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LG Ally for Verizon gets Android 2.2

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:03:00 EST

It's not often that a carrier and manufacturer team up to beat an estimated launch date, so color us stoked to see Verizon start to push the official Froyo update for LG's Ally starting this week -- a little earlier than the February guidance they'd given before. Of course, the phone had originally been promised an eventual update way back in August of last year... so yeah, we've got to credit Ally owners for their patience on this one. Looks like there are some updates to LG's custom apps and widgets, too, along with bug fixes (instant data reconnection after long calls, for instance), so we'd say this is a build you're going to want to grab as soon as you can.

[Thanks, Devin]

LG Ally for Verizon gets Android 2.2 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Ally finally getting Froyo in February

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:59:00 EST

Ah, the brutally fast, unrelenting pace of Android: sure is tough for manufacturers to keep their products -- some of which are just weeks old -- looking fresh when they're one or two major OS versions behind, isn't it? LG promised all the way back in August that owners of its QWERTY Ally for Verizon would be eventually getting Froyo, and now they've offered up a window: next February. That's kind of sucky considering that means it will have been a solid half year since they originally announced the update, but short of buying a Nexus or falling in with the xda-developers crowd, there still doesn't seem to be a great way to guarantee that you're going to stay on the bleeding edge of the Android code trunk.

[Thanks, William]

LG Ally finally getting Froyo in February originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Relax, LG Ally owners: Froyo's coming your way

Chris Ziegler — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 08:41:00 EST

Maybe it was the heat crosstown rival Samsung was bringing with its Froyo promises for the Galaxy S series, but whatever the case, we're pleased to see that LG has stepped up to commit an Android 2.2 upgrade for Verizon's Ally. Unfortunately, they're not offering up a date -- or even a multi-week window, a season, or a year -- so we can only hope this situation doesn't drag itself out into the hardware's irrelevance, as does occasionally happen with these sorts of things. We know, we know... call us jaded if you must. Chop chop, LG!

Relax, LG Ally owners: Froyo's coming your way originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Aug 2010 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change LG's Ally?

Darren Murph — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:35:00 EST

LG didn't hold back when it came time to market its Ally, but was a tie-in with one of the summer's biggest blockbusters really enough? We found some rather unforgivable flaws during our testing, but that's honestly beside the point -- we're here to hear about your thoughts on the device. Priced initially at just $100 on contract, it was (and still is, to an extent) one of the best deals going for an Android-based smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard, but has it really lived up to your expectations? Are you wishing you had held out a bit longer? Is the keyboard really a winner? How do you like / dislike the UI overlay? How's it handle when held left-handed? Go on, get really real in comments below. We're all ears.

How would you change LG's Ally? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Ally release pushed back a week for reasons unknown

Chris Ziegler — Sat, 22 May 2010 01:15:00 EST

You remember those Android 2.1-powered LG Allys that were supposed to go on sale with Big Red earlier this week? Yeah, well, they didn't, and Verizon's site is still showing them as pre-orders. We're not sure what's going on there, but pre-orders are being extended through the 26th with sales commencing on the 27th; folks that have already pre-ordered the phone are apparently getting emails explaining the situation and letting them know that they'll be "the first to receive the phone upon initial availability on or after May 27th." The "or after" part there seems to be giving them a loophole in case they need another delay -- so this could be a last-minute software issue, supply problems, some sort of wacky marketing stunt, or a stunning heist involving the theft of every Ally that has been imported to the United States thus far. Your guess?

LG Ally release pushed back a week for reasons unknown originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 May 2010 01:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Ally review

Chris Ziegler — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:25:00 EST

You know, not every smartphone has to be putting down maxed-out hardware. That's a lesson that Nokia is certainly taking to heart, concentrating many of its latest efforts on lower-end Symbian devices that it hopes will capture entire new swaths of users that'd otherwise be buying dumbphones with half the functionality (and far less than half of the revenue potential). In the world of Android, though, recent devices like the EVO 4G, Droid, Droid Incredible, and Nexus One have admittedly caused us to grow accustomed to the idea that we should all be using blazingly fast processors and huge WVGA displays.

In reality, of course, Android is an extraordinarily scalable platform; there's a whole world of hardware (and around $200 of on-contract pricing) below today's latest round of "superphones." At $100 on a two-year deal, the LG Ally sort of typifies what we'd expect out of a midrange Android device right now -- a gap-filler that can capture users seeking a Droid experience on a Kin Two budget. So does it hold up in the day-to-day grind, or are you going to be begging for a Droid by day two? Let's find out.

Gallery: LG Ally review

Continue reading LG Ally review

LG Ally review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 May 2010 15:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG's $100 Ally crashing Verizon stores on May 20th, pre-orders start tomorrow (update: now with specs)

Darren Murph — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:24:00 EST

We had a hunch that LG's Android 2.1-based Ally would see its first customers on May 20th, and Verizon Wireless has finally opened up and confirmed as much this morning. The Iron Man 2-infused smartphone -- which we spent some time with yesterday -- will be available in all VZW stores beginning May 20th, with pre-orders going live for phone and web customers tomorrow. We've already given you the rundown when it comes to specs (they're after the break for those with memories shorter than their shoelaces), but now we're able to confirm that it'll sell for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a new two-year contract. A well-specced Android smartphone for under a Benjamin? Not bad, LG.

Update: Nothing in particular to write home about, but LG has just unveiled the Ally's nearly complete spec sheet. [Thanks, Rey E.]

Continue reading LG's $100 Ally crashing Verizon stores on May 20th, pre-orders start tomorrow (update: now with specs)

LG's $100 Ally crashing Verizon stores on May 20th, pre-orders start tomorrow (update: now with specs) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 May 2010 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Ally works its Iron Man cred, leaves a few loose ends to tie up

Paul Miller — Tue, 11 May 2010 20:05:00 EST

We'll admit it, we really can't find anything straight-out "wrong" with the LG Ally. Maybe we could muster up a few matters of taste to gripe about, but it really does seem to be a pretty solid QWERTY Android slider. But unfortunately for LG, Verizon, and the good people at Stark Industries, we're having a lot of trouble stomaching this handset for the mere fact that we're up to our eyeballs in Android these days; nobody here has bothered to do anything different. When your only claims to fame are a few pixel tweaks on the home screen, categories in the app drawer, and an augmented reality Iron Man app, you're running the risk of... well, that's just it, you aren't running any risk at all. Sure, including a "limited edition" Iron Man comic with every phone sold is a nice touch, but it won't help you much in two years (or two months) when everybody you know has a better phone than you.

At least LG managed to best the Droid's landscape QWERTY, with some well-defined keys and decent, clicky action, though the unfortunate layout and an oddly inconsistent key shape keeps that from saving this phone. Specs-wise it's just what we had been hearing: Android 2.1, a 3.2 megapixel camera (with a flash), a nicely side-accessible microSD slot for the included 4GB SD card, and that mid-range Qualcomm MSM7627 processor. Hopefully Verizon can announce a bargain basement price (we're figuring $99 or less is a shoe-in), otherwise we want that GW990 back pronto. No word on release date, either, but we should be learning more tomorrow.

Gallery: LG Ally hands-on

LG Ally works its Iron Man cred, leaves a few loose ends to tie up originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 20:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Ally up for preorder on Thursday, launching on May 20?

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 11 May 2010 18:35:00 EST

We should know a whole lot more about this situation at an Iron Man 2-themed LG event taking place later today, but BGR appears to have scored full details on LG's upcoming Android-equipped Ally for Verizon along with a couple key dates. Most importantly, it sounds like the landscape QWERTY slider will be available in "all channels" (read: telesales and brick-and-mortar stores) on May 20, preceded by an online pre-order this Thursday, May 13. It's got Eclair, a 3.2 megapixel cam, 4GB microSD card in-box, and a Qualcomm MSM7627 core -- the same midrange silicon that powers the Moto Devour. Against the Droid, this bad boy appears to slot just underneath in the range, but a little choice never hurt anyone, did it?

LG Ally up for preorder on Thursday, launching on May 20? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 May 2010 18:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Ally gets its own website, details finally start to flow

Darren Murph — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:01:00 EST

LG's Ally recently got its stamp of approval from LG, but outside of a terse acknowledgment that the phone was real (and had a thing for iron-clad superheroes), little else was divulged. Today, we've stumbled upon the phone's dedicated product page over at the company's website, which not only plugs Iron Man 2 to the nth degree, but also informs us that it'll ship with a 3.2-inch touchscreen, Android 2.1, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a backside camera and a microSD card slot. There's also a link over there to jump into the LG Ally community, so feel free to do just that if this trickling of information is driving you up the wall.

LG Ally gets its own website, details finally start to flow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 May 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG confirms Android-powered Ally, coming May 20th

Donald Melanson — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:33:00 EST

Well, this hasn't exactly followed the usual smartphone launch route, but LG has now officially confirmed the existence of its new Android-powered LG Ally handset, although it's still not doing much talking about the phone itself. It has, however, revealed that the phone will be available on May 20th (presumably on Verizon, though LG oddly doesn't mention a carrier in its press release), and that it will naturally feature plenty of Iron Man 2 tie-in content, including an augmented reality application of some sort. Otherwise, LG is only saying that the phone will have a touchscreen and a full QWERTY keypad, and it's pointing folks towards an Iron Man 2 tie-in site (linked below) that, last we checked, still says to check back on April 30th. We should be getting some more details on the phone soon enough, however, as LG is holding an event in New York on May 11th where it will be showing off the Ally and other "Stark-worthy" technology.

Continue reading LG confirms Android-powered Ally, coming May 20th

LG confirms Android-powered Ally, coming May 20th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 May 2010 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Ally to say 'aloha' to Verizon in mid-May?

Donald Melanson — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:10:00 EST

Well, LG's Moorestown-based, Moblin-running GW990 may sadly be no more, but it looks like the company will be bringing another fairly impressive-looking handset to US shores: the Android-based LG Ally. According to Android Central, it will be landing on Verizon around the middle of May and, if it looks a tad familiar, it's because it's apparently simply a US version of the phone we've known alternately as the LU2300 or Aloha (though it does seem to have undergone a few design tweaks). Details are otherwise light, but it'll presumably pack the same 1GHz Snapdragon processor as the LU2300, along with a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera, and Android 2.1.

[Thanks, Erik]

Update: Android Central has tracked down an Iron Man 2-themed commercial on YouTube clearly suggesting the Ally is coming soon (if you recall, LG had a big tie-in with the original Iron Man, too). Viewers are encouraged to head over to lg.com/ally to check it out, but there's nothing useful there -- yet. Follow the break for the full commercial.

Continue reading LG Ally to say 'aloha' to Verizon in mid-May?

LG Ally to say 'aloha' to Verizon in mid-May? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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