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LG opens 'Software Upgrade Center' to accelerate Android updates
Despite repeated promises of change by Google and its various hardware partners, slow and spotty rollouts are still the rule rather than the exception when it comes to new versions of the Android operating system. LG's latest plan to turn that around is a new facility at its R&D campus in South Korea called the Software Upgrade Center, which it said is dedicated to "providing customers worldwide with faster, timelier, smartphone operating system and software updates." Its first task is to handle a rollout of Android Oreo for the current flagship G6 phone (current until the G7 launches in May) that will start in Korea later this month. LG Electronics CEO Mr. Jo Seong-jin said in a statement that "Stable and consistent upgrades will demonstrate to our customers that LG smartphones have long and reliable lifespans." Beyond initiatives like Project Treble, if LG can consistently keep its devices supported faster and through more iterations of the operating system, that might help raise its profile compared to the competition. But it has to deliver the goods first -- and hopefully before Android P emerges from beta testing.
Amazon discounts LG's G6 if you accept Prime ads
Amazon didn't have much joy selling its own phone, but has achieved plenty by selling other people's under its Prime Exclusive Phones label. The deal is that users get a discount off the price of a mid-range handset in exchange for Amazon slinging you ads on your lock screen. If you turned your nose up at an Alcatel A50 or Moto G5, then perhaps LG's early-2017 flagship, the G6, might be more of a temptation.
The Google Pixel 2 vs. the competition: Small packs a punch
Today Google gave us our first official look at its new Pixel phones, with both handsets sharing major features like 12.2MP cameras and Snapdragon 835 chips. Your main reason to pick up a 5-inch Pixel 2 over its bigger brother is probably that hand-friendly screen size or the "kinda blue" color, though we're curious how it measures up against some of the competing "small" phones on the market. To start we've lined up the specs of similar devices like the Galaxy S8 versus the Pixel 2 in the chart below, while our full review for the pair of Pixels will come later this month.
Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium will play Netflix in HDR
In May, Netflix began opening up its HDR streaming feature to smartphones with HDR-capable screens. At the time, only LG G6 users could make use of it, but now those with a Sony Xperia XZ Premium can too. Netflix supports two different standards of HDR for each of the phones -- Dolby Vision for the G6 and UltraHD Premium for the Xperia XZ Premium -- but, regardless, it means both have access to vivid, high-resolution viewing. For those wondering why the feature hasn't rolled out to the popular Samsung Galaxy S8, which also has an HDR-capable screen, it could be that it supports a third HDR format -- Mobile HDR Premium.
The best smartphones and mobile gear for students
Some of us here at Engadget can remember a time when cellphones on college campuses were strictly "for emergencies" (read: calls home to Mom and Dad). By now, of course, things have changed: Our handsets come with us everywhere, and most of us don't have to worry about pissing off our parents by exceeding our minutes allotment. We imagine many of today's college freshmen already have phones, but for those of you who've earned an upgrade, we crammed five into our back-to-school guide, including some budget options. Not in the market yet for a new phone? You might still want an external battery pack, a fast microSDXC card or, heaven forbid, a "selfie case," which is definitely a thing.
LG's enhanced G6+ has more storage and premium sound
LG's G6 is a nice smartphone that has sold pretty well so far, but with the arrival of Samsung's stellar Galaxy S8, it's trying to keep consumers interested with a few changes and a new model. First off, it has launched the G6+, an identical model to the original but with more onboard memory (128GB) and "premium sound." It gets the latter option via a new 32-bit HiFi quad DAC that has been available in South Korea since launch, but oddly, never came to North America.
Where to buy LG's G6 in the UK
The launch of LG's latest smartphone, the G6, has been somewhat staggered. First there were pre-orders, and then a prerelease specifically for those eager customers. But over the last few days, the G6 has gone on general sale pretty much everywhere. After last year's ambitious but tepidly received, modular G5, LG has gone back to basics -- if you can call ample power, a big and beautiful display and two primary cameras "basics," that is. Intrigued? Well, here are all the carriers and retailers in the UK that'd be more than happy to sell you one.
The Galaxy S8 vs. the competition: Both beauty and beast
Samsung's had a rough year, but it's hoping that its new flagship phones can turn things around. In fact, the company's wants you to see the Galaxy S8 as a new type of handset: bigger and bolder in shape, with personal assistant Bixby and a desktop mode to sweeten the pot. But it's entering a market already full of swank devices like the Google Pixel (with its amazing camera) and the iPhone 7. While you'll have to wait for our full review to see how the S8 fares in the wild, we've lined up its specs against some of the competition to see if it's bringing the right tools to the field.
LG lures G6 shoppers with a free Google Home
LG is giving away a $129 Google Home music-playing assistant to anyone who orders its flagship G6 device (arriving in stores on April 7th) from T-Mobile, AT&T and other carriers prior to the end of April. The handset will be one of the first non-Pixel handset to get Google Assistant, so the promotional push does make a certain amount of sense -- buyers will be able to use the AI helper on either device.
LG G6's dual cameras are good but far from perfect
Dual cameras are now the standard option when it comes to flagship phones, and LG has already put the setup to work in previous models. With the G6, the company opted for two 13-megapixel Sony cameras instead of one larger and one smaller like it did with the modular G5. The combination of the dual lenses, Qualcomm's Snapdragon zoom technology and LG's existing camera features help the G6 make a compelling case, especially in terms of imagery.
LG's G6 is official
The LG G6 is official, but it's not much of a surprise. We already knew that the G5's modular capabilities were out, in favor of a more traditional aluminum and Gorilla Glass shell. We also knew that the phone would have an unusual 18:9 display, and a quad-DAC system similar to the one found in the LG V20 last year. Heck, we even knew what the phone looked like, thanks to a bunch of render leaks. So what's left to announce? Hopefully quite a bit. Now more than ever, LG needs a 'complete' flagship that can compete with Samsung and save its struggling mobile business. Update: Find our hands-on impressions here.
Live from LG's G6 Day at Mobile World Congress!
The time has come. The LG G6 hasn't exactly been a well-kept secret, but we're poised to finally meet the company's new handset in Barcelona. Keep your browser locked here to our liveblog to catch all the news as it happens. And who knows -- we may even be in for a few surprises.
Get your LG MWC 2017 liveblog here
Coming to you live from Barcelona, we're delivering coverage of the LG MWC 2017 press event. Keep it locked here for all the news as it's announced at 12:00PM CET (6:00AM ET). We're expecting to finally meet the much-teased G6 in an official capacity. Who knows, we might hear some news about a few accessories as well. Whatever the case may be, we'll bring you all the news as it's announced here in Spain. We'll have all the announcements here in our liveblog starting at noon local time.
The LG G6 promises superior sound with an upgraded quad-DAC
Details continue to emerge about LG's upcoming G6 smartphone, and today the company revealed that the device will feature a 32-bit quad-DAC system promising improved sound quality.
LG's G6 reportedly packs Google Assistant instead of Alexa
LG's G6 smartphone is a leaky flagship: CNET is reporting some good and bad points about the company's incoming G6 we've already heard. It will be water-resistant. Great! But it won't have a removable battery. Not so great. While phones with batteries that can be removed (and often swapped out by power-hungry power users), are increasingly rare, it's recently given LG a notable selling point.
LG teases the G6's launch for February
Mobile World Congress is nearly upon us, allowing portions of the mobile world to show off the new devices that they've been working on. The smartphone world may be ossifying, but LG's undeterred, and is sending out teasers for the G6 that'll debut the day before the event kicks off. There's not much to be gleaned from the invitation, beyond that the unveiling will happen in Barcelona at lunchtime on February 26th.
LG's G6 will have a unique 18:9 screen aspect ratio
We already know LG is abandoning its modular effort for the upcoming G6, but today the company delivered another interesting nugget: It'll sport a 5.7-inch Quad HD+ panel with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Yes, that's really a 2:1 screen (math!), which means it'll be a bit taller than a typical 16:9 screen. While that might seem unwieldy, it could be a way for the company to implement some features from its dual-screen "V" phones in the G6. And really, at this point LG needs to do whatever it can to stand out from the pack.
