Yesterday, LG released its first teaser for a new smartphone. The first thing we notice about this phone is its unusual screen. Basically it has added an additional smaller screen on top of the regular one.
Take a look at the teaser:
This feature had however, been leaked earlier in September, but this teaser confirms its existence. The leak showed the additional ticker next to the front dual cameras, and above the regular screen. This feature however, give the phone an asymmetrical look when turned off.
Nothing more has been revealed in the teaser about the new LG smartphone’s specs. However, @evleaks had previously leaked that the handset could possible arrive with a 5.7 inch QHD screen, powered by the Snapdragon 808, with an internal storage of 64GB with a micro SD card and a 3GB of RAM. It’s primary camera is expected to be a 16MP one along with a 5MP front camera.
This unnamed LG device is scheduled to be unveiled on the 1st of October, 2015.
Leaks ruin the element of surprise. With leaks you get to know mostly everything about a device that is yet to be launched. We have been bringing you rumours of the upcoming Nexus smartphones for a while now with the last one being the design of Huawei’s Nexus 6P. So, continuing with the trend, we now have images released by Android Police that reveal the design of LG’s Nexus 5X.
LG’s smartphone looks a lot more appealing than Huawei’s. While the Nexus 6P appears to have a big black bar casing for the camera, the smaller 5X has gone with a simpler look for the back with a fingerprint scanner just below the rounded camera bump. The camera and fingerprint scanner appear to be of the same size which provides a nice balance. The front of the Nexus 5X looks similar to the 6P phablet with two grilles on the front for speakers.
The 5X is expected to have a 5.2-inch 1080p screen with 423 ppi pixel density and a 1.8GHz Quallcomm Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor, with 2 GB of RAM. According to the Amazon listing the smartphone will also come with a 12.3MP primary camera and a 5MP front-facing camera and is expected to be priced at Rs. 23,940. Amazon also revealed that the smartphone will be available in three colour variants – Charcoal Black, Quartz White and Ice Blue.
With the Google event less than a week away, we pretty much have everything we need to know about both the Nexus smartphones. Now we just have to wait for the official release of the devices on the 29th of September in San Francisco.
New rumours about LG suggest that it is going to launch a phone called the V10 with a “ticker” display above the main screen. A ticker display is basically one in which information is scrolled across the top or bottom of a screen. This kind of display setting has previously been used on Samsung’s Continuum Galaxy S Verizon variant.
This has been leaked by Evan Blass and reveals that this new phone, that is, the V10 will have a 5.7-inch 2,560 x 1,440 screen, Snapdragon 808 CPU, 3GB memory, 16 megapixel rear/5 megapixel front cameras, expandable memory and a back fingerprint scanner.
The phone also is said to have a removable-looking plastic back and a metal frame. Further rumours also suggest that it could come with a dual SIM. There is no further information, and nothing has been officially confirmed.
We’re not sure what LG will put on the ticker — perhaps some kind of launcher like Samsung uses on the curved sides of the Galaxy Note Edge. While the phone has a removable-looking plastic back, the frame itself appears to be metal, according to the Tenaa photos (which have since been pulled). Provided all this info is correct, we should see the handset imminently, given that it’s cleared the regulatory hurdle. With the dual-sim setup shown in the Tenaa listing, there’s no guarantee it’ll come to North America or Europe.
If reports are to be believed, Google has a tentative event lined up for September 29th in San Francisco. The event would mark the launch of two new Nexus smartphones equipped with Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Nexus 6 in 2014
While one phone will be built by LG, the other is going to be a Huawei phone. The LG phone is going to be an upgraded version of the 5.2-inch Nexus 5 but smaller in size at around 4.7 inches. The Huawei phone, on the other hand, will be a tad bigger at 5.7 inches. Rear-mounted fingerprint sensors and USB Type-C ports are two other interesting features to look forward to.
Android loyalists all over the world have touted Nexus phones as Google “flagships” gadgets for the latest Android software, viewing it as a version free from the eventual tweaking and meddling by different companies in the tech world. The phones therefore can be expected to be free from any third-party interferences, inevitably making them more in demand by the developers and by people looking for the fastest Android updates directly from Google.
Faster processors, more RAM, Force Touch control, and better front and rear cameras are some of the other features to get you excited about these new smartphones. The only uncertain aspect so far is the price. It would be interesting to see how it positions itself in a market with competitively priced phones already by companies like Motorola, ZTE, Huawei and Alcatel.
After announcing the LG G Pad 2 8.0 in South Korea, exclusively, fans were left disappointed with the below average specs like the Snapdragon 210 processor and 1.5GB of RAM. However, LG hasn’t given up and has now come up with a tablet with meatier hardware; The G Pad II 10.1.
It has a 1920×1200 screen which is a dampener but the rest of the specs are commendable. The Snapdragon 800 albeit slightly old, is powerful and 2GB of RAM for Android 5.1.1 is sufficient. It also has 16 GB of storage and a microSD card. The tablet comes in two colours; Brilliant Bronze (you can decide how brilliant it is for yourselves) and a Purple. It is powered by a 7400mAh battery with a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. The extras from the 8.0 version don’t seem to have been retained.
The G Pad II 10.1 will also come with Microsoft Office pre-loaded and 100GB of free storage on Microsoft’s OneDrive system. It also has a feature called the ‘reader mode’ that dims the blue light of the screen, along with a multi-window mode.
The company did not mention the price of the Wi-Fi and LTE models but did state that the table will be available in North America, Europe, and Asia. LG will show us the tablet at IFA Berlin that takes place in the first week of September so stay tuned for more updates.
We mentioned earlier that LG may come out with a smartphone that caters to that sect of customers that still appreciate the good old flip phones. Well, now it’s official. LG has launched a flip phone called the Wine Smart that will cater to a global audience.
“Our goal with LG Wine Smart was to create a smartphone that fans of flip phones could embrace. Consumers shouldn’t have to miss out on the smartphone revolution because they prefer a particular phone design over another. With LG Wine Smart, they won’t have to.”
This phone will not just release in its home market, South Korea, but also in select nations like France, Italy, Poland, Spain and Japan, followed by other regions. The pricing and availability of this phone is yet to be announced by the company and will be done at the time of launch.
LG Wine Smart has the same features as the LG Gentle as shown in the picture above
The Wine Smart is a sort of upgrade to the previous LG Gentle and it is also better compared to the phone that the Korean company released last year, under the same name. The company stated:
“Thanks to the positive response to the original Wine Smart introduced in Korea last year, LG optimised the latest model with more advanced multimedia features to make the transition from feature phone to smartphone as seamless as possible.”
Specifications wise, the new LG Wine Smart has the same features and specs as that of the LG Gentle that had released last month. The LG Wine Smart smartphone features a single 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 320×480 pixels. This means it doesn’t have the front half screen that most flip phones are spotted with. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and the flip phone is powered by a 1.1GHz quad-core processor alongside 1GB of RAM. It also has 4GB of inbuilt storage along with an expandable storage via microSD card.
The phone sports a 3-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, while also including a 0.3-megapixel front camera. It has a removable battery of 1700mAh. Apart from 4G LTE, the LG Wine Smart includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Micro-USB, and 3G connectivity options. It measures 117.7×58.7×16.6mm and weighs 143 grams.
What one can look forward to is the fact that the Wine Smart will come in two colours; Wine (Burgundy) and Navy Blue. The second thing that might either strike you or put you off, in an era of touch screens is that the flip phone features a T9 keyboard that will bring back good memories or perhaps frustrating ones. Lastly, the phone sports a leather-like finish on the rear panel.
The LG Nexus for 2015 has been talked about, ever since since rumours suggested that it would look as stylish as the Nexus 5 and would be priced lower than the Nexus 6.
Amidst many leaks, the most recent one is that of an LG Nexus 2015 case cover, that shows what the phone could look like from different angles, while also showcasing the thickness as well as the orientation of the buttons. These pictures suggest that the new Nexus might feature a single-sided array of buttons along the right edge of the device. Some of the ports seems to include a headphone jack along the bottom and a charging port also at the bottom, that seems to look like a USB Type- C.
The case also features a cutout for a rear facing camera and a flash module. However, it is also rumoured, that the lower circle cutout could be a fingerprint reader.
With these promising leaks, the LG Nexus 2015 is looking to be another winner Nexus smartphone. Let us know what you think of the device so far.
All of us remember the Motorola Razr, which was all the rage back in 2005. It has since been taken over by other new slick phones such as the new age touchscreen android and iOS devices. But, Samsung and LG are back with the same design, perhaps to pinch the nostalgia within us.
On the 27th of July 2015, LG announced the Gentle, a flip phone that runs the latest Android 5.1 Lollipop. Following this Samsung, today, launched a flip phone called the Clamshell smartphone. Both phones have been released in South Korea and will be exclusively sold in Korea until further notice.
The LG gentle is a 4G LTE- equipped phone, has a 3.2-inch (480 x 320 resolution) display, 1.1GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 3-megapixel camera and 4GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card). It runs Android apps, in whatever limited capacity, and its 1,700mAh battery is likely to last for days since the phone doesn’t devour power from tons of pixels and 3D games.
The Samsung Clamshell on the other hand has an 8GB storage, 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera, a 3.80-inch display and a battery capacity of 1800mAh. However, the Galaxy folder comes with a single touchscreen.
As of now we still do not know which Android version the Samsung phone runs with, neither do we know about the processor type or RAM. But from whatever has been revealed, it seems like a grade above the LG Gentle.
The flip phones were discontinued previously, perhaps because it could not keep up with the increasing needs of the modern day society, and was henceforth taken over by the smartphone which provided us big touchscreens that are easier to use, have better cameras, can connect to the full Internet and feature lots of apps.
So, do you think the re-launch of this design is practical? Let us know, in the comments below.
LG has released a new mid-range phone aimed at selfie enthusiasts, the LG Max, in India at a price of Rs. 10,990. Successor to last year’s LG L Bello smartphone, the LG Max features a larger display and a more powerful selfie camera than its predecessor. LG has launched the Max in India ahead of Europe and the CIS. However, judging by the specs, it doesn’t look like a winner.
The LG Max boasts of a 5.0-inch FWVGA display with 854 x 480 resolution. The phone uses a 1.3GHz Quad-Core chipset with 1GB RAM. The phone has a storage capacity of 8GB with MicroSD support. It runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and is powered by a 2,540mAh removable battery. It supports 3G and is a dual-SIM phone.
The LG Max comes with features like Gesture Shot and Selfie Flash that makes it easy to click selfies. Gesture Shot enables users to take selfies without pressing any buttons by simply opening and closing the palm in front of the camera and Selfie Flash turns the phone’s display into a soft flash for portraits.
At this range, LG Max can be easily beaten by Yu Yureka and Lenovo K3 Note, which possess better specs than it. If LG says that the phone is specially manufactured for selfie enthusiasts, then the phone has to prove that its image processing software is good.
After launching the LG G4 Stylus yesterday, LG has released another variant called the LG G4 Beat. The new phone is the latest in the G4 line-up after the G4 Stylus and G4c. With this phone, it seems LG is trying to imitate Samsung’s successful Galaxy series, which offers a wide range of affordable and premium phones.
Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics said
Too often, mid-tier phones sacrifice overall usability in order to include that one killer feature. Our goal with the LG G4 Beat was to create a phone that was not only well- balanced in terms of display, camera, performance and design but delivered terrific value and satisfaction.
The G4 Beat sports a 5.2-inch full HD IPS LCD display with 423 ppi. The phone is powered by a 1.5GHz Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM. The internal storage of 8GB can be expanded, allowing you to store more images, music and videos. The G4 Beat will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0.
The phone will sport an 8MP rear camera and a 5 MP front camera. For some reasons, LG has decided to include a 13 MP rear camera in the G4 Beat for select Latin America countries. A 2,300mAh removable battery will power the phone. As far as connectivity is concerned, the phone supports LTE, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC.
LG has not disclosed any pricing for the G4 Beat, which is expected to be launched first in countries like France, Germany and Brazil followed by Canada, India, Russia, Singapore, South Africa and Turkey, among others.
Specification
LG G4 Beat
Display
5.2-inch full HD IPS LCD display
Resolution
1920 x 1080 pixels, 423 ppi
Chipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset
Processor
1.5GHz octa-core processor
RAM
1.5 GB
Storage
8GB
Rear Camera
8 MP Laser Autofocus, LED Flash, 13 MP in select Latin America countries
A few days ago, we did a post on how Google’s Nexus 6 is back on Flipkart and has undergone a massive price cut for its 32GB and 64GB variants. Yes, the earlier Flipkart pricing for the 32 GB and 64 GB variants of the Nexus 6 were at Rs. 44,000 and Rs. 49,000 respectively. Now, both of them received a cut of Rs 10,000, thus lowering down the price of the 32GB variant to Rs 34,999 and 64GB to Rs 39,999. Now, new reports have emerged that after months of speculation about with whom will Google team up with for its next Nexus device, it seems that LG could be the one to build the next, temporarily named, Nexus 5 2015.
According to Android Pit, rather than basing the Nexus 5 2015 on the LG G4, LG will be creating the new handset from the scratch. The device would sport a 5.2-inch screen display, six-core Snapdragon 808 processor by Qualcomm, and 2,700 mAh battery pack, according to the rumours. It may also come in 64 GB and 128 GB variants and have a 16-megapixel rear camera and a five-megapixel wide-angle camera in front.
It is likely that Google teamed up with LG to make the next Nexus device because Nexus 5 made by LG was quite popular in comparison to the Nexus 6 made by Motorola. However, for now, neither Google nor LG has confirmed the news. Also, Google’s next mobile OS, Android M is set for an August release date. Hence, details regarding how many Nexus devices are going to be released and who would be building them will be out really soon.
The company’s flagship tablet Nexus 9 will continue to run for another cycle which implies that there will be no new addition to the tablet series, as of now.
Unveiled back in April, the latest flagship from LG’s stable, LG G4, is finally out in India today. As scheduled, the Korean electronics maker today released the premium handset in the country, while pre-bookings have already kicked off on the LG India website. The handset is available with a price tag of Rs. 51,500.
We got a chance to get our hands on the device and here’s our first experience:
The LG G4 looks premium with its leather-clad backplate. It serves a dual purpose – the smartphone looks amazing, and at the same time it provides a better grip. The leatherback is resistant to water, to help prevent staining and to allow it to wear naturally over time.
The G4 features a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS LCD display (2560x1440p resolution) that uses quantum dot technology. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
LG hasn’t provided touch capacitive buttons on the botton, instead they are on the screen itself. The company says that it is a first on the phone and results in higher brightness and contrast.
At the bottom of the handset is a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone hole and a charging port. The top has a secondary noise cancellation microphone and an IR (Infrared Blaster). Surprisingly, there aren’t any buttons on either the left or the right-hand side. The back boasts the massive camera, power button as well as the volume rockers.
The processor fitted on the device is a 1.8GHz Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with Adreno 418 GPU. LG says that the Snapdragon 808 churns out power similar to Samsung’s octa-core Exynos chip.
With 3GB RAM, the internal storage space of the G4 is 32GB, which can be expanded via a MicroSD card up to 2TB. As teased, the smartphone runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop.
One of the most highlighted features of the device is its powerful camera. It boasts a 16MP camera with f/1.8 aperture (widest aperture on any smartphone camera) equipped with Optical Image Stabilization 2.0, color spectrum sensor, and Laser Auto Focus functionality.
The camera on the phone offers a manual operation mode which brings in a variety of options like exposure, white balance, color temperature, ISO, aperture, RAW mode and many more. The front facing camera is 8MP also with f/1.8 aperture. The handset is powered by a removable 3,000 mAh battery.
SPECIFICATION
LG G4
Display
5.5-inch Quad HD LCD display 2560 x 1440 resolution
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 with X10 LTE
RAM
3GB
Primary Camera
16MP
Front Camera
8MP
Storage
32GB
Expandable Up to
2 TB
Battery
3,000 mAh
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0
Bluetooth
4.1 LE (APT-x)
In terms of connectivity, it comes with Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, A-GPS, Glonass, NFC and HDMI SlimPort (4K).
Buyers of the handset will get 100GB of free space on Google Drive for two years. The phone will be available in four colour options – Black, Blue, Yellow, Beige. The back plates of the phone are carved out of leather and will come in multiple shades.
Soon after LG announced the global roll out of LG G4 yesterday, the Korea-based firm came up with yet another announcement that may entice LG followers. The consumer electronics manufacturer made official two new smartphones, G4 Stylus and G4c, expanding the G4 line-up with low-budget devices. Both the handsets borrow some of the features and looks of the newest LG flagship.
Talking about the G4 Stylus first, the device features a bigger 5.7-inch HD IPS display with 258ppi pixel density. As the name suggests, the handset is accompanied by a versatile Rubberdium Stylus, allowing for easy note taking and drawing on the generously-sized screen. The device comes in two variants, LTE and 3G, both embedding different chipsets. The LTE version comes with a 1.2GHz Quad-Core chipset, while a 1.4GHz Octa-Core chipset is stuffed in the other. It has 1GB RAM, 8GB ROM and holds support for a MicroSD card. Google’s latest Android 5.0 Lollipop runs on the device.
Coming to the optics, the rear camera of LTE is 13MP and that of 3G variant is 8MP. The front shooter of both the models are same at 5MP. A 3,000mAh removable battery is fitted at its back. Other features include Laser Auto Focus, Gesture Shot, Glance View, and Knock Code. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, A-GPS, Glonass and USB 2.0. It will be available in two colour choices – Metallic Silver and Floral White.
The second device, LG G4c, is a smaller sibling of the G4. The display size of this model is a 5.0-inch HD IPS with 294ppi pixel density. It is an LTE only model, equipped with a 1.2GHz Quad-Core chipset. Memory specifications include 1GB RAM and 8GM ROM, along with MicroSD card support. Just like the G4 Stylus, it also runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop.
The camera specs of the model stands identical to the 3G model of LG G4 Stylus. The rear camera is 8MP, and the secondary snapper is 5MP. The 2,540mAh battery is sufficient to keep the device running for a full day. Additional features comprise of Gesture Shot, Glance View, and Knock Code. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, A-GPS, Glonass and USB 2.0. Customers can choose from Metallic Gray, Ceramic White, and Shiny Gold colour options.
The company hasn’t spoke about the price and availability of both the handsets as yet. Prices and participating carriers will be announced locally at the time of availability. Both the handsets are scheduled to launch in key strategic markets in weeks to come.
Since Apple has released its Apple Watch successfully, many companies like Samsung, Timex, etc. are coming out with their versions of smart watches. LG does not seem far behind in the trend of creating smartwatches. The South Korean manufacturer raised its bar with the revelation of the G Watch R. Later, the company unveiled yet another smartwatch called the LG Watch Urbane. A fusion of style and technology, this watch is for both men and women.
According to NDTV Gadgets, India will be only receiving the WiFi variant of the watch, not the LTE version. As of now, there are no official statements given by the company, although it is expected this week.
Other than this, the LG Watch Urbane boasts of a 1.3-inch circular P-OLED (320x320p resolution) display, just like the G Watch R. Its bezels are narrow, which gives it a more elegant and classy look. The device is driven by 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset paired with 512 MB RAM. The Watch Urbane can hold data in the 4GB inbuilt memory and runs on Android Wear. The 410mAh battery of the smartwatch can be a bit disappointing and one has to charge it time and again to keep it going. The Watch Urbane packs Gyro, Accelerometer, Compass, Barometer and a heart rate sensor.
LG has priced the fashionable smartwatch at $349 (Rs. 22,000 approx). It is available in two variants, silver and gold but there is a nip to it; currently the watch is only available in the US and the sales begin from May 8. We don’t have an official confirmation about the watch’s arrival in India, but it is expected to launch sometime in end May.
The Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech, shared his vision to make the country a technology hub. He hopes for an India where government services can be delivered through the creation of technological infrastructure. Giving a push to his Make in India campaign, Modi will sit down with top officials of the two leading tech powerhouses, LG and Samsung, to set up a manufacturing unit in India. The establishment of their manufacturing plants will stimulate the production of smartphones in India.
Minister of Communication and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad, confirmed about the meeting with the South Korean companies, saying, “Earlier, I had personally met senior executives of these companies and we expect something concrete now.” Modi will have a talk with Samsung Electronics’ President and Head, JK Shin and LG’s Global CEO and Vice-Chairman, Bon-Joon Koo. LG India’s Managing Director stamped the ties to some extent stating Modi’s visit will enhance bilateral ties.
How LG and Samsung’s Participation will Make a Difference
LG and Samsung are the two front runners in the smartphone race whose products are appreciated worldwide. Not to forget, these firms have a strong foothold in the smartphones domain as well as the semi-conductors arena. Samsung manufactures Exynos chips equipped on the Galaxy S6 series, and if the company sets up a plant on the Indian soil, smartphones will become a lot cheaper than their current launch price.
For now, only 74% of the Indians own a mobile and considering the large size of the Indian population, there is still a massive number of people who are yet to own mobiles. Modi aims to reach that 26% residing in the rural area with cheaper phones produced on our homeland. He aims to connect India through its length and width by 2019. The Prime Minister has sanctioned Rs. 113,000 crore fund for the Digital India project.
Investment in technological infrastructure will lead to a speedy growth in the economy. It will also help in bringing better, technology-aided education to the children of India, thereby forging a promising future of the country.
