If there’s one thing that defines the phablet, it’s not hand portability — what’s on the market usually demands something of a stretch. Pantech wants to keep our grip at leastslightly in check through its imminent Vega R3. The Android phone’s 5.3-inch, IPS-based LCD isn’t what we’d call modest, but it’s framed by an extra-thin bezel that Pantech claims is still comfortable in one hand. The R3 will be powerful, no matter how you hold it. It touts the same quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro we just saw in the LG Optimus G along with 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera and a 2,600mAh battery that can top up 100 minutes. South Koreans can pick up the Vega R3 from one of their three major carriers on September 25th. Sadly, we’re not expecting an American variant of the design given an emphasis on cheaper and smaller Pantech models in the US.
The upcoming ASUS Padfone 2 has been making its way to headlines this past week, and today we have a leak reportedly sharing its full spec sheet. After seeing some leaked benchmarks, yesterday ASUS sent out invitations for their official unveil, but today we might know all the details a bit early.
While we can’t fully confirm what we are looking at, according to Mobile01 Forum this is the box for the Padfone 2, calling the post “Padfone 2 specs revealed.” The details on the box shown in the image above seem to mirror many of the rumors as of late, including the recently leaked benchmark. The Padfone part 2 is looking quite nice.
If the leak is to be believed, the Padfone 2 will be sporting a 4.7-inch 1280x720p HD display although the box confusingly says both Super AMOLED and IPS+, but it can’t be both. Then the brand new quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro will be under the hood, along with 2GB of RAM, and an impressive 13 megapixel camera. Sounds like the LG Optimus G if you ask us. The specs however, are all about the phone and not the accompanying tablet.
Other specs include a HSPA+ model, 4G LTE (in select regions) and a decently sized 2,140 mAh battery for the smartphone. It’s also being listed as just 9mm thin, so it should be a bit lighter and thinner than the original Padfone. Either way we’ll learn all the details on October 16th in Milan and Taipei as ASUS unveils the new Padfone 2.
Yesterday, I was at the LG Optimus G launch event in Seoul and I could briefly play with a unit and post a hands -on. This morning, the LG flagship smartphone was launched in the US at a press conference in New-York.
I finally got the time to shoot additional photos of the Optimus G white version, which is the model I prefer. So far, I am really impressed by the unit I played with, the unibody design is sleek and elegant, with a great build quality that encloses powerful performance.
LG is pushing hard its software differentiation by emphasizing its “unique user experience”, which is supported by a set of custom user interface features. Some people are not really fan of Google mobile OS customization since it increases the fragmentation of the Android ecosystem, however, I found LG innovations very interesting, pleasing to the eyes and practical.
See the demo video above, another one is available in the full post with a detailed explanation. More information about the Optimus G in the full post.
When it comes to LG’s latest flagship, it appears there can be no shortage ofofficial announcements. So, while the news from overseas may not be quite so fresh, there’s certainly nothing stale about the Optimus G. Today the company held a second celebration in honor of its powerhouse — the first to pack Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro: a quad-core SoC clocked at 1.5GHz. Buffered by a heaping 2GB RAM and an Adreno 320 GPU this absolutely beastly device is officially coming to American shores in the fourth quarter of this year. The 4.7-inch phone may ship with some slightly different specs, depending on carrier, but they’ll still find a home for the 1280 x 768 True HD, in-cell, IPS display. There’s no specifics about carriers or pricing as yet, but we’ll let you know when we do.
Update: Hit the break for LG’s Optimus G PR video.
LG has just officially announced their all new Optimus G superphone in Korea complete with a brand new 4.7-inch TrueHD IPS+ display and a powerful quad-core processor that is the first of its kind. The first thing that came to our mind was how the Galaxy S III, HTC One X, and others will fair against this new beast so lets break it down.
Since the LG Optimus G is the newest to join the pack lets take a loot at its specs first. LG’s calling this smartphone their new flagship device full of “groundbreaking features.” They’ve improved their display technology that brings the TrueHD IPS+ 1280 x 768 resolution 4.7-inch display closer to the glass for an in your face vivid and colorful experience, and added Qualcomm’s latest and greatest 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro for absolute power. This is the first device powered by Qualcomm’s new S4 Pro “krait” processor and we have high hopes for it considering how well it performed on the developer tablet.
LG’s tossed in 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a massive 13 megapixel camera on the rear for what they’re claiming will be the best smartphone camera in the world. Just reading off that initial spec list this smartphone is clearly near the top spot. On the back is a unique battery cover with LG’s own patented Crystal Reflection process, which gives a 3D illusion that makes it a beauty to hold — according to LG. This covers the 2,100 mAh battery under the hood that will be powering Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
So how does this fair against the competition? Pretty darn good. Nothing can compete with this except for the Samsung Galaxy S III and maybe, just maybe the HTC One X. The original dual-core S4 processor held its own against the Tegra 3-touting HTC One X and it’s 4.7-inch SLCD display — so it’s safe to say this quad-core version should outpace the One X in all areas. Add in the thinner design, larger battery, and better camera on the Optimus G there really isn’t a need for discussion.
So that leaves us with the Galaxy S III, the current flagship and talk of the Android atmosphere — if you don’t count the Galaxy Note II. This is where things get a little interesting because the Galaxy S III competes with or beats the Optimus G in all hardware areas except the camera. Samsung’s flagship phone rocks their own in-house Exynos 4 Quad 1.4 GHz processor that performs extremely well, while their US Galaxy S III is powered by Qualcomm’s 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4. The Optimus G has that same Snapdragon S4 only its been doubled and is the quad-core Pro version. This makes for truly a one-of-a-kind smartphone with unparalleled power.
The Galaxy S III has a slightly larger 4.8-inch (1280x720p) resolution display while LG’s is 4.7-inches and offers a slightly higher pixel density coming in at 1280×768. Samsung’s AMOLED tech has always looked great but so does LG’s IPS+ displays with stunning viewing angles and deep, rich colors. It’s tough to really say what is best or will continue to be the best at the moment especially with Samsung already having a clear lead in the market with 20 million sales strong. Until we get more time with the all new LG Optimus G we’ll have to leave it to you guys to decide and debate.
Do you own the Galaxy S III or HTC One X, or have you been waiting for the next level of smartphones to arrive — like the LG Optimus G?
A device to be proud of, that’s what LG hopes the Optimus G can be, and it has thrown the works at the new Android flagship to achieve it. LG has long stood in the shadow of fellow South Korean firm Samsung, but the Optimus G is a showcase of the company’s own abilities in design and component manufacture. Just as Samsung does with its Galaxy flagships, piecing together the best parts of its supply chain, LG has crafted its own tour de force.
It’s hard to fault the hardware, certainly. The 4.7-inch True HD IPS+ display, offering 1280 x 768 WXGA resolution, is bright, vividly colorful, and contrast-rich, a solid alternative to Super AMOLED Plus. The in-cell touchscreen technology leaves graphics floating right beneath your fingertip, and the whole thing is responsive and swift. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro helps here; LG may not have its own chipset, but the new 1.5GHz processor at the heart of the Optimus G is a hugely capable one. LG has sensibly paired it with 2GB of RAM and at least 32GB of storage.
There are a few obvious blots on the scoresheet, however. Ice Cream Sandwich is better than Gingerbread, certainly, but it’s not Android 4.1 Jelly Bean; the absence of the latest OS is unlikely to pacify those who have been stung by late or entirely absent software upgrades on previous LG phones. At least it runs with no real noticeable lag on the S4 Pro, though it does miss out on Google’s latest Project Butter improvements to UI performance.
It’s hard not to be a least a little impressed by the overall Optimus G package, though. It’s a handsome phone, and while the shifting, refracting rear glass effect may not be to everyone’s taste, it’s certainly leagues ahead of the dull black plastic of some earlier high-end LG devices. It certainly raises the bar for future PRADA collaborations, with the designer phone now feeling somewhat fussy in comparison.
In the hand, it’s surprisingly compact given the size of the display. LG has managed to edge ahead of the Galaxy S III in terms of thickness, coming in at 8.45mm versus the Samsung’s 8.6mm, but more usefully it’s a slightly narrower, shorter device, which makes for something more comfortable to hold and easier to fit into a pocket. The Optimus G feels solid, too, and flex-free despite the slimline profile.
LG still has plenty to prove with the Optimus G, and it won’t be able to do all that on launch day. Delivering consistent software improvements is an integral part of the Android experience now, and LG needs to prove that it can deliver on that rather than leave its new flagship behind. We’ll have more on the LG Optimus G in our full review.
We’re in Seoul for the launch of LG’s latest flagship smartphone, the Optimus G, and we finally managed to spend a few minutes with a demo unit. This is a powerhouse — the first handset built around Qualcomm’s 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro. It features LTE, a 4.7-inch 1280×768 True HD IPS PLUS display, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of built-in storage, a 13-megapixel autofocus camera, a sealed 2100mAh battery, and NFC.
We like the simple and elegant design, which is reminiscent of LG’s Chocolate and Prada models — it’s thin (8.45mm / 0.33 inches) and reasonably light for its size (145g / 5.11oz). The front sports a glass surface with three capacitive buttons and the back showcases the company’s Crystal Reflection process — an attractive patterned glass-like finish that’s a bit of a fingerprint magnet. Materials and build quality are excellent (better than the Galaxy S III) and the Optimus G feels pleasant in hand.
You’ll find a volume rocker and micro-SIM slot on the left edge and the power / lock key on the right. There’s a notification light next to the 1.3MP front-facing camera. A standard headphone jack sits on the top side, with the micro-USB / MHL connector on the bottom. The speaker and main camera are in the back, pretty much where you’d expect them. While the display is definitely high quality, it’s not mind blowing (the One X screen still looks better) — we expected better viewing angles from LG’s True HD IPS PLUS and Zerogap Touch technologies.
Sadly, we didn’t spend much time using the software, but the Optimus G runs Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with a skin similar to what we saw on the Optimus 4X HD and performance is definitely impressive. We’ll get more seat time with LG’s flagship over the next few days, so stay tuned for more impressions. In the meantime, enjoy our gallery below and our hands-on video after the break.
It’s official! Today in Seoul LG is announcing its latest flagship smartphone, the Optimus G. The 8.45mm (0.33-inch) thin handset — which has been rumored for weeks — packs Qualcomm’s Fusion 3 chipset which pairs a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC (APQ8064) with a 2G / 3G / LTE radio (MDM9615). It features 2GB of DDR RAM and a 4.7-inch 1280×768 (320ppi) True HD IPS PLUS display with Zerogap Touch (in-cell touch) technology. A sealed 2100mAh Li-polymer battery rated for 800 charge cycles powers this Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) device. The rear camera sports a 13-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor with 1.1µm pixels, an f/2.4 autofocus lens and a single LED flash — along with a more pedestrian 1.3MP shooter in front. There’s 32GB of built-in flash storage, but no microSD card slot. Other specs include WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, NFC and MHL.
Aesthetically, the Optimus G marries LG’s Chocolate and Prada design-languages into a sleek 145g (5.11oz) unibody smartphone. The front is all glass with three capacitive buttons while the back indroduces the company’s Crystal Reflection process which gives the handset “the ability to display different patterns depending on the viewing angle and lighting“. LG’s placing a lot of emphasis on how the user experience benefits from the Optimus G’s quad-core Krait CPU and Adreno 320 GPU — something it calls “cross-tasking”. This includes capabilties like QSlide Function, Live Zooming, Dual Screen Dual Play, QuickMemo, Screen Zooming, Application Link and Icon Personalizer, plus camera funtionality such as Time Catch Shot, Cheese Shutter, Smart Shutter and Low Light Shot Noise Reduction — all of which are detailed for your reading pleasure in the PR after the break.
Update: Unsubsidized pricing will be 999,900 KRW ($895 USD) when the Optimus G ships in Korea next week. That’s pretty steep, even for an unlocked device.
Not sure how this slipped under our radar, but recently Oppo Mobile CEO Chen Mingyong teased that his upcoming flagship phone, the Find 5, will again feature a non-removable but “certainly big enough” battery (for the sake of anti-counterfeiting and, consequently, safety) as well as a 1080p, 441ppi display. That’s right, 441ppi! We’re finally getting a phone with a display that’s impossibly sharper than the 326ppi on the latest iPhones (up to 4-inch, 1,136 x 640), the 331ppi on the Nokia Lumia 920 (4.5-inch, 1,280 x 768) or even the 342ppi on the Sony Xperia acro S and the Xiaomi Phone 2 (4.3-inch, 1,280 x 720).
Assuming Chen’s talking about a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, a quick calculation based on these two numbers would give us a 5-inch screen size, which matches what LG Display announced back in May. Taking into account that a reliable source of ours got to see HTC’s 5-inch 6435LVW phablet recently, this would make the Find 5 unofficially the second device to receive the same full HD panel. Still, there’s a significant difference inside these two phones: Chen had previously mentioned that the Find 5 will be joining the quad-core APQ8064 party, while the HTC device appears to sport the dual-core, LTE-enabled MSM8960. Speaking of which, the same source informed us that much like the Flyer, HTC’s 6435LVW will also feature N-trig stylus technology. Will Oppo follow in the same footsteps? And will it bring back the slide-out keyboard à la Find X903 (pictured above)? Go on, Mr. Chen, tell us more.
The next-generation LG Optimus G has been shown off once again before its full launch which will almost certainly be taking place extremely soon – here in a video spot from Korea. This video advertisement shows the device being worked with and played with by a set of happy customers and appears to fit rather well in their hands as they make use of its ultra-powerful processor. Inside you’ll find the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor we’ve had a peek at just weeks ago and up front you’ll be jamming with a massive 4.7-inch display.
This device works with 1280 x 768 True HD IPS+ across its 4.7-inch screen and will be popping up with 2GB of RAM under the hood. LG is bringing the fire this time around with a styling not unlike the LG Intuition with its rubbery back and simple black outline but brings with it a smartphone-sized experience. Qualcomm will be holding this device up as a hero as well as it’s the first to be coming to the market with its 1.5GHz quad-core architecture.
This device’s advertisement video spot shows off how the device works with 4G LTE and an ultra-powerful camera, likely 8 megapixels or larger. What we’ve heard thus far on the camera front as a possibility is a 13-megapixel shooter on the back, but we’ll know the full truth only when the device is officially unveiled! For now we’ve only to watch and enjoy the device as a fun experience without specification confirmation.
Check the timeline below to see more information on the LG Optimus G before it pops up in full motion soon and very soon!
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