Latest Netflix Rankings Out… Rogers, SaskTel & MTS Jump Up

If you use Netflix in Canada, then the company’s latest speed rankings will be of interest to you. Some ISP’s made a jump, so I’ll just quote what Netflix said on that:

After breaking out DSL and fiber from MTS and Sasktel, fiber networks of both providers ranked high in performance, with MTS Fiber taking the third spot and Sasktel Fiber coming in fifth.

Also of interest is Rogers, who when this ranking first appeared were on the bottom of the list and then moved up in May, is now 6th overall up from 12th. Clearly whatever work they did to improve their ranking is paying off.

Overall, it seems that a significant number of ISPs are improving their speed when it comes to Netflix. Not only that, the gaps between ISPs is starting to narrow. That shows that the pressure that this list creates is having the desired effect. That’s good for anyone who subscribes to Netflix.

Review: Motorola Moto G LTE

Motorola seems to own the low end of the smartphone space with phones that don’t seem low end. Exhibit “A” is the Moto G which when I reviewed it last year, I thought it was a great smartphone. Sure it lacked LTE connectivity and there was no Micro SD slot to expand the memory, but the majority of people who were the target audience didn’t care.

Fast forward to summer 2014. Let me introduce you to the new Moto G LTE that Rogers was kind enough to provide me. Here’s what it has under the hood:

• Android OS 4.4 KitKat
• 1.2Ghz quad-core processor
• 1GB of RAM
• 4.5-inch display (1280 x 720 resolution)
• 5MP camera with a 1.3MP front-facing camera
• 8GB of internal storage
• Micro SD Slot
• LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth

So, if you compare these specs haven’t changed that much with the exception of LTE connectivity and the Micro SD slot which allows you to add another 32GB of storage space. Externally the phone is the same as well. It’s still slightly bigger than an iPhone 5/5S but it’s still easy to hold. The rubberized back plate makes sure you have a good grip on the phone. I should note that you can get the back in different colours so that you can make the phone reflect your personality. Though, just like the original Moto G you’ll have a tough time removing the back. Even though you can remove the back, you still can’t remove the battery. Another thing that hasn’t changed is the screen. It’s still bright and sharp and is truly the star of show. It is a 1280 x 720 display with a 329ppi pixel density. To put that in perspective, it’s a bigger, higher resolution, more defined display than the iPhone 5S. Pretty impressive for a phone that is designed to be basic. It feels solid just like the original Moto G and it is still running a largely stock version of Android. This time in KitKat form. The only tweaks are as follows:

• Motorola Protect which acts like Apple’s Find My iPhone. You can remotely locate the phone, lock the screen, change passwords and more.
• Motorola Assist which is like Apple’s Do Not Disturb feature. It silences your phone either when you’re sleeping (after you set that up of course) or when you’re in a meeting. The latter it figures out by itself if you use Google Calendar. There’s also a handy auto-reply feature.
• Finally, there’s Motorola Migrate, which helps transfer data from your old phone over to the Moto G. But only if you have another Android device.

Now one big change is the move to LTE from HSPA+. When I tested it on the Rogers network, I got an average of 40.15 Mbps downstream and 7.79 Mbps upstream. That’s quick!

Back to what hasn’t changed and that’s the camera. It’s the same 5 MP shooter that the Moto G had with the same user interface from the It has the same interface as the Moto X and Moto G. Swipe from the right of the screen and you can browse the pictures you’ve taken. Zooming in and out is a one finger operation. Place you finger in the middle of the screen and swipe up and you zoom in. Swipe down and you zoom out. It has the ability to automatically turn on HDR automatically which may be handy for those who want to make sure that they get the perfect shot. Since we’re talking about pictures, that means that it was time to take a trip to Pearson Airport to photograph some planes. This time to take pictures of planes taking off. Here’s a shot of a plane getting ready to take off. Click it to see it at full size:

That’s pretty good from a phone that’s supposed to be a budget phone. And here’s a 720p video of the same plane taking off. Set it to full screen and 720p resolution:

You’ll notice the wind noise overwhelming the microphone. But it does pick up sound pretty well and the video is pretty good… Other than the wind making it difficult to hold the camera straight. That illustrates the lack of image stability. But this is a budget phone and you’ll have to cut it some slack.

Battery life wasn’t affected with the addition of LTE. I fully expect you to go beyond a day of usage before needing a recharge. Again, this is something that you don’t expect from a budget phone.

Speaking budget, if you sign up for a two year plan, you can get it for $0. Alternately it’s $224.99 outright. That is beyond affordable for those wanting to either buy their first smartphone, a parent who wants to get their child a phone, or someone who needs a low cost phone. Motorola has addressed what was missing with the original Moto G and you truly have no excuse not to put the Moto G LTE on your shopping list. You will not regret it.