HEY, GOOD LOOKINGS

We all know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but how about a phone?

With the Galaxy 6 and Galaxy 6 Edge, Samsung has taken a pretty giant leap towards making their flagship handsets... well... prettier.

Cosmetically, the Galaxy range of smart phones hasn't really varied dramatically for years. Obviously the handsets have had to grow in size to accommodate bigger screens, but then the screens moved closer to the edge of the phones and the last couple of generations haven't had to get too much bigger.

Now, the screen not only goes right to the edge, but bends all the way over it.

This means Samsung's latest Galaxy is actually slightly smaller than its predecessor, even though the screen is effectively the same size. Both S6 and the S6 Edge are definitely slimmer (ie: flatter) and lighter than the S5 and they both feature a metallic-feel back that sort of looks like some kind of brushed steel (it isn't, but it looks like it).

The Edge is of course what all the noise is about. If you haven't seen it, it's the one with the curvy screen. Don't be fooled though, it's not the whole screen that curves (like on Samsung's Gear Fit and Gear S smart watches). The screen simply spills over both sides - sorry; both EDGES.

In one fell swoop, this effect instantly makes the S6 Edge the coolest looking phone on the market. No contest. So if you want the coolest looking phone on the market, pay the premium and get yourself an Edge.

If, however, you just want a phone that works as well as the Edge, save yourself a couple of hundie and grab an S6 instead. Because other than the curvy screen, there's no difference. What's more, the curvy screen doesn't really DO anything. Oh, sure you can set it to light up different colours on the edge for when different contacts call or text, but that's kind of show-offy, isn't it?

If I'm to be completely honest, I felt nervous handling the Edge every time I picked it up. I'm not exactly Mr Coordinated and I felt like with all that screen everywhere, one slip and the phone would be in pieces.

Speaking of slipping, being so slim, both these devices slipped easily into my pocket, although they are still relatively long, so squatting with your phone in your jeans is still not particularly comfortable.

The other big shift in Samsung's Galaxy progression is the departure from a removable back cover. Like the A3 and A5 I focussed on in the last blog, Samsung have basically "iPhoned" these handsets, locking the battery away and moving to a nanoSim which fits in little drawer at the top. UNLIKE the A3 and A5, the S6 and S6 Edge have no SD slot, meaning, like the iPhone, you'll have to pay more for a 64GB handset than the entry-level 32GB one.

To be fair, 32GB is heaps of storage for a phone, but if you're a prodigious photographer or videographer, extra storage is no longer as simple as changing out a relatively inexpensive microSD.

So apart from their striking good looks, what really is the difference between the S6's and their S5 predecessor?

Not much. The S6's boast an "Octa Core" processor, but according to my (limited) research, it's really two different quad cores working together. Whatever the case, these phones can definitely multi-task with no problems at all. (HTC has a handset with a "true" octa core processor, but from what I've read, its battery life is terrible)

I can't say I detected the S6's working any faster than my S5, but they definitely seemed to transition between open/simultaneously running apps more smoothly.

The cameras, as usual, are another step up. Predictably, you get more megapixels and there were big improvements with things like contrast and performance in dark environments, which is something phone cameras usually struggle with. What I really liked about the S6 camera, is Samsung gives you the option of almost no options, for photographic numpties like me, or you can turn on all the advanced features if you're the kind of photo-geek who likes to tweak their own ISO or HDR. (Whatever they may be)

The really big plus for me, is at long, long, LONG last, Samsung have made these phones wirelessly chargeable. Why they didn't do this 3 generations ago, I have no idea. In fact, I was really impressed with the battery life and short charging times of the S6's generally - especially when you use the new 9-volt wall charger provided. Even if your battery does get low, this super-charger will have you up and running in next to no time.

The big negative? Unlike the S5, these handsets are not waterproof (IP67). The official line from Samsung is they would have had to compromise the sleek design to keep water and dust out. A suspicious person might suggest they're holding the IP67 rating back for the S7, but that would be mere speculation. This meant although the latest incarnation of the S-Health app is more comprehensive than ever and the S6's connected with my Gear 2 Neo smart watch effortlessly, I never felt comfortable exercising with them in my sweaty armband and I certainly wouldn't have risked running in the rain. (That's my excuse for not running that day, and I'm sticking to it)

Once again, we seem to arrived at a point in smart phone evolution where the innovation and improvements are pretty minor and it's hard to justify an upgrade from the S5, especially if you've come to rely on the durability and peace-of-mind offered by the S5's IP67 water/dust-proofing.

However, if sexy styling, better battery life and wireless charging really rock your boat, Samsung have definitely come up with the goods.

IT'S WHAT'S MISSING THAT MAKES IT GOOD

Today's smartphone launches are usually all about hyping up the next technological breakthrough. Recent advances have included heart-rate monitors, fingerprint scanners, wireless charging and waterproofing.

The question is; while these are features you might want, are they features you actually need? Perhaps we've been lured into expecting our handsets to have it all, even when we'll never use hardly any of it.

Enter the Samsung Galaxy A5...

Perhaps the first thing you'll notice about the A5 is the feel - from the moment you pick it up you'll detect quite a difference between this phone and its big brothers, the S5 and the Note 4. In fact, at first sight, the thing most Samsung users will be asking is, "How do you get into it?"

The obvious answer is, you don't.

Unlike most Samsungs, the back won't come off your A5. Instead, you change the sim and SD card via two small ejector slots on the side.

At this point, iPhone users are wondering why you'd want to get into your phone anyway, and that's the basic difference between Android converts and Apple acolytes... us Androiders like to to fiddle. We want the flexibility to change the amount of storage space if we want, or even replace our own battery if need be.

While the A5's battery remains securely out of reach, once you've figured out how to eject the tiny drawers that receive the sim and SD card, you'll appreciate the more solid feel the non-removable back offers. Just a note, the A5 takes a nano-sim, not a micro-sim like many other Android phones. This'll probably mean a trip to your phone shop to clone your sim. (By the way, the secret to popping the little drawers out is poking a special tool in the hole. Or failing that, the end of a paperclip)

Another physical first impression is a real slimness and indeed a lightness to this phone. At a time when smart phones seem to grow more giant every generatuion, the A5 makes the jeans pocket a viable option again.

Despite being a smaller phone, the A5 doesn't really scrimp on screen-size - you get a full 5 inches which is plenty for most people, although perhaps not quite enough to effectively multi-screen two apps at once. Still, you can if you want.

Frustratingly, the stock home screen doesn't rotate into landscape mode automatically, so you'll need to download a 3rd party app to force it to. I've never understood why you'd want to browse the web in profile, but maybe that's just me.

Speaking of browsing, I found the A5 a little slower to use than my S5, but only a little. Waiting an extra split-second for an app to open isn't really a deal-breaker. What I did miss was a couple of stock apps I've grown quite attached to. Neither S Health or Gear Manager seem to be available for the A5 in the Samsung App store. So does this mean you can't use your new Samsung smart watch with this phone?

As it turns out, to my relief,  I was able to sideload a version of Gear Manager which worked perfectly well with my Gear 2 Neo. I didn't have much success with S Health though, so you'll have to cross that one off your list.

The camera is, as you'd expect with any decent phone these days, excellent. There aren't nearly as many shooting options available as there are on other more high-end devices, but if you're just a point-and-shooter, you'll be perfectly satisfied. If you needed any proof of who this phone is being marketed to, the fact the forward-facing camera is 5MP is likely to be pretty popular with the selfie generation.

What really impressed me was the way this phone displayed video - either streaming it or playing it from local storage. The A5 ran Chromecast flawlessly, and worked just as well with streaming apps like Google Play Music and iHeart Radio.

I was also very happy with the A5's battery life. Perhaps when you're not trying to power fancy accessories like heart-rate monitors, your battery lasts longer. It seemed to charge faster too. Unfortunately, although Samsung has promised wireless charging as standard on the S6 and S6 Edge when they came out later this month, the A5 doesn't have it, and because you can't replace the back, you can't add a wireless charging receiver either. This rules out the A5 as the perfect phone for me.

I don't know what's happened to the IP67 waterproof rating Samsung used for the S5, so I'd be careful not to drop this one in the toilet. However if you're looking for a reliable phone, with good battery life and excellent streaming ability, that slides easily into your pocket, the A5 is definitely worthy of your consideration... and if you want something even smaller, try the A3. Most of the same features with a 4.5" screen (and a much smaller price).

BIG SCREEN BENEFITS ON PHONE-SIZED DEVICE

One of the spin-offs of reviewing the G Watch R in my previous post, was I also got to play with LG's flagship handset, the G3.

As I confessed last week, until recently I wasn't even aware LG made phones at all, let alone a whole range of them. After spending a fair amount of time with the G3, I can tell you they seem to know what they're doing.

The G3 is a beautifully elegant thing to hold. The back cover curves to almost nothing at the edges and although it's plastic, the compound and finish LG uses has a metallic feel. Flip it over and you'll be impressed by the way the screen seems to stretch right out to the sides, with very little blank space. This means the overall size of the handset is a little smaller than the Samsung GS5 for example, while the screen is actually a bit bigger.

This is significant, as due to the large display, you'll get many of the benefits of a phablet like the Note 4, while still being able to fit the G3 in your pocket. Another way LG has reduced the size of the phone without affecting the functionality is by moving the home touch buttons off the bottom of the phone and putting them virtually on the display itself. What's more, they can be set to disappear; you just swipe them back when you need them. What's even more, they're customisable. You can change the order and the colour, you can even have 5 if you want, adding shortcuts like Notifications, QuickMemo+, QSlide or DualWindow.

Again, like Samsung's Galaxy Note 4, those last two options are all about making good use of the large display, giving you access to 2 apps on screen at the same time. The stock email app also displays messages in my preferred format, with a list of messages on one side and previews shown on the other.

Given most of the apps I was using worked better in landscape mode, I found it odd the home screen wouldn't display in landscape mode by default. On a phone where almost everything can be customised, strangely I had to download a 3rd party app to get my icons to turn around. Weird, but not a major.

There are two things that really make the G3 unique, but for the life of me, I can't decide if I like them or not. Due to the G3's skinny edges, there are no physical buttons to be found on them. Instead, the volume controls and on-off button have been nestled under the camera lens on the back. While this means you won't accidentally push them while handling the phone, because you use them without looking at them, I often found myself pressing the wrong one or the camera lens itself.

LG's other unique quirk is the Knock Code you can use to unlock or wake the phone. Rather than a pin number, a fingerprint or facial recognition, the G3 lets you choose your own knock, and you just tap the screen with the code.

Amazingly, it worked. Almost always, anyway. When it didn't, I just pushed the power button on the back... after accidentally pushing the camera and one of the volume buttons. I guess some good ideas take a bit of getting used to.

If you've read any other editions of this blog, you'll know I'm obsessed with wireless charging and that I'm perpetually astounded when it isn't installed as standard in any modern device. Thankfully, with the G3, it is. Why Samsung and Apple don't get this, I simply can't fathom.

Ultimately, there's no escaping the fact this is just another high-end Android phone. However, it does what it is supposed to, with a phablet-sized display, on a handset slim enough to slip into your pocket and that's not a bad trick.

SMART WATCHES ARE A REAL THING

Did you know LG makes phones?

Nup, me either.

So the fact they do smart watches as well really came as a surprise. Perhaps the most surprising thing of all is the G Watch R is actually a pretty decent piece of kit.

Obviously the first thing to impress is its appearance. Radically, this watch looks like a watch. The big problem any smart watch maker has to overcome is how do you construct something that works, but doesn't require a wrist the size of a tree trunk to support?

This was my biggest issue with Samsung's latest, the Gear S. Loved the curvy screen and the functionality, but ultimately it's a whole phone strapped to your arm, which isn't quite the fashion accessory most people are looking for.

This factor alone swings the advantage dramatically in the G Watch R's favour. Unlike its square-faced predecessor, at a casual glance LG's new device looks like any other men's diving watch. It ships with a black leather strap which becomes quite comfortable after a few wears, and is interchangeable with any other 22mm band.

While a circular face probably looks better, you've still got the challenge of fitting everything on it. Texts and emails simply aren't round - maybe reformatting them that way would be a solution, but in the meantime, you need a big screen to read them. The popular Moto 360 really IS massive - personally I think the size of G Watch R is a nice compromise.

The display quality is exceptional - I found it crisp, clear and easy to read in almost all light conditions. Frustratingly there's no light sensor though, which means a slightly complicated manual brightness adjustment if you're going for a run in the sun.

Only slightly complicated, because this watch is powered by Android Wear, which means you can literally tell it what to do. Say, "Okay Google," to fire up Google Now, then, "Change Brightness" and that setting appears on screen. It took me a few days to get used to controlling my watch by talking to it, but it worked pretty well most of the time.

Unfortunately, there are always commands you think will do something that just open Google searches on the watch screen instead. This gets a bit frustrating and can result in the disturbing situation of a man yelling at his wrist for no obvious reason. Voice commands aren't the only way to control the G Watch R, but it's quite fiddly remembering the sequence of swipes to do things manually. One very user-friendly feature is the home button being situated where the traditional winder would be, making it extremely easy to find in the dark.

Like the Samsung watches, you still need to pair the G Watch R with a handset, but because it's an Android Wear device, you can use non LG phones to run it. That's a plus, but it also may be the cause of a few issues as well. I was never really clear what my phone was driving and what my watch was driving. The Tizen-based Samsung watches have their own app store, allowing you to load independent apps like timers, alarms and remotes directly onto the device, whereas most of what you see on the G Watch R is actually happening on your phone... but then... not always.

If I set an alarm with the watch, that only happened on the watch. If I set one on the phone, the watch ignored it. What's worse, sometimes the alarm didn't happen at all, causing me to be late for work on more than one occasion. Because there's no specific media controller app built into the G Watch R, I couldn't always access what was playing on my phone, one of the features I find most appealing about wearing a smart watch in the first place. Unlike my Samsung Gear Neo, there's no IR Blaster on the G Watch R, so no chance of turning my telly on and off with it either. In saying that, for some reason Samsung dropped that off the latest Gear S too.

However, I was surprised by how many apps DID appear on the G Watch R's display, even when I wasn't expecting them to. My preferred fitness app, Endomondo worked just as well as ever, along with music played with Play Music and my podcasts on Podcast Republic. I was a little suspicious of the readings from the heart-rate monitor - generally showing much lower rates than what I was used to... unless I just wasn't working out so hard every time I wore that particular watch.

There were two things that really bugged me. Firstly, the strength of vibration notifications was nowhere enough. I'd say I missed about 75% of them. Annoyingly, even getting these notifications to vibrate in the first place seemed to involve setting the phone to vibrate as well, which didn't suit me at all.

Then there's the one overarching factor that puts me off using the G Watch R permanently; you can't make a call with it. How ironic to have a device that's voice controlled, but can't talk back to you. Don't get me wrong, the ability to compose texts and emails using Google Now was much more flexible than the template replies you're restricted to on some other devices, but I really missed being able to take and make calls with my phone still in my pocket.

To finish on a couple of more positive notes, the combination of the divers' watch appearance and its IP67 water-resistant rating made the device feel virtually indestructible, and I wore it with complete confidence when working out, running or gardening. Best feature though; the charging cradle. All smart watches need regular charging, that's just a fact of life. LG's magnetic charger makes it so easy. You can practically throw the G Watch R in the general direction of the charger and it all snaps together in a flash, unlike the Samsung Gears and their cradles, which you effectively have to be an origami sensei to master. I was impressed with how fast it charged too.

Don't be fooled, this watch is still too big for most women to be interested in wearing one themselves (at least not the ladies I asked anyway) but cosmetically, it's definitely a step away from nerd-dom towards fashion. The G Watch R is easy to charge, looks great and does what it does really well - just as long as you don't want to make an actual call!

SMARTER (and bigger) AIN'T ALWAYS BETTER

Time for a smart watch reality check. For those of us into gadgets, we've been subjected to a lot of hype around the development of a useful, wearable device.

Many are waiting for the Apple Watch before they join the wearable world - after all, it promises so much. Trouble is, in recent years Apple products haven't always delivered on the pre-release build-up and they're still to announce the date you'll actually be able to buy one... could be February... could be March... who knows?

So let's deal with something I can actually put on my wrist right now, Samsung's latest offering, the Gear S...

May as well admit it straight up, it's the first thing everybody says; this thing is massive. Really far too big. Hard to know what Samsung was thinking when they decided screen size was more important than looking remotely normal. To be completely fair, because of its unique curved screen, the Gear S is a lot less nerdy looking than its predecessors, the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo.

Because I own a Gear Neo, I'm going to be doing a lot of head-to-head comparisons and there's no question the square-faced Neo looks like a 1980's style calculator watch, while the wrist-wrapping Gear S is genuinely stylish. Still huge though. In fact, it actually felt really heavy on my wrist - maybe it's all part of Samsung's fitness regime; wear the watch, work out those forearms.

However, the bigger screen does mean you can fit more on it. Now you can choose a watch face that includes shortcuts to take you straight to your favourite apps. This is the first hint of how the Gear S is almost more phone than watch. This time there's a light sensor (just like on most phones) so now the screen can automatically adjust its brightness to the conditions, a major advantage when it comes to outdoor use.

The big point of difference with this device is it has its own sim card. While it still has to be paired with a compatible Samsung phone, you no longer need to take the phone with you to receive texts, emails and other notifications. This is great news for runners and cyclists who may still want to stay in the digital loop without wearing an oversized and uncomfortable armband.

For some reason I couldn't manage to forward actual voice calls from my phone via 3G but this may have been due to my mobile plan, which isn't actually a plan, because I'm on prepay. Once back within bluetooth range, phone and watch reconnect conventionally and you can once again make and receive phone calls on your wrist, Dick Tracy style.

So the Gear S wins over the Neo in terms of style and 3G connectivity, although loses ground in sheer size. Is there any other reason to spend the extra $200 if all you want is a smart watch that works?... Maybe not. In fact, the Gear S doesn't even have some of the features you'll find on the Gear 2 devices.

One of those features is a camera. The Gear 2 came with a camera which was a nice idea, but nobody ever used it so it was no great loss. However, both the Gear 2 and the Neo included an IR Blaster which effectively meant you could use the watch as a basic remote control. I've found this feature to be the opposite of the camera; this time although it sounds like a stupid idea, in reality, it's surprisingly useful. When all you want to do is mute the ads really quickly, or check what's on the other channel, the remote on the other side of the coffee table seems so far away when there's already one on your wrist.

The Gear S has no IR Blaster, so that's no fun.

Another feature I missed is software based, so it may be remedied in future updates, but what happened to the media controller? You can download one on the Gear app store, but the stock media controller on my Neo is elegant in its simplicity and it works well, whether I'm listening to podcasts on my run, or music through my sound system. Why Samsung would leave something so essential off the Gear S is a mystery, or perhaps just a temporary oversight.

What the Gear S DOES give you is more options. Like earlier models, it still uses a Tizen-based OS but they've given it a more Android-like look and feel, blurring the lines between phone and watch even further. This provides a more familiar experience when browsing apps and changing settings. You can only swipe left or right on the Neo, to access shortcuts to your apps. The Gear S let's you swipe in all 4 directions for 4 different reasons.

Swipe left for widgets like your daily calendar. Swipe right for notifications (email/texts/app updates) Swipe up for shortcuts to apps. Swipe down for common settings like volume, brightness and best of all, the Do Not Disturb button, a one-press shortcut that prevents your watch ringing, vibrating or lighting up in the middle of the night... or in the middle of a movie.

This adds another 3 dimensions to the previous generation and is fairly easy to learn to navigate. One small bug I couldn't seem to remedy involved the vibration setting for my notifications. I keep my Neo on vibrate and as a result, I seldom miss a text or an email. I don't keep my phone on vibrate for emails because a constantly vibrating phone is annoying for everyone. When using the Gear S however, unless I set my email notifications to vibrate on my phone, they wouldn't vibrate on my watch. A trivial inconvenience, but annoying all the same. Again, maybe this is something that will be corrected in a future update.

Finally, let's talk battery life. Given most conventional watch batteries last for years, the idea of having to charge your watch every night probably takes a bit of getting used to, but when you're powering bluetooth, 3G, a surprisingly high-end processor and a full-featured screen, there's really no way around it. Presumably the Gear S uses the latest battery technology to maximise charge time, but presumably they've also included a million new ways to drain the power too, so I didn't notice any dramatic improvement or drop-off in battery life between the Gear S and the Neo.

What I did notice was how poorly designed the charging cradle is, that's if it was designed at all. The Neo's charger was tricky enough to attach; it took me about a fortnight before I felt like I wasn't just fluking it into place, but to get the Gear S cradle to snap on is one step short of impossible. I'm guessing the attachment is built the way it is to preserve the water and dust resistance of the device - you can't just have a socket you plug things into and have it rain-proof at the same time. So why oh why oh why wouldn't they just do it wirelessly? Surely plonking the watch down on a Qi charging pad makes more sense than PULLING THE STRAP AWAY FROM THE WATCH to get the cradle in place. I'm not even kidding. The Apple Watch is claiming to attach its charger magnetically which would be a major selling point as far as I'm concerned.

There's also one of those stupid blue lights on the charging cradle we didn't have to endure on the charger for the Neo. What is this obsession with stupid blue lights that serve no useful purpose other than to light up your entire bedroom at night? We know the charger is plugged in; we're the ones who plugged it in! At least give us the option to turn it off. Enough with the stupid lights already.

All that aside, the Gear S works and that's the main thing. The extra processing power means apps seldom crash or glitch, even during vigorous exercise. The same can't always be said for my Neo which has been known to give up on recording my workout halfway through. While basically offering the same core features; heart-rate monitoring, fitness tracking, email, text, voice calls etc, the Gear S does everything just that much more thoroughly. (It's capable of stand-alone GPS navigation, for example)

At the RRP of $499, I couldn't honestly justify upgrading from the Gear 2 or the Neo, but if this is your first smart watch, I don't think you'd be disappointed with the investment. And the best thing about the Gear S - you can buy one today. 

Whenever you're ready, Apple...

THE RISE AND RISE OF THE FABULOUS PHABLET

Over the last few years, I've been lucky enough to try a number of cutting-edge mobile devices. Generally, the evolution of smart phone technology has been both logical and exponential, although somewhere along the way, the iPhone was overtaken in the innovation stakes by Samsung and other Android-based handset manufacturers and now Apple seem doomed to a game of catch-up to protect any semblance of cool.

Of course, the latest iPhone is available in extra-large (and apparently extra bendy) but it's late to the game. Sumsung has been making the Galaxy Note since 2011 and what's more, the larger version of the iPhone 6 is still not as big as Samsung's latest phablet, the Note 4...

Let me be clear, I don't think you can consider these things to be "hand-held" devices, not "one-hand-held" anyway. In saying that, while giving the Note 4 a go, I did attempt to use it as my everyday phone, just to see if I could.

Obviously the key here is screen size, and while the Note 4's 5.7 inches doesn't sound dramatically larger the the Galaxy S5's 5.1, I can assure you, I definitely noticed the difference when I changed back to the smaller one.

The phone itself isn't so much bigger than the S5, and the leather-feel back case is more contoured and streamlined, giving the impression of a much more slim device. When I say, "not so much bigger," it's still big enough to move it well out of front-pocket territory and probably all the way into your handbag or inside jacket pocket.

This may seem like a bit of a pain, but I had it paired with the Samsung Gear S smart watch so I could even leave the phone at home if I wanted and still receive texts and emails on my wrist. But without the watch, you're left with a choice; do the disadvantages of handling a massive phone outweigh the advantages of a huge screen?

I'd suggest there are so many advantages, you'd really have to give the Note 4 serious consideration.

Let's start with the obvious stuff - video looks great. You can genuinely watch TV on this screen without coming across as some tech-nerd trying to prove a point. Documents display just that much more clearly, photos show up well, and there's plenty of room for the on-screen keyboard if you're working in landscape mode instead of portrait as I prefer to.

Samsung has really taken advantage of the large screen with a couple of unique little tweaks. The stock email client now has the option of a split-screen view which lists all the emails to the left and allows you to read any specific email you select on the right. (Yes, just like a real computer)

And there are other split-screen innovations to behold...

Samsung introduced what they call "Multi-Window" functionality a few generations ago, in order to allow users to access more than one app at once. This makes sense of course as there's not much point in having a multi-tasking phone if you can't actually see what those tasks are up to.

The Note 4 takes this to a whole new level. You can now access Multi-Window multiple ways, either using the traditional long press on the Go Back button and dragging the apps you want onto 2 halves of the screen, or, and this is where it gets cool, press the Recent Apps button and choose an app you'd like to add to your current screen from there. This second app then appears on top of the first in its own resizable window which you can drag anywhere on screen. (Yes, just like a real computer)

Of course, the best way to do all this is with the good old S Pen, Samsung's nifty on-board stylus. Except they've redesigned this too. More accurate than ever, the Note 4's S Pen now draws thick dark lines if you push hard and skinny light ones with less pressure. (Yes, just like a real computer... ah, I mean PEN)

Being a phone user rather than a tablet user, I haven't had a great deal of experience using a stylus, but the I found the S Pen to be so accurate and intuitive, I ended up using it more than my finger.

Whether you're making hand-written notes that can easily be converted into text, or touching up photos, the S Pen seems to be one of those easy-to-use tools that knows what you want it to do before you do.

As an example, the other day I had a very frustrating online retail experience involving a live-chat conversation that almost drove me insane. I wanted to keep a record of the conversation to use in evidence when I eventually broke down was forced to kill everybody involved. But rather than take a series of screenshots, I highlighted the conversation in my browser using the S Pen and sent the pictures to myself in an email.

Imagine my surprise when my email arrived not only with the pictures attached but with the whole conversation transcribed as text to boot.

Yes, the Note 4 can turn pictures of text into actual text, all with the push of a pen.

If like me, you're concerned about putting the S Pen down and leaving it behind, not to worry; the phone reminds you if you haven't placed the stylus back in its slot as soon as you start moving off.

Oh, this is a clever machine alright.

Is it perfect? Close. I found the battery life a little underwhelming, probably due to the constant connection to my watch via bluetooth and I'm assuming the more you use the S Pen, the faster you burn through the juice too. To support the big screen and the wizzy gadgets, it does have a big battery, and it ships with a new 9 volt fast charger which will do about 50% in half an hour. Trouble is, the standard chargers you have everywhere else (car lighters, docks, PC USB slots, etc) only pump out 5 volts. They still work, but you're in for a long wait for a full charge.

While we're talking charging, why all phones don't include a wireless charging receiver as standard these days is beyond me. The Nokia Lumias have had it built-in for ages and while the Galaxies can do it, you have to buy a wireless charging receiver separately which is just plain silly.

One other small design flaw with the Note 4 is unlike the Galaxy S5, it is not water and dust resistant. I don't understand why Samsung decided it wasn't worth making this device toilet-proof, as the peace-of-mind this feature has given me with the S5 is a real selling point.

Ultimately, as a dedicated S5 user, there's not quite enough here to move me to the Note 4, but if I was upgrading from any other device, I think I'd probably be swayed. The editing and multi-tasking abilities of the Note 4 are genuinely ground breaking. Combine that with its large screen and if you're a person who spends a lot of time cutting photos and links from your browser into emails, tweets and Facebook posts, this is definitely the device for you.

GETTING TO GRIPS WITH A WHOLE NEW GALAXY

So I'm sitting here watching a movie on my TV, even though it's stored on my PC. I'm streaming it through my phone. While I do that, I'm also checking my emails, my twitter-feed and an on-line auction. With my phone.

I just got back from my run, which I tracked with my phone. While I ran, I listened to some podcasts and a nice lady told me how fast I was going and how far I had gone. On my phone.

And I'm thinking, "How can they make this any better?"

Ladies and gentlemen, the Samsung Galaxy S5...

Not even a year since Samsung released the S4 and already it's time to consider an upgrade. But what does the new one offer the 2013 model can't provide? Do this year's modifications add up to a major evolution, or are they just a collection of minor tweaks?

For that matter, was there really anything wrong with the SIII?

Of course there wasn't. These days, phones are pretty much all awesome but that doesn't mean you can't make them a bit awesomer.

At this point, I've had limited access to the latest model, so I can only really give you first impressions. Let's start with size, shape and feel...

It's too big. There's always a fine balancing act between screen size and something you can actually hold with one hand. Obviously everyone wants a massive screen, but two handed operation makes it a mini-tablet, not a handset.

In truth, the screen is only slightly larger, but the phone itself is quite a lot longer than the S4 - about the same width though. On the bright side, the new dimpled back plate provides a much grippier surface than its more plastic-feeling predecessors.

The S5 is water and dust resistant. Don't take it swimming, but you can drop it in the loo, as this video clearly demonstrates. This means you can go running in the rain, no probs. Unfortunately, it also means a cover over the USB socket at the bottom. It's actually a double USB port, because there's a microUSB 3.0 socket right next to the normal one - a belt-and-suspenders approach Apple didn't take when they made all their previous accessories obsolete with the new cable for the iPhone 5. So it's a big plug hole, requiring a big plug if you want to keep things watertight.

This is a major pain in the arse. Nobody wants to fumble around with fiddly little rubber bungs just to plug in or unplug their charger. And if that wasn't annoying enough, every time you unplug your charging cable, a reminder window pops up on the screen nagging you to make sure that plughole is all covered up again in case you get things wet and dusty. How many times do I need to be told? I get it. Put the plug back in. What am I going to do, leave it dangling around, hanging off the bottom of my phone. STOP REMINDING ME! Hopefully wireless charging options will be made more available for this handset than the last couple of generations, making the whole tedious plug process redundant. (That's right, guys. You can actually charge your S3 or S4 wirelessly, although you will have to scour the net pretty intensively to source the right accessories. I don't know why Samsung doesn't ship their handsets with wireless charging back plates by default, like Nokia does with their Lumias)

But the S5's bung hole is literally the only thing I could fault in the whole 4 days I had to play with it.

Everything about this phone just works a little bit more seamlessly and in some cases, a lot faster. Apps generally opened more quickly than on the S4. You can select the Download Booster function which combines the best of your WiFi and Mobile Data speeds to suck large files into your phone more efficiently than ever. But what really blew me away was the consistency of the WiFi connection. Apparently there are not one, but two swanky new WiFi antennae in there somewhere and whatever they've done to them, my streaming experience became noticeably smoother and more stable.

Some new features are just cute - like Kids Mode, which gives your sprogs access to the fun stuff without risking them messing up your important bits. Other features are potentially life-changing; the S Health app has been souped up to monitor even more of your exercise and nutrition routines than ever before. This all syncs up with Samsung's latest range of wearables, so you can literally plug yourself into the matrix. I tried this combination first hand (excuse the smartwatch pun) in an actual gym the other day. I nearly died, but was impressed by the results, which I'll share with you in the next blog.

I could go on all day, and that's probably the point. None of the changes are massive, but in combination, there are enough of them to make this Galaxy a very tempting upgrade.