LG isn't looking to produce another Windows Phone in the near future, a spokesman said Monday. While there would still be development, the representative wanted to minimize expectations of anything imminent when asked by the Korea Herald. The Microsoft platform's low market share was put at fault as likely making it difficult to justify going beyond Android.
LG on Friday grew the reach of the Optimus True HD LTE to more countries than just Germany. The 4G phone is now launching in Portugal and Sweden in a slightly larger European release as well as the headlining Asian cities of Hong Kong and Singapore. The device is an international edition of the Optimus LTE already on sale in Canada as the Optimus 4G LTE at Bell and the US as the Nitro HD at AT&T.
LG saw itself return to health Wednesday with early 2012 results that showed it back in form. It swung from an equivalent to a $13.9 million loss in winter a year ago to $213.3 million in profit based on a much stronger position in smartphones and better 3D TV sales in is native South Korea. Its mobile division made the equivalent of $34.2 million in profit, almost all of that from cellphones, after having lost $88.7 million at the start of 2011.
(Update: no?) Talk of Windows Phone 8, or Apollo, dropping backwards compatibility with existing phones may be false. A video interview (below) with Microsoft Evangelist Nuno Silva posted by Portugese site Zwame suggested that "all" Windows Phone devices, even from the first generation, would get the next version of the mobile OS. He was explicit in mentioning early models, such as the LG Optimus 7 and Samsung Omnia 7, as qualifying.
Sprint on Tuesday confirmed some rumors and unveiled the LG Optimus Elite. The carrier's version of the Optimus Net, which will also have a Virgin Mobile equivalent, will be the most affordable US smartphone ever to support Google Wallet, costing just $30 on Sprint after a contract and rebate. Its support for the needed NFC is an exception to entry level specs, such as a 3.5-inch, 320x480 display, an 800MHz processor, and a five-megapixel back camera with none at the front.
LG's mobile Managing Director Kwon Bong-suk in a Korean interview on Friday suggested that his company was about to make a sharp break from its past and its peers in smartphones. Arguing that the next innovation "doesn't necessarily have to come from Apple," he explained to INews 24 that LG was moving away from putting in more features solely to say it had them and to focus instead on a "thinking" phone that reacted to real conditions. In a rough example, he raised the idea of a phone waking up its owner at 5:30AM instead of 6AM if it knew that traffic would be unusually bad on the route.
Samsung hoped to quash rumors with a statement denying any plans for 3D smartphones. The Korean firm explained to Engadget that it was "constantly exploring new technologies," but that there was "no immediate plan" to use 3D screens or cameras for its future phones. The remarks leave the GT-i9300 and other hardware using conventional technology for now.
Sprint appears to be restarting a second round of Android 2.3 updates for LG's Optimus S handset. The carrier last summer released a Gingerbread update for the Optimus S, however the first over-the-air rollout was halted amid widespread reports of serious bugs.
One of LG's entry-level Android phones should reach Sprint and Virgin Mobile with a small twist based on leaks late Thursday. Photos of the Optimus Elite, Sprint's adaptation of the Optimus Net, showed PocketNow the 3.2-inch phone adopting a more conventional but very compact look. Both versions would stand out by being some of the least expensive Android phones yet to have NFC and, through Sprint's involvement, official Google Wallet support.
Canadian wireless carrier Bell appears to have established an Android 4.0 update timetable for several of its handsets. A alleged internal memo posted by Mobilesyrup suggests the carrier has set June as a target for Samsung's Galaxy Tab 8.9 and HTC's Sensation and Raider smartphones.
Nokia gave Windows Phone owners a rare experiment Friday. Play To should give at least Nokia's own phones, like the Lumia 800, the ability to share their photos and videos through DLNA. The option allows sharing to Blu-ray players, desktop apps, and some TVs.
LG is reportedly working on yet another Optimus LTE handset, known as the P936. Leaked images posted on GSM Done show a mystery device that resembles the company's other LTE offerings, such as the Nitro HD and Spectrum.
MetroPCS is said to be preparing to launch LG's Optimus M+ handset, which serves as a successor to the original Optimus M. The device is claimed to offer a number of improvements, including a larger 3.5-inch display with a wider color range, Bluetooth 3.0 and a 5.0-megapixel camera sensor with flash, unnamed sources have told Pocketnow.
LG's mobile division lead Jong-seok Park in commentary Tuesday was hopeful of much stronger smartphone performance in 2012. He saw LG shipping 35 million smartphones this year, a 50 percent hike over 2011. Much of the push outlined to the Korea Times would come from eight million LTE-ready smartphones like the Optimus Vu.
LG put out a trio of headlining smartphones at Mobile World Congress, and we've had the chance to try all three. The Optimus 4X HD is clearly the star: with a quad-core Tegra 3 and a 4.7-inch, 720p display, it's one of the more powerful devices at the show. Read on for its take as well as looks at the Optimus Vu and Optimus 3D Max.
LG's pre-MWC smartphone rollouts culminated Wednesday with the Optimus 4X HD. The device is the first officially unveiled smartphone to run NVIDIA's Tegra 3 quad-core processor. At 1.5GHz, it can both help Internet access as well as improve the ability to juggle multiple apps at once.
LG continued a run of new smartphones as part of the lead-in to Mobile World Congress by introducing the Optimus 3D Cube, also known as the Optimus 3D Max. A direct sequel to the original, the device formerly codenamed the CX2 can now edit, not just play back, 3D video. The hardware is also noticeably slimmer at 9.6mm (versus 10.9mm) and bumps up the dual-core processor from 1GHz to 1.2GHz.
Last week, Chinese chip-maker MediaTek launched a new mobile chipset that melded a 1GHz Cortex-A9 processor and a PowerVR SGX5 GPU. The MT6575 has the potential to be used for entry-level smartphones running Android 4.0. Although not quite at that performance level, the chip has shown up in three handsets destined for the Chinese market.
LG in a teaser has hinted at even more device plans for Mobile World Congress. The "L" image doesn't provide details of the device but does provide a series of generic qualities all themed around the letter. The device, which has been repeatedly attached to a D-1 name, should be "genuineLy compassionate" and include "perfection with detaiLs."
LG has officially provided details surrounding the Optimus Vu, its own take on the same blurring of lines between the phone and tablet as Samsung's Galaxy Note. True to leaks, the device has a five-inch display like its Samsung rival but uses a 4:3 aspect ratio like the Pantech Pocket. The 1024x768, color-rich IPS display is said to improve text reading, LG claimed, although the ratio could make it even wider than the Galaxy Note.
LG's CX2, possibly badged as the Optimus 3D 2 or Optimus 3D Max, was given possibly leaked details along with a new press render on Monday. The new version was now expected by ETNews to have a newly optimized, IPS-based 3D display. Accordingly, it would have "greatly enhanced" 3D photography, keeping the dual five-megapixel cameras (not two as machine-translated) but adding "easier" editing and more content.
Telus became the third Canadian carrier with an LTE-based 4G network on Thursday. Starting on February 10 in Halifax, the carrier will have the same 75Mbps peak download speeds and 12-25Mbps averages as the existing networks from rivals Bell and Rogers. It plans to kick off the network with the Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE, LG's Optimus LTE smartphone, and Novatel's Ovation MC679 modem; the Galaxy Note with LTE will be available on February 14.
LG is teasing a new handset on the web, the Optimus Vu, which could make a debut at Mobile World Congress. The handset would be rather unique, and is LG's first to get a 4:3 aspect ratio for its large five-inch, 1024x768 IPS touchscreen. Otherwise, it shoud sport a 1.5GHz, dual-core Snapdragon chip and 1GB of RAM.
LG had mixed news on Wednesday that showed a possible turnaround of its long-suffering mobile group. Although the company as a whole posted a loss equivalent to $97.7 million, its mobile division turned a slight $10 million profit. Most of the recovery came on the back of the Optimus LTE and its US variant the Nitro HD.
LG on Thursday became the latest company steered into signing a patent license deal with Microsoft. The Spectrum designer has agreed to pay Microsoft an unknown amount for "broad coverage" both on Android and Chrome OS despite LG not yet having a Chromebook on the market. Unlike past such licenses, however, Microsoft didn't issue a boilerplate observation that LG was paying royalties, leaving the door open to a lump sum.
The LG Spectrum has had virtually all of its details spoiled through a discovery Thursday. Confirming that it's a Verizon-specific version of the Optimus LTE, Droid-Life showed that it would have the same 4.5-inch, 720p display, dual-core 1.5GHz processor, and namesake 4G. LG's customized Android 2.3 would stay intact aside from preloaded, Verizon-exclusive HD ESPN Scorecenter and Netflix HD apps as well as Swype's keyboard.
LG has leaked information on its upcoming Optimus 2 smartphone through its own US website. The 3.2-inch, 320x480 touchscreen phone will run Android 2.3. It would get a speed up but still stay modest, with an 800MHz processor instead of the original's 600MHz.
Developers have continued to expand the list of devices supported by CyanogenMod, adding several LG devices and Samsung's Epic 4G. The unofficial custom firmware can now be installed on LG's Optimus 3D, Optimus Hub and Optimus Pro, while the Optimus Black has been added back onto the list of supported devices for the CM7 build.
LG in an update gave a long timetable for its Android 4.0 upgrades. The first releases will only start in the spring, or no sooner than April, with the Optimus LTE, Prada Phone by LG 3.0, Optimus 2X, Optimus Sol, myTouch Q, and Eclipse getting updates that season. Some phones won't get their updates until the summer, including the Optimus 3D, Optimus Black, Optimus Big, Optimus Q2, and Optimus EX.
LG on its Facebook page revealed which of its smartphones will be the first to get an official update to Android 4.0. They include the Optimus 2X and Optimus Black, the Optimus 3D, and the Optimus LTE. More details on the upgrade, including a schedule, will be announced in December. LG will also evaluate other smartphones in time.
A rumor alleges that claims of a banner Korean iPhone 4S launch were far from true. An SK Telecom official supposedly talking to the Korea Times said that, instead of the 300,000 combined sales between pre-order and launch, real sales were supposedly below 150,000. The unnamed source implied that SKT's rival, KT, had artificially inflated the initial numbers by letting customers order as many as three phones at once.
LG on Tuesday detailed a rare special event for itself that hinted at the possible launch of the Nitro HD. The New York City gathering on December 1 has few details other than its mobile focus and an "exclusive launch" for a mystery product. "All will be revealed," the company said.
The LG Optimus LTE smartphone has now arrived at Bell in Canada, and PocketNow is now reporting that it will soon arrive at AT&T in the US. It will be known as the Nitro HD, but otherwise share the same hardware. These include the dual-core, 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor, the eight-megapixel camera and its namesake 4G network support.
Republic Wireless, which outlined its $19 unlimited voice and data plans last week, has now gone live, albeit in beta. The only handset available that's required for the service has turned out to be the LG Optimus, which will cost $200 contract-free. Users will have 30 days to return the phone and get a refund, however.
After already changing its mind, LG on Wednesday promised that it would bring Android 4.0 to its high-end devices. It was "planning" the update for the Optimus 2X, which sells in the US as the T-Mobile G2X, as well as further high-end models. A schedule would come once Google had publicly shipped the OS, which is expected around when the Galaxy Nexus arrives later this month.
A new LG smartphone has been unearthed by GSM Arena, which was the recipient of an anonymous tip-off. The phone is said to be called the LG Optimus U1 and could be the first LG phone to ship with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). If accurate, this is the first phone to surface rumored to run Ice Cream Sandwich that is a non-Nexus device.
LG seems to be, once again, flip-flopping on a decision to bring an Android update to its phones, though this time it has to do with Android 4.0 and its Optimus 2X and G2x T-Mobile variant. In talks with AndroidAndMe, the Korean phone maker said it hasn't yet decided whether the phones will be updated, saying it needs to run tests to see if the hardware can handle it. Just a few days ago, LG India claimed on Facebook that the handsets will not get the update.
The LG Optimus 2X may not ever get an official update to Android 4.0, LG India indicated through a response to a Facebook question. While the response has since been removed, a record of it remains and is embedded below. This also likely means the renamed version of the phone for T-Mobile, the G2X, won't get the update either.
LG in its summer results saw its mobile group worsen despite its shift to higher-end Android models. The group lost $128.47 million, more than twice what it had lost in the spring. It didn't say what had triggered the shortfall or how many phones it had shipped, although it has regularly seen its basic phone sales drop faster than it can compensate with smartphones.
LG may be the next major Android supporter pressed into making a patent license deal with Microsoft. Industry tipsters claimed to the Korea Herald that the two sides could make a deal at the APEC CEO Summit in Hawaii, which starts November 10. Similar to deals with HTC and with Samsung, LG is rumored to be getting a 'discount' for using Windows Phone that would drop the royalty to $3 for every Android phone.
Microsoft's Eric Hautala said that his company's stepped up Windows Phone 7.5 updates were now virtually done. The company had good enough results that it was "opening the spigot" and that almost all of the user base would have the update. The only ones left were those with specific issues, such as some Orange subscribers.
LG has partnered with German fashion house Jil Sander to create a designer smartphone. The Jil Sander Mobile phone is a variant of LG's Optimus 7. The phone is more up to date, howver, and already runs Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango).
LG quickly confirmed leaks by launching the Optimus LTE as its new flagship. Apart from its 4G, the phone's focus is on its display: the 4.5-inch, 720p (1280x720) output matches that of the Galaxy S II LTE but uses an IPS-based LCD instead of AMOLED. LG claims better color accuracy and sharpness.
Virgin Mobile's US branch committed itself to Android further with two new additions that each bring a first to the prepaid carrier. The LG Optimus Slider is considered a sequel to the almost unusually popular Optimus V and brings in its self-described QWERTY keyboard for frequent messaging. LG hasn't said what processor is inside, but it will come with Android 2.3, a 3.2-inch (likely 320x480) touchscreen, and a 3.2-megapixel camera.
Dell once again staked out a position against Apple Thursday with word that it would launch the XPS 14z. A 14-inch version of the XPS 15z we reviewed earlier, it will stay under an inch thick with the screen size. Dell bills it as the "world's thinnest fully-featured laptop" at 0.9 inches, attempting to once again challenge the MacBook Pro for the title among systems with optical drives.
Skype has released a new version of its VoIP chat client for Android phones. Skype 2.5 (free, Market) adds video chat support for 14 Android devices, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (T-Mobile version), Acer Iconia Tablet (A500), Motorola Photon and Motorola Xoom. As with the latest client for Mac and iOS, Skype 2.5 for Android brings ads to the free version. Ads are not shown to users with Skype Credit or a subscription.
LG Mobile started off the week by unveiling a new industry-first phone. The previously seen Optimus EX is one of the first to ship with NVIDIA's upgraded 1.2GHz Tegra 2 chip, which lets it play 1080p video where the earlier model stopped at 720p. A very bright 700-nit, IPS-based four-inch LCD makes it easier to see outside while also giving it good color accuracy and wide viewing angles.
New Millennial Media data has shown that Android's actual share of mobile ad traffic is considerably lower when considering every iOS device. While it had 61 percent among phones in July, Android dropped to 54 percent this past August when both sides could count non-phone devices, such as the iPad, iPod touch, and Android tablets. Apple gained a third more ad share and jumped back to 28 percent as a consequence.
The LG Optimus Hub that appeared in Europe recently is now undergoing FCC testing, likely for sale in the US. It could also be an international model, however. The FCC listing does reveal 850MHz and 1,900MHz 3G support, both of which are used by AT&T, Bell, Rogers and Telus.
A new Android handset from LG has shown up in Korea, with the images and specs shared in a leak by SlashGear. The dual-core, 1.2GHz smartphone uses Android 2.3 and gets a four-inch 800x480 touchscreen much like the Optimus Black. The model number, LG-SU880, is also revealed by the spec sheet.
