Verizon LG Optimus Vu apprehended by Android Police, confesses to Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade

Posted on 17/07/2012 by Sean Buckley

If the LG Optimus Vu's insistence on running Gingerbread was the sole factor keeping you from its 5-inch HD-IPS display and its goofy 4:3 aspect ratio, your prayers may have been answered. According to a leaked gallery of images at Android Police, the oversized slab's rumored Verizon variant will be running Android 4.0.4. The images don't reveal much else --save for big red's standard logo, prominently stamped above the device's face -- but that's one less negative you can count from our review. Check out a second shot after the break, or the full gallery at the source below.

Continue reading Verizon LG Optimus Vu apprehended by Android Police, confesses to Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade

Verizon LG Optimus Vu apprehended by Android Police, confesses to Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

Android Police | Email this | Comments

LG Optimus Vu review: a 5-inch, pen-enabled phone to take on the Galaxy Note

Posted on 13/07/2012 by Joseph Volpe

Tech companies are no strangers to the game of follow the leader -- industry imitation is, after all, the sincerest sign of a successful product. In the case of the Galaxy Note, Samsung's phablet wonder has been enjoying some unexpected popularity in markets abroad and even here in the US. But the company's ownership of that once-niche category is about to be contested by a surge of copycats, spearheaded by the stylus-toting LG Optimus Vu ($866 unlocked). It should go without saying: this 5-inch not-a-smartphone, not-yet-a-tablet has a steep climb ahead if it wants to oust or even claim equal billing with its successful opponent.

Of course, the Vu isn't launching an attack on all fronts yet as, right now it's a Korea-only affair running Android Gingerbread. (It redeems itself somewhat with an LTE radio.) Though the competition is welcome, the duel is not an even one, given the Vu's unusual mix of internals: a 1,024 x 768 HD-IPS LCD display, dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor, 32GB of non-expandable storage, an ample 2,080mAh battery and a region-specific T-DMB TV tuner. But could that be enough to dethrone the current category king, or at least present a viable alternative? Join us after the break as we crack this rectangular nut and winnow out the marketing noise.

Gallery: LG Optimus Vu review

Continue reading LG Optimus Vu review: a 5-inch, pen-enabled phone to take on the Galaxy Note

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

LG Optimus Vu review: a 5-inch, pen-enabled phone to take on the Galaxy Note originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | | Email this | Comments

PSA: Sony Xperia Ion lands in US today, yours starting at $50 with two-years of commitment

Posted on 24/06/2012 by Joe Pollicino

You've likely read our review of Sony's Xperia Ion by now, so just consider this a reminder for those who've yet to peruse it. After nearly half a year from being christened at CES, the Ion can officially be purchased today in the US. Agreeing to a two-year commitment and laying out 100 smackers at AT&T -- or just 50 at Sony or Best Buy -- will net you this handset and its curious match-up of dated and up-to-date specs. On the one hand, this Xperia disappointingly runs Android Gingerbread (2.3.7) atop a dual-core 1.5Ghz Snapdragon S3 processor. However, it also packs a 4.6-inch HD Reality display (1280 x 720), 1,900mAh battery, 1GB of RAM, a 12MP (720p video) Exmor R sensor-loaded rear shooter, NFC and PlayStation certification. Hit up your local AT&T, Best Buy or Sony store to see if it feels better in your hand than it did in ours, or shop for it online at the source links below.

[Thanks, Jason & Oliver]

Continue reading PSA: Sony Xperia Ion lands in US today, yours starting at $50 with two-years of commitment

PSA: Sony Xperia Ion lands in US today, yours starting at $50 with two-years of commitment originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Jun 2012 15:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

Sony, AT&T, Best Buy | Email this | Comments

Sony Xperia Ion review: an Android handset with a split personality

Posted on 24/06/2012 by Joseph Volpe

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. But that adage, such a truism when applied to interpersonal relationships, doesn't quite carry the same weight when extended to the intimacy between expectant geek and promised hardware. So here we are, six months later: CES has long passed, the One X and Galaxy S III have been revealed, and the Android landscape is now decidedly governed by Ice Cream Sandwich. A veritable eternity has passed since Sony first introduced the AT&T-bound Xperia Ion, its LTE flagship for the US market, muting much of the initial buzz surrounding the handset. So, why choose now to bow a smartphone that's already been outshone by more recent and robust contenders? Perhaps it's simply a case of better late than never. But surely after all of that time, both parties could've managed to ship it with Android 4.0 and not the dated 2.3.7 build of Gingerbread that we get instead.

More Info

The Ion's aging OS and 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S3 CPU may be a nod to mobile's past, but the rest of its internals paint a more forward-thinking picture. This 4.6-inch Sony-bred device boasts a 1280 x 720 HD Reality display, 720p webcam / 12-megapixel rear camera with Exmor R sensor, PlayStation Certification, 16GB of storage plus 1GB RAM, a 1,900mAh battery and NFC. For that spec mix, you'd expect the Ion's on contract cost to double up on the Benjamins, but instead it's been priced to sell at an attractive $99 -- much like the Lumia 900. Will that retail positioning hurt or help its prospects? Can the Ion effectively straddle two worlds, carving out an identity for itself and attracting a defined market segment? Or will this hodgepodge of internals prove too inconsistent for any demographic, save, perhaps, bargain hunters? Find the answers to those questions and more below.

Gallery: Sony Xperia Ion review