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LG BL40 gets fancy gold lettering, not much else for Russian special edition
Remember that fancy schmancy Christmas Edition of the LG BL40-alike for South Korea's domestic market, the SU630? No? Well, allows us to refresh your memory: the phone took the BL40's basic ultra-wide 21:9 theme and added some gold accents along with an 8 megapixel cam, upgraded from the standard model's 5. Well, here we are a few short months later, and those same gold accents have made another appearance -- this time on an authentic BL40 in Russia, but sadly sans the upgraded camera. It's not clear who's carrying the tweaked model or how many rubles you'll be shelling out for the pleasure, but honestly, didn't the original black / red scheme look gobs sexier anyhow?
LG BL40 Christmas Edition sports 8 megapixel camera, no egg nog (update)
If you're reading this in South Korea, or are planning a trip there this holiday season, do us a solid, will ya? Apparently LG is releasing a Christmas Edition of the BL40, with the tantalizing name: "New Chocolate: Black Label Series." We were sort of hoping that you could maybe get some hands-on pics for us. Unlike the standard BL40, this new candy bar boasts an 8MP autofocus camera, a swanky case with gold accents, and a chance to win up to 5 million Korean Won (over $4,000) in prizes. Yes, that's right -- you can win stuff by buying this phone! No word yet on availability in countries besides the ROK, but we do have a pretty sweet gallery for you below. PR after the break. %Gallery-78867% Update: Apparently, the Christmas Edition is not a BL40, it's a SU630. Exclusive to Korea, this model arrives with an 8 megapixel phone and 4-inch, 21:9 touchscreen. Thanks to Emily for pointing this out!
Telus kicks off HSPA+ network with iPhone November 5th, HTC Hero, LG New Chocolate and more to follow
Telus already announced that it'd be launching the iPhone in November, but it's just now gotten official with an actual date: November 5th -- which just so happens to also be the day that it lights up its brand new HSPA+ network. Unfortunately for anyone hoping that a little competition would spark a price war, Telus is matching Rogers' prices across the board, starting at $99.99 for the basic 8GB iPhone 3G, and moving up to $199.99 for the 16GB 3GS, and $299.99 for the 32GB 3GS (all on a three-year contract, of course). What's more, Telus has also taken the opportunity to offer the first official confirmation of some of the other devices that'll take advantage of its new network, including the HTC Hero, the previously rumored LG New Chocolate (a.k.a BL40), the Blackberry Bold 9700, and the Nokia E71 (plus a USB stick, for good measure). No prices or release dates for any of those just yet, unfortunately, but the Hero and New Chocolate are apparently Telus exclusives.
LG BL40 review
You know the deal by now: we grab a slab of fresh new hardware, fiddle, play, and tinker with it until exhaustion or boredom is reached, then wax poetic about the whole experience, with a side serving of pictures and videos thrown in. Today's candidate for a grilling is LG's BL40, which is now available in Europe. You'll be familiar with it already from our hands-on look last month, but do join us past the break where we explore what's under the glossy hood in more detail, and give you a definitive answer on just how useful that elongated screen really is. %Gallery-75858%
Verizon VX8575 Chocolate Touch confirmed to be uglier than that other Chocolate Touch
If you've been loving the pictures and videos we've been bringing you of the lusciously slim BL40 Chocolate Touch, but holding your breath since a certain blurry photo a few weeks ago showed a rather different Chocolate Touch, we have some bad news. According to Phone Arena News, a Verizon "focus group" (with a questionable sense of aesthetics) decided that the BL40 was crap, and so the somewhat unfortunate looking and decidedly asymmetrical VX8575 has been blessed for domestic release as "Chocolate Touch." It looks to be standard fare featurephone stuff, with a 3.2MP camera, WVGA TFT display, and a browser that will support some subset of HTML. No word on if or when the BL40 will also be making an appearance at Verizon stores, but if we'd been pushed to the curb for something this busted we certainly wouldn't come back -- at least not without a very big bouquet accompanied by a sincere apology.
LG BL40 Chocolate now shipping in the UK
LG's making good on its promise to ship the stunning BL40 in Europe this month, pairing up with Carphone Warehouse and its mobiles.co.uk division to offer the latest Chocolate through your choice of O2 or Orange. Pricing ranges from £19.99 all the way up to £129.99 ($33 to $211) depending on carrier and plan, but any way you roll, you're guaranteed to end with with one of the longest phones -- it's got a 21:9 display, after all -- that money can buy. [Via Cell Phone Reviews, thanks poison_ivy]
LG BL40 Chocolate Touch coming to Europe this month, everywhere else in October
As much as we'd love to believe otherwise, our gut and Verizon's track record are both telling us that the BL40 probably bears no resemblance to the Chocolate Touch that Big Red's about to get. That doesn't mean LG's gorgeous mile-long slab isn't coming to North America, though -- we'd heard a long while back that it might be coming to Telus, whose new HSPA network is currently slated for an October launch. Coincidentally, fresh PR out of corporate reveals that the phone will be hitting "the rest of the world" in October following European kickoffs in the middle of this month, and if this isn't the perfect launch device for a brand new Canadian network, we really can't think what is. One way or another, LG says the phone will ultimately end up launching in 50 countries around the world -- so no matter where you are, you've got about a 1 in 4 chance you'll get a shot at this in the coming months without calling up your importer and taking out a second mortgage. Read - English release Read - Korean release
LG BL40 Chocolate Touch hands-on
LG's latest Black Label device, tastefully titled the Chocolate Touch, caused quite a few gasps and swoons around the Engadget mansion when it was first spotted, and subsequent photo shoots have not diminished our admiration. The gorgeous 4-inch, 21:9 display promises a whole new way to experience web browsing and video playback on a mobile phone, and we've been salivating for an opportunity to try it out. Finally, that day has come, so follow along as we get our fingerprints all over a final production sample, and bring you pictures, video and our thoughts on the functionality that lay behind that tempered glass screen.
LG BL40 Chocolate Touch reviewed, deemed 'pretty OK'
We know you've been saving up your Rubles for the new LG BL40 Chocolate Touch, but in the meantime we thought we'd hep you to this pretty extensive review they conducted over at Mobile Review. And sure, at first blush this thing seems to be extremely noteworthy: that 21:9 display, the S-Class UI, the haughty demeanor -- what's not to love? The real question, of course, isn't how attractive the handset is, but how will it fare in the real world? For the reviewer, a big sticking point was the phone's dimensions. This thing is huge -- at over 5-inches tall, you're going to need a purse (or some sort of rugged man purse) to haul it around. Then again, at 25,000 rubles (about $795) you're probably not the kind of man who feels self-conscious about carrying a purse. And that isn't the only complication this form factor provides -- the extreme width (or really, extreme lack of height) means that, in landscape mode, the QWERTY keyboard takes up pretty much the entire screen, leaving you only one line of text to work with. And the display quality here can't compare to the AMOLED offered by Samsung. It's "pleasant," the reviewer said, "but nothing more." But there is more to this review, which can be found at the read link. And you know what? It's a real page turner. [Thanks, Vinicius]
LG BL40 Chocolate Touch gets the hands-on treatment... on video!
We've still got our hopes up for an August 23rd launch date, but in the meantime we do have a, well, tasty video of LG's BL40 Chocolate Touch to tide us over. As you might have guessed, the UI is of the 3D S-Class variety. The accelerometer looks pretty snappy, and watching video seems to be a joy on the 4-inch, 21:9 display. Of course, we could give you a scene-by-scene recap, but we'd hate to spoil this Oscar-worthy production for you. Peep it yourself after the break.
LG Chocolate Touch and Samsung Omnia 2 slated for August 23rd, according to supposed Best Buy leak
If this screen capture to be believed, August 23rd is gearing up to be one helluva day for phone lovers. According to this snapshot from Best Buy's computers, that's when LG's desirable BL40 Chocolate Touch will be making its way into the consumer world, alongside a red Xenon and a bevy of Samsung phones including Omnia 2, Rogue, and Solstice. No clue on what the Tour is doing up there dated for the 23rd, since it's already out on both Verizon and Sprint, but perhaps a major shipment is in the works. As for that M330 for September 8th? Yeah, we're not sure. Surrounding that tantalizing list from the top and bottom, respectively, are Samsung's eco-conscious Reclaim -- presumably listed for August 16th, although the date is obscured -- and a red and black "G2" from august 5th, which would undoubtedly be referring to T-Mobile's sophomore Android device, the myTouch 3G. Two weeks seem awfully close, but if this pans out, we certainly won't be arguing.
LG's lengthy BL40 gets the hands-on treatment it deserves
After witnessing an all-too-brief run-in with LG's hot new slice of cocoa last week, the BL40 has finally found its way into the appreciative hands of a few Russian tech bloggers. Over at Mobile@Mail.ru, the elongated handset has splashed down and taken a moment to pose for the camera. There's nothing here that your mother wouldn't approve of, but since when is that an indicator of something's worthiness? Trust us, you'll want to give that read link some lovin'. Some good, good lovin'. [Thanks, noname]
LG's BL40 "Chocolate" phone sashays its way through new ad
We've already gotten a pretty good look at LG's stylish new BL40 phone (also simply known the new "Chocolate") courtesy of some official shots, but no phone launch would be complete without an over the top ad, and LG's naturally got that covered as well. As you can see for yourself after the break, the 4-inch, 800 pixel wide display is one of the main selling points here, and if that's not enough for you, we hear you can even use it to output full HD video to a TV. Unfortunately, there's still no word as to when it'll be release 'round these parts, although there's at least some indication that it could be making its North American debut on Telus.
LG BL40 passes FCC again, this time with US 3G very much enabled
LG mentioned to us yesterday that there aren't any US plans in the cards for its lovely BL40 New Chocolate -- at least, none that it wants to talk about, even though we've got to believe Verizon's cooking up some plans -- but meanwhile there's still action on the North American front. A new variant of the BL40 dubbed BL40G ("G" for "gonna be awesome," obviously) has hit the FCC with HSPA enabled on the 850 and 1900MHz bands. You might recall that those bands were disabled on the last version the FCC checked out, so if anything, this might be the version that Canada's Telus is signed up for to help it kick off its upcoming HSPA network launch. Remind us to start researching political asylum claims a little closer to launch.
LG releases first official shots of BL40 "New Chocolate"
We've already got a pile of evidence taller than the BL40 itself that told us LG's latest Black Label device was that ultra-wide, glossy red and black slate we've seen floating around -- but now, for the very first time, it's totally official. The company has just released the first fully-revealed press photos of the phone that it's calling the "New Chocolate," an homage to one of the phones that brought it to the dominant industry position it enjoys today. So, is the BL40 going to help it continue that dominance? At a glance here, yeah, we'd say there's a pretty good chance.
LG BL40 caught in the wild, given brief hands-on
We'll admit, we're jealous of this Sina Corporation reporter, who appears to have gotten some hands-on time with LG's very sexy Chocolate BL40 and its 21:9 aspect ratio screen. There isn't much said here aside from details we already knew and the occasional compliment on its form factor and display, but it is good to see this in the wild and not just in the FCC's secret lab facilities. Now if only we can get a better idea of its US 3G capabilities...
LG BL40 hits FCC with US 3G seemingly disabled, ready for Telus?
Good news and bad news for US netizens waiting to hear more from LG's sexy new BL40. First, it just passed through the FCC thus confirming the model number on this oddball Black Label-series handset with what appears to be a 21:9 aspect ratio. And the fact that it's now FCC tested is also indicative that we're nearing launch with 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, FM transmitter, and 1000mAh Li-Ion battery confirmed within. Unfortunately, testing was limited to GSM 850/1900 and the device is repeatedly referred to as a GSM/EDGE phone -- in other words, no 3G. However, while most of the documents are withheld from public viewing at the request of LG, this particularly revealing exchange with the test lab was not: Test lab: "While the licensed transmitter's Operational Description, for the most part, lists only non- U.S. bands for WCDMA, p.7/12 states that 'this design guideline shows UMTS 2100, UMTS1900 and UMTS850 applications.' Please clarify."LG: "The main chipset supports GSM850/GSM1900/UMTS850/UMTS1900 but BL40 supports GSM850 & GSM1900." Of course, UMTS850/1900 are the standard 3G bands used by AT&T in North America which makes this all the more perplexing. See the relevant screen-grab after the break.Update: It just occurred to us what might be happening. Those 3G bands will be enabled when the LG BL40 launches on Telus' new HSPA network in Canada as its first GSM device. Hey, it's just a hunch but it certainly makes sense.
LG BL40 garners FCC approval, no US 3G in sight
Unlike HTC and Nokia, LG has a reputation for playing by the rules and submitting fully to the whims of US carriers, which means that if a carrier doesn't pick up a device for inclusion in its lineup, you're simply not going to see it with North American 3G -- the best you'll be able to do is an international import with EDGE. So far, we're not seeing anything to suggest that the mighty BL40 will be bucking that trend, unfortunately; it's just earned itself some FCC approval on GSM 850 / 1900 alone. Since Verizon essentially owns the Chocolate brand around here, that's not to say we won't see a CDMA version before too long -- but hopes for an unlocked version whose molasses-like radio doesn't make you want to gouge your own eyes out are fading quickly.
LG's BL40 Black Label phone captured in the wild -- alongside a kid sibling
The more we see of LG's latest Black Label handset -- the mysterious BL40 -- the more we want to touch it, play with it, talk on it, and put it (or, at least try to put it) in our pockets. Shots of the bizarre-yet-beautiful phone have appeared over on a German forum where we're told the interface is S-Class-based, the screen is 800 x 345, and the camera is 5 megapixels strong with Schneider Kreuznach optics -- all specs that fall in line with what we've heard so far -- and there's also apparently WiFi, an FM transmitter, and about 335MB of free onboard storage (easily rectified with a huge microSD card, of course). What has us even more intrigued, though, is a single picture in the bunch that shows the BL40 next to a smaller, stouter device with virtually identical industrial design. We have no idea what it is, but it looks like LG might be poised to roll out a whole series of phones in this new Black Label line -- and which ones are Chocolate-branded is anyone's guess at this point. See what we mean after the break or hit up the read link for all the pics.[Thanks, Anthony]
LG's next-gen Chocolate BL40 teased on video, looks good enough to eat
We can't verify the authenticity of the video, but it seems a little far-fetched to believe that even LG diehards out there would've been able to toil away making a very legit-looking promo piece for the company's recently-teased new Chocolate in such a short period of time -- so we're tentatively going to say we think we're looking at the real thing here. That said, what we've got is nothing short of drool-worthy: the rumored 21:9 800 x 345 display appears real (which is said in the video to be 4 inches diagonal), plus there's a gorgeous Flash-based 3D UI, multitouch, AGPS, WiFi, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, and a glass screen surface that's said to be scratch-proof, all packed into an impossibly thin case. Yes, we know everyone's been trying to sound the dumbphone death knell for years now -- but frankly, you'd have to have a grossly miscalibrated monitor to not have a special place in your heart what you're seeing here. Follow the break for the quite-possibly-authentic video in full.[Thanks, Edward]
