— May 16th, 2012 by Andrew Boxall
Following on from yesterday’s announcement that the Optimus 4X HD would be released in June, LG has issued a press release covering the latest version of its Android user interface, named Optimus UI 3.0.
Most manufacturers who make Android phones place their own user interface, or “skin,” over the top of Google’s operating system, primarily to set their phone apart from the competition. HTC has HTC Sense, Samsung uses TouchWiz and Motorola has MotoBlur.
LG’s UI has always been one of the more subtle skins, and version 3.0 promises to be equally as simple, whilst remaining as unobtrusive as possible. This is very important, as not everyone likes an Android phone with a manufacturer skin all over the top, hence the popularity of Google’s own Nexus devices, which run a “clean” version of Android.
So what can we expect from Optimus UI 3.0? New features include an easier unlock method, where a swipe across the screen is all it will take, or the option to use Pattern Lock, where using a preset gesture unlocks the phone and instantly opens an app of your choice.
The camera will gain voice activation and a burst mode, just like the new Galaxy S III, and owners will be able to customize the look of icons and shortcuts by using images of their choice.
To make the transition over to a smartphone easier for those coming from a feature phone, the Optimus UI 3.0 will have a special mode where the most important, everyday apps will be gathered together in one place. This should make the pages of apps an Android phone can often have a bit less daunting.
Finally, a feature seen on the Optimus Vu tablet/smartphone hybrid called Quick Memo has been built into the Optimus UI, and it allows notes and messages to be jotted on the screen, then saved or shared through email or a social network.
Lucky Koreans will see Optimus UI 3.0 first on the Optimus LTE 2, set for release this week, while the new UI will make its European debut on the Optimus 4X HD next month.
No Comments »Tags – LG Optimus 4X HD, LG Optimus UI 3.0
Category – Mobile News
— May 15th, 2012 by Andrew Boxall
LG has announced that its first quad-core Android smartphone, the Optimus 4X HD, will go on sale in the UK next month; and it’s not a minute too soon.
The phone was unveiled during Mobile World Congress at the beginning of March, and was at the time the world’s first quad-core phone. However it has been beaten on the the shelves by the HTC One X, and by the end of this month, it’ll be beaten by the Samsung Galaxy S III too.
The rivalry between Samsung and LG runs deep, and LG will be doing everything it can to get the Optimus 4X HD on sale as close to the Galaxy S III’s May 30 release date as possible.
It’s an exciting phone too, as it’s powered by a the same Nvidia 1.5Ghz Tegra 3 processor as the One X, plus 1GB of RAM to keep everything running smoothly. A similarly massive 4.7-inch True HD LCD touchscreen, with a 720p resolution, dominates the front of the handset.
Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is the operating system of choice, and in addition to LG’s own skin over the top, it comes with several new software features including a note-taking system called Quick Memo, and Media Plex, which adds gesture controls and other tweaks to the video player.
Other features include an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, DLNA connectivity, 16GB of internal memory, GPS, Wi-Fi and a 2140mAh battery, all wrapped up in a chassis that measures just 8.9mm thick.
The Optimus 4X HD has the potential to be a huge success for LG, and you’ll be able to buy yours next month, although LG has yet to confirm the actual day and date it will go on sale.
No Comments »Tags – android 4.0 ice cream sandwich, LG Optimus 4X HD, samsung Galaxy S III, UK release date
Category – Mobile News
— May 14th, 2012 by Andrew Boxall
HTC is gearing up to replace its popular entry-level Android smartphone, the Wildfire S, with a new model which according to a leak, will be named the HTC Desire C.
Previously leaked under the name of both the HTC Golf and HTC Wildfire C, Vodafone Portugal has included a photo and the specifications of the new phone in its latest catalogue, despite the device still being unofficial.
Still, Vodafone’s mistake is our gain, as we now know almost everything about the new phone. Its design is very similar to the Wildfire S, however the camera lens has been repositioned to the centre of the rear panel, which now appears to be a one-piece design too. Look carefully and you can also spot Beats Audio branding, which promises superior audio performance from the little phone.
The features correspond with previous rumours, so we can expect a 3.5-inch touchscreen with a 320 x 480 pixel resolution, a 600Mhz processor, a 5-megapixel camera, 4GB of internal memory and GPS.
While that spec may not match up to the headline-grabbing abilities of the HTC One X, the Desire C is firmly aimed at smartphone newcomers, or younger buyers who can’t afford a top-of-the-range £500 model.
The good news is that the Desire C is set to run Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, something that many other, more expensive phones from late last year still don’t offer.
HTC hasn’t announced the Desire C yet, but with this being the latest in a succession of leaks, plus the Wildfire S having just hit its one year anniversary, it probably won’t be long until that changes.
No Comments »Tags – desire C, features, HTC, leak, pictures, wildfire c, wildfire s
Category – Mobile News
— May 11th, 2012 by Andrew Boxall
A new Windows Phone device has been announced by Samsung. Named the Omnia M, it joins the existing Omnia W and Omnia 7 handsets, although it could replace the latter model in the range.
It runs Windows Phone 7.5 Mango and has a 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with the usual 480 x 800 Windows Phone resolution. Inside is a 1Ghz processor and 384MB of RAM.
This puts it marginally ahead of low-memory phones such as the Nokia Lumia 610, but behind upper range handsets with 512MB, such as the Omnia W.
There’s a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with a flash on the rear of the phone, plus a VGA video call lens around the front. Other features include Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS and a 1500mAh battery.
Like other mid-range Windows Phones, the Omnia M has a mere 4GB of internal memory, and there’s no microSD card slot with which to expand this either.
Design-wise, it’s a little iPhone 3G/3GS, with a curved rear panel, a central Windows button and a thin slot for the speaker. At 119 grams and 10.5mm thick, it’s thin and light enough to disappear in a bag or pocket.
Samsung has a selection of dedicated applications available for its Windows Phones including ChatON, the cross-platform messaging service, and Family Story, where messages, photos and videos are stored in the cloud ready for viewing on any connected Samsung device.
Pricing has yet to be confirmed, as has the exact release date, but Samsung say it’s destined for all European markets.
No Comments »Tags – samsung omnia m, windows phone 7
Category – Mobile News
— May 10th, 2012 by Andrew Boxall
Research in Motion has announced a new version of the BlackBerry Curve, this time wearing the model number 9320. It’s the latest in a long line of mid-level Curve phones, with several key updates and a handful of interesting new features.
The new 9320 is a 3G Curve, and replaces the 9300 from 2010, as it doesn’t quite meet the specification of the more recent 9350. The screen remains a 2.5-inch LCD, and it has an optical trackpad and QWERTY keyboard below it; so design-wise, not much has changed.
It has got a little slimmer though, and now measures 12.7mm thick, while weight is an entirely acceptable 103 grams. Inside is an 804Mhz processor along with 512MB RAM, a considerable improvement over its predecessor, and reason alone to upgrade.
A 3.2 megapixel camera with an LED flash sits on the rear of the handset, and other features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, a microSD card slot, GPS and a digital compass. Various social networking apps, including Twitter and Facebook, will come pre-installed.
Thankfully, the operating system has been updated to BlackBerry OS 7.1, and as RIM realise a great many owners use BlackBerry Messenger a lot, they’ve added a dedicated key on the side of the phone for quick access. Another, user-programmable, key sits alongside it too.
T-Mobile, Three and O2 have all announced they’ll be carrying the new Curve 9320, and it has appeared on their websites already, so it should be available to purchase as you read this. An approximate SIM-free price of £140 is expected.
The announcement of the new Curve comes just a week after BlackBerry World, where the company’s CEO Thorsten Heins talked about BlackBerry 10, the new operating system expected to make its debut later this year.
No Comments »Tags – blackberry, Curve 9320, research in motion, RIM
Category – Mobile News
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