Hasta La Gadget!

As the leaves turn to gold and flutter from the trees, the Engadget team digs out their scarves and mittens to get ready for the mad rush of phone launches that take place ahead of the holiday season. We’ve seen big devices (both large and high-profile ones) enter the world over the last few months, including new heavyweights from Apple and Google. Then there’s Samsung, Nokia and HTC, which are all following the philosophy that bigger is better.

But it’s not just on the hardware side that things are getting exciting. T-Mobile’s eliminated roaming charges and Verizon is doubling its LTE speeds to a whopping 80 Mbps. AT&T is offering customers a $5 daily pass for internet and is making mobile share plans the standard rather than the exception. Of course, if you’d prefer unlimited data, Sprint is promising that its Spark LTE will beat the field — but it’s currently only available in NYC, LA, Chicago, Tampa and Miami. Whether you’re looking for a smartphone right now, or if you’re contract is about to expire, this is your guide to the best ones on the market.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Google, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, LG, Blackberry, T-Mobile

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LG makes a wide variety of products, from home appliances to TVs and smartphones. However, local media reports coming in from Korea suggest that the company feels it may be more successful in the TV business as opposed to smartphones. The report cites sources who claim that LG is moving its focus from smartphones to its TV business as it believes that the latter will be more beneficial in the short term.

While it is said that LG will not reduce research and development investment in the smartphone division, it may reduce the division’s workforce, this according to industry sources cited in the report. They say that the company doesn’t believe smartphones don’t hold any value, its just that it sees its short term success in the TV business. Its not that LG isn’t capable of producing a good smartphone, one that can perform well in the market. LG G2 is a prime example, the device was very well received and it has performed relatively well in the market. LG has not officially commented on this report, so a grain of salt is advised nonetheless. Even if the company wants to focus more on TVs from now on and less on smartphones, hopefully its upcoming television sets won’t be caught spying on viewers.

LG Reportedly Shifting Focus From Smartphones To TVs original content from Ubergizmo.

Sprint customers are in for a treat this month. The carrier has launched a number of popular Android devices. This time around, it also got the new Nexus smartphone. That’s right, the new Nexus 5 is available from Sprint now. Apart from that particular device, Sprint has also launched the LG G2, Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 as well as the Galaxy S4 Mini. Current and prospective Sprint subscribers have a lot to choose from now.

The Nexus 5 and G2 are made by the same manufacturer, LG. The G2 is priced $199.99 with a two year contract, it has a 5.2 inch full HD display, a 2.3GHz quadcore Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB RAM, 13 megapixel rear camera, 32GB onboard storage and a 3,000mAh battery. Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 is also priced $199.99, it has a gigantic 6.3 inch display, a 1.7GHz dualcore processor with 1.5GB of RAM, 8 megapixel camera, 16GB onboard storage and a 3,200mAh battery. Last but not the least, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is priced $99.99 with a two year contract, it has a 4.3 inch qHD display, 1.7GHz dualcore processor, 1.5GB RAM, 8 megapixel camera, 16GB onboard storage and a 1,900mAh battery. Sprint sweetens the deal a bit more for subscribers switching over from other carriers, its knocking off $100 of the price of these smartphones. Which means that the LG G2 and Galaxy Mega 6.3 will cost those customers $99.99 whereas the Galaxy S4 Mini will be free on contract.

Sprint Launches LG G2, Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 And Galaxy S4 Mini original content from Ubergizmo.

One of the drawbacks to developing for Android devices is that you have a ton of devices that you need to make your app compatible with, assuming you’re trying to reach as broad an audience as possible. Due to the different hardware, such as different chipsets, this might not necessarily be possible for smaller developers who do not have access to the different devices to test their apps with. The good news is that LG is looking to do their part with their Device Loaner Program which was announced last week during LG’s Android Developer’s VIP event.

Basically what this program does is that LG will loan developers their latest smartphone, the LG G2, for a good 30 days in which the developers will be able to use the device for testing and development purposes. The device will be free to loan and all developers will have to pay is the shipping back to LG once the 30-day period is up, or when they are done with the phone. Presumably LG will charge the developers a fee if there are any damages done to the phone, but other than that it does sound like a pretty decent program. Additional LG devices that developers will be able to choose from includes the LG Optimus G and the LG Optimus G Pro.

LG Launches Device Loaner Program With The LG G2 original content from Ubergizmo.

We reported last week that a truck containing 22,500 LG G2 handsets bound for Sprint was stolen from a truck stop in Gary, Indiana. The theft took place when the truck driver pulled over for a bathroom break, upon returning he found out that the truck was gone. Kentucky State Police announced today that they have arrested a man for allegedly stealing the handsets, the haul is said to be worth $12 million.

Kentucky State Police arrested a man named Juan Perez Gonzalez after he crashed his tractor trailer into a utility pole, the trailer was loaded with the stolen goods. Police says that they were contacted by the FBI last week, and that they had information about the theft that had taken place in Gary, Indiana. Gonzalez was arrested in Metro Louisville after he crashed the tractor trailer. He was charged with recovery of stolen property, leaving the scene of an accident and theft by unlawful taking. Local media reports indicate that Gonzalez is out on bail. Police says that the investigation into the theft of LG G2 smartphones bound for Sprint will continue, and that it could reveal a “number of people that are involved,” though its not sure right now just how organized this theft was.

Police Recovers Stolen LG G2 Handsets Worth $12 Million original content from Ubergizmo.