LG will soon try its luck at designing mobile processors in the near future, a company spokesperson recently confirmed. The South Korea-based electronics maker will reportedly contract Taiwan-based TSMC to manufacture its processors. According to The Korea Herald, the company’s in-house chips could possibly show up in LG’s rumored G3 smartphone, which the outfit hopes to announce in the next couple of months.
As for the chip’s build, it’s reportedly based on four 2.2GHz Cortex-A15 cores and four Cortex-A7 cores clocked at 1.7GHz. By entering the chip making business, LG will further its rivalry with Samsung, which currently produces and manufactures its own Exynos processors line. In addition to LG handsets, the company’s new chips could possibly be used in other third-party devices.
Supposed specs for LG’s upcoming flagship smartphone were spotted on Sprint’s internal device database by MyLGPhones (via PhoneArena). The upcoming G3, internally known as the LG LS990, will have a 1440×2560 display — that’s four times 720p, which is considered HD, and twice the resolution of current flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One (M8). All of those pixels will be in a panel that is rumored to be 5.3 inches, making for roughly 530 pixels-per-inch — almost double the dots-per-inch of photos and text in magazines. Expand Expanding Close
After previously posting a photo of the watch following earlier spec leaks, LG has now shown the final design of its G Watch Android Wear smartwatch to PocketLint. The watch has no buttons at all, everything controlled via the touchscreen, and has an interchangeable strap.
Although the watch has a square face, LG says it hasn’t ruled out offering a round watch later. The leaked specs suggested the 1.65-inch display will have a resolution in the 240-280 pixel range, 512MB RAM and 4GB of storage.
LG has posted an image of its upcoming smartwatch on Twitter, perhaps trying to deflect attention away from the Moto 360. The watch will run on the Android Wear platform, but unlike Motorola, LG has opted to use a traditional square screen for the ‘G Watch’.
Other than teasing that the device is ‘coming soon’, LG is still reluctant to release detailed specifications about the device. However, the Wall Street Journal is reporting some more concrete technical specifications according to ‘a person familiar with the matter’. The Journal says that the device will feature a 1.65 inch display with a resolution of around 240 pixels per inch.
Google also confirmed that it’s working with a handful of partners to bring Android Wear powered wearables to market by later this year:
Asus, HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung; chip makers Broadcom, Imagination, Intel, Mediatek and Qualcomm; and fashion brands like the Fossil Group to bring you watches powered by Android Wear later this year.’
What can developers do with Android Wear? Google says the devices will be capable of displaying, for example, the latest posts and updates from social and messaging apps, answers via “OK Google” voice commands and Google Now-like functionality, as well as a number of fitness and health related data points. Google is also allowing Android Wear devices to talk with other devices like your phone or Chrome device through voice commands: Expand Expanding Close
Really. In a bid to promote the G Flex as “the most human phone ever,” LG created the type of ad that is likely to make you want to head rapidly in the opposite direction the moment you catch sight of its phone …
LG published an infographic this afternoon that details the history of smart- (and not-so-smart-) phones. The chart covers major jumps in cell phone technology from 1992 when the first SMS message was sent, all the way to 2013 when LG launched the G2 handset.
The chart also contains some interesting survey results about where people use their smartphones (an example of which is seen above), and a look at LG’s next-gen phone, the G Flex. The phone’s hardware is detailed and benefits like improved battery life and “more accurate selfies” are explained.
The G Pro 2 also features a 13MP camera that is capable of 12oFPS slow-motion video recording, in addition to standard 4k recording. The camera also includes a variety of shooting modes, including a “Flash for Selfie” mode that offers more “soft” lighting for self-portraits.
In terms of power, the device features a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with an Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB of RAM. It has a 3200mAh battery, as well as a microSD card slot for up to 64GB of additional storage. The G Pro 2 itself will be sold in 16GB and 32GB variants. It will ship with Android 4.4 KitKat.
LG is also touting a new “Knock Code” feature that supposedly makes unlocking and using your phone even easier. Knock Code allows users to unlock their G Pro 2 by simply tapping their screens using one of the 86,367 “knock” combinations.
As far as availability goes, the device is available in Korea now, but LG says it does not know when it will launch in other areas. Full press release after the jump.
There have been a lot of rumors in recent weeks about an LG G2 mini coming in the near future, and today what appears to be an official teaser image from LG confirmed the device will finally get official on February 24. The image (above) was posted to the company’s Facebook page with only the tagline “Experience the MINI. Mobile World Congress” and the Feb. 24 date mentioned above. It’s clear a mini version of LG’s flagship G2 is on the way, but we still don’t have any solid details on specs or availability of the device. We still don’t know if the rumors of a 4.7-inch display will pan out (the original G2 has a 5.2-inch display), but we’ll be bringing you all the official details on specs and availability when announced later this month at Mobile World Congress.
After several weeks of rumors and speculation, a Bright Red variant of the Nexus 5 is now available for purchase on Google Play, as a leak from Sprint last week suggested it would be (via Droid Life). The model has an entirely red back and a black front, with the exception of the front ear speaker, which is also red. As you would expect, the specifications of the red Nexus 5 are identical to the black and white models, which we praised in our review.
Pricing is also the same, coming in at $349 for 16GB and 32GB for $399. The Bright Red Nexus 5 is shipping within 1-2 business days. LG’s PRess release:
LG AND GOOGLE ANNOUNCE FIRST RED NEXUS 5
Popular Nexus 5 Now Available in Three Colors ― Red, White and Black
SEOUL, Feb. 4, 2014 ㅡ The first red Nexus 5 device is now available on Google Play™. Nexus 5 is the first Google phone to be offered in three colors: red, white and black. Launched last October in partnership by LG and Google, Nexus 5 received praise as a stylish, high-performance Google phone. Nexus 5 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 800 processor, a stunning 5-inch Full HD IPS display and runs Android 4.4, KitKat, the latest version of the Android OS.
“The Nexus line has always been about doing things differently and consumers who share this philosophy have been our most loyal fans,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “We’re carrying this thinking over to the red Nexus 5, which we think will catch the eye of consumers who want to make an even bolder statement.”
The red Nexus 5 will be available on Google Play™ starting this month in the United States, Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan and Korea with wider availability across Europe by the end of the month. Customers will also be able to purchase a red Nexus 5 in retail stores in select markets.
I have to say, the device does look pretty slick in a red shade.
TrendForce is predicting that total worldwide smartphone sales will fall by around five percent in the first quarter of this year. If so, this will be the first fall in two years.
It doesn’t mean demand for smartphones is actually dropping, but rather than the upward trend has slowed to the point that the seasonal effect – people buying smartphones as holiday gifts – is now bigger than the overall growth rate.
Samsung and Apple of course maintain their lead, though Sony saw significant growth in its home territory of Japan, and LG’s share grew 57 percent year-on-year to a 4.2 percent market share thanks largely to sales of the Nexus handsets it makes for Google.
Usually-reliable source @evleaks has tweeted a photo of what is said to be LG’s new smart TV running webOS, as LG officially announced the world’s largest 4K OLED TV “incorporating LG’s newest smart TV platform.”
Holy wowzers Batman as BlackBerry announces over 40 million “newly registered iOS/Android users in the last 60 days.” The BBM tidbit dropped during this morning’s BlackBerry Earnings Report and while we’ll ignore the economic crisis that is BlackBerry, the messaging numbers are pretty interesting.
BlackBerry isn’t letting BBM go down without a fight as it strikes a deal to preinstall the application on select LG smartphones. BlackBerry’s once wildly popular Messenger application will come pre-installed on the LG G Pro Lite in “markets around the world.” The deal will allow a bundling agreement with LG involving “both the standard and virtual preloading” as well maintaining that BBM is available as a free download in Google’s Play Store.
Chrome OS-powered desktops have not caught on in the past, to say the least, but it looks like that won’t stop LG from trying. The company has just sent out a press release announcing a new Chromebase, that it will officially unveil at CES 2014. The Chromebase is an all-in-one computer, much like the iMac, but powered by Chrome OS. The Chromebase will feature a 21.5 inch 1080p display, as well as 2GB of RAM, 16GB of solid state storage, and an unspecified Intel Celeron processor.
According to some a XDA-Developers forum thread, improved hardware for the Nexus 5 is now rolling out. The original batch of Nexus 5 devices is said to have suffered some minor hardware difficulties such as a protruding SIM tray, loose/noisy buttons and speaker-related issues.
The LG G2 is arguably one of the most underrated but best performing flagship smartphones on the market. Unfortunately, a recent report indicates sales of the device are performing below the expectations of its Korean manufacturer. However, that doesn’t seem to be stopping the company from pursuing a “mini” version of the device with a 4.7″ display.
There’s little question a new Nexus 10 device is on the horizon, in fact we’re already passed a set of rumored release dates. In fact, we’ve already seen the LG-V510 surface thanks to a leaked image via Reddit that showed off a Nexus homescreen. In other words, there’s no “surprise” with this @evleaks tip, but one more confirmation is one step closer to believing this is the real deal.
Reviews for one of the first smartphones with a truly flexible, curved OLED, the recently announced LG G Flex, have just started hitting online. While the first reviews seem to be mixed, the recurring theme seems to be that the curved display and overall hardware experience doesn’t justify the nearly $1000 price tag. Most reviewers describe it as still feeling like a proof of concept, despite mostly decent reviews on the rest of the hardware and software experience. The LG G Flex is still only available Korea, but it will soon be launching in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Europe. Head below to get a taste of what the reviews are saying: Expand Expanding Close
The super smartphone leaking machine known as @evleaks is back yet again with a first look at another upcoming smartphone headed for T-Mobile USA. What makes this smartphone the current buzz around town is its place as the first QWERTY device to catch our eye in some time. While the device itself looks to be low-end, it catches our attention as some of us believed the life and times of the QWERTY smartphone era were in our rear-view mirror.
A combination of two separate images this weekend are pointing toward the next-generation Nexus 10 device complete with LG as the manufacturing partner. The first image (shown below) courtesy of Reddit and one incredibly unhappy Telefonica employee shows off the thinner bezel and what we believe is a front-facing speaker. The device also appears to be launching with Android 4.4 KitKat and the Google experience launcher in tow. Surprise, surprise.
Chalk this story up with a grain of salt but a new report indicates LG pushed for an alternative name for the Nexus 5. According to a Chosun IIbo, a major Korean newspaper the manufacturer wanted to name the device the “Nexus G.” The Nexus G nomenclature would fall more in line with LG’s current line of smartphones ala the Optimus G, G2, G Flex and G Pad. Anyone see the pattern, anyone?
