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AT&T's Android phones now lie about having 5G
Like it or not, AT&T's not-really-5G icon is reaching phones. The carrier has started rolling out the indicator to Android handsets, including Samsung's Galaxy S8 Active and LG's V30. Install the update and you'll see a "5G E" (5G Evolution) indicator where you used to see "LTE." More eligible devices will see the new cellular icon in the spring, so don't think you'll escape it if you have a reasonably modern device.
LG V30S ThinQ review: A solid but pointless phone
It had its fair share of flaws, but last year's LG V30 might have been the finest phone the company had made to date. Rather than wait the usual year for an official sequel, though, LG decided to spice things up a bit by unveiling a tweaked version of the phone at Mobile World Congress. Interestingly, the AI-fueled camera features that make the new V30S ThinQ special will also wind up on the original, rendering most arguments for buying this updated model moot. Despite being a perfectly solid smartphone with some notable improvements over the original, I can't help but think the V30S ThinQ is ultimately pointless. Oh, and one more thing before we dive in: This isn't a typical review. We received this preproduction V30S ThinQ during the tail end of MWC, and it's running a Korea-specific build of Android 8.0 Oreo. It's been enough to get a feel for what the V30S experience is all about, but we'll update this story with firmer conclusions when a retail-ready US model becomes available. Actually, I should say "if" a US model becomes available: The phone is already available for a hefty sum in its native South Korea, but with the G7's global launch coming quickly, it's possible we won't see the V30S in the US at all.
Testing LG V30S ThinQ's hit-or-miss camera tricks
The LG V30S ThinQ isn't a completely new phone, but there are enough new goodies to warrant taking another look at its camera, ahead of a deeper dive on the phone in its entirety. We know it has a fantastic range of features for mobile videographers and vloggers -- arguably the new 256GB storage option is aimed at these users. But how about these newly introduced camera features? Are they worth having? Is the AI cam better than my own judgement? And what about Bright Mode? Can algorithms save blurry night shots? We went out on an (inadvertently) wet and chilly Barcelona walking tour one evening to test these new camera tricks. Are they' enough to dethrone the likes of the Pixel 2, or at least reassess the V30 series when it comes to low-light photography?
LG’s V30S ThinQ is the AI-fueled phone the V30 should’ve been
In the midst of a tricky fiscal year, LG decided to run with a new strategy: cook up interim smartphones to sell between its major flagship releases. The plan was based in part on the surprising success of phones like the X cam, and since the company needed to try something different, it pressed on with its experiment. And lo, the LG V30S ThinQ was born.
LG will unveil the new V30 with an AI camera at MWC 2018
LG will unveil a new version of its flagship phone, the V30, at the annual Mobile World Congress this year -- and as the rumors said, it'll have an AI-powered camera. The Korean company has developed "Vision AI" to make the phone's camera smarter and easier to use. Vision AI can automatically analyze what you're taking a photo of and can recommend the best shooting mode among the eight (portrait, food, pet, landscape, city, flower, sunrise and sunset) available. It can take the object's angle and color, any reflection in the surroundings, as well as the lighting and saturation levels into account to conjure up the best image possible.
Live from LG's CES 2018 press conference!
Day zero of CES 2018 is here, and it's LG who is kicking off the tech hoopla. We'll likely see the company introduce some new OLED TVs and possibly even a smartphone, the "raspberry red" V30. Aside from that, you can expect LG to show off products like its tiny 4K projector and the 65-inch rollable TV, which was revealed a couple days ago. Whatever happens at the event, we're here to bring it to you live, so make sure to tune into this page at 8AM PT/11AM ET.
LG will launch a 'raspberry red' V30 at CES next week
LG is launching a new V30 variant at CES next week, targeting those not quite fond of the phone's original black, blue, silver and lavender color schemes. The upcoming version is called "raspberry red," a muted red-pink that's much darker than the "pink rose" Samsung Galaxy S8. As we concluded in our review, the V30 is a flawed phone that's both powerful and unpolished -- it's fast with fantastic audio quality, but it's held back by a dim screen, middling battery life and a camera that doesn't always fare well in low light.
LG replaces mobile chief to reverse its smartphone fortunes
LG's mobile sales are a not only a drag on its other businesses, but an embarrassment next to its nemesis, Samsung. To address that, the company has made a "sweeping realignment" of its businesses, naming Hwang Jeong-hwan as president and CEO of LG Mobile in the place of current chief Juno Cho. It also named former Harman CTO and current software head Park Il-pyung as its new chief technology officer (rival Samsung acquired Harman last year for $8 billion). The moves are aimed at "enhancing competitiveness," LG said.
LG V30 review: LG’s latest flagship needs more polish
The LG V30 caught me by surprise. The G6 was a strong contender when it was released earlier this year, but we've seen so many flashy flagships hit store shelves since then that I almost forgot LG was preparing another phone for the fall. And when the V30 finally showed up, I couldn't quite believe it. This? This is an LG phone? Well, yes, it is. And by excising gimmicks and rethinking its designs, LG has cooked up one of its most impressive smartphones ever. The level of polish on display is generally excellent too, which, unfortunately, throws the flaws this phone does have into sharp relief.
The iPhone X vs. the competition: Beautiful screens and more
It's been a decade since the first iPhone was introduced, so today's big announcement from Apple marks the occasion with an "X." However, the mobile scene has changed a lot since 2007, with rival companies like Samsung, LG and HTC releasing devices that can compete with the iPhone on power, features and design. We've sized up the new iPhone X against some of the more outstanding handsets out there, including a few with edge-to-edge screens, like the LG V30. See how the X's specs compare now, and check back later this month to see how it holds up in our full review.
The LG V30 is the perfect smartphone for vlogging
When LG took the wraps off of the LG V30 at IFA last week, it spent nearly 20 minutes of its 50-minute presentation talking about the phone's dual-camera system. Juno Cho, president of mobile communications, rattled off statistics like "almost 80 percent of smartphone users use their smartphone at least once a week to shoot videos." He also said that "we are literally on the verge of transitioning from storytelling to story-showing," which is almost as crazy as Samsung's new catchphrase: "Your New Normal." I digress.
LG V30 hands-on: The phone the G6 should've been
Despite all its resources and technical know-how, LG has always felt like an also-ran in a race dominated by Apple and Samsung. The G4 is the subject of a class-action lawsuit. The modular G5 was an ambitious nonstarter. Last year's V20 and the G6 were welcome steps forward, but neither managed to generate that much excitement. The company's V30 smartphone just might be able to change that. Announced today at IFA, the V30 is meant to be as much a creative tool as it is a device for taking phone calls. This time, though, LG wisely excised some gimmicks, leading to a device that, after a week of living with a preproduction model, feels more polished and more focused than I dared expect. I'm trying to be cautious with my optimism, but it's honestly a little tough: I haven't enjoyed an LG phone this much in years.
LG’s V30 offers customizable high-quality audio
Along with a nearly bezel-less display, a great camera and face and voice unlocking, the LG V30 will also have impeccable audio. LG announced a handful of features today that will put its latest V series model well above other phones on the market when it comes to sound quality.
LG V30 leak shows a refined, almost bezel-free phone
We already knew that LG's incoming V30 smartphone would have one of the best cameras on the market, face and voice unlocking, a 6-inch, 18:9 OLED screen and high-end specs. Now we can see the exact design, thanks to a new image from leaking champ Evan Blass. The phone looks frankly quite handsome, with a near-bezel-free front like the Galaxy S8. Unlike that model, though, it has better rear layout, placing the fingerprint sensor below, not beside the camera. The camera is also better integrated, rather than sticking out like a lump as it does on the V20.
LG V30's camera has the lowest f-stop in a smartphone
After focusing on audio for the V20, LG decided to shift its successor's selling point to something else: its camera. We still have a few weeks before V30's launch, but the phonemaker has followed up a leak of its hands-on footage with the revelation that the device will have the largest aperture on a smartphone yet. LG has incorporated an f/1.6 lens into the phone's dual camera -- as you might know, the lower the f value, the bigger the aperture is and the more the light gets in. An f/1.6 lens lets 25 percent more light in than an f/1.8 lens, for instance.
LG's V30 flagship leaks in hands-on footage
Last month, LG teased a reveal for its V30 smartphone, a followup to its audiophile-friendly V20. While renders immediately appeared supposedly showing the upcoming phone's design, we might have just gotten a real leak. A user on Joseph Gordon-Levitt's creative repository HitRecord posted a few photos prominently featuring a phone with the V30 logo displayed on its back side. Intentional leak or not, the source video has been wiped from the internet -- except for the screengrabs Gizmodo took.
LG's next OLED phone is just as big, but not flexible
Look for another super-sized OLED phone on the way from LG soon, as it has just announced a flagship device built around a 6-inch FullVision display to match the G6 and Q6. While LG has established leadership in TVs with its OLED screens, so far they haven't made as much of an impact in mobile, outside of the quirky G Flex series that had its last device launch in 2015.
LG will reveal the V30 on August 31st
LG just dropped a big hint as to what's next for its smartphone roster. The company has sent out a "save the date" teaser that hints at a V30 launch in Berlin on August 31st, right before the start of the IFA technology trade show. The image doesn't give too much away, but there are a couple of conspicuous clues. The "V" is the dead giveaway as to what to expect, of course, but the image itself is a 2:1 aspect ratio. In other words, you can expect the G6's extra-tall display concept (including the minimal bezel) to carry over.
Panasonic celebrates higher plasma TV sales for 2010, sets prices for 2011
After setting its LED pricing for the year to come, Panasonic has finally set its plasma HDTV info in stone. Again matching the information leaked from retailers, the MSRPs (before any retailer discounts) range from the 65-inch TC-P65VT30 sticking at $4,299 down to the $599 720p TC-P42X3. Also of note is the inclusion of not only the previously announced S30 series without 3D technology or the new Infinite Black 2 panel (unlike the step-up ST30 models) but there will also apparently be a V30 line without the 3D fittings, although there's no specs, prices or ship dates mentioned. Last year the only top of the line model available was the VT25, although there was a 2D only V20-series plasma available in Australia and other regions. 3D or no, things appear to be looking up for plasma TVs, with shipments jumping nine percent last year. Check the press release after the break for all the details, but we'll have to wait until the TVs to arrive to find out if Panasonic is going to be able to hold onto its crown again.
Nokia N82 joins N95, gets boosted to v30
N82 users seem to be among the most diehard fans in the entire Nseries stable, so we'd say they're owed a bone as a token of Nokia's appreciation for spreading the gospel. To that end, Espoo has brought firmware v30's splendors to the N82 hot on the heels of its N95 and N95 8GB debuts, offering a new Flash Lite build, Maps 2.0, speed and stability improvements, and a host of other tweaks. Sadly there's no N-Gage client bundled, but whatever -- it's available as a separate download, so no harm, no foul.[Via All About Symbian]
