom think the curved screens are another gimmick from a desperate industry.
Audio/video purists argue that curved TVs offer fewer viewing angles than flat TVs, and that sitting more than about 35 degrees to the side of a curved television produces a distorted image that is hardly immersive at all.
But I rarely count the degrees of my viewing angle. To my eye, the combination of stunning OLED display and a sweeping, remarkably thin, curved screen added up to a perfectly lovely high-end TV viewing experience.
And curved-screen TVs will not be completely unaffordable in the coming months: Samsung will offer a curved-screen LED lineup this spring that will include a 48-inch model for a somewhat accessible $2,000 (Rs 1,20,350). I’m looking forward to trying that TV to see if the perceived curve benefits are as noticeable without the fabulous distraction of OLED.
I don’t think curved displays are a waste of time and design energy; they have both promise and style. As a consumer, I know I’m being manipulated into buying a sexy new thing. I’m willing to accept the bargain, but only on my schedule. A $6,000 (Rs 3,61,050) TV isn’t a must-have, but I might pencil one in at $2,000 (Rs 1,20,350).
Despite its odd name, Mobile World Congress manage to still be one of the most important industry conventions each year, especially when it comes to smartphones and tablets. This year, the tech world was surprised to see the return of the convention hosting a couple very large smartphone announcements, most notably the Samsung Galaxy S5.
However, it wasn’t only Samsung’s show. There was a number of fantastic devices, mostly of the Android variety, shown off at show’s many press meetings. Here are the 5 best devices from Mobile World Congress 2014:
5. LG G Pro 2
LG has never been known for its understandable naming conventions, but the G Pro 2 seems almost intentionally confusing. The G Pro 2 is the follow up to last year’s Optimus G Pro, the company’s Galaxy Note 3 competitor. The G Pro 2 feels like a solid update to the G2’s way of doing things: Buttons in the back, plastic on the back, and software features up the wazoo. Though it still lacks the Note 3’s S Pen stylus, the G Pro 2 has some really nice ways to fully utilize the extra screen real estate.
4. Samsung Galaxy S5
Not only has Samsug done away with the slippery plastic backs of its flagship line, it’s even reskinned a lot of the software too. Everything here looks “flattened” and thoroughly KitKat 4.4. The Galaxy S5 now includes a grippy plastic feel. It’s a big step forward from the model’s line in the past for a brand that has never been known for cutting edge design, both in terms of software and hardware.
3. Sony Xperia Z2
This newest flagship smartphone from Sony comes hot on the heels of last fall’s Xperia Z1. Although the Z2 doesn’t feature a different design, the phone now comes with a brand new display that has some of the truest color reproduction you’ll find out. The Z2’s display also has fantastic viewing angles, is waterproof, and is full HD. In other words, an already great phone just got a lot better.
2. Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit
The Galaxy Gear smartwatches are just the kind of devices I would never put on my body. Even with the announcement of the new Galaxy Gear 2 and Galaxy Gear Neo, they still feel like odd, niche devices to most of the world. The Galaxy Gear Fit, which was announced at Samsung’s meeting at Mobile World Congress this year, feels like the perfect halfway point between a Fuelband and the Galaxy Gear. Featuring a sleek AMOLED curved display that actually makes its shape useful (unlike devices like the LG G Flex), the Gear Fit removes all the clutter that holds back the Gear and gives you just what you need: phone notifications and some biometric data.
1. Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
After announcing the discontinuation of their Vaio laptop brand, Sony seems more determined than ever before to focus in on their mobile markets and take it by storm. The Xperia Z2 Tablet is Sony’s newest iPad competitor—the only difference is that this time, it actually does compete. This 10.1” tablet is even thinner than the iPad Air—and the display looks fantastic as well. Thanks to the G Pad and Nexus 7, an Android tablet resurgence is finally building and the Xperia Z2 Tablet just might be one of the movement’s frontrunner in 2014.
LG L40 is a super-basic smart phone, but could impress with Android KitKat
The latest version of Android -- version 4.4 KitKat -- promised to run smoothly on mobiles with only a meagre amount of memory, in theory bringing a cutting-edge edition of Google's mobile operating system to the masses. Now smart phones are arriving that will put those claims to the test, and among them is LG's L40, visible on the far-right in the image above.
The L40 is the most basic of LG's third-generation L Series phones -- a series that offers more modest hardware than the high-flying G Series. Specifically, the L40 gets you a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 512GB of RAM, plus a 3-megapixel camera on the back.
Don't expect to take any prize-winning snaps with a camera of that meagre resolution, and the display isn't much to write home about either, measuring 3.5 inches on the diagonal (the size of the iPhone's screen prior to 2012's iPhone 5), and offering up a measly 480x320 pixel resolution.
While the L40 is almost guaranteed to be very cheap, that low-resolution display is worrying. These days a smart phone with a stunning display can be had for $349 (enter the gorgeousNexus 5), so the L40 will need to prove that it's good value with an extremely low price tag.
Running the latest version of Android without any slowdown or stuttering would also impress us, but we won't know exactly how smooth it is until we go hands-on, at Mobile World Congress next week. Stay tuned then for photos, video and hands-on video, and let me know what you think about the L40 in the comments below.
LG L70 has modest hardware, cutting-edge Android
Ahead of Mobile World Congress, LG is announcing some of the new mobiles that we'll get to grips with at the world's largest mobile-centric trade show, when it all kicks off at the start of next week. One such device is the new LG L70 -- a mid-range mobile with cutting-edge software. Read on for all the details.
The L70 (the middle-sized phone in the picture above) won't be blowing our minds when it comes to hardware. It's powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and features a 4.5-inch display with an ordinary 800x400 pixel resolution. You get 1GB of RAM and -- depending on where you are in the world, either an 8 or 5-megapixel rear-facing camera.
The L70 has two potentially redeeming features, however. The first is price -- with unspectacular hardware, we're not expecting the L70 will set you back much in terms of cash. Secondly, it runs Android 4.4 KitKat, which is the very latest version of Google's mobile operating system.
We're yet to go hands-on with the L70, so we're not sure yet how well it will handle this cutting-edge software, but we've reason to be optimistic. KitKat was designed to work on mobiles with more modest memory, so it should (in theory at least) run smoothly on LG's newest toy.
Whether or not the L70 feels slick and responsive to use will tell us a lot about whether Google's low-memory ploy has worked. Stay tuned for more info on the L70, including photos, video and hands-on impressions, and in the meantime let us know what you think. As always, the comments is the place to have your say.
LG L90 packs quad-core and Android KitKat
LG's phone-crafting factories have cranked out yet another smart phone -- this one's a mid-range, mid-size mobile running the latest version of Android.
The L90 is the fanciest of LG's third-generation L Series mobiles, and can be seen on the far-left in the image above. L Series phones aren't quite as bleeding-edge as the high-end G Series mobiles, but should have a more reasonable price tag to match.
The L90 doesn't skimp on power, with a 1.2GHz quad-core chip humming away under the bonnet. As the only of LG's new L Series mobiles to feature a four-core processor, this should make the L90 feel speedy to use, and capable of the odd graphically-intensive game. Fingers crossed.
The display measures 4.7 inches on the diagonal, and sports a reasonable 960x540 pixel resolution. If you're not a fan of palm-filling 5-inch-plus mobiles, this more modestly-sized phone could appeal.
LG has packed in 1GB of RAM, as well as an 8-megapixel rear camera. A camera's megapixel-count is rarely an indicator of photo quality though, so stay tuned until we can give the L90's snapper the full review treatment.
Android 4.4 KitKat
Often mid-range phones don't get treated to the latest version of Android, so we're happy to see the L90 is running Android 4.4 KiKat right from the outset. KitKat is the most advanced edition of Google's operating system, and is designed to run well on phones with less memory, so it should be well placed to run smoothly on the L90.
We'll be getting our mitts on the L90 next week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, so stay tuned for more photos, video and hands-on impressions. Are you tempted? Let me know in the comments below.
LG Electronics' upcoming G Pro 2 will feature an extremely thin bezel, making the face of the device feel as though it's all display, according to a new report.
The handset, which will succeed the somewhat popular Optimus G Pro, will have a bezel measuring just 0.4mm, according to a report out of Korea from FNNews. If that's the case, more than 77 percent of the device's face will be covered with display.
According to Android Headlines, which earlierreported on the bezel size, the G Pro 2 could ship with a display that measures 5.7 inches. That large display, coupled with the thin bezel, should make the screen look exceedingly large.The report is the second rumor in as many days surrounding the highly anticipated handset. On Tuesday, LG said in a blog post that the G Pro 2 will come with a 13-megapixel camera featuring optical image stabilization. The same feature is available in the HTC One and Nokia's Lumia 1020, among others.
LG has kept most of the details on the G Pro 2 close to the vest. The company is expected to show off all the handset's features at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month.
A hundred greenbacks is a respectable chunk of change, but when you consider what a piece of machinery a smartphone can be, $100 on contract (before taxes and fees) is a darn good deal. Since the smartphone operating system remains the same across handsets from the most entry-level to the most premium, what a price hike usually gives you is a step up in hardware features -- like a faster processor, more-premium camera components, and a higher-resolution screen.
Sometimes you'll get a break on last season's high-end devices; other times, you'll find excellent phones that are made for this middle cost.
Here are some of today's top picks for carriers with two-year contracts (off-contract pricing is its own kettle of fish). Smartphone prices fluctuate all the time because of slow sales or short-term promotions, so keep your eyes peeled for seasonal deals.
The Mini (left) is a purposely pruned version of the HTC One.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
HTC One Mini (AT&T); released August 23, 2013 A slightly smaller, scaled-back version of the HTC One, the Mini purposely pulls back on the high-end features. Don't you fret, though: HTC puts a pleasing version of the One's elegantly edgy design and a round of satisfying features into the $100 smartphone. It makes some trade-offs for sure, especially in the NFC and storage departments, but keeps the essentials that make the One a hard Android specimen to pass up.
The iPhone 5C may see an extra price dip.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
iPhone 5C (major carriers); released September 20, 2013 The iPhone 5C is $100 less than the iPhone 5S, and is a more colorful, ever-so-slightly bumped-up version of the original iPhone 5. Right now, the extremely solid iOS device is getting what amounts to a $50 break from some big-box retailers, like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and RadioShack. That's no guarantee that a $50 iPhone 5C is here to stay (I wouldn't count on it, in fact), but it is a sign that the patient can grab Apple's high-performing "midtier" smartphone at an even smaller up-front cost.
Last year's Galaxy S3 is still a great phone, no matter how you look at it.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Samsung Galaxy S3 (numerous carriers); released June 21, 2012 Sale-savvy shoppers know that there's nothing like a newer, shinier model to drive down the price of a perfectly good product. That's exactly what happened with the Samsung Galaxy S3 when Samsung revealed its brand-new Galaxy S4 model. The GS3 may be a year old now, but with a fast processor, an excellent 8-megapixel camera, and the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update, it's nothing to sneeze at.
The Optimus G may be a few iterations behind, but it still has plenty to offer.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
LG Optimus G (Sprint); released November 11, 2012 A year ago, we called LG's Optimus G the best smartphone LG had ever made. Ever. The company's wares have grown with two more iterations beyond this Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich treat, but we still dig the now-free device's 13-megapixel camera, quad-core processor, and big, bright screen.
Samsung's Galaxy S3 Mini sells for a buck on AT&T.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini (AT&T); released September 27, 2013 A midrange alternative to the Galaxy S3 above, this phone has even less to offer users in search of an all-around experience for less. Still, the $1 on-contract phone is ideal for first-timers; Android 4.2.2 keeps the OS current, and a solid 5-megapixel camera makes sharing moments on this dual-core handset fun.
Nokia's Lumia 920 upped the ante on low light performance.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Nokia Lumia 920 (AT&T); released November 9, 2012 This first 920-series model to hit the US may be bulky, but it doesn't skimp on Nokia's priority features, including a sensitive touch screen with improved outdoor legibility, an 8.7-megapixel camera, a host of Nokia-only apps for music and more, and low-light photography prowess. It's currently $1 on contract with AT&T.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Apple iPhone 4S (numerous carriers); released October 14, 2011 Now the runt of the iPhone litter, the iPhone 4S is now free with a two-year contract. Its 3.5-inch screen may look shrunken next to the 5's new 4-inch face, but this phone still has the power that made it the blockbuster it was just 18 months ago: a pixel-dense screen, a relibale camera, and a robust operating system that mostly supports iOS 7 (minus some camera app features and Air Drop). Its smaller screen size and absent 4G LTE speeds are the more pertinent drawbacks
