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LG unveils Optimus Q2 QWERTY slider, slated for Korean launch next week
LG's fleet of Optimus handsets got slightly larger yesterday, with the announcement of the Optimus Q2 -- a follow-up to that LU2300 QWERTY slider we saw last year. Powered by a 1.2GHz Tegra 2 processor, this forthcoming device runs on Android 2.3, boasts a spacious, four-inch, IPS-based LCD with 700 nits of brightness and features a five-megapixel rear camera, along with a VGA front-facing shooter. The Korean manufacturer added that the Q2 will be about a tenth of an inch thinner and 0.35 ounces lighter than its 3.5-inch predecessor, and that it will ship with a wider keyboard. LG is expected to launch the handset in South Korea next week, though pricing and plans for a wider release remain a mystery. Head past the break for the full, translated PR.
LG Optimus Q launching with Android 1.6? (update: yep!)
You'd like to think that any Android device launching these days would come equipped with an absolute bare minimum of Eclair, but that's not the case; Dell's Streak, for example, will be coming out of the gate with Android 1.6 -- and seemingly so will LG's LU2300 Optimus Q. We were just handed this rather interesting spec sheet that says the phone's loaded with 1.6 on no uncertain terms, a stark change from LG's official (and someone unhelpful) line that it may or may not launch with 2.1. At the very least, we'd hope that an upgrade is in the works -- but hey, at least it comes with LG's trick Air Sync service, which is a pretty sweet deal. [Thanks, Seth G.] Update: LG's Korean-language press release from a few days ago matches up with the specs they're showing in South Korea right now (pictured), so it's confirmed -- 1.6 at launch, 2.1 later in the Summer. Thanks, Kunal G.!
LG confirms Android-powered Ally, coming May 20th
Well, this hasn't exactly followed the usual smartphone launch route, but LG has now officially confirmed the existence of its new Android-powered LG Ally handset, although it's still not doing much talking about the phone itself. It has, however, revealed that the phone will be available on May 20th (presumably on Verizon, though LG oddly doesn't mention a carrier in its press release), and that it will naturally feature plenty of Iron Man 2 tie-in content, including an augmented reality application of some sort. Otherwise, LG is only saying that the phone will have a touchscreen and a full QWERTY keypad, and it's pointing folks towards an Iron Man 2 tie-in site (linked below) that, last we checked, still says to check back on April 30th. We should be getting some more details on the phone soon enough, however, as LG is holding an event in New York on May 11th where it will be showing off the Ally and other "Stark-worthy" technology.
LG Ally to say 'aloha' to Verizon in mid-May?
Well, LG's Moorestown-based, Moblin-running GW990 may sadly be no more, but it looks like the company will be bringing another fairly impressive-looking handset to US shores: the Android-based LG Ally. According to Android Central, it will be landing on Verizon around the middle of May and, if it looks a tad familiar, it's because it's apparently simply a US version of the phone we've known alternately as the LU2300 or Aloha (though it does seem to have undergone a few design tweaks). Details are otherwise light, but it'll presumably pack the same 1GHz Snapdragon processor as the LU2300, along with a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera, and Android 2.1. [Thanks, Erik] Update: Android Central has tracked down an Iron Man 2-themed commercial on YouTube clearly suggesting the Ally is coming soon (if you recall, LG had a big tie-in with the original Iron Man, too). Viewers are encouraged to head over to lg.com/ally to check it out, but there's nothing useful there -- yet. Follow the break for the full commercial.
LG's Snapdragon-powered LU2300 Optimus Q Android handset gets official
This one's been floating around for a while now and just spotted in the wild last week, but LG has finally come clean with its new LU2300 Android handset, albeit in a somewhat roundabout way on its official UK blog. The biggest news is that LG has confirmed that the phone does indeed pack a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and Android 2.1, along with some other fairly impressive specs to match, including a 3.5-inch AMOLED capacitive display, a 5-megapixel camera, built-in WiFi, DivX support and a DMB TV tuner -- that last feature of which likely indicates that this one won't be available over here anytime soon. There's also still no indication of a price or a firm release date, although it will apparently be available in Korea sometime this month or next. Update: It looks like LG's UK blog may have been a bit too eager to get word of the LU2300 out, as it has now clarified that the phone won't have an AMOLED display and may or may not come with Android 2.1.
LG LU2300 Android handset gets photos, 'April or May' release date?
Actual, honest-to-goodness photos of what is presumably the Korea-only LG LU2300 handset popped up on a site in the SK recently, and like a family pet that plays professional sports (guess who watched Air Bud last night?) it's certainly captured the imagination of the Android-lovin' world at large. The thing is said to sport a 3.5-inch (800 x 480) AMOLED capacitive touch screen, Android 2.1, landscape mode slide keyboard, support for DivX files, a 5 megapixel (720p video) camera with geo-tagging, WiFi, GPS, DMB tuner and -- last but not least -- a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. The stats are consistent with what we've heard before, and now we have a possible release date: April or May. What we don't have, however, is any reason to believe rumors that this is going to be released in the states as the C710 Aloha. Although we might be skeptical, we understand the inherent wish-fulfillment: this is one sexy phone, and we'd certainly like to see it become available here. See another photo for yourself after the break.
LG's LU2300 set to challenge Samsung's M100S for Korean Android dominance?
Eternal archrivals-to-the-death Samsung and LG have a tendency to match one another tit for tat in virtually every consumer electronic category, but for whatever reason, LG's been far less interested in going for broke with Android over the past year -- though a preoccupation with Windows Phone 7 Series is a solid guess at this point. Things may be changing, though, now that we've got news out of Telecoms Korea that they're prepping a more brutal assault than the weakling GW620 could ever provide in the form of a so-called LU2300 for the domestic market (we're assuming the actual thing will be a little more... well, "designed" than the snow-white mockup above). The site is playing up LG's announcement that the phone will bundle a bunch of popular apps in ROM (awesome?) but the real news is the impressive spec sheet, which is said to include a Nexus One-like 1GHz Snapdragon and WVGA AMOLED display paired with Android 2.1 and a 5 megapixel cam capable of 720p video. It certainly sounds like it's ready to give Samsung's M100S a run for its money, but we'll need to wait until its second quarter release to know for sure.
