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MediaFLO lives: LG "Opera TV" is probable Vu successor for AT&T
We suspect the image they've got on the slide here is a placeholder derived from the Arena, but the point is well taken: LG will be drawing heavily from its high-end global feature phone when the time comes to sunset the Vu. Indeed, we've heard that there'll be some S-Class-ish interface on the Vu 2, so this lines up nicely -- as does the 5 megapixel camera, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 3-inch wide VGA display, and MediaFLO support. Those are some heavy-duty specs, so we're hoping beyond hope that these guys can hold to the August '09 timeframe they've seemingly targeted for this. Catch a slightly larger glimpse of the phone -- which, the more we look at it, we're pretty sure is just an Arena stock photo -- after the break.
AT&T rumors: LG Secret canceled, Shine 2 and Vu 2 on the way?
Brace yourselves, folks: it looks like one of the more painful incidents in recent memory might be in the process of repeating itself. Remember a while back when AT&T canceled the hotly-anticipated Sony Ericsson K850 at the last possible fricking second? Yeah, well, we're hearing that LG and AT&T may have mutually agreed to put the brakes on the CF750 Secret (which, like the K850, just happens to be a 5 megapixel phone) "due to cost" -- in other words, some guy in a suit thinks the price point wouldn't make sense. He's likely right, but we're going to grumble nonetheless if that ends up being the case. In happier news, the well-traveled Shine looks due to finally be put out to pasture by the end of May "at the latest," while the Vu is scheduled to be euthanized in August -- but don't worry, both models have replacements in the pipeline. Currently, it looks like AT&T expects the Shine 2 and Vu 2 to hit in the third quarter, though we know from countless past experiences that this is liable to slip dangerously close to the holiday shopping season as both manufacturer and carrier realize that neither the hardware nor software are ready for primetime. The Vu 2 is said to have "some new 3D touchscreen that... was very impressive," which we take to mean that S-Class is a strong possibility here. Could the Vu 2 end up being a thinly-veiled Arena or Viewty Smart clone? [Thanks, Kal]
Update on LG's dealings with AT&T: Shine is the Shine, Prada is the Vu?
We'd recently mentioned that LG was about take it to the limit with AT&T by pushing out two of its halo devices -- the Shine slider and Prada luxury touchphone -- over the course of the next few months. We'd also mentioned that AT&T would debut the "Vu" branding for the devices, and while we still haven't figured out whether that's pronounced "voo" or "view," we can provide a bit of an update on how that branding's gonna go down. It turns out that the Shine will hang on to the Shine name, probably a good idea considering the global appeal the name has garnered (Chocolate, anyone?), while the Prada will be christened the Vu. Thing is, we're hearing it'll come in two versions: the Vu with MediaFLO mobile TV (we're still reeling from the fact that AT&T actually made that move) and the Vu2 without. So yeah, if you only wanted AT&T to carry this thing so that you could get the Prada branding slapped on a carrier-subsidized handset, you're probably out of luck for the time being -- but regardless of what it's called, it should be an exceptionally hot device and a helluva competitor for that Voyager over there on Verizon, a phone that just happens to hail from the same manufacturer. What tangled webs we weave![Thanks, anonymous tipster]
LG Prada, Samsung Blackjack II, Moto Z9 show up in AT&T's system
Yep, we kinda knew about all these, but it's good to get a little more confirmation that they're still all on track. The LG Prada (alias "Vu2," alias CU920) has shown up for inventory tracking alongside the Motorola Z9 slider and the Samsung BlackJack II. The Vu2 could end up being one of AT&T's first MediaFLO-compliant handset for mobile TV on the network, and we don't really expect it until early '08 at this point; the BlackJack II looks ready to launch from the press shots we've seen, though, and we wouldn't be surprised if it hit before the year's out. The Z9 could be the hot slider we mentioned earlier today, suggesting a launch some time in the first quarter.[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
LG Shine, Prada coming to AT&T as Vu, Vu2?
If the iPhone is AT&T's cake, its own version of the LG Prada may very well be the icing. Gizmodo has scored shots of what appears to be LG's high-end, touchable superphone running AT&T firmware that's clearly been tweaked for the better from the original KE850 (better web browser, please!). Don't expect to stuff stockings with this one, though -- despite earlier rumors that it might squeeze in by December, we're hearing that AT&T and LG are targeting a Q1 '08 release for the device, apparently called the "Vu2." If there's a Vu2, there's gotta be a Vu, right? Indeed, it turns out that AT&T's Shine will bear the moniker when it gets released. The carrier had originally targeted September for the Vu, but that obviously didn't happen; word on the street is that they're back in the labs tweaking the user interface as we speak and we haven't heard when a launch might actually go down. Both phones offer 3G, of course -- so between the Vu's nav stick and the Vu2's expansive touchscreen, we've got a couple of unique offerings on our hands here. Strong work picking these up, AT&T![Thanks, anonymous tipster]Read - LG Shine for AT&T (Vu)Read - LG Prada for AT&T (Vu2)
