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LG's 2022 OLED TVs are available now
LG is starting to ship its 2022 OLED TVs in the US, although you'll have to wait for some models.
LG's C2 OLED TV line will include its brighter 'evo' panels in 2022
Much like last year, the company is touting improved brightness as one of the main reasons to buy its 2022 sets.
Nuraphones update adds noise-cancellation and 'transparency' mode
When I reviewed the Nuraphones, I was impressed. The unusual in-ear/over-ear design might look weird, but it actually works very well -- and the personalized audio profiles are impressive. Makers, Nura, were a newcomer, but the build quality and attention to detail were better than many companies that have been in the game for several years. Not everything was perfect though. The physical controls were limited, and there wasn't even a way to know they were charging/charged.
LG's next phone will be the first with one of its own CPUs inside
LG has been trying for years to catch up to Samsung and Apple in phone sales, and its next step on that path is to make a device with an LG CPU inside. The G3 Screen phone that it's releasing this week in Korea will have an eight-core "NUCLUN" (pronounced NOO-klun) processor, based off of an ARM big.LITTLE design similar to Samsung's octacore Exynos chips. NUCLUN has four 1.5GHz cores for the tough tasks, and four 1.2GHz cores for easier stuff that help it save on battery life. Otherwise, there's also a 5.9-inch 1080p screen and support for the new, faster LTE-A networks that download at up to 225Mbps. Until now, LG's phones have mostly relied on Qualcomm chips for their processing needs, but Dr. Jong-seok Park believes going its own way will help the company "achieve better vertical integration" and greater flexibility going forward. Of course, we're wondering when a NUCLUN-powered phone will go on sale outside of Korea, but considering the progression of Exynos, that could take a while.
AT&T will sell the G Pad 7.0 for 99 cents -- with a couple catches
We can't say for sure how great a tablet the new LG G Pad 7.0 is -- we haven't had the chance to try it out yet. But if you were already planning on buying the G3 smartphone on AT&T, you might consider picking up the tablet too: Starting on Friday, Ma Bell will throw in the tablet for just 99 cents extra. Now, before you get too excited, there are of course a couple catches. Maybe some dealbreaking ones. To qualify for that insane 99-cent price, you'll have to purchase either the G3, G Flex or last-generation G2, and you'll need to either sign a new two-year service agreement or renew your contract through AT&T's "Next" early upgrade plan. Also, the tablet needs to be on-contract too. Ouch.
LG G2 for Sprint gets a taste of Android 4.4 KitKat
LG G2 owners on Sprint no longer have to look on with envy as their friends on AT&T and T-Mobile get upgrades to Android 4.4 KitKat. The CDMA carrier has just started rolling out the OS update on its network today. There aren't any special treats beyond Google's more advanced software, but the release does fix a bug with Sprint's included Next Radio app. Unfortunately, there's no word on a corresponding KitKat upgrade for Verizon's G2 customers -- if you're on Big Red, you'll have to keep waiting.
European Amazon listing prices LG's G2 mini at 350 euros ahead of launch
So far we know most of the things we need to know about LG's G2 mini. Like, we know there will be two processor variants (Tegra 4i for Latin America and Middle East, Snapdragon 400 elsewhere), there's also a 4.7-inch (qHD) display, 1GB of RAM and an 8-megapixel camera. That's all fine and dandy, but what about the price? Well, if a few eager European retailers (one being Amazon) are anything to go by, expect to shell out 350 of your shiniest euros ($480, but will vary by continent) once it finally flips from "aún no ha salido a la venta" to "En stock" sometime in the next couple of weeks.
LG's Knock Code unlock method bumps into G2 and G Flex next month
LG's staying true to its word and updating the basic KnockON feature found on the G2 and the G Flex with its newer, more sophisticated Knock Code technology. The South Korean company launched the feature on the G Pro 2 in February, with a promise that it'll eventually be available on older models. While the older knock technology only switches a screen on or off when you tap it, Knock Code lets you bypass the lock screen altogether. You merely need to configure a phone's security setting to recognize a combination of up to eight taps made on four sections of the screen beforehand. The security feature's slated to arrive on the handsets sometime in April through a firmware update -- the bad news is, there's no clear word on which countries will get it. Obviously, users in LG's home turf will be some of the first to enjoy the feature, but everyone else will just have to cross their fingers.
LG's G2 mini is a smaller flagship by name, not by nature
LG's not left much to the imagination before this month's Mobile World Congress. After it confirmed the G Pro 2 last week, the Korean phone maker today officially announced a smaller version of its current Android flagship: the G2 mini. If you were expecting LG to take a similar approach to Sony, which crammed impressive specs into its Z1 Compact, the G2 mini has its fair share of drawbacks. In that regard, the device is powered by Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 400, the same chip found in the Moto G, while its smaller 4.7-inch display boasts a rather unflattering 960 x 540 qHD resolution. The handset also features 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel camera, 8GB of onboard storage, and retains the same unique backside as its bigger brother, where the volume rocker and power button are placed just below the rear camera. LG has, however, equipped the mini with Google's latest OS, Android 4.4 KitKat, and will port its custom knock-to-unlock and Guest Mode features over from the flagship G2. The mini is set to go on sale in Russia from March and roll out across Europe, the Middle East and Latin America shortly after. Given the specs, we're looking at a low-priced handset but we don't know yet how low LG will go. Hopefully it'll share more details at MWC next week. Update: Now that an official press release has dropped, it's clear that the version of the LG G2 mini destined for Latin America and the Middle East will come with an NVIDIA Tegra 4i chip rather than a Snapdragon 400. We're pretty sure this is the first appearance of that processor in a retail handset, but don't get too excited: the Tegra 4i isn't actually current-gen Tegra 4, but rather a bunch of less powerful Cortex-A9 cores with integrated LTE.
LG is also shrinking its flagship phone: G2 Mini to launch later this month
Blazing a trail set by the likes of Samsung, HTC and Sony, LG is set to become the latest phone maker to release a smaller version of its flagship smartphone. In an image shared on its Facebook page, LG has given us a first look the new G2 Mini, which is set to make its big debut on February 24th at this year's Mobile World Congress. While LG isn't disclosing any specs right now, the teaser image does show that the Mini will retain the same unique backside as the G2, placing the volume rocker and power button just below the rear camera. Beyond that though, it's hard to tell what other features the G2 Mini will retain. But with Mobile World Congress less than two weeks away, we'll get the full lowdown soon enough -- that is unless LG decides it wants to share more details before then.
LG event in Korea could reveal the G Pro 2 earlier than expected
LG was expected to announce the G Pro 2 at MWC in Barcelona but ZDNET Korea is reckoning that locals might get an early peek. A "knock-knock-knockin' on" invite has it thinking that the LG's new smartphone might be ready over a week ahead of arguably the world's biggest mobile tech show. (Although, that particular Dylan song might not offer the appropriate upbeat message LG is hoping for.) The company has already promised substantial camera upgrades for the new flagship, and going by LG's record on its Pro models -- and those leaked photos -- you can expect it to keep the styling of the original G2 (buttons on the back, dominating screen up front), albeit with a larger display on board. We're hearing that it's a smallish event for Korean media -- expect the full global fanfare when it appears in Spain.
LG promises upgraded image-stabilizing 'plus' camera and 4K video recording on G Pro 2 flagship
Taking to its own social site, LG's stated that the incoming G Pro 2 (another smartphone set to debut at Barcelona later this month), will offer imaging skills that will put its current champ, the G2, to shame. While its predecessor was a capable smartphone camera in its own right, LG is apparently adding a software upgrade to the optical image stabilization camera found on its preceding Android phones. It's calling the feature "Electro Image System" and it will apparently keep those 13-megapixel shots even sharper, augmenting existing hardware stabilization. Video function-wise, slow-motion recording at 25 percent speed and even Ultra HD video capture (at 3,840 x 2,160) will also be packed into the smartphone rumored to be incrementally larger than last year's G2. Expect a new UX for the camera app, too, when the device is officially presented to the tech-reporting masses in a few weeks.
You can order a gold LG G2 in Taiwan, but just... don't.
It's de rigeur now for flagship phones to get a gold version, a debatable trend that's at least working out for snarky tech editors. After all, there's something awkward about gilting a geeky handset like LG's G2, especially in a shade reminiscent of gaudy late '80s home decor. It's now available in Taiwan (and possibly elsewhere later) for $530 -- if you're in the target market, those back buttons are less likely to tangle with manicured nails.
LG Canada says G2 will get Android 4.4 KitKat by March
LG G2 owners may have to wait a while to get the Android 4.4 KitKat software that their Nexus 5-toting counterparts already enjoy. A spokesperson for the company's Canadian branch informs MobileSyrup that the G2 should get its KitKat upgrade late in the first quarter of 2014 -- in other words, March. While that will disappoint early adopters, LG does note that every local carrier will receive the update at about the same time. Whether or not Americans will see the new OS any sooner is another matter. We've asked the company about its US upgrade schedule, and we'll let you know if it can provide some details.
IRL: Another look at the LG G2
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. It's been just about 10 months since an LG device has showed up in "IRL." That was back in January, when our Canadian editor Jon Fingas took the Optimus G for a spin on Rogers. Now he's back to test the G2, though he's still waxing a bit sentimental about the ol' G. So how does it stack up? Let's see.
New LG developer program lends you a G2 for free
Perhaps LG thinks life could be better than good for the company if more developers create apps for its smartphones and tablets. That's why the Korean corporation has launched a program that loans devices to devs free of charge. The catch (there's always a catch), is that LG wants devs to design proprietary apps for its phones -- but it doesn't forbid folks from seeing if their non-exclusive apps play nice with the handsets, too. If you're interested and technically adept, you can register at the official LG Device Loaner Program website and choose from one of the gadgets available, including the G2. You only have 30 days with whichever you choose, and return shipping's on your dime, but it's still a pretty good deal if you've been looking to test your code on LG's hardware.
Refresh Roundup: week of September 16th, 2013
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!
Refresh Roundup: week of September 9th, 2013
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!
Weekly Roundup: Apple iPhone 5s and 5c hands-on, LG G2 review, Moto X's Texas factory, and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
LG G2 ships to six Canadian carriers on September 27th
Canadians won't have to wait long for their version of the LG G2. The 5.2-inch smartphone is now due to reach Bell, Rogers, Sasktel, Telus, Videotron and Wind Mobile on September 27th, two days after it launches on T-Mobile in the States. The carriers haven't yet divulged pricing, although we're not expecting Bell, Rogers or Telus to charge much more than $200 on contract, like some of their American counterparts.
