How would you change LG’s Optimus Vu?

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LG's Optimus Vu is a 5-inch smartphone with a stylus that was designed to go toe-to-toe with the Galaxy Note and win. Unfortunately, it was unfriendly in your hand, had a miserable stylus and, worst of all, ran Gingerbread on dated hardware. When we reviewed it, we gave it very short shrift indeed, but what about the few of you who disregarded our advice and bought one anyway? Have the last six months been a pleasure, or would you steer clear of this hardware? Let us know in the comments below.

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PSA: LG Optimus G Pro now available at AT&T

LG Optimus G Pro

American fans of giant smartphones haven't lately had the giant selection of devices to match, but AT&T can at last offer a little diversity: the LG Optimus G Pro is now on sale at the carrier's online and retail stores. For $200 on contract or $550 contract-free, US residents can get a 5.5-inch flagship that's about as full-featured as its Korean sibling, minus the spare battery. Just be aware of the timing before picking one up. While we doubt that AT&T plans on selling a lot of G Pros as Mother's Day gifts, we're sure at least a few moms would gladly take a quad-core Android powerhouse in lieu of flowers.

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Source: AT&T

LG Optimus G Pro for AT&T: what’s different?

LG Optimus G Pro for AT&T what's different

Two Galaxy Notes and two Optimus Vus later, LG's ready to tackle the giant-sized smartphone niche, this time without the category's defining accessory: a stylus. The Optimus G Pro, part of the company's performance line, was a surprise when we first laid eyes and hands on it: it's a 5.5-inch embodiment of lessons learned, not just from LG's past endeavors, but also from Samsung's. That the device would ever make it out of South Korea and into the US was an uncertainty. And by entering the market now, the G Pro risks coming off as a stopgap between the Note II and III, as well as LG's own flagship G line.

Yet, LG found a way. It paired with AT&T to bring the G Pro, with its Snapdragon 600 processor and 1080p display, to the States as an exclusive. For $199 on a two-year plan, subscribers get an attractive package: LTE, NFC, 32GB of storage (expandable by up to 64GB via microSDXC), a gargantuan 3,140mAh battery and dual 2.1MP / 13MP cameras with the option for dual-recording. So, aided by some competitive pricing and top-shelf specifications, the G Pro reads on paper like a boss. But the window for that dominance is short. So while we wait for Samsung to attempt a three-peat in the category it created (a Note III could debut by summer's end), let's examine the G Pro and its 15 minutes of fame.

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Unknown LG Optimus with 1080p display and Snapdragon 800 spotted on Sprint’s website

Is Sprint going to carry a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 equipped Optimus G Pro

LG's flagship Optimus G Pro, due to launch on AT&T on May 10th, might just make its way to Sprint later this year -- and possibly with an upgraded processor. A User Agent Profile on Sprint's website reveals a 1080p, Android 4.2.2 handset called the LS980, which lines up with AT&T's model number (E980) and also corroborates an earlier listing at the Bluetooth SIG. Curiously, the UAP mentions Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 800 ("M8974"), in contrast to the existing G Pro's Snapdragon 600 processor. Then again, there's only so much you can tell about future products from XML files like these. It could be an upgraded Sprint G Pro variant, but the reference to a totally new chip has us (and Android Police) thinking it could also be a full-fledged Optimus G sequel, which has already been rumored and possibly leaked. Either way, it's nice to see evidence of a top-tier phone maker using this cutting edge Snapdragon, especially after the comedy of ZTE's Grand Memo.

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Via: Android Police

Source: Sprint, Bluetooth SIG

Mystery LG smartphone spied with no front buttons

Mystery LG smartphone spied with no front buttons

Hello, what's this? While many of us were out enjoying the spring weather, @evleaks was busy posting photos of an unknown LG smartphone that, if real, represents a notable shift in the Korean company's design language. The device shares the Nexus 4's slightly curvy outline and lack of front-facing hardware buttons, but appears to have a taller screen, a new speaker grille and a different sensor layout. It's not very likely to be part of the Nexus program with that conspicuous LG logo at the front, but there are few other clues as to where it would fit in LG's phone family -- is it an Optimus G sequel, an Optimus LTE2 follow-up, or something entirely fresh? We may well see more of this mystery hardware in the near future, though, and there's already a close-up of the top bezel to be found after the break.

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Source: @Evleaks (Facebook), (Twitter)

LG Optimus G Pro for AT&T hands-on (video)

LG Optimus G Pro for AT&T handson videoEarlier today, AT&T made the Optimus G Pro official as an exclusive on its network, giving subs an alternative to that other 5.5-inch handset, the Galaxy Note II. To LG and AT&T's credit, the G Pro's remained mostly unchanged in its transition to the US market, retaining the same 1080p HD IPS display, 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB RAM, 2.1-megapixel / 13-megapixel rear camera setup and 3,140mAh battery of the Korean-only model. The only major changes to the handset's internals are in its LTE bands, made to now run on AT&T's network, and inbuilt wireless charging. Oh and it still doesn't feature a stylus, but you'll hardly miss it.

Fans of the glossy white G Pro we reviewed back in March will be disappointed to know that the AT&T variant will only ship in black -- at the carrier's specific request. That restrictive color choice and the carrier's familiar globe on back thankfully appear to be the only two intrusions AT&T's made to the G Pro. It still evokes a sense of solid craftsmanship, despite the overall use of plastics. And, given that it's just slightly more compact width-wise than the GNote II, the G Pro actually feels better in the hand and doesn't confer a sense of instability or slipperiness so often encountered with Samsung's same-sized smartphone.

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AT&T gets official with LG Optimus G Pro, available May 10th for $200 on-contract

We've already seen this one leaked and detailed -- and reviewed the non-AT&T variant ourselves -- but the carrier's now finally gotten official with its latest high-end smartphone: the LG Optimus G Pro. If this is the first you're seeing of it, though, you're looking at a phone with a 5.5-inch, 1920 x 1080 IPS display (which translates to 400ppi), along with a 13-megapixel camera (2.1 megapixel front-facing), LTE connectivity, a 3,140 mAh battery, 32GB of storage and Android 4.1.2 with some of LG's customizations. As we noted in our review, that puts it up squarely against the Samsung Galaxy Note II, although LG's decided to forego the stylus here. Look for this one to be available (exclusively on AT&T, incidentally) starting May 10th for $199.99 on the usual two-year contract.

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LG Optimus F5 mid-range LTE smartphone hits France April 29, global dispersion to follow

LG Optimus F5 midrange LTE smartphone hits France April 29, global dispersion to follow

LG's F-series handsets may not be in the same class an HTC One or GS4, but we can't help but appreciate the solid specs and LTE-goodness baked into these mid-range devices. Following a debut alongside its F7 sibling at MWC, the F5 will begin trickling out to French retailers on April 29th. While there's no mention of US availability -- despite a recent leak pegging it for Verizon -- we do know LG will soon be pushing it out to parts of Asia and Central / South America. Aimed at markets new to LTE, the smartphone packs a beefy 2,150mAh battery, 5-megapixel camera, 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a 4.3-inch screen for showing off LG's skinned version of Android 4.1.2. If you're curious to give LTE a go and this looks like a winner, you'll find the full press release after the break.

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How would you change LG’s Optimus 4X HD?

LG Optimus 4X HD review runnerup to the quadcore throne

Last year, LG went on a campaign to rebuild its reputation as a smartphone maker that could play with the big boys. When we reviewed the Optimus 4X HD, we found that it deserved to be spoken in the same breath as the One X and Galaxy S III, and probably caught the attention of some folks over at Google. Many of you bought this handset, so the age-old question we'd like to ask is simple. What did you like, what did you loathe and if you were LG, what would you have changed?

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LG’s 5-inch Optimus G Pro launches in Japan

LG's 5-inch Optimus G Pro launches in Japan

South Korea gave the Optimus G Pro a reasonably warm reception after debuting, and now LG's hoping to pull off a similar victory in Japan. Those in the Land of the Rising Sun can now pick up the smartphone from NTT DoCoMo. Though the handset bears the same name as its Korean counterpart, it forgoes a 5.5-inch 1080p display for a smaller 5-inch screen with the same resolution. In case you're in need of a refresher, the hardware runs Jelly Bean 4.1.2 on a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 Processor and 2GB of RAM flanked by a 3,000mAh battery, 13-megapixel rear shooter, 2.1-megapixel front-facing cam, 32GB of built-in memory and a microSD slot. LG still hasn't pinned down just when in Q2 the phone will launch in North America, but with a Japanese release behind it, a US arrival shouldn't be far off.

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Source: LG Newsroom Korea (translated)