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Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy Note II lands on Oct. 25 for $299, LG Optimus on Nov. 11

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Sprint just made things official for its release of Samsung’s Galaxy Note II by announcing in a press release that the device will launch on Oct. 25. Available for $299 on the usual two-year contract or eligible upgrade, Sprint will get both Marble White and Titanium Gray colors. In case you forget, we had hands on time with the 5.5-inch device in August at its unveiling in Berlin. It also looks like Sprint is confirming a launch date for the previously announced LG Optimus G. AndroidPolice reported the carrier confirmed the device, which many believe LG’s upcoming Nexus is based on, will land on Sprint for $200 on a two-year contract starting Nov. 11. The report also noted that pre-orders for the Optimus G will go live on Nov. 1 Sprint confirmed (below):

[tweet http://twitter.com/sprint/status/258270332169908225]


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LG announces Jelly Bean update schedule

With tons of rumors regarding the upcoming Jelly Bean-powered LG Nexus, other LG device owners will be happy to know an update to Android 4.1 is coming to their device as well. While we do not get confirmation for all of LG’s U.S. devices, but we do get word that the company will begin rolling out Jelly Bean updates as early as next month.

LG issued a press release today giving a bit more information about when to expect Jelly Bean updates for a few different devices. The LG Optimus LTE II will be the first to receive the update in November followed by the Optimus G in December. Other devices confirmed in the release include the Optimus Vu and Vu II. They will both receive updates sometime in Q1 2013.

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LG reveals Optimus Vu II ‘all-in-one remote control’ smartphone with infrared, launches in September for Korea

The Optimus Vu II, or the “all-in-one remote control,” just unveiled for Korea, but Engadget promptly noted the announcement falsely claimed it is the first smartphone to sport infrared. LG dubbed the Optimus Vu II the “the world’s first smartphone using infrared,” and it gave the Android handset a general launch date for “next month.” The device’s tech is built around the QRemote remote control app, which subsequently allows users to manage set-top boxes, appliances, TVs, and even competitors’ electronic products, but the presser did not name additional specs or pricing.

Check it out: Press release (translated


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LG’s 5-inch Vu phablet launches globally

LG ANNOUNCES GLOBAL AVAILABILITY OF OPTIMUS VU:
Largest LG Smartphone to Be Launched in
Europe, Asia, Middle East/Africa and Latin America

SEOUL, Aug. 20, 2012 – On the heels of its successful debut in Korea and Japan, the Optimus Vu: will make its global debut starting in select markets in Europe, Asia, Middle East/Africa and Latin America starting in September. With the world’s first 5-inch 4:3 aspect ratio display, the Optimus Vu: blurs the line between traditional tablets and smartphones for a truly unique smart device experience.

Since its March debut in Korea, the Optimus Vu: has sold over 500,000 units, demonstrating public acceptance of its form-factor. The reception the device received in Korea prompted LG to launch the Optimus Vu: in Japan this month, where it has also been received positively by Japanese consumers.

For the global roll-out, the Optimus Vu: will be equipped with NVIDIA? Tegra? 3 mobile processor, the super 4-PLUS-1™ quad-core with 5th battery-saver core, that offers a superb balance of performance and power requirements. 4 cores are used for high performance tasks such as games and multitasking. For voice call, email, music and video playback, only 5th battery-saver core is enabled and it consumes very less power.

When paired with the high-resolution 5-inch, 4:3 ratio IPS display, the Optimus Vu: becomes something special – a device that’s both pocketable and spacious. The Optimus Vu: will come with an upgraded version of QuickMemo™ and Notebook, two features which make great use of the large display real estate.

“The different form factor makes Optimus Vu: unique even in the 5-inch smartphone category which we expect will catch on once they become more widely available,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

Key Specifications:
Operating System Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Network 3G
Display 5.0-inch 4:3 ratio XGA IPS with 768 x 1024 pixels
Memory 32GB
Cameras 8.0MP rear / 1.3MP front
Size 139.6 x 90.4 x 8.5mm
Weight 168g

Virgin’s LG Optimus V discounted $120—Price of entry into Android is now $28

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Virgin Mobile’s LG Optimus V, which usually retails for $150 and at some retailers such as Amazon for around $100, is currently being offered for just $28 through LetsTalk (at bottom). That is under $30—with no contract—to get a device that competes with most of the $150 Android competitors on the market. It is unclear whether this is for the retailer’s Memorial Day weekend sale currently taking place, but it is a great deal for a more than decent smartphone either way. You will of course have to grab at least a month of Virgin prepaid service starting at $35, which means you still walk away at $63— less than half the original suggested retail price.

There are tons of cheap Android devices on the market, but the Optimus V packs a 3.2megapixel camera, 2GB onboard memory, a 600 MHz TI OMAP 3610 processor, and 3.2-inch touchscreen. Even if does not replace your main device, this is a great deal for a backup phone, car GPS, media player, etc., at just $30. The deal is currently backordered, but the price will be honored when more stock becomes available.

Note: You will have to buy the first month of service with this phone, pushing the cost to $63 with one-month of service. Still, not bad!


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LG VU 5-inch 1024×768 screen LTE smart- ‘phone’ officially unveiled

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[slideshow]

Coming on the heels of Samsung’s Galaxy Note, LG today is pushing its foray into the new Phablet market: The VU—a 5-inch 4:3 display device. The Vu will be shorter and wider than the Note due to the display ratio, and it seems to resemble the Nokia Lumia/older iPod Nano design.

LG today unveiled one of the most anticipated LTE devices, the Optimus Vu:. Equipped with LG’s advanced LTE and IPS display technology, the Optimus Vu: offers a unique combination of tablet-like viewing with smartphone portability. Running on a powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 32GM internal memory and a large 2,080 mAh battery, the Optimus Vu: is a multimedia lover’s dream device.

“The Optimus Vu: was designed to maximize what customers could do with a smart-phone,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. “By offering an optimal 4:3 ratio viewing experience, 5-inch display combined with superfast LTE technology, Optimus Vu: is just one example of what we can achieve when we combine our best technology with customer needs.”

Interestingly, this device is exactly one-quarter the size of Apple’s iPad with the same resolution. That means the screen resolution is likely the same as the likely upcoming iPad 3 with Retina Display.

One of the few downsides to the Galaxy Note was that it was hard to use in one hand. LG, making a wider version, will make it even harder.

The full-sized pictures and press release are below:


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