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Did the unannounced LG Optimus L9 II just sneak past the FCC?
We've heard not a peep about a potential successor to LG's Optimus L9 since a couple of pics popped up on @evleaks at the beginning of June. The Optimus L9 II -- or just L9 II if recent naming conventions apply -- remains unannounced, but we've reason to believe it's just broken cover at the FCC. A device going by the codename LG-D605 passed certification today, and although we can't be sure it's the L9 II, that model number has previously been linked to the handset, if only in a mysterious GFXBench result. No LTE bands were tested, and a mention of FeliCa NFC technology means this particular variant is almost certainly intended for the Japanese market. Beyond confirmation of a removable battery, there's nothing else to glean from the filing, but it could indicate that the G2 won't be LG's newest new phone much longer.
MetroPCS to start using T-Mobile's network and GSM handsets June 12th
And so it begins. With T-Mobile recently closing the deal to acquire MetroPCS, it was only a matter of time before we'd see more commingling. PhoneArena's uncovered yesterday that MetroPCS is about start using T-Mobile's network and GSM handsets. Two phones which are currently available on T-Mobile -- the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Exhibit (a Galaxy S III mini clone) and the LG Optimus L9 -- are making their way to MetroPCS, complete with GSM / EDGE and AWS-capable UMTS / HSPA+ radios (no LTE). Pricing for these devices is still unknown, but the company's expected to begin selling plans on T-Mobile's network as soon a June 12th. In addition, a service called BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone) will allow customers to bring their own GSM handsets to MetroPCS (excluding BlackBerry models). It's unclear if eligible devices have to be unlocked and / or T-Mobile branded but we'll find out soon enough. So there you have it -- the start of a perfect honeymoon.
Refresh Roundup: week of May 6th, 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 April 22nd, 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 March 11th, 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!
T-Mobile confirms $70 contract-free plan with unlimited data, offers $200 Optimus L9 as a lure
It was increasingly probable T-Mobile would expand its truly unlimited data to no-contract plans, and it's using CES to get a little more attention now that it's official. Starting January 9th, Monthly4G fans can pay $70 a month to get throttling-free internet access as well as unfettered calling and voice. They just need to have bought a supporting device outright to qualify. T-Mobile knows that might not be enough for those used to subsidized device prices: to sweeten the pot, it's cutting the off-contract price of an LG Optimus L9 to $200 for the foreseeable future. Although we'd naturally opt for slightly more powerful hardware, we could easily see more than a few converts when both the plan and the phone cost that much less than usual.
LG sells 10 million Optimus L-Series phones, stays semi-humble with success
Although the Optimus G and its Nexus 4 cousin are clearly the darlings of LG's mobile lineup, that isn't precluding the Korean company from crowing about a milestone for its more pedestrian Optimus L-Series smartphones. The company has officially passed 10 million sales of L-Series phones spread across the entire line, ranging from the tiny L3 through to the extra-large L9. LG only makes a partial attempt at keeping itself grounded, though. While it's quick to acknowledge that 10 million is a "modest" amount in the light of grander achievements, it directly credits the figure to rejecting rivals' tendencies to put "all their eggs into a one-size-fits-all phone" -- a not-so-subtle potshot at a certain competitor's approach to budget models. Whether or not that's valid criticism, we'd say a little braggadocio could be justified when most low-cost smartphones rarely get this kind of recognition.
LG Optimus L9 review: an affordable mid-level Android handset for T-Mobile
Just when we thought LG was done with its Optimus L-series for the year, the Korean company surprised us with the LG Optimus L9, which replaces the Optimus L7 at the low-end range. The L-series devices are positioned as LG's stylish yet affordable line of entry- to mid-level phones, so they definitely don't compare to the company's quad-core offerings like the 4X HD or the Optimus G. Instead, the L9 runs Android 4.0 and boasts a 4.5-inch qHD display along with a dual-core 1 GHz TI OMAP 4430 processor and 5-megapixel camera. At $79.99 with a two-year contract on T-Mobile, it's designed to appeal to shoppers on a budget. But is it a good buy? Let's find out.
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 22nd, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, T-Mobile announced the price and release date for the Optimus L9, carriers were announced in Canada for the ATIV S Windows Phone and ZTE released a low-priced Android smartphone for Virgin Mobile in the UK. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 22nd, 2012.
T-Mobile's holiday roadmap leaked: LG Optimus L9, HTC Windows Phone 8X spotted
According to a leaked roadmap on TMoNews, the magenta carrier appears to have a few tantalizing offerings coming its way this holiday season. A curious BlackBerry handheld dubbed the Armstrong, a color refresh of the Samsung Galaxy S II, a possibly Android-flavored Huawei Summit and the LG Optimus L9 are all slated to launch just on or before Halloween. Going into the next month, we see the HTC Windows Phone 8X making the pre-Thanksgiving cut with a potential debut of November 14th. Notably absent are the Samsung Galaxy Note II and the Nokia Lumia 810, but that doesn't mean they won't be there when December rolls around. Of course, this info didn't come through official channels, so we wouldn't bank on any of the handsets as holiday gifts just yet. Still, its nice to know they're coming, and you can get the full details on these and other devices at the source.
LG Optimus L9 for T-Mobile hands-on (update: video)
Just a day after it announced the LG Optimus L9, T-Mobile showed the smartphone off at MobileCon 2012. It's definitely a worthy member of the L-series of stylish (yet mid-range) handsets, sporting the same signature look and feel that the Korean manufacturer has taken to heart over the past few months. The device features a 4.5-inch qHD display, 2,150mAh battery, 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor with 1GB RAM, Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), 5MP rear camera with 1080p video recording capability, Gorilla Glass 2, 4GB internal storage and external storage capacity and support for the usual T-Mobile HSPA+ radios. Power users may not have a lot of love or appreciation for this device, given its rather mediocre processor compared to the rest of the giants on the market today. In our brief time using the L9, we witnessed a few bouts of lag, though we won't take too much of that seriously for now since this isn't the final retail product. But it feels comfortable in the hand, well-built and boasting the same leathery-textured battery cover as most of LG's recent phones. Check out our collection of images below then hit the break for our hands-on video! Myriam Joire contributed to this post.
T-Mobile makes LG Optimus L9 official, carries big-yet-budget Android this fall
We knew it was coming -- we just didn't expect official news quite so soon. T-Mobile has confirmed that its edition of the LG Optimus L9 will be available this fall. The magenta network's supersized yet entry level Android 4.0 phone won't be significantly different than its international cousin in hardware outside of the necessary 3G frequency switch, but the American GSM variant will support WiFi Calling, allow five-device hotspots and ship with a preloaded copy of Slacker Radio. Any pricing and an in-store date will have to wait; even with that 4.5-inch screen and 2,150mAh battery, though, it's easy to picture the L9 costing less than many of T-Mobile's smaller smart devices.
LG Optimus L9 for T-Mobile emerges from the magenta mist
Looks like the Optimus G isn't the only smartphone from LG that'll soon hit US carriers, as its similarly sized (yet slower) sibling has just been outed for T-Mobile. True to form, the price and release date of the Optimus L9 are wholly absent from the equation, but outside of any substantial tweaks, shoppers may rightfully expect an Android 4.0.4 smartphone with a 4.7-inch qHD display that's powered by a dual-core 1GHz CPU. In its global iteration, the device also sports a 5-megapixel camera, 4GB of built-in storage and a 2,150mAh battery, which provides a rough guideline of what's on the horizon at T-Mobile. Naturally, there are more powerful smartphones to be found, but if the price is right, the Optimus L9 may hit a sweet spot for many.
LG Optimus L9 saunters through FCC, asks for a Martini
LG's latest L-series smartphone, the Optimus L9, has just breezed (elegantly) through the FCC's radio frequency trial-by-screwdriver. The dinner-jacket-white clad Android smartphone is part of the "L-Style design philosophy" from the Korean maker, which emphasizes budget panache over brute performance. As such, it's a handsome but plasticky device, with a 4.7-inch IPS screen, ICS, qtranslator language app, dual-core 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 2,150mAh battery and 5-megapixel shooter. Vodafone in Europe showed the price as €340 unsubsidized or €50 on contract, but a member of the L-series family has yet to cross the pond. However, a surprise peek of its Optimus L7 sibling as US Cellular's upcoming Splendor shows there's some hope for a stateside cameo.
LG Optimus L9 hands-on (video)
Thought LG didn't have any more to add to the L-Style series to offer the world? Behold the L9. Announced yesterday, the device made an appearance on the IFA show room floor this week, boasting a big and bright 4.7-inch IPS display that makes its brethren look downright shrimpy by comparison. In spite of the display size, the phone feels light, with an 8.9-millimeter profile. It's important to note here that, in spite of being the king of the L-Series, it's still part of a budget lineup, and as such, the phone's body feels a bit plasticky, and the textured rear had a bit of trouble staying snapped in place in the two models (black and white) that we played with. Specwise, we're talking a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM inside, 4GB of storage (expandable via a microSD slot) and a 2,150mAh battery. The handset's rocking Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.4, to be precise). The handset's got a fairly nice bezel, with the front-facing camera on the top and a home button on the bottom, flanked by illuminating back and menu touch buttons. A larger, 5MP camera is located on the rear of the device, above the flash. Vodafone has the handset priced at €50.90 subsidized and €340 unsubsidized. Peep a video of the handset, after the break.%Gallery-163849%
LG Optimus L9 announced with 4.7-inch display, language translation app and custom keyboard
There will soon be a new Optimus L-Series smartphone on the prowl, as LG has just announced the Optimus L9 as a followup to its Optimus L3, L5 and L7 handsets. This series is viewed by LG as a budget lineup that places an emphasis on style, and the L9 will undoubtedly be the leader of the pack, as it boasts both a dual-core 1GHz CPU and a large, 4.7-inch IPS display. The phone will be outfitted with Android 4.0, 1GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a beefy 2,150mAh battery. New software is also set to ship with the Optimus L9, which includes both a redesigned keyboard and a language translation app. The new keyboard is dubbed the My Style Keypad, which allows users to adjust the key placement for easier one-handed typing -- like we've seen in Android 4.0 for the Galaxy Note -- along with a separated layout for landscape view (that you can peek in the gallery below). Meanwhile, the language translation service is dubbed QTranslator, which leverages OCR to translate sentences and phrases from 44 different languages into 64 native languages. There's no word yet on pricing or availability, though we'll be sure to let you know the moment those final tidbits become known. %Gallery-163582%
