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LG G3 New Rumors About Release Date And Specs

There have been many rumors concerning the new smartphone from LG, the LG G3 but this time is seems it’s official: the G3 will be released somewhere around late June, early July. This will be the most anticipated follow-up to the previous LG phone, the LG G2.

The Korean tech giant wanted to launch the device in August but new reports say that they decided to push the date up for early summer. An LG official said that they decided not to release the G3 in August because that would have been too late “based on the current market conditions.”

The LG G3 will feature 2k resolution, more specifically 2560×1440, which has been previously rumored. The G3 will come packed with a Qualcomm Adreno 330 and it might feature a Snapdragon 801 processor. The new smartphone is thicker than the previous G2 model. The new G3 also includes a flatter and more colorful Android UI.

If you still remember, in December 2013 a Korean news source announced that the G3 will be the first smartphone that will feature a Quad HD panel. Another source stated that the screen size could be huge: 5.9 inches.

In March there was a rumor that LG was working on new custom intelligent software features for the G3. These new features might take advantage of the Google Now abilities and add some extra learning capabilities, adapting the new smartphone to the way we personally use it. These features are supposed to make the phone more personal and us more productive.

Supposedly the LG G3 will have a 1440p screen and it will be powered by an octa-cora processor of 2.2ghz. This means that it would be different than the G2 which uses a Snapdragon 800 processor. It is not certain yet what octa-core the new G3 will use. Some claim that it might feature the MediaTek MT6595 and the Odin chipset. They probably won’t use the MediaTek true octa-core because it is considered a cheaper alternative to Qualcomm’s chips.

LG has put a 13 mp camera on their G Pro 2 and G2 smartphones and some believe that they will do the same with the G3. There is a photo of a cat leaked on the internet and it’s said to have been taken with the new LG G3 smartphone camera.

LG G3 smartphone – release date

As we said, the new smartphone from LG might be available on the market at the beginning of summer, June or July.

Android 4.4 KitKat coming on LG G2 sometime in Q1 2014

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LG has given its first announcement on the LG G2 software, revealing that Android 4.4 KitKat will be available on the current flagship before the end of Q1 2014. Currently the LG G2 runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the second iteration of the Jelly Bean OS.

The LG G2 launched on August 2013 and has not had any major firmware updates. LG did not seem to be willing to jump onto Android 4.3, skipping the update entirely and for a while it looked like the LG G2 would not get Android 4.4 KitKat either.

Android 4.3 was mainly changes to Bluetooth and other back-end changes, but it did have some new front end features for users. Android 4.4 is a more collective update, but Google has made this out for all low-end devices, making sure it can be optimised for devices with just 512MB of RAM.

We are not surprised the LG G2 will get this update, Samsung and HTC have announced their plans to update top-end devices to Android 4.4 and if LG didn’t follow suit they may lose a few buyers, especially long term buyers who may worry about grabbing another LG device.

The question is will the LG G2 get any long term updates, the smartphone has only been out for six months and this is the first scheduled update, but LG have been pretty poor when it comes to supporting their high-end devices for more than a year.

Google will probably announce the next update to their OS in April at Google I/O 2014, we wonder if LG will latch onto this update for the LG G2 or if Android 4.4 KitKat is the last update we will see on the current flagship.

Considering the LG G3 may be announced before Google I/O, we really would be cautious if you are looking to have the LG G2 for more than two years. The phone may be an ace on the battery life right now, but if Android 4.4 KitKat is the last update, it may be a little rendudant next year.

LG G2 Mini with 4.7-inch display set to come in January

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Android trends are amusing and the latest is the “mini” version of a flagship device, started by Samsung, we now have HTC, Sony and ZTE making smaller versions of their top device with cheaper internals and a cheaper price tag.

The LG G2 may be the next to have a “mini” device alongside it, as the South Korean company looks to push out their brand further in January. The mini version will not be so small however, reports say the LG G2 Mini will come with a 4.7-inch display.

LG does not have a huge portfolio of creativity, most of the time the company likes to follow the trend and it seems to be mini smartphones at the moment. The LG G Flex is the first big creative thing they have done in the mobile world, with a flexible display and self-healing back.

The report says the LG G2 Mini will make its way to CES in Las Vegas on January next year, around the same time most vendors will launch their new flagships, just six months after the previous flagship launch.

We are not sure if we will see the LG G3 released around this time as well – it wouldn’t make a huge deal of sense to release the LG G2 Mini at the same event. Perhaps LG will wait until the early summer before releasing the LG G3, the next step in the “G” line.

The most exciting bit of the report is the LG G2 Mini will not have a lot of specifications changed and will come with a Snapdragon 800 CPU, 1080p display and LTE. The same idea taken from Sony’s Xperia Z1 f, their smaller smartphone with the same internals.

Techblog.gr reported on the LG G2 Mini, while there is no real evidence to say this is true, the blog has had a lot of success predicting new smartphones in the past few months.

Verizon Wireless offering LG G2 for free on two-year deal

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LG has yet to disclose information about sales on the LG G2, but if the price drops are anything to go by we would say the smartphone isn’t doing too well, despite the vast amount of odd advertisement LG is placing on YouTube and TV showing the new LG G2 features.

Verizon Wireless has dropped the biggest bombshell, announcing the LG G2 will be available for free on a two-year deal until November 11. This means there is only three days to grab the deal and would be a great buy for anyone wanting a new Android device.

The LG G2 is already available at Amazon and other retailers for $99 on a two-year deal, a step down from the $199 price they were offering just a few months ago. We could point a weak demand as a source for these constant price drops, the same thing is happening with the Moto X and Xperia Z1.

While the LG G2 may be cheap, is it good compared to other smartphones – reviewers gave the phone some solid scores and the battery life has been touted as the industry standard, around two days before having to put it back on charge.

The problem is where the LG G2 tries and differs from the competition, adding new features that aren’t exactly needed in the name of “innovation” – the back buttons are the main physical feature and even though they are slightly easier to reach, the user is more likely to accidentally press the buttons.

Software is also a major drawback of the LG G2 and for the vast amount of consumers who do not know how to root or add different launchers to the mobile device, they are stuck with a rather poorly designed user interface, filled with features nobody will ever want to use.

Set it against the competition at the same price, the Moto X, Nexus 5, Xperia Z1 and other Android smartphones, we would say you have some better options depending on your preferences.

LG G2 and Moto X both $99 on Amazon US

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Smartphone prices are continuing to rise but two newish smartphones in the US have dropped in price on Amazon, from their once high $199 on contract price in the US, the Moto X and LG G2 are both $99 on contact.

Most smartphones (especially iPhones) do not drop in price on contract until the new model is available and carriers like to make sure their prices are competitive with what is on offer elsewhere, making sure nobody drops below the normal price.

The Moto X has always been received as a smartphone a bit to expensive for its internals, with many hoping for an off contract $349 smartphone, they were a little disappointed when Motorola announced it was $199 on contract.

AT&T is now selling the Moto X on Amazon for $99 and it can be picked up even cheaper on Wirefly with Sprint for only $79 on contract. This is an excellent bargain for anyone wanting a almost-stock Android experience with extras.

As for the LG G2, it is on contract with Verizon Wireless for only $99 on both Wirefly and Amazon. This is insanely good for a smartphone just released a few weeks ago, but there are some issues with the LG G2 to contend.

One if the user interface, LG still needs a lot of work in the software and services arena when competing with natural Android and iOS. The company also has weird buttons and not very well designed externals, although inside the LG G2 is a beast.

Both smartphones suit different consumers and both are high-end, at the $99 price tag, it is pretty impressive and may be the possible path to more phones coming out with lower prices in the near future, though we wouldn’t tell you to hold your breath.

Leaker retracts on statements about the LG D820, could be Nexus 5

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Notable leaker evleaks has retracted his statement a few days ago, when he said the LG D820 was just an LG G2 variant. The leaker has been known to get a few things wrong in past leaks, but normally news from his Twitter account is solid.

The LG D820 does have similarities to the LG G2, especially when it comes to internals that match completely. The difference, which some other tech enthusiasts pointed out, was in the dimensions between the two smartphones.

With Evleaks retracting his statement, it seems the LG D820 may be the new Nexus 5. Google and LG have apparently struck up another partnership with the smartphone and now LG will offer a larger experience, similar to the LG G2.

Inside the LG D820 will be the all too familiar quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 7-band LTE, dual-band WiFi and a pretty small 2,400mAh battery. The design is said to be similar to the LG G2, with an official Google video showing an unnamed device.

The FCC filing did say it was coming to the US with different LTE bands meeting the requirements for AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. No word on Verizon Wireless, although we may see another variant come through the FCC soon.

Google will launch the phone on the Google Play store without a contract, as they have done in the past with Nexus devices. The smartphone should be the same price as the Nexus 4, even with the bump in specs and new design.

We may see some carrier editions come out, T-Mobile decided to release the carrier version of the Nexus 4, although we cannot see this being a popular move that brought a lot of traction. Perhaps if the LG Nexus 5 is more expensive, more carriers will adopt the phone on a subsidised contract.

LG G2 launching on three major US carriers in September

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When LG launched the new flagship, the LG G2, they said it would be coming to four major carriers in the US and 130 carriers worldwide, leading us to believe it would be a fast launch process.

This has not been the case, almost a month later LG has still not released the smartphone in any markets, but we now have official dates from three of the four major carriers in the US: Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile.

Carrier Release Dates

Verizon Wireless will be getting the LG G2 first on September 12, for $199 on a two year contract. With the Verizon Wireless version, stickers are placed on both the front and back of the smartphone, looking a little tatty.

AT&T will get the LG G2 next a day later on September 13, for $199 on a two year contract. Users can also grab the smartphone for $27 a month on AT&T Next. AT&T will be accepting online purchases as soon as tomorrow, on September 6.

T-Mobile will have the LG G2 in stock a week later, on September 18. Retailers will start selling the LG G2 on September 25, but it will be in stock on T-Mobile’s online store on September 18. Users can get the LG G2 on $99 down payment, with $21 a month for two years to pay off the smartphone, with the end price about $610 for the smartphone.

Silent Sprint

No word from Sprint about the LG G2 yet, we hope to see it on their carrier service before the end of September. As for international launches of the LG G2, a leaked Three UK memo showed the LG G2 would be in stock on October 1, about two weeks after the US release.

Just in case you forgot, the LG G2 is packing a 5.2-inch 1080p LCD display, 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU, 2GB of RAM, 13MP rear camera and the back buttons. LG will also be adding their new UI to the LG G2, with some new features with ridiculous names.

Source

LG G2 officially unveiled at the New York City event

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LG has officially announced the LG G2 at their New York City event today, marking the end of the Optimus line and the start of the G line. Apart from constantly saying the company is “learning from you” the event was quick and LG revealed a few new features we didn’t already know.

Inside the LG G2 there is a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB storage options, 3,000mAh battery capable of running a full day, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi and LTE-advanced. It is worth noting LG said a small amount of RAM was closed off for gaming apps, to make them run faster.

The design of the phone is incredible, we really love the 5.2-inch full HD IPS display and looks even better with the almost bezel-less design. The smartphone front is almost all screen and we really find the idea of back-buttons quirky. There is one physical back-button and two volume buttons, the volume buttons also work as quick openers for the camera and QuickMemo.

The LG G2 has a 13MP OIS camera and they say it is the best on the market, whether the user is taking low-light images or incredible mountain panoramas. LG showed a small demonstration of the phones capability to keep the image stable when the user is shaking, beating the competition.

Moving onto sound, LG said the LG G2 would play better music than a CD player could, touting HiFi “studio quality sound” on the device. This is a big, bold claim by LG G2 and one we would love to see actually work. Studio sound is 192k 24bit and is very hard to remake on a smartphone, hopefully this is not a bluff.

The “fifth innovation” on LG G2 is the user experience and the company rolled out a new suite of applications for making the user get from A to B quicker on the smartphone, here is a list of the new features:

KnockOn – User taps the phone when asleep to wake it up and skip the lockscreen.
AnswerMe – User puts phone to ear when receiving an incoming call, the phone recognises the user and automatically accepts the call.
TextLink – When the user gets a text, they can tap on the text to open a select few apps that they may want to use. For instance, when setting a meeting, the user would jump from text to calendar with details syncing.
Plug & Pop – When a user plugs in headphones on the phone, an apps tray appears with applications the user may want to use while listening on headphones.
Guest Mode – If the user has a passcode on the LG G2, an unauthorised user can write G on the pattern lock to get onto the phone as a guest, but will not be able to access most of the content.

LG did not announce the price but did say it will be coming to all four major carriers in the US, those are AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. They also said the phone would be coming to international carriers soon.

We believe the phone will be released shortly by the carriers in the US, hopefully before the end of August. It should come at $199 on a two-year contract, as most premium devices do nowadays.

Leaked LG G2 manual shows removable battery, nanoSIM and more

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LG is trying to hold off leaks for their new flagship device, the LG G2, until August 7 when they release the new smartphone at a New York City event, which we expect to be big, loud and quite odd, like any Samsung convention.

French tech site NoWhereElse wants to spoil the big reveal however, with a new leak showing the LG G2 manual, containing some spoilers on what features are coming to the new device.

It should be noted NoWhereElse has leaked a few big tech news stories in the past and the leaks have been accurate. They are definitely one of the biggest tech sites for leaks in France.

LG G2 features

We did hope the back panel on the LG G2 would be for touchscreen/fingerprint use, but it seems they will be physical buttons for on/off and volume control. This is still exciting, but it shows LG has failed, like Samsung with the Galaxy Note 3, on getting a fingerprint scanner on a mass market phone.

This means the LG G2 may lose a few inches on the sides, in replace for a little bit of extrusion on the back of the device. Like the Lumia 1020, with the back sensor leaning out the phone a little, it will be a minor problem for some users who love flat surfaces on the phone, but not a big issue.

The LG G2 will be the first smartphone from the South Korean manufacturer to include the nanoSIM, used on the iPhone 5 and Moto X. Nano is much smaller than normal SIMs but has not been widely adopted, with Apple being the only vendor until Motorola to actually utilise the smaller technology.

Surprisingly, even with the back buttons, the LG G2 will have a removable back and removable battery. The 2610mAh battery is impressive and we suspect it will hold up for a day, but there is better on the market for power users. Charging will be done through microUSB and there is a microSD card slot for expandable storage.

Other Features We Know

Apart from this new manual, there have been several leaks on the LG G2 specs and features. This is set to be a powerhouse smartphone, with a 30k AnTuTu benchmark score, it cripples all devices on the market right now.

It all starts with the 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800, the latest high-end processor from Qualcomm. We also may see the first 3GB RAM stick in a smartphone, with 16 – 64GB storage options.

The LG G2 will be a big phone, we are not sure how big, although recent leaks seem to point in the direction of 5.2-inches, with a 108p IPS screen. Hopefully this is true, it would be torture to see another high-contrast AMOLED screen.

Price and worldwide availability are still not known, we expect it to be priced at $199 on contract in the US and it is rumoured LG is pushing the phone to over 100 carriers in the first three months.

Google Nexus 5 Release Date to be Soon after LG Optimus G2 with Similar Features?

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Nexus 4 is believed to be one of the best as well as the most acclaimed smartphone to have been released by the search giant Google. In spite of its affordable cost and great, stylish design, the device is coming off its age and finding it difficult to make a mark among the other biggies in the run. We have already seen Samsung and HTC refresh their smartphone lineup, while Apple is in the process of doing so. Nokia recently launched the Lumia 1020 while LG is all set to launch its flagship device, the G2 in just a few weeks. So when do we expect to come across the release date of new Nexus 5 device? Well the writing is perhaps on the wall if only we care to see it.

Carphone Warehouse doesn’t have the Nexus 4 on its lists anymore in their online store. The web page dedicated to the device doesn’t exist any longer. This could mean two things, firstly there might be some trouble on the retailer’s web page or secondly, Carphone Warehouse might have stopped selling the said device. As this phenomenon has been taking place for quite some time now, one can expect that the device won’t be coming back.

Another telltale sign could be the impending launch of the LG G2 itself. LG had manufactured the Nexus 4 and is one device that shares a lot of commonality with the LG Optimus G launched last year. That’s not all since both the smartphones were also launched at around the same time. Now while LG is in the process of coming up with the new gen LG G2 device (rumored release date of LG Optimus G2 on August 7), experts opine that the Nexus 5 couldn’t be far off either. More so since its LG again that is being associated with the manufacturing of the next Nexus smartphone.

Further, the next Nexus 5 could also be seen having a similar build as the G2. The LG G2 is built around the Snapdragon 800 chip and though this is the only aspect that has been confirmed, the other tech bits that are being associated with the new G2 include 2 GB to 3GB of RAM, a 5.2 inch full HD IPS display, 2,700 mAh battery along with a 13 mp primary camera with optical image stabilization.

One can only expect form the current turn of events that the Nexus 5 might be on its way soon. And if you wish to know what it would be like, the G2 can be the answer.