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LG's G2 launch is livestreaming right here (video)
Granted, we've already heard a thing or two about what LG might be launching at today's event, but let's face it, you never know for sure until the company hits the stage. So, while you're following along with our liveblog, be sure to tune into the livestream of the event below. After all, that's what multi-tabbed browsing is for, right?
LG G2 breaks cover in leaked press photo ahead of official reveal (updated)
Sure, LG's set to unveil the G2 tomorrow, but the firm's handset has made a surprise appearance on the eve of its official coming out party. @evleaks has snagged a press shot of a device that matches the reported G2 we've seen in covert photos and video, a leaked manual and promotional shots. The image doesn't bring any revelations, but it does give us an even clearer view of the hardware we'll see in just a few hours. Soon enough, we'll get to know the smartphone better than its case. Update: @evleaks has dished out another picture of the phone, giving us an unobstructed view of its face. Head past the break for the photo. Update #2: LG has just used the main leaked image in an official YouTube video (around the 2:12 mark), just in case we needed further confirmation that this is the G2.
We'll be liveblogging LG's G2 event tomorrow, join us at 11AM ET!
Speculation is overrated -- or at least LG seems to think so. The Korean phone-maker has already announced that the Optimus G will be succeeded by a handset dubbed the G2, and it's pretty clear that tomorrow's event will be a launch for that very device. There's still plenty we don't know about this upcoming handset, though, so you'll want to point your browser right here as we bring you the latest news live from the NYC event. August 7, 2013 11:00:00 AM EDT
Leaked manual for LG G2 confirms nano-SIM slot, no fingerprint reader
The LG G2. We already know plenty about its rear-mounted volume controls, funny cases and passion for classical music. We've even seen a video of the 5.2-inch 1080p handset in the flesh. But a question mark has remained over a couple of basic specs until today, when pages from a supposedly leaked manual appeared at reputed surprise-spoiler Nowhereelse.fr. Assuming the info is legit, which it seems to be, we can say that the thing between the volume buttons on the back of the phone is not a fingerprint reader, as some had hoped -- it's just a power/lock button. Also, the phone will follow in the footsteps of the iPhone 5 and Moto X by housing a nano-SIM slot. But unlike those two handsets, the G2 will offer microSD storage expansion, not to mention a removable 2,610mAh battery. At this point, there's really nothing left to discover except some availability info -- oh no, wait, we have some of that too.
LG G2 to include ringtones from the Vienna Boys' Choir... yes, really
LG isn't shy about its love of classical music, having once struck a deal with Ennio Morricone to put his tunes on the company's phones. However, we'll still admit to being caught off-guard by its next collaboration: when the G2 is officially revealed on August 7th, it will include the dulcet sounds of the Vienna Boys' Choir. The Android flagship will ship with nine ringtones and five alerts sung by the youth group, along with four musical chimes. Beautiful devices need beautiful music, LG argues. Whether or not that's really true, you won't have to wait long to hear the end result. LG will post free music on the G2's teaser site on August 1st, including a choral version of its standard ringtone.
The Daily Roundup for 07.30.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
LG execs allegedly spill G2 launch schedule, name Verizon as carrier partner
We know pretty much all there is to know about the LG G2 at this point, but we thought we'd have to wait until the official reveal event next month for release dates. Well, if Korean outlet The Kyunghyang Shinmun is to be believed, we'll have to keep wearing our fake surprise faces for that part of the presentation, too. A direct quote, apparently coming from LG Electronics' CFO David Jung (strangely, he's only referred to by title), pegs a release window of August for South Korea, September for North America and Europe, and October for all other regions. Furthermore, a different exec names Verizon as a US carrier partner, which would be the G2's third if the variant we've seen at the FCC is indeed destined for both AT&T and T-Mobile. For some reason, this new info has our Spidey-sense tingling (read: we cannot verify the accuracy of these reports), so we've reached out to LG for comment and will update this post if we hear anything more.
LG G2 reaches the FCC with North American LTE
Want to know which North American carriers might offer the LG G2 after August 7th? The FCC is offering a big hint: it just approved a region-appropriate version of the Android flagship. Going under its D801 codename, the G2 variant cleared by the agency supports all the LTE and HSPA frequencies used by AT&T, T-Mobile and large Canadian networks. As such, it's likely that the smartphone will get a multi-carrier launch next month. The real question is whether or not any CDMA providers (which aren't included in the filing) will come along for the ride.
LG invitation and video tease G2 debut at August 7th event (video)
While there wasn't much doubt as to what LG would unveil at its August 7th event, the company has made it official: a new invitation and teaser video (both after the break) expressly state that we'll see the G2 at the New York City gathering. The invitation tells the media that it will be the "first in the world" to see the smartphone, and shows the device's signature (if frequently leaked) back-mounted volume buttons. At this rate, there won't be any real mystery left to the G2 by the time LG executives take to the stage -- still, we'll try to feign surprise at the launch.
LG officially names G2 as successor to the Optimus G
LG isn't beating around the bush this evening; its Snapdragon 800-based followup to the original Optimus G will officially be known as the G2. Naturally, with so many of the smartphone's secrets already on display for the world to see, the revelation is a minor one at best, but it fills in a small piece of the puzzle for what we might expect on August 7th. With the announcement, LG is also tweaking its branding scheme by dropping Optimus from the phone's name, while also reiterating the G series as the company's flagship lineup. Curiously, LG is also hinting at future smartphones with 4:3 displays, which will be known as the Vu: series. Place your bets now on whether the affordable L series receives the same naming treatment.
A clear look at LG's upcoming Optimus G2 (update 2: video)
There's still one month to go before LG officially unveils its Optimus G successor, but thanks to an anonymous tipster, we have a pretty clear idea of what it'll look like. Similar to the G2 leaks we've seen in the past, this upcoming Android flagship falls more in line with the (LG-made) Nexus 4's rounded-edge design than the blockiness of the original Optimus G. As you can see in the image above, the purported G2's 5.2-inch, 1080p display is surrounded by very little bezel, making it appear near edge-to-edge. LG's also foregoing the three capacitive Android navigation buttons featured on the original G in favor of an onscreen (stock Android-like) arrangement. On back, we can clearly see LG is indeed going forward with that quirky volume rocker placement, which puts the controls just below the camera -- rumored to be a 13-megapixel module. Further corroborating earlier reports and LG's own official confirmation, our tipster pegs the G2's processor as a Snapdragon 800 clocked at 2.3GHz and paired with 2GB RAM. And although there are no visible signs of carrier branding on its glossy chassis, this particular G2 variant is supposedly headed to Sprint. Which, if true, lines up with the legacy set by the Sprint Optimus G -- a device that also launched free of the Now Network's logo. Apart from a few screens showing the launcher, camera UI and one of LG's various lockscreen options, there's not much more we know about its spec list (i.e. battery size). Though we fully expect more details to leak out in the run-up to August 7th. For now, check out the mini-gallery below and an additional, close up photo of the G2's volume rocker just after the break. Update: We've received additional photos of the G2's settings menu confirming this model as a Sprint variant running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Update 2: 4Leakz has posted a video (after the break) showing the G2 in action. Reportedly, the phone is "very comfortable" and reminiscent of the Nexus 4, but thinner. [Thanks, Anonymous] %Gallery-193430%
LG teasers drop not-so-subtle hints of G2 launch at August 7th event (video)
While LG initially gave no clues as to the focus of its August 7th event, the company isn't leaving much room for doubt now. It's sending both formal invitations and a teaser video (after the break) suggesting that it would be "Great 2 Have You" at the New York gathering -- a likely reference to the rumored G2 flagship. LG is still coy about showing the phone itself, although we already know that there's a speedy Snapdragon 800 under the hood. We just wish we didn't have to wait a month to see a lot more.
LG G2 purportedly spied in promo shots, may carry backside volume buttons
LG has teased the Optimus G's successor for awhile, but we've seen precious little of the phone's design. We may have just received a better peek: a tipster has sent @evleaks some images that appear to come from a promo video for the flagship device. While the snapshots are clearly victims of Mr. Blurrycam, they're detailed enough to suggest a big break from last year's model. They show both a previously seen buttonless front as well as an extremely slim profile that moves the volume controls to the back. There's also no mention of the Optimus badge -- all the on-screen graphics simply refer to the phone as the "G2." None of the images are verifiable, so there's no guarantee that they reflect the real thing. If we happen to see something similar-looking on August 7th, however, it won't come as a surprise.
HTC's M4 and G2 Androids likely to launch after the M7
Now that we know the M7 is alive and well, we can look at the other goodies that HTC is going to bring us this year. According to the pretty reliable @evleaks, two more Android phones will be launched at some point after the M7's pre-MWC debut: a fairly powerful M4 and a low-end G2 (not to be confused with the T-Mobile G2). The former's highlights are its 4.3-inch 720p display (same as the 8X's), a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon chip, a whopping 13-megapixel F2.0 camera (apparently the same as the M7's) and optional LTE. On the other hand, the G2 will pack a more modest 3.5-inch 480 x 320 screen, a 1GHz processor and a 5-megapixel camera, so it's very much just a slight upgrade from the Desire C which also runs Ice Cream Sandwich -- unlike the beefier M4 with Jelly Bean. The same leakster reckons we won't be seeing these two devices at MWC, but we'll keep an eye out just in case.
Refresh Roundup: week of August 6th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
OnLive Multiview on an LG Google TV, eyes-on (video)
Between the giant screen gaming demos, the shiny new hardware and the ever-present booth babes, the Electronic Entertainment Expo may well be the short attention span capital of North America at the moment. How does one possible manage to up the ante on electronic attention deficit disorder? Nintendo and Microsoft have both made pretty admirable strives in that direction with the Wii U GamePad and SmartGlass, respectively, bringing a second screen to home game play. OnLive is helping move things along as well, by way of the MultiView feature, which brings several screens worth of content to a single display -- in other words, you have other games taking up screen real estate while you're playing a game. OnLive's Spectate feature is nothing new, of course, letting you keep tabs on friends and scores of other players. MultiView, however, lets you watch that content while playing, the majority of the screen devoted to your own game, with this added footage in a sidebar. You can access the feature with the click of a button and chat with friends or coordinate with teammates. OnLive showed us the feature on an LG G2 Google TV -- the perfect opportunity for the company to highlight the new partnership. The 55-inch display also served as an ideal demo -- while the feature will also be available for mobile devices, you're really going to want a big screen, lest the whole thing become a little too cacophonous.
Refresh Roundup: week of January 16, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Archos Arnova 7b G2 makes its way through the FCC, we play the name game
We just saw Archos' Arnova 7 G2 make its debut in Hong Kong, and now a tablet carrying a strikingly similar appellative is popping up at the FCC. It might carry a familiar moniker, but the Arnova 7b G2 doesn't share the same skin as its recently outed cousin. Unlike the textured body we saw in Hong Kong, this guy's backside is a total fingerprint magnet, just like its predecessor, which we caught (official) wind of just two months ago. So what's up with this G2 confusion, anyway? Unfortunately, we'll just have to wait and see, as that's all she wrote for this dig through the FCC.
T-Mobile working to solve G2 battery life concerns, needs your help
T-Mobile wants YOU... to help them figure out your phone's recent battery life troubles. If you own a G2, there's a slight possibility you've noticed your prized mobile possession hasn't been up to snuff over the last week or so. Is it feeling overworked? It's got a lot of stress bogging it down? Or maybe it's just downright depressed? Sadly, the carrier doesn't have the fuzziest idea of what's going on either, so it's turning to the best resource it has: its customers. If your G2 is lucky enough to be in this "small group" of affected users, you've been given the green light to share your feedback. Though this is happening (coincidentally) at the same time as the phone's monumental update to Gingerbread, it turns out a healthy portion of sufferers haven't actually made the jump up yet. So head on over to offer your two cents -- if one person can make a difference, several hundred should definitely do the trick.
T-Mobile G2 gets its turn for Gingerbread, OTA rolling out now
The T-Mobile G2x was the attention-hoarder this week by getting Gingerbread, but where's the love for its older brother? After all, the G2 seemed to be left for dead as HTC's promise of a Q2 refresh was broken with nary a peep from the manufacturer. No need to feel nervous any longer, folks, as Android 2.3 is now rolling out as an OTA download. In addition to Gingerbread, the listed update will include WiFi improvements, SMS and email notification enhancements, Google Books, and a few cosmetic UI changes. The rollout process will run its course over the coming weeks, so you'll need to exercise just a wee bit more patience here. At least the G2 isn't falling into the depths of obsolescence yet; but for future reference, T-Mobile, please text us when you're running a bit late.
