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Prada Phone by LG 3.0 arriving on T-Mobile UK next month
Brits dripping in Prada won't have to wait much longer to get their smartphone fix. The awkwardly-named Prada Phone by LG 3.0 is looking to set sail from its native Korea -- where it's already launched -- and will be available on T-Mobile, half of the Everything Everywhere duo, some time in February. Sidling up to the UK carrier's coming soon page, the salient selling points appear to be that Prada styling and LG's 4.3-inch NOVA plus display. That subtle monochromatic skinning of the Gingerbread OS won't hurt its chances either. No word on a precise launch date or price, but we expect to see a review model pretty soon -- once we're dressed well enough to be seen with it.
Samsung Replenish stocks up Boost Mobile's collection
We saw the environmentally conscious Samsung Replenish on Sprint just over six months ago, but Boost's liking those green credentials so much, it's decided to get the Samsung Gingerbread handset on board. 82 percent recyclable materials, there's still both a 2.8-inch touchscreen and keyboard in tow. A two megapixel camera and the usual medley of GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi round out the wallet (and Mother Earth) friendly handset. The Replenish is priced at $100 and will hit Boost Mobile's stores on January 16th. Eco warriors; the press release offers itself below.
LG Prada 3.0 sashays over to South Korea because Android phones are so hot right now
Do you take your Android phones with an extra dose of designer? Then LG's Prada 3.0 is probably already on your radar, ready to mix and match with your walk-in closet of wardrobe options. This respectably specced, luxe update is right on target to hit South Koreans' manicured mitts tomorrow, with first dibs going to SK Telecom and a release on KT to follow on January 5th. The usual two-year contract pricing applies for both operators, but contract-averse users can also snag the stylish handset for 899,900 won (about $778) outright. That's the high price you pay for fashion (and a minimalist UI overlay), but at least this forward-looking device is set to fatten its figure with Ice Cream Sandwich in Q2 of next year. Of course, by then, it'll already be terribly gauche to own one anyway.
Sharp AQUOS IS14SH presses hold on the death of the phone keypad
KDDI's latest team-up with Sharp appears to be haunted by the ghosts of mobile past, present and future. The AQUOS IS14SH sends us spinning back to the 90's with a slide-out numerical keypad that hopes to appeal to those T9 typists who have honed the craft to a fine art. More future-facing customers may be sold on the combination of Android Gingerbread, Three Seg TV tuner, NFC wallet and eight-megapixel camera. The phone is available now in black, white and pink, though none, sadly, will land with Sharp's recently unveiled optical image stabilizer.
Kindle Fire's 6.2.1 update breaks root, disables SuperOneClick utility
Just when you thought it was safe to root your Kindle Fire with a single click, Amazon has clamped down on homebrewing enthusiasts. The company has begun pushing out an update for the $199 tablet that breaks the root, disabling the SuperOneClick utility in the process. If you've rooted your tablet and are still running a version of the Amazon-flavored Gingerbread, you're susceptible to the update any time you're connected to a WiFi network. However, if you've already made the leap to another version of Android, such as CM7, you can bypass this and any future software updates. There are some improvements with 6.2.1 though, as smoother scrolling, password protected WiFi use and the ability to remove recently used items from the home screen carousel are among the upgrades. If you're looking to read up on the issue before taking action, roll up your sleeves and hit the links below. [Thanks, Brad]
Prada phone by LG 3.0 hands-on (video)
This is the latest fruit to be borne from LG and Prada's renewed creative partnership. It's Prada Phone by LG 3.0 and it's also an attempt to marry fashion pedigree with, if not leading technological specifications, then at least competitive ones. There's a respectable 8 megapixel autofocus camera, and LG's bright, outdoor-friendly 4.3-inch NOVA display, here projecting an 800 x 480 WVGA touchscreen. It wears its Prada branding on its sleeve, and the fashion label's creative input has even gone so far as to affect the Android OS, with understated black and white themes papered over the cheerful -- in comparison -- Gingerbread interface. So how does it stand up? Is it just another brainless designer phone? You'll have to read on to find out. %Gallery-141807%
LG Prada 3.0 peeks out from the curtain ahead of its catwalk launch (update: it's official)
While our shirt is still being pressed ahead of the launch event in London later today, yet more details have leaked on the LG Prada 3.0. Some decidedly realistic press shots have surfaced ahead of the phone's big debut, alongside some concrete-looking confirmed specifications. The dual-core OMAP 4430 processor seen last week is apparently clocked at 1GHz, with a high definition screen showing off a classy monotone Android skin, lying over Gingerbread version 2.3.7. The spec sheet also reveals 8GB of storage, expandable by microSD, with an eight megapixel auto-focus camera peering out from the textured backing. Interestingly, the slab with style will also pack NFC according to the leak. We've got a few more hours to wait until we can give it a personal going-over -- fashion phone obsessives, hold on. Update: We've added the official press release after the break. %Gallery-141800%
Kobo Vox review
Kobo has long been happy to position itself as the underdog in the e-reader race, a spin that's based on more than a few grains of truth. After all, what else should this small Canadian company call itself after years of going head to head with giants like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Sony? In spite of its perceived disadvantages, though, it's remained competitive with products like the eReader Touch Edition, a device that matched the Nook and Kindle feature-for-feature. Now, the company is attempting to pull off a similar feat with the Vox, its first entry in the tablet space -- and a clear shot across the bow at a couple low-cost slates from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Can the e-reader David pull off an upset against a couple of Goliaths this go 'round, or have the company's limited resources finally gotten the better of it? Watch the battle unfold before your eyes, after the break.%Gallery-141285%
LG P940 phone gets benchmarked, is the Prada K2 ready to turn heads?
LG and Prada may have already renewed their wedding vows, but it's been pretty quiet on the designer phone front. However, a stream of benchmark results have surfaced over at Antutu, revealing an LG phone with a 1GHz CPU running Android Gingerbread -- version 2.3.7 to be precise. The handset is labelled up as the P940, suggesting that this could well be the fruits of labor from the fashion-phonemaker collaboration -- aka the Prada K2. A device with the same codename has already paid a visit to the FCC, although it kept quiet on the hardware specifics, not revealing much more than a clutch of GPRS and HSPA radios. Rumors suggest the hardware will all be contained in an appropriately stylish 9mm frame, but we'll just have to wait and see. It may be just a sliver of a smartphone, but we hope LG considers feeding it some Ice Cream Sandwich before it makes its debut. Not too much though, it still needs to fit into that Prada outfit.
T-Mobile G2x gets its Gingerbread on (again), hopes it sticks
The G2x just can't seem to quit Gingerbread. After a series of upgrade starts and stops, LG is once again offering an OTA software upgrade for this pure Google experience device. The update started rolling out to handsets yesterday, but those impatient to part with FroYo can always opt for a manual install via the company's site. If you'll recall, the one-time T-Mobile flagship's woes began shortly after its launch, when complaints of random reboots, overheating and poor battery life overtook dedicated forums. Yet despite promises that Android 2.3 would hit "soon" to address these issues, frustrated owners were instead treated to an on again / off again melodrama of scheduled releases. Now, as we totter on the brink of 2012 and an Ice Cream Sandwich future, this drawn-out saga appears to be reaching some form of closure.
AT&T's LG Nitro HD goes up for sale, LTE-enabled Gingerbread pep for $250
In case you forget that AT&T's latest LTE-equipped smartphone hit shelves today, consider this a friendly reminder from your mobile obsessed friends here at Engadget. We're talking about the LG's Nitro HD, the 4.5-inch device we lovingly handled last week -- loaded with a skinned version of Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, running atop its peppy 1.5 GHz Qualcomm APQ8060 dual-core processor. If you'll recall, it's notably packing a 1280 x 720p screen resolution with an ultra-crisp looking 329ppi, an 8 megapixel rear camera (1.3 MP up front) and a healthy 4GB of internal storage supplemented by an included 16GB microSD card (expandable to 32GB). Thankfully, bloatware on the Nitro is at an all time low, but we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that's it's been confirmed to be loaded with the ickyness of Carrier IQ. Sure, it's not as tasty as an Ice Cream Sandwich, but if your hungering for LTE-enabled 4G speeds on Ma Bell, at least you now have a third option. It can be yours now for $250 with a two-year renewal of service, and you'll find more info at the source link below.
Refresh Roundup: week of November 28, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. 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 from 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!
Sharp AQUOS SH-01D appears on NTT DoCoMo, offers up glasses-free 3D
Not content with brandishing a medley of LTE-packed smartphones this season, Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has confirmed a December release for Sharp's AQUOS SH-01D. While it lacks any 4G chops, the Android phone is cocooned in waterproof protection and packs a 12.1 megapixel camera on the back. An OMAP 4430 1GHz dual-core processor runs Gingerbread on the 3D-capable 1280 x 720 ASV display -- all crammed inside a waifish 9.7mm frame. Despite a recent visit to the FCC, there's no word on whether the water-defiant device will brave the Pacific ocean to arrive on these shores. However, any ex-patriots gasping for the SH-10D's potent screen will be able to grab one on December 2 and can unravel more specification mysteries in the Google-translated press release below.
Refresh Roundup: week of November 21, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. 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 from 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 Optimus EX sneaks out of its box, reminds us it's still here
Remember the Optimus EX? Not to be confused with LG's LTE flavor of smartphone, this dual-cored Android has been spotted hanging around outside its cardboard enclosure. This slab was previously revealed a few months back, flashing (quite literally) a 700 nit display alongside a refreshed 1.2GHz Tegra 2 processor. Like these brief glimpses of the phone, pricing and release date info is light on detail, with no hint of the mobile TV-toting handset planning a visit over here. While LG's latest presumably ambles up to Korean phone stores very soon, we offer up another photo after the break to help satiate those Optimus affections that may otherwise go unrequited.
Motorola XT615 Android phone arriving in China and Taiwan: slim, but not RAZR-thin
Side-stepping the moody design tones of its RAZR brethren, Motorola has announced a new Android-powered smartphone for Taiwan. Measuring in at 9.8mm thin, this Gingerbread-powered slab sports the outfit's MotoBlur-derived Moto Switch UI, with an eight megapixel camera on the back and a VGA shooter on the front. The XT615 packs quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900), WCDMA (900/2100) and HSPA (7.2Mbps) radios, while processing power comes from a slightly underwhelming 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7227A-0, possibly explaining the NTD$10,900 ($360) price tag. The pearly-toned phone hasn't revealed any plans to leave the island nation of Taiwan just yet, but that doesn't mean you can't familiarize yourself with the full specifications in the PR below.
T-Mobile Vivacity unveiled for the UK, appears to be an adopted ZTE handset
G'morning there good lady, and who might you be? Why, she's the UK-bound T-Mobile Vivacity, which, while pretty likely to be a ZTE-born smartphone, is still keeping her specification cards close to its chest. We do know, however, that she'll arrive with a 3.5-inch touchscreen and five megapixel camera on the back. A front-facing shooter, slightly larger body and a distinct lack of ZTE branding all help to differentiate the Vivacity from her sister, the previously announced (and US-destined) ZTE Score. We predict she probably won't be a woman of expensive tastes, and we look forward to meeting her in the flesh next month. While T-Mobile may not have got the memo about phone naming, interested parties can stake their claim to more info at the sign-up link below.
Kobo Vox unboxing and hands-on (video)
Kobo is something of a perpetual underdog. That may well change, after Rakuten acquisition of the company goes through, but for now, it's still a small organization battling giants like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and, to a lesser extent, Sony. With that in mind, the timing for the Vox's release certainly could have been better -- the tablet has to go head to head with the Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire, both on sale this week. Well, we just received ours, and with that in mind, we immediately did what any other geek would do -- we started playing with it alongside its bigger-named competitors. We'll be back with a full review soon enough, but for now, join us for an unboxing and some early impressions.%Gallery-139654% %Gallery-139652% %Gallery-139656%
Optimus 3D Gingerbread update coming, world shrugs, stares wistfully at Ice Cream Sandwich
So we thought an update was coming last month, but like those three-dimensional phantasms the Optimus 3D is capable of conjuring, it appears it wasn't really there. LG now plans to lump the 2D to 3D app convertor, camera upgrades and some more nuggets into its feet-dragging Gingerbread upgrade, starting this month. Alongside 3D video editing and automatic image-stabilization, the customized version of Android 2.3 will unleash a speedier HSPA+ connection boosting maximum download speeds to 21Mbps, and "advanced copy/paste" -- something we're very excited about. LG also promises longer music playback from the upgraded 3D phone, with the software refresh pegged to start on carrier-unlocked handsets in Europe next week, rolling out elsewhere in time for the new year. While LG will be bringing the ICS upgrade to its Optimus 2X, it has remained tight-lipped on the dual-camera'd stablemate -- that's probably not a good sign.
Xperia arc S up for order on Sony's site, could ship this week
Our friends across the pond have had a month's head start getting to know Sony Ericsson's Xperia arc S inside and out. Now, it appears that refreshed flagship's gearing up to hit stateside as early as this week in unlocked fashion. Shown as having an estimated November 15th ship date on Sony's site, the 4.2-inch Gingerbread handset brings its Mobile Bravia Engine display, 1.4GHz Qualcomm processor and 8 megapixel shooter to North American mitts for $499 in four distinct shades. If carrier subsidization is your preferred method of purchase, you'll have to hold off for a bit as official US plans have yet to be announced. But why wait? Your early access mobile bragging rights await you at the source. [Thanks, Michael]
