Tag Archives: OptimusGPro

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

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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)

LG celebrates 500k Optimus G Pro sales in its home country

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LG celebrates 500k Optimus G Pro sales in its home country

We haven't even had the chance to see the 5.5-inch Optimus G Pro available outside Korea, but LG is already claiming a sales record. The latest supersized phone notched 10,000 orders at launch, leading to half a million sold just 40 days after its launch and ahead of its coming April update. We found plenty to like about the Optimus G Pro when we reviewed it -- that it closely follows the Galaxy Note II's succesful formula while packing the brand-new Qualcomm 600 quad-core CPU doesn't hurt. LG's pushed the phone with several promotions, including letting potential customers try one for 30 days to see how they live with its size. An LG executive quoted in the PR sees this increased communication continuing to push sales at home and abroad, but there's still no word on exactly when that will be on this side of the Pacific.

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Source: LG Korea

LG outs eye recognition tech for Optimus G Pro, other features in April update

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LG outs eye recognition tech for Optimus G Pro, other features in April update

Sure, there's been a lot of buzz about possible eye-based scrolling in Samsung's Galaxy S IV, but LG's in the eye-recognition spotlight -- for today, at least. The electronics giant has revealed that a "Value Pack" update for the Optimus G Pro will be served up in Korea next month, and will pack a feature called Smart Video that responds to a user's peepers. With its front-facing camera, the handset will pause a video if the user looks away, and start playing it when their gaze falls back on the display. In addition, the upgrade will pack what's said to be a world's first Dual Camera feature (taking a page from the phone's Dual Recording feature, of course), which creates picture-in-picture shots by using the hardware's two cameras.

Devices will also receive the ability to change the home button's LED to correlate with contacts, pause and resume video recording, color emoticons and refreshed QRemote functionality. According to LG, the update's features will find their way to their other premium smartphones in the future, but there's no word on when the revamped software will arrive on phones in other territories. Hit the break for more details in the press release.

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Refresh Roundup: week of March 4th, 2013

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Refresh Roundup week of March 4th, 2013

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

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LG Optimus G Pro review: a phone that lives up to Note-sized expectations

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LG Optimus G Pro review

The large-phone craze is rocking the world like a hurricane, and LG is no stranger to this trend: within the last year, the Korean manufacturer has launched two big-screened smartphones as Optimus Vus (three if you count the LG Intuition on Verizon) to mediocre fanfare worldwide. Given the growing competition in the category -- most notably from its rival Samsung with the Galaxy Note series -- it was inevitable that a stronger campaign, as well as a leader to drive it, was necessary.

This is where the LG Optimus G Pro comes in, taking advantage of a 5.5-inch, 1080p True HD-IPS + LCD panel while pulling in several design and feature cues from its smaller (yet elder) siblings, the Optimus G and Nexus 4. As if the display wasn't enough, LG tops it off with one of the world's first Snapdragon 600 quad-core processors, 2GB RAM and a 13MP rear camera with all the trimmings. It may not be LG's current flagship, per se, but the laundry list of features indicates to us that it's sure acting the part, at the very least. Should its reputation be as large as its screen, or is the Optimus G Pro using that extra size to compensate for something? Follow along as we explore the inner and outer beauty of LG's large-on-life smartphone.

Gallery: LG Optimus G Pro review

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LG outs Quick Cover case for the Optimus G Pro

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LG outs Quick Cover case for the Optimus G Pro

LG's just pulled back the curtains on Quick Cover: a magnet-infused case for the Optimus G Pro. Thanks to a Smart Cover-like design, the jacket turns the smartphone's screen on when its front flap is lifted, and off when it's shut. The sleeves come in black, blue, lime green, pink and white hues reminiscent of Samsung's own flip covers, and are accompanied by a reflective cube pattern option that comes in shades of black and white. By the sound of LG's press release, wireless charging and NFC capabilities should go unhindered when hardware is dressed up with a Quick Cover. South Korean online stores and brick-and-mortar shops will soon have the solid colors available for 43,000 won ($40), while the patterned variety will ring up at 39,000 won ($36). There's no word of a release in other territories just yet, so you'll have to sit tight if the accessories strike your fancy.

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Source: LG (translated)

The Engadget Interview: Chul Bae Lee, VP of LG’s mobile design lab at MWC 2013

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The Engadget Interview Chul Bae Lee, VP of LG's mobile design lab at MWC 2013

We first met Chul Bae Lee -- VP of LG's mobile design lab -- in Seoul last fall and were lucky to spend a few minutes with him in the company's booth at MWC. LG's flagship Optimus G Pro made quite the splash in Barcelona but looks rather different from the Optimus G. We asked Mr. Lee to walk us through the design process behind the company's new superphone. He mentioned that LG offers two high-end product lines, one focused on premium design (Optimus G), the other on high-performance design (Optimus G Pro) and shared a diagram with us to illustrate this (after the break). The new handset puts an emphasis on ergonomics rather than style by featuring a comfortable and a friendly shape, with soft edges and round corners.

We discussed the extremely narrow display bezel, striking RGB notification ring around the home button, recessed camera lens and IR blaster (for the QRemote functionality). Mr. Lee explained that the placement of the buttons around the Optimus G Pro was carefully chosen to minimize interference with the power / lock key -- this includes the QNote button, which can be remapped to invoke other apps, and even double as a shutter key. We then talked about the new Optimus F series, which blends the design DNA of flagship devices with performance specs (like LTE) at a more affordable price, and the Optimus L II line, which offers unique designs for specific markets (single SIM in Europe, and dual-SIM in Latin America). Hi the break for our video interview and to check out the aforementioned design diagram.

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LG Optimus G Pro: hands-on with the new Snapdragon 600 processor and 5.5-inch 1080p display (update: video)

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LG Optimus G Pro handson with the new Snapdragon 600 processor and 5inch 1080p display video

The Pro version of last year's Optimus G comes in two flavors: Japan gets a 5-inch 1080p phone, while Korea (and the US) is treated to a 5.5-inch phone at the same resolution, but with Qualcomm's latest mobile chip, the Snapdragon 600. We're getting to grips with the Korean flavor here at MWC and while we're still waiting on a launch dates more specific than Q2, we couldn't help taking this particular G Pro for a spin.

While the original wasn't particularly lacking in the battery department, that increase in resolution has been fortunately accompanied by a bigger battery, up from 2,100mAh to 3,140mAh in the Korean edition and 3,000mAh in the Japanese. Design-wise, the lines are softer, more curved and -- if we're honest -- more like the Galaxy S III. There's now a curved physical home button lodged beneath the screen, with capacitive back and menu buttons either side of it that light up with the faintest glow. The back of the phone now gently curves into the rest of the phone, with that eye-catching "crystal reflection" effect now subtly shading into the sides. The rear panel goes for a grid pattern that's more reminiscent of the Nexus 4 than it is of the Optimus G. It retains the same surprisingly light build quality of its predecessor however, that makes us feel like a short fall could render this device a useless pule of glass shards and plastic pieces.

After the break, you can check out some more of our impressions, alongside the obligatory hands-on video, of course.

Gallery: LG Optimus G Pro hands-on

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LG flaunts Panorama VR feature on Optimus G Pro (video)

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LG flaunts Panorama VR feature on Optimus G Pro video

Since creating regular panorama shots is so last year, LG's come up with a new option for its Optimus G Pro. We first heard about Panorama VR camera app during the launch of the 5.5-inch handset, and now the Korean company's just outed a YouTube video showing how it works. It looks very similar, but not identical to Google's latest Photo Sphere update, letting you pan in different directions while photos of the scene are captured and stitched automatically. The software compiles it into a large panorama file that lets you pan and zoom into the scene, exactly like the recent Android 4.2 option. We've reached out to LG to see if there's any relation between the two apps, but more choice is always better anyway, no? Check the video after the break to see it in action.

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Source: LG (YouTube)

LG teases several new smartphones for MWC, is brought to you by the letters G, L, V and F

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LG teases its MWC showing again the tagline is tags

LG isn't done making vague hints at what it's got in store for us in Barcelona next week. While we admittedly missed it on our first viewing, the latest trailer flies past several red initials and vague glimpses of four handsets. There's an L (style?), a G (greatness), one V (view, or Vu) and a new one, F, that apparently stands for freedom. In short, it looks like LG might be bringing quite a few phones to the show. The short video also places plenty of emphasis on tags, which we're guessing will involve some NFC tech -- possibly expanding on those "Tag On" stickers we saw announced at CES last month. We just wish the message was as loud and clear as the music in the teaser. You've been warned.

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