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The 10 phones that fueled the big-screen revolution
It's safe to say that Steve Jobs was off the mark when he declared that no one would buy big smartphones -- they've become popular enough that Apple itself is now making large iPhones. But how did these supersized devices escape their niche status to become the must-haves they are today? The transformation didn't happen overnight. It took a succession of ever-bigger phones to spark the public imagination and prove that huge screens were here to stay. We've rounded up 10 of the most important examples -- head on over to our gallery to see how enormous became the new normal.
LG steps into Nokia's MeeGo void (updated)
Sure, Nokia will ship a single MeeGo handset this year. But after that, MeeGo, Nokia's previous strategic smartphone platform, will be pushed into the incubation lab as the team shifts focus to future user experiences. According to Reuters, LG Electronics has stepped in to fill the void by joining a working group with ZTE and China Mobile intent on developing a handset version of the software. This, according to a member of the MeeGo technical steering group, Valtteri Halla, speaking at a developer conference today. Of course, LG was talking about MeeGo phones back in January of 2010 when it was showing off its short-lived Intel Moorestown-based GW990 (pictured above). Happy now, MeeGo fans? You should be, we certainly are. Update: LG has issued a statement meant to dampen any early enthusiasm we may have felt about an LG handset running MeeGo. According to the Reuters update, an LG spokesman says, "At this point in time LG has no definitive plans to mass produce devices with MeeGo other than car infotainment systems."
Confirmed: LG's Moorestown-based GW990 won't be made
Considering the almost complete absence of love in the commercial marketplace for Moorestown and Moblin -- and the fact that there's no sign of MeeGo building serious momentum just yet -- we're sure that Intel would've just loved for the drop-dead-sexy GW990 to serve as the platform's crown jewel for 2010. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen, because we've just been able to confirm that the 4.8-inch beast (and potential Dell Mini 5 foil) has been wiped off the product roadmap. Though we don't know exactly what happened, the fact that Moblin is effectively dead and MeeGo isn't ready for prime time might be part of LG's justification for killing it off; if you might recall, the GW990 was introduced before MeeGo was official, and the original plan was to have it on the market in the second half of this year. Then again, this might be just as well -- we weren't impressed by the fact that LG was positioning the phone as a closed device back at CES, and there are still plenty of open questions as to how Intel and Nokia plan to offer apps on MeeGo -- so let's just hope this form factor reemerges from LG's labs soon enough, yeah?
LG GW990 shows up on video, competes with HTC HD2 for camera's attention
When people say the smartphone market is growing, they don't usually mean literally, but looking at the massive popularity of HTC's HD2 whopper, and the anticipation surrounding Dell's Mini 5 and LG's GW990, it's pretty safe to say there is a market for oversized and overpowered (is there such a thing?) handsets. The Moorestown-powered GW990 has made another video appearance, this time showing off its multi-screen functionality and not altogether smooth pinch-to-zoom skills. We're reminded this Mobile Internet Device (a title that's inscribed on its case) will run Moblin (now known as MeeGo), before a HD2 is whipped out for a showdown between super-sized smartphones. It's really quite a sight. After all that excitement is done, the video continues on to take a look at the forthcoming GT540 Android handset and Mini GD880, giving you all the more reason to click past the break for a viewing. [Thanks, Iacopo]
LG GW990 to be among first MeeGo phones
Intel and Nokia certainly surprised a few of us yesterday when they decided to merge Moblin and Maemo into the new, more terribly-named MeeGo OS, but it looks like LG is ready to roll with it -- the Moorestown-powered LG GW990 we saw at CES will be one of the first MeeGo phones when it launches later this year. Of course, that doesn't mean much of anything beyond branding, since the GW990 uses a custom UI on top of the x86-based Moblin core and we doubt there's any of Maemo's ARM-based code involved there, but it's a definite sign of things to come. So, Nokia -- are we going to see a Moorestown N900, or what?
Engadget Mobile Podcast 031: Saturday @ CES 2010 - 01.09.2010
Welcome to the future of the Engadget Mobile Podcast. And by the future, we mean the present. The now. The 2010 where we have a Blackberry on our wrist, a Rumor in our hand, and The Need For Speed on our Pre. Strap in and log on. Hosts: Chris Ziegler, Sean CooperProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Solvent - Devices and Strategies (Ghostly International)03:36 - Live from Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo's CES 2010 keynote06:40 - LG Rumor Touch hands-on07:45 - LG Lotus Elite hands-on: it's red, square, and marginally attractive15:53 - inPulse smartwatch for BlackBerry wrist-on21:32 - LG's GT540 mixes Android 2.0, pretty, and low-end22:53 - Google support forums rife with Nexus One 3G complaints, is this a real problem?25:20 - LG GW990 hands-on video41:25 - Palm gets serious about 3D gaming on webOSSubscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)Contact the podcastpodcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com.
LG GW990 hands-on video
You'll know this device as the 4.8-inch revolutionary intent on making us fall madly in love with MIDs all over again (or should that be for the first time?). Good thing then that we now know it as the device that bears a thousand Engadget fingerprints. The Moorestown-powered GW990 from LG has finally become official and we have to say it is exactly the huge slab you might imagine it to be. In terms of specs, it comes with 16GB of built-in flash memory and 512MB of RAM, with 720p video output possible should the 1020 x 480 screen resolution not be enough for you. Chunky, sturdy and curved in all the right places, it's an appealing device even if it suffers from a bit of an identity crisis. Powered by Moblin and primarily marketed as a 3G device, we were told by LG that -- behind the 1,850mAh battery and alongside the MicroSD expansion slot -- your SIM can make a home, and some such AT&T appendages have already been spotted inside this... smartphone? The UI at present is just a standard S-class layered on top of Moblin, giving us no cause for excitement, but we were reassured that LG will be offering many other OS options when the device shows up in the second half of this year. Anyhow, enough blabbering from us, check out the gallery below and don't forget the vid after the break. %Gallery-82086%
LG GW990: first Moorestown smartphone gets official, runs Moblin
Loyal readers will already know all about the LG GW990. A Moorestown device we first showed the world from the floor of CES yesterday. It's now official, it runs Moblin, and it's launching in the second half of this year. In case you missed it the first time around, the GW990 brings Intel's power sipping Moorestown CPU (compared to its current generation of CPUs), a 4.8-inch panoramic widescreen display, HD Video, 3D gaming, aGPS, WiFi, 1850mAh battery, digital compass, HSPA radio, and 5 megapixel camera. As you can see above, that display splits into 3 vertical panels when held in landscape mode giving you independent control over each. Much to look forward to here. Hands-on as soon as we can get it. Until then, another pic after the break.
LG GW990 phone busted running Moorestown with heaps of want
Giving MIDs a hard time is like gadget sport around here. The idea of a device that doesn't fit in the pocket but costs more than twice the price of a netbook is just too much to stomach as a general use device. But look at that MID up there... just look at it. That's the LG GW990 running Intel's future Moorestown CPU. Granted, the pics were grabbed in a rush (of a device behind glass) while dodging security batons (the CES showfloor hasn't opened). But where the images fall short the specs amply pick up the slack: Moorestown CPU, 4.8-inch panoramic widescreen display, HD Video, 3D gaming, aGPS, WiFi, 1850mAh battery, digital compass, HSPA radio, and 5 megapixel camera. And if we're not mistaken, that's an earpiece at the top of the front face that should allow this to be used as a telephone (VoIP presumably). There's also an interesting 3-panel view when held in landscape mode giving you independent access to 3 segmented displays (like calendar, media player, and GPS maps) all at the same time. Man, this could be the MID we've been waiting for ever since we first saw that sexy Silverthorne prototype. But lets wait for the price and availability before getting too excited, eh?
