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Mobile Miscellany: week of February 4th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought the arrival of Cricket's first waterproof smartphone and Three introduced an updated Galaxy S III known as the Ultrafast. Not to stop there, we'll take a trip to India to highlight the latest value-oriented smartphone. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of February 4th, 2013.
Bigger LG Optimus G Pro spotted with 5.5-inch 1080p display, headed for Korea?
Remember the LG Optimus G? Then the Optimus G Pro, headed exclusively Japan? Well how about another iteration? Apparently bound for the Korean homelands, this one's still called the Optimus G Pro, but expands to a 5.5-inch 1080p display, as well as getting a battery bump-up to 3,140mAh. According to the leaked spec sheet sent to Phone Arena, this will join a 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor, alongside a healthy 2GB of RAM and a whopping 32GB of storage -- plus microSD expansion. Is LG readying something similar for its global fans? We'll give them a few more weeks to fill us in.
IRL: Securifi Almond, Samsung Galaxy Note II and the LG Optimus G
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. This is the one place where it's okay for us Engadget editors to be slightly behind the times. Back at CES a couple weeks ago, for instance, we got hands-on with the Securifi Almond+, a touchscreen router with a fancy all-white design and even fancier support for Zigbee / W-Wave home automation. Here in "IRL," though, we're just fine to talk about the OG Almond, which doesn't offer quite so many add-ons. Rounding things out, we've also got some anecdotes about the Galaxy Note II and Optimus G, neither of which need an introduction at this point.
LG Optimus G sales hit 1 million worldwide
LG proved with the Optimus G that it can produce a smartphone that stacks up with the best of 'em, and according to the company's newly released sales figures, consumers are starting to take notice. As it stands, more than 1 million Optimus G's have been sold since the handset's September debut. While the figure pales in comparison to heavyweights like the Galaxy S III and iPhone 5, that's not too shabby for a phone that's only been available in North America since November. Given the similarities between the Optimus G and the Nexus 4, we're quite curious to know how sales of the two smartphones compare, but Google's currently keeping those numbers close to its chest. That said, there's little doubt that LG currently has its hands full at the production line.
Rough hack converts an Optimus G to a Nexus 4, minus the constant sellouts
It's almost a truism to say that the Nexus 4 is near impossible to buy, at least for those who don't want to pay a carrier premium. G33k3r, Rohan32 and others at XDA-Developers may just save us from camping at the Google Play storefront through a new software hack. Their work converts an LG Optimus G's firmware to that of an 8GB Nexus 4 by swapping every LG-customized software element with a Nexus 4 parallel. The nearly identical hardware makes for a very close rendition, at least if you discount the unavoidable design differences. If anything, the work is almost too faithful: the current hack turns off LTE, caps the internal storage at 8GB and even requires using Nexus 4 firmware for future upgrades. It's possible to revert to LG's code if there's jitters, but it goes without saying that the overall procedure carries more than the usual share of risk when even familiar ROM flashers are warned to be careful. Anyone who throws caution (and the price of an Optimus G) to the wind can find their stock Android experience at the source. [Thanks, Greg]
Refresh Roundup: week of January 7th, 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 December 17th, 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!
Refresh Roundup: week of November 26th, 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!
Refresh Roundup: week of November 19th, 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!
LG Mach reaches Sprint on November 11th at $100, Optimus G pre-orders begin today
That was quick -- not long after launch details of the LG Mach were caught lurking in Sprint's catalog, the carrier has confirmed them. Fans of the Korean firm's aesthetic who also like their QWERTY keyboards can buy the mid-range smartphone for $100 on November 11th, the same day its bigger Optimus G cousin reaches stores. Just be sure to avoid the Sprint website during the wait for the newly dated device; Optimus G pre-orders have started at the source link, and a click on LG's flagship could be mighty tempting.
Google Nexus 4 hands-on (video)
So here it is at last, the Nexus 4. After countless leaks we finally got a chance to put our dirty little paws on Google and LG's lovechild. The verdict? It's simply phenomenal. By combining the nicest elements of the Optimus G with the latest iteration of Jelly Bean (Android 4.2) the two companies have created something that's better than the sum of its parts. Like its cousin, the Nexus 4 is built around Qualcomm's speedy 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC with Adreno 320 graphics and 2GB of RAM. Storage comes in 8GB and 16GB flavors with no microSD expansion. It features the same lovely 4.7-inch 1280x768-pixel non-PenTile IPS display but sheds LTE support for an unlocked pentaband DC-HSPA+ (42Mbps) radio and wireless charging. On the camera front the Nexus 4 inherits the Optimus G's optional eight-megapixel BSI sensor and f/2.4 autofocus lens, instead of the fancier 13 MP shooter. WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, NFC and Miracast round up the spec sheet, and a sealed 2100mAh Li-polymer battery completes the package. Aesthetically, the Nexus 4 blends aspects of the Optimus G and Galaxy Nexus designs, with a glass-covered back and rounded-off top and bottom edges. This phone looks and feels great -- materials and build quality are much improved over last year's handset. At 9.1mm (0.36 inches) thin and 131g (0.31 pounds), it's also very comfortable in hand. Most of the controls are unchanged from its cousin -- you'll find a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and secondary mic on top, a volume rocker and micro-SIM tray on the left, a micro-USB port and primary mic on the bottom, and a power / lock button on the right side. The Optimus G's capacitive keys give way to on-screen buttons and the RGB notification light moves below the screen (from its former position near the 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera). Overall we're really impressed with the Nexus 4, and that's just from playing with the hardware. Sadly, we spent very little time exploring the software, which includes a plethora of improvements, so keep an eye out for the details in our full review. You'll be able to purchase the Nexus 4 unlocked in the Play Store starting November 13th for $299 (8GB), $349 (16GB) or $199 with a two-year contract on T-Moble (16GB). Until then, check out the gallery below, then hit the break for our hands-on video. Brad Molen contributed to this report.
Refresh Roundup: week of October 22nd, 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!
Telus plans LG Optimus G launch on November 13th, other carriers remain shy
LG committed to launching its mostly superb Optimus G to the three major carriers in Canada sometime in November. Just which day the phone would arrive was left a mystery, though, even when Rogers started taking pre-orders. It's taking another provider to sort things out: Telus has gone on the record with plans to carry the quad-core smartphone starting November 13th, right at the height of what could be a busy month. That's all that the future-is-friendly network can say for now, although Rogers may have provided the remaining piece of the puzzle when it gave out $130 contract and $600 outright prices. We have a hunch Telus wouldn't want to be the exception to the rule.
LG records a 'solid' $138.57 million net profit for Q3, keeps the positive trend going
LG Electronics has reported its earnings for Q3 2012, notching its third straight quarter of positive income with a net profit of 157 billion won ($138.57 million) and "solid" performances from its home theater and mobile businesses. Revenue is down from the same period last year, but seeing as it's actually making money this time around it's probably still reason to celebrate. On the mobile side of the aisle it reports an operating profit of $19.42 million with slightly higher sales than Q2, mostly thanks to those LTE smartphones it's been rolling out. Its home entertainment biz noted a rise in LCD sales, with 3D TVs and LED-lit models growing from last quarter in most markets. Looking towards the future it's obviously going all-in on the Optimus G (although our interests run towards the Nexus G that should debut next week), and also looks for its Ultra HD television to raise its standing as a premium brand. Check the press release after the break and PDF linked below for more numbers if that's your thing.
LG Optimus G comes with locked bootloader, might not be cause for panic
We're fans of the LG Optimus G, although the custom ROM lovers among us might want to tamp down their expectations after this. We've confirmed comments to Android Central that the late 2012 flagship has a locked bootloader much like the Optimus 4X HD and Optimus Vu that went before it -- any serious experimentation with a typical carrier variant could at least require jumping through some hoops, if it's possible at all. It might not matter much for the sort who cares about bootloaders, though. If statements by other LG staffers are more than just wishful thinking, there could be a Nexus variant of the Optimus G next week that's as good as a blank slate for modders.
LG exec claims Nexus due at October 29th event, ships to India one month later
It's either a premature confirmation or one of the larger executive gaffes we've seen in recent memory, but it's hard to ignore. LG's Mobile Product Planning lead for India, Amit Gujral, just claimed in an interview with IBNLive that the "LG Nexus" will launch at Google's October 29th event and ship to India "by the end of November." He even stuck his neck out to offer specifications -- the Nexus will reportedly have a very Optimus G-like 4.7-inch screen and quad-core 1.5GHz chip while throwing the unreleased Android 4.2 into the equation. Nothing's official so far despite the statements, and we're not expecting to Google to spoil its own party; if Gujral really does have the inside track, though, we may have been given a peek at the main attraction in Google's playground.
LG tells the story behind QSlide multitasking, won't be mad if you tweet at the same time (video)
LG's been stepping up its mobile game recently, with the Optimus G being the firm's clearest display of podium-position ambitions yet. And just like its regional neighbors, it's getting in on the "explaining-ideas-behind-concepts" video action. In this clip we see senior research engineer, Sebastian Hochan Song, explain the inspiration and process behind the new phone's QSlide multitasking function. Again, like its fellow Korean nationals, nature and the real world play a heavy part in the idea process. Head past the break if you want to see LG's thoughts about pushing Android multitasking forward, and keep an eagle eye out for one of our very own editors' quick cameo appearance.
Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: fall 2012 edition
Shopping for a smartphone can be an exciting and arduous experience. Along with the promise of something new and fantastic, it brings the fear of commitment, and even worse, the prospect of saddling yourself to a lousy device for two years. Fortunately for you, Engadget spends tons of time playing with the latest gear and we're constantly on the lookout for what's coming next. If you're wanting to take the pain out of shopping for a smartphone, you've come to the right place. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: your one-stop resource to finding the best and most exciting handsets on the market today. Before you dive in, however, we've introduced a few changes to the buyer's guide, so take a minute to prepare yourself for what's in store. First and foremost, you'll now find alternate selections to supplement our top picks. This should already be familiar to many of you, which is the same format we use for our seasonal gift guides. The next one is a biggie: we've dropped the QWERTY selection. By and large, manufacturers and carriers alike have shifted their focus away from keyboard-equipped smartphones, and you'll rarely find more than one option on any given carrier. That said, if you still insist on the tactile experience, you'll always find everything you need to know in our reviews. Finally, whenever possible, you'll now find prices from Amazon Wireless, which allows us to provide you with more compelling budget selections and highlight the substantial savings that you can score by circumventing the carriers. It's not like they need your charity, anyway. If you're curious to see how it all unfolded -- and we know you are -- join us after the break, where we round up the very best smartphones of the season.
LG Optimus G review: a quad-core powerhouse with Nexus aspirations
More Info LG Optimus G: hands-on with Korea's latest powerhouse LG Optimus G for AT&T hands-on LG Optimus G for Sprint hands-on You've heard it before: the more things change the more they stay the same. It wasn't that long ago that we reviewed LG's flagship Optimus 4X HD, the world's first quad-core HSPA+ handset. Despite representing the company's best engineering and design effort to date, it wasn't quite able to match the competition's global offerings -- Samsung's mighty Galaxy S III and HTC's lovely One X. Today, just a few months later, quad-core LTE superphones are the state of the art. Samsung's selling the global Galaxy Note II, HTC's just announced the One X+ and LG's betting everything on the Optimus G -- the first handset to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro together with an LTE radio. The Optimus G is a pivotal device for the Korean manufacturer, especially in the US, where rival Samsung is massively popular and LG's success has been hampered by a series of forgettable products (hello, Intuition) and a lackluster track record for software updates. It's so critical that LG even invited us to spend some quality time with the Optimus G at the launch event in Seoul last month. In the US, LG's partnering with Sprint and AT&T and there's strong evidence that Google's upcoming Nexus will be based on the Optimus G. So, does the company's latest powerhouse measure up to the competition? How different are the US versions from the Korean model? Does LG finally have a winning formula with the Optimus G? Find out in our review after the break.
LG Optimus G comes to Japan's KDDI in blue, white November 2nd
Today in Japan KDDI announced a full lineup of new devices and other than the first smartphone with a 1080p 5-inch display and a tablet with all-new IGZO display tech, it's also home to its own variant of LG's quad-core CPU powered Optimus G. The second Japanese carrier to offer the phone after NTT DoCoMo, it launches on KDDI's LTE network November 2nd, and will be available in either Astro Blue or White Prism colors. Labeled the LGL21, it features similar specs to other worldwide variants, hit the source link for more details or doublecheck US Optimus G launch info on AT&T and Sprint.
