LG says it is also considering biometric authentication options for the G3

At a press conference for the G Pro 2 unveiling, an LG exec spilled some beans regarding the upcoming G3 flagship, too. When asked whether it will include some sort of fingerprint or eye-scanning technology, like the ones already present on the iPhone 5s, or rumored for the Galaxy S5, he said that LG is considering all these possibilities for its 2014 top dog.

As for the just-announced G Pro 2, the phablet will be released in Asia first, after the South Korean launch, and this will happen in March. The US and Europe are coming afterwards, so we can arguably expect LG's first 6" phablet to hit our shores mid-Spring at the earliest.


The phablet will apaprently be promoted heavily during the MWC expo, but the LG exec mentioned it won't clash with the events around the Galaxy S5, as they are “different-sized and not in the same category”. “The target consumer for the G Pro 2 and the Galaxy S5 are different so we don’t consider it a competition,” he said.

source: Zdnet.co.kr

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LG Optimus L1 II Tri has three SIMs inside it

LG is releasing a triple-SIM smartphone for the Brazilian market - the Optimus L1 II Tri (yes, LG one two three). The handset is pretty low key with a 3" QVGA (240 x 320), 1 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM. Interestingly, all three of its SIMs support 3G connectivity, though.

The LG Optimus L1 II Tri has a SIM switch button on its front as well as a 2 MP camera on the back with an accompanying Cheese shot feature (take pictures with voice commands). The battery is a 1,540 mAh unit and tasks are handled via an LG-skinned Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. There are also 4 GB of internal storage extendable via the microSD card slot.

There's also Radio recording with Time Machine support, which means the smartphone buffers the track and will record songs off the radio, even before you hit the key. The smart software behind this can even remove a Radio host's voice from a song.


LG Optimus L1 II Tri

The LG Optimus L1 II Tri will come in black, pink and white and will cost around $127. We're sure other emerging markets would want to have this one but there's no word on availability outside of Brazil for now.

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LG G Pro 2 phablet officially launching in February, specs still remain a mystery

LG has made the LG G Pro 2 official, announcing on Monday the phablet will launch in February, presumably at Mobile World Congress.

LG didn't share any specific details about the handset, however rumours detail the LG G Pro 2 as being the company's first with fingerprint scanning technology. Additionally, it's expected to feature a 6-inch Full HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, Android 4.4 KitKat, and LTE Advanced.

LG's G Pro successor is set to take on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, HTC One Max, and Sony Xperia Z Ultra, at a time when phablets have become necessary in a company's product line. Research firm IDC noted phablets accounted for 21 per cent of smartphone shipments in Q3 2013, up from 3 per cent in Q3 2012.

Pocket-lint will be live from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain from 24 February to 27 February to bring you the latest.

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LG G Flex will hit over twenty European markets next month

Hot on the heels of the AT&T pricing and availability announcement in the United States, LG spilled the beans on the European arrival of the curved G Flex. The phablet will officially make its way to over twenty European markets beginning next month.



Users in major markets such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Austria will be among the first to be offered the LG G Flex. The manufacturer is yet to release the complete list of European countries which will officially receive the device. The same goes for pricing and availability of the phablet (don’t expect it to come cheap though).

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LG to skip Android 4.3 and move to 4.4 KiKat for some smartphones

LG is allegedly planning to skip the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for some of its smartphones and move them straight to the latest Android 4.4 KitKat, according to a report from PhoneArena.



In fact, some of the smartphones will also jump the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update and go from 4.1 to Android 4.4 version. The devices that are expected to get the KitKat release with their next major update include LG Optimus F3, LG Optimus F6, LG G Pad 8.3, LG G Pro Lite, LG Optimus F7, LG Optimus L9 II, LG Optimus Vu II, LG Vu III and a couple unannounced models such as LG-D315 and LG LS740.

The report also claims that the LG Optimus 4X HD will be stuck on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS as it looks like the smartphone has completed its software upgrade cycle. However, there is no official confirmation at the moment. So, take it all with a pinch of salt.

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LG G Pro to get QuickWindow cover, KnockOn update

LG will be announcing a new QuickWindow cover that is designed exclusively for its G Pro phablet. The leaked image of the accessory also suggests that the upcoming add-on will have a similar functionality to that of theG2 quick cover.



Apart from introducing a new accessory to glorify the looks of the G Pro, the South Korean manufacturer is expected to bring a couple of cool features to its phablet.

If the rumors are to be trusted, LG G Pro will get the popular KnockOn feature that allows you to lock and unlock your device by double tapping on the screen. In addition, the device will also get the complete QuickWindow functionality, along with the dedicated user interface to help you operate your smartphone without having to open the cover every time.



LG is expected to officially announce the availability of the QuickWindow cover for its G Pro in Korea. The upcoming software update for the device will roll out in Korean in the upcoming days, before heading on to other regions.

Via:Gsmarena.com

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LG G3 to launch in May with 5.5" QHD screen, G Pro 2 at MWC

Rumors of various 2014 flagships have started and now LG is the target of gossip. Apparently the company is working on a Optimus G Pro successor, which will be unveiled at the MWC and pave the way for the LG G3.
LG unveiled the G2 relatively late last year – Sony, HTC and Samsung announced their flagships in Q1, while the G2 announcement came in August. The flagship launch timetable has been moved up this year, according to Korean publication Asiae.
According to its sources, the LG G3 will launch on May 17, compared to the G2, which was released in September. There's speculation that this is to counter the alleged Galaxy S5 launch in March.
The publication goes on to add that LG continues the one-upmanship by using a QHD (2,560 x 1,440) that's as big as 5.5". Both Samsung and Sony's upcoming flagships are rumored to have 5.2" QHD screens. To put things in perspective, 5.2" is the same size as the G2, while 5.5" is the screen size of the Galaxy Note II.
LG will allegedly unveil the Optimus G Pro 2 in late February at the MWC (the original was announced at the MWC too). The second generation phablet is said to have a 5.9" QHD screen.
Concrete details on other specs of either device are not known at the moment, but there's probably going to be a Snapdragon 80x chipset at their hearts (hopefully 805) and quite possibly an OIS camera. If the launches are indeed so close, we should be seeing leaks of near-final hardware soon, so we might not have to wait long.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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5.5" LG G3 to arrive May 17th, 5.9" G Pro 2 to start warming the bench next month, both with QHD displays

According to Korean media, the expected LG G3 flagship release date will be May 17th, and it will sport a QHD display (1440 x 2560 resolution). That shortens the typical annual upgrade cycle since the G2 a bit, but apparently LG doesn't want to leave much sales on the table to the Galaxy S5, like it did last year.


The screen diagonal is reported to be slightly larger than on the G2, to a speculated 5.5 inches, which would naturally mean quite the thin bezel all around, if LG wants to keep the overall size in check, too. Previous rumors pegged the rear camera to be 16 MP, probably with OIS tech, while the processor part rumor is more interesting, claiming LG's own Odin mobile chipset will be in there.


As for the alleged LG G Pro 2 phablet with QHD display that was supposed to be announced next month, this seems to be still in play, with a 5.9" screen diagonal bandied about, and unveiling around the MWC at the end of February, which would give LG a headstart before Samsung with QHD phones, warming up the bench until the G3 arrives three months after that.


source: Asiae.co.kr via G4Games

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Latest LG phone leak keeps hope alive for keyboard lovers

Smartphones with keyboards are increasingly rare, but LG must see some life left in the category -- @evleaks has just posted a leaked press shot and specs for the Optimus F3Q, a landscape slider reportedly headed to T-Mobile. While the image doesn't do much beyond confirm the five-row keyboard from an abstract imageseen last month, the rumored specs suggest that the F3Q won't be much different than its touch-only counterpart. It will supposedly ship with the F3's 4-inch WVGA display, dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon, 5-megapixel camera and 2,460mAh battery; it may even run Android 4.1. There's no mention of launch details in the leak, but the modest spec sheet hints that LG's QWERTY handset will get an entry-level price.

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Here are the first live pics of the LG G2 gold edition

LG just outed two new hues for its current flagship, the G2, providing chassis in red or gold, in addition to the black and white colors the handset came with. The golden G2 was already spotted on preorder in Taiwan, and now we have the first live pictures that show how it really looks like, apart from the puffed up renders.

As you can see, it has a textured back, which we couldn't tell from the renders, and the coloring is not all that flashy or tacky, making for a rather interesting handset in this hue. The price is said to be about $500 for the gold variant, and all that is left now is to check out the red LG G2 when it hits the shelves soon.

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LG G Flex's curved display may develop bumps. The company says these don't affect performance

LG G Flex is a unique piece of technology. Thanks to the curved, flexible 6-inch display used by LG, the new smartphone can be bent, only to regain its initial shape quickly after that. But is it exactly the same shape? According to Korea Times, small bumps can appear on the G Flex’s display, and LG was aware of this problem before launching the handset.

The photo on the left, showing two small bumps on the screen of a G Flex, was taken by Korea Times in a retail shop in Seoul. The publication quoted a local salesclerk who claimed that “all LG G Flex models” that he’d seen so far “came with small bumps.”

Furthermore, according to an official at the Korea Display Industry Association, LG “was rather hesitant in releasing its curved-screen smartphone, as it was previously aware of some technical problems. LG should have notified consumers ahead of the product launch.”

Fortunately, LG did provide a statement on the matter to Korea Times. Here it is:

“Because key components inside the G Flex such as the glass cover, OLED display, battery and frame are elastic, excessive or frequent force that flattens the device may produce bumps. The issue has no relation to the performance and quality of the device.”
Reportedly, LG also said that the bumps would disappear over time, but users who don’t want to wait can get rid of them “after pressing the problematic spot on the glass cover.”

When we reviewed the LG G Flex we didn’t spot any bumps on its display. Perhaps we didn’t bend it enough? In any case, the bumps don’t seem to be a problem that should worry users. Nevertheless, it’s good to hear LG clarifying things.

It’s said that more than 13,000 G Flex smartphones were sold in Korea until now (since November). The rather low number confirms the handset's niche status. Later this quarter, LG will release the G Flex in the US via AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, obviously hoping to... see a sales bump (hey, it's a nice word after all).

source: Korea Times

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Two new colors for the LG G2 officially announced by LG: Red and Gold

On Wednesday, Korean OEM LG officially announced two new limited edition colors for its Android flagship model. The LG G2 will now be available in red and gold. On Tuesday, we showed you a picture of the gold model that was seen in an online store, priced exactly the same as the black and white standard models. That works out to 14,900 TWD ($496) for the 16GB model, and 16,900 TWD ($562 USD) for the 32GB unit.

LG introduced the limited edition colors to celebrate the Chinese New Year holiday, which begins in two weeks. The red and gold colored LG G2 models do sport a different back than the one on the standard models. The red and gold units have a textured back cover, which makes it easier to maintain a grip on the phone and also helps keep fingerprints from accumulating.

In Singapore, the new red and gold models will cost $898 SGD and will be available starting January 18th from local telecom operators Starhub, SingTel and M1. While the Chinese New Year is not recognized as an official holiday in the states, perhaps LG will still make these colors available in the U.S.



The LG G2 has two new limited edition colors, gold and red

Thanks, Anonymous Tipster!

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LG Tab-Book 2 review

 

LG announced an updated Tab-Book, the Tab-Book 2 at CES, we were on hand to have a lengthy play at the company's stand to see what all the fuss is about.
First announced at CES 2013, this year's model is lighter and more powerful and comes with a new feature called Reader mode that dims the screen to let you read documents, books, and the web, without burning your eyes.
Designed to be a tablet with a slide out keyboard, the device is slightly cumbersome and complicated considering what it offers. The idea is that you press a button on the left hand side of the screen and "hey presto" the keyboard ejects itself out of nowhere like a bond villain would out of a DB7.
The hinge mechanism on the back works but looks all too easy to break, while the whole thing felt a little over balanced when we started to type. We weren't able to do any "lap typing" but we can't see this working too well without a solid perch to rest it on.

That said if you do have a desk, coffee table, or some other solid ground the keys are nicely laid out and because of the 11.6-inch screen not too tightly packed.
There is no trackpad, although you can add a mouse, or because this is Windows 8.1, just use the screen to control the mouse - there even seemed to be a transparent trackpad on screen to help you further. 
Surprisingly that keyboard doesn't had a huge amount to the overall thickness of the device - it's 16.7mm thick - but that combined with the break in the frame that you have to deal with isn't unnoticeable either.
In terms of the rest of the laptop come tablet, the HD IPS display is nice and bright and the Intel Core i5 processor enough to get most tasks done on the road although we didn't really have time to give it a proper test with anything other than a handful of pre-installed apps like Office. 

As for that Reader mode, again activated by another button this time on the right of the screen, it's all a bit strange.
It seems to have little effect other than making the screen dimmer and a little more opaque and yellow, although we could see in a dark room it might be helpful, but then why can't automatic brightness do that for you?
The LG Tab-Book 2 looks to be a bit confused as it tries to be a tablet and a laptop at the same time but comes away being a poor version of both. Had it been a tablet with a bolt-on keyboard or just a cheap and easy to use laptop it might have worked, but as it stands it's neither.
A full review might change our minds, but at the moment we left the stand in Las Vegas feeling confused. Too many compromises seems to have left the Tab-Book 2 muddled to say the least.

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LG Chromebase review

Laptops, LG, Desktop PCs, Chrome OS, CES2014, LG Chromebase

We've seen plenty of Chromebook laptops now from different manufacturers teaming up with Google, but LG has announced the first desktop PC powered by Chrome OS at CES and Pocket-lint paid a visit to the company's stand to check it out.
Called the LG Chromebase, it is a desktop computer with a 21.5-inch widescreen Full HD IPS display at 1,920-by-1,080-pixel resolution.
On the spec sheet side of things it features an Intel Celeron CPU processor, 2GB of memory, 16GB of iSSD, and a 1.3MP HD front-facing webcam with 720p HD capability.

That's not exactly a powerhouse of excitement, but then this is Chrome OS and that means you aren't really doing much aside from surfing and using web apps.
Around the back of the rather shiny white or black monitor-com-computer you'll find a HDMI-in port, three USB 2.0, one USB 3.0, and LAN, while bundled accessories range from keyboard and mouse to a cable organiser.
The keyboard and mouse are incredibly clunky and very retro looking in their design and we can just imagine some Shoreditch hipster wannabe thinking it's the best thing in the world ever.

All that said and done, like the Chromebooks that have gone before it, the Chromebase does exactly what it sets out to do, giving you a simple and effective way of using Google's services on a desktop without letting the Mac or Windows Operating systems, and the need to download software or apps, get in the way.

First impressions

In our play on the show stand the experience was pain free and simple. As we've said above the keyboard was a bit on the bulky and basic side, but it works.
LG has yet to set a price for the Chromebase, but we suspect, or at least hope, that it's cheap as chips. If you are happy to sit at a desk rather than with something on your lap - you'll get a bigger screen that way - and really like surfing the web, this should do the trick.
Just remember that the bigger screen size and desktop casing doesn't make it any more powerful than the web browser already on your regular computer.

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Mystery LG D830 to offer 13MP camera, 4K playback and slow motion capabilities

Earlier Sunday, we told you about the mysterious LG D830, a phone that scored highly on the HTML5Test benchmark site. Besides telling us the browser on the handset renders HTML5 pages very nicely, the benchmark test also alerted us to the fact that the unit is powered by Android 4.4. When the device first popped up in November, we saw it mentioned in a User Agent profile with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 (FHD), and the model was said to support LTE. 

Now, one of our loyal readers has sent us another User Agent profile showing that the LG D830 will be offering a 13MP snapper with the capability for 2160p playback. By the way, that is the same as 4K. You might also notice the support for 120fps, which is slow motion playback.

As we pointed out in November, and again Sunday, the LG D830 model number is close to the Nexus 5 (LG D820/821) and the LG G2 (LG D802) to think about this as a new flagship model, perhaps the LG G3.

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