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How would you change LG's Optimus L7?
When we reviewed LG's Optimus L7, we compared it to BMW's 328i, saying that it was pitched as an entry-level car that could satisfy power-hungry buyers -- but really, that was very unfair on the vehicle in question. The problem with this particular phone is that while it promised to be a stylish low-price handset, the hardware inside didn't match its sleek exterior. Poor performance, bad voice quality, flaky touchscreen, slow data transmission and a lack of 3G bands for roaming meant that we suggested you look elsewhere. Still, what we want to know is did you agree with our reviewer? This is How Would You Change, so share your technical insight with us all.
LG touts 15 million Optimus L Series phones sold like so many refrigerators
As stylish as it can be, LG's Optimus L Series is very appliance-like, the smartphone line that gets the job done versus the more luxuriant Optimus G. It's almost no surprise, then, that LG's sales rate has accelerated to the volume we'd expect from an air conditioner or fridge: just two months after the L Series hit 10 million in sales since launch, it's already at 15 million. That's no doubt heartening to LG, especially with the L Series II right around the corner. We doubt Samsung will break into cold sweats, though. When the Galaxy S III alone moved twice as many units by November of last year, LG still has some catching up to do in 2013.
Visualized: LG's Optimus L7, 4X HD, Vu and 3D Max pose for family album
A few weeks ago we had the chance to line up some of LG's current handsets -- the Optimus L7, Optimus 4X HD, Optimus Vu and Optimus 3D Max -- for a little photo shoot. While we only had access to the 3D Max for a short time, we ended up reviewing the other three. There's a bit of something for everyone here -- some Ice Cream Sandwich and some Gingerbread, some mid-range hardware and some hi-end style, some phablet and some 3D. Check out the pr0n family album in the gallery below.%Gallery-161789%
LG Optimus L7 review: a beautiful, entry-level Android 4.0 smartphone with LG's new UI 3.0
Consider your last trip to the car dealership. Let's say you saved up and hit up BMW. While you might've looked at -- or even test driven -- the M3, there's a good chance that your better judgment (and your budget) led you to drive off of the lot with a 328i. Sure, it's only got a four-cylinder engine inside, but the car offers great handling and good gas mileage. Better yet, you didn't have to spend an atrocious amount of money to get behind the wheel. The same goes with mobile phones. While it's fun to dream of owning a One X, a Galaxy S III or an Optimus 4X HD, they're called superphones for a reason: they cater to power-hungry individuals with a fair amount of disposable income. Like supercars, they're designed to bring people into the store, even if shoppers ultimately leave with something else in hand. More Info LG shows off UI 3.0 for Ice Cream Sandwich devices, says it's 'unobtrusive and simple' LG Optimus L-style series hands-on LG busts out a trio of L-series phones in the run up to MWC Enter the LG Optimus L7. Positioned at the higher end of the company's entry-level lineup, it aims to be the 328i of smartphones. Sure, no one's lining up to drool over it, but LG is aiming for this to be a practical choice with just enough elegance and pizzaz to keep consumers grinning. Of course, that sweet spot is difficult to achieve, and we've seen plenty of smartphone manufacturers miss the mark in attempting to balance performance and amenities with a palatable price. So, does the Optimus L7 rise to the challenge? We've spent the past week with it as our daily driver, and we're ready to make the call. Read on for the answer.%Gallery-159344%
LG Optimus L7 reportedly joining Rogers' budget lineup
We've already taken on you on a personal tour of LG's upcoming L-style handsets, and word on the street is at least one of them is on its way to Rogers. According to MobileSyrup, a kind tipster's handed the site intel claiming the Optimus L7 will be offered as part of the Maple Leaf Carrier's "Smartphone Lite" lineup. Still, it's unclear how much it'll cost you, or when it will go on sale. To give you a quick refresh, the L7 comes packing a 4.3-inch, 480 x 800 screen and a 1GHz CPU along with tasty ICS at its core. Pricing and availability uncertainties aside, we can be certain you'll have to sign the usual Canadian three-year deal with your network once the device gets an official launch.
LG Optimus L-style series hands-on
LG's Optimus L-style family of (slightly more) affordable devices is here, packing a similar designer flavor to the Prada phone 3.0 alongside some reduced specifications. Three models made their debut here at MWC, from the 4.3-inch Optimus L7 to the dinkier 3.2-inch L3, with the 4-inch L5 offering a size and specification compromise right in the middle. Skip on past the break for some first impressions.
Mobile World Congress 2012 preview: what will we see?
Without hesitation, February always seems to be the most hectic time of the year for the mobile industry, thanks primarily to the annual Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain. The show has long been considered the proper venue for phone and tablet vendors to show off their latest and greatest innovations. Naturally, the internet is been set ablaze with plenty of rumors and even a few official product announcements from companies hoping to benefit from some solid pre-show buzz.In this guide we'll take you on a tour and walk through the hardware we already know will be shown off at MWC, as well as what we should likely expect to see and the things we'd really love to hear more about but probably won't. Join us after the break, won't you?
Hydrogen fuel cell-powered MOTOSLVR L7 prototype gets pictured
Right around a month ago, we heard that Angstrom Power had managed to stuff some of its sophisticated hydrogen fuel cells into a MOTOSLVR L7. That prototype, friends, is what you see about. Unfortunately, we're no closer to realizing when this stuff will actually escape the proverbial beta stage, and for whatever it's worth, we're also no closer to feeling absolutely safe with one of these next to our melon (though existing alternatives don't have the greatest track record either).
The Motorola SLVR L7c, in official Verizon form
Hey, remember the SLVR L7c? You know, the candybar version of the CDMA RAZR -- the one with circa 2005 specs? Well, as you might recall, Verizon had some grand plans to get this one out the door at some point; turns out they still do, and we have some high-quality photography here to prove it. Though the opportunity to be the first US carrier to launch the L7c has come and gone, well... "better late than never," as they say. We'll begrudgingly admit that the phone doesn't look half bad in this rather pale shade, though the feature list is a pretty tough pill to swallow (think VGA cam). Word has it there's enough chatter going on behind the scenes to indicate a possible launch before the month's out -- we'd say that's a mighty good idea unless Verizon is going for the "instant obsolescence" phenomenon here.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Trinion L7 HTPC touts integrated touchscreen LCD
Just in case you're looking for something similar to OriginAE's latest LCD-equipped HTPC enclosure, but would rather the unit come fully stocked and ready to rock, the Trinion L7 should fit the bill. This Korean-based unit packs a sexy, silver chassis, seven-inch 800 x 480 resolution touchscreen LCD monitor, 1.66GHz Intel T5500 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 250GB hard drive, 8-channel onboard audio, gigabit Ethernet, combo drive, and Windows XP Media Center Edition pre-installed. Additionally, the company offers up an IR remote to control the action from afar, front-panel flash card readers, USB / FireWire connectors, and audio in / out ports, and the built-in UI provides easy access to DVD playback, games, office applications, photos, TV episodes, etc. While we're not sure when South Koreans can expect this to land on local shelves, be sure to click on through for a more shots of the machine in action.
Verizon preps to launch Motorola SLVR
Looks like Sprint won't have bragging rights after all as Verizon Wireless preps to be the first national carrier to launch the CDMA version of Motorola's popular SLVR phone. From the L7 to the L7c, the feature set has remained the same from with a 262,000 color display, VGA camera, expandable memory via microSD, and bluetooth. We still can't figure out why Motorola didn't up the resolution on the camera like its i-mode cousin though. Stay tuned for the price details! Update: Verizon is not the first national carrier to launch the SLVR L7c. This device was launched in November 2006 by Sprint. The device is currently an exclusive to Best Buy locations.
Sprint announces Motorola SLVR L7c
As expected, Sprint has come forth today with their very own SLVR from Motorola, the L7c -- the latest in a barrage of popular Moto products conspicuously missing from Sprint's lineup until just very recently. The announcement is particularly notable for two reasons; first and foremost, Sprint's press release marks the first carrier introduction of the CDMA SLVR anywhere. The more interesting secondary story here, though, is that Sprint has finally beaten Verizon to the punch in announcing an anticipated handset -- music to the ears of Sprint customers that have watched their carrier sit idly by as their rival scoops hotness after hotness. Sprint hasn't yet announced pricing or availability for the L7c, but now that they've laid their... uh, SLVRs out on the table, we're thinking it won't be long now.
The SLVR, refined: Motorola's L7e
With all the facelifting, refinement, and replacement Motorola's RAZR lineup has gotten as of late, one might think the poor, overlooked SLVR series was in danger of going the way of the dinosaurs (or, perhaps more appropriately, the MPx). Actually, readers following The Boy Genius Report have known that Moto has been slaving over a hot stove chock full o' the thin candybars in a variety of flavors for a little while now, and it just so happens that the updated L7 we'd scooped -- identified back then as the L7i -- has gone on to officially become the SLVR L7e. Visually, the re-upped model is nearly a dead ringer for its pappy, save for the keypad which has taken on a decidedly RIZR-esque appearance and a "shimmering blue" hue. The microSD slot is a carryover from the L7, but virtually every other major spec has been tweaked: the cam goes from VGA to 1.3-megapixel, A2DP is now supported for wireless stereo, and the GSM radio mercifully adds EDGE for decent 2.5G data. Word has it no American carrier has expressed interest in the updated model, but thanks to support for both the 850 and 1900MHz bands, this is one phone that should be a breeze to import and use when it drops by year's end.[Via phoneArena]
The Boy Genius Report: Are those three new SLVRs in your pants?
Field report tidbits from Engadget's resident mobile insider, the Boy Genius. What do we have here? Four different SLVR models? Yep! That's right, from CDMA to GSM to WCDMA, the good folks at Motorola have you covered. Starting on the right the first is called the L7i which is simply an update to the L7, the way the V3i was to the V3. It adds a 1.3 megapixel camera, EDGE, more internal memory, the updated UI [though not Juix] and some other miscellany. Next we have a regular L7, you know the phone your grandparents use? The real star of the picture has to be the third L7 which is the 3G model. It has a front facing video conferencing camera (obviously), 2.0 mega pixel camera, world 3G bands, quad-band EDGE, and microSD as well. Finally we have the much rumored L7c that was just finally announced. It is indeed a SILVR SLVR, microSD card support, 1.3 megapixel camera, VCAST, and is coming to... Alltel! Just kidding. Verizon Wireless, holla at me baby! [Once again, props to Boy Genius! Click on for more images.]
Motorola quietly announces CDMA SLVR L7c
Alright, Sprint users: who's pumped to land a SLVR of your own? Show of hands, please. How about you Verizon folks? The handful of you with your arms raised high right now, bursting at the seams with anticipation for Moto's rumored CDMA port of the L7, don't have much longer to wait. Buried in with the goodness that Motorola dropped on us Monday was the official news that the L7c is indeed a real device -- though beyond the fact that it rocks EV-DO, we aren't given much to go by. Exact dates, carriers, thickness -- you know, the important details -- all remain mysteries, though Sprint and/or Verizon will clearly be getting the device, and some duration of exclusivity seems to be a logical assumption. The SLVR's GSM variants haven't managed to rock many boats, but decently-equipped candybars are a slightly rarer breed on US CDMA networks, so we can imagine some level of excitement here. Motorola Q-style pandemonium, probably not, but excitement nonetheless.[Via Mobile Guerilla, thanks Brian]
Motorola L6i and L7i for O2's i-mode?
The time has apparently come in the SLVR's life cycle for Moto to start MLKNG it for everything it's worth -- this time around, imodephones is reporting that Motorola is about to drop the SLVR-like L6i and SLVR-proper L7i for O2's i-mode service. If you're familiar with the L6 and L7, you'll be right at home with their i-mode counterparts -- the chief difference is reported to be the addition of a 1.3 megapixel camera on both models (compared to VGA on the originals). We're on to your product lifecycle strategy, Moto, and while we're sure it pays the bills, it's boring. Spill some details on the SCPL and we promise to lay off for a while. For a few hours, anyway.
Pink SLVR L7 available through Cingular
While not quite as hot as the $75,000 diamond-encrusted version, Cingular new pink SLVR L7 will surely find a market among the hoards of people that seem addicted to devices in that most feminine of colors. Even though its sporting a different shade, this model has the exact same features as the black L7 -- iTunes, Bluetooth, EDGE, MicroSD, and a VGA cam -- and costs the same too, priced at $199 with a two-year service agreement and pledge of eternal loyalty to Cingular/AT&T Wireless.
Cingular and Radio Shack get Moto SLVR L6
If you dig the shape and style of the SLVR L7 but don't want to hand over $200 just for the dubious privilege of being able to store 100 songs on it via iTunes, you may want to head over to Radio Shack, which currently has an exclusive on the $50 (with Cingular service plan) SLVR L6. The cheaper phone has the same form factor as its iTunes-enhanced sibling (though it's clad in SLVR, er, silver, instead of black), and has most of L7's other features, including Bluetooth connectivity, EDGE, and a VGA camera. At $50, if you really can't bear to be without 100 iTunes-based songs, you can always use the $150 you've saved to pick up a refurbed 512MB shuffle and 100 songs on iTMS, and come out even.Update: Thanks to several commenters who point out that the phone's actual features don't match those claimed on Radio Shack's promo site. So, if you're looking for EDGE, a music player or several of the other claimed features, look elsewhere. If you're looking for something that approximates the appearance of the original SLVR for a quarter of the price, go for it! (And while you're at it, let Radio Shack know that you're not too happy about them playing fast and loose with the specs.)
