Samsung has not 1 but 3 tablets lined up for MWC reveal

We already knew that Samsung wouldn’t be unveiling the Galaxy S8 smartphone at MWC but we have instead been preparing ourselves for the launch of a new Galaxy Tab S3 tablet. But Samsung has allegedly confirmed the Tab S3 will be joined onstage by 2 other tablets, according to SammyHub.

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: What’s the story so far?

One of those other tablets is said to be the Galaxy Book, a Windows 10 touting tablet that will compete directly with Microsoft’s up and coming new Surface Pro.

MSPowerUser has previously uncovered evidence of the Galaxy Book after a new Book Settings app appeared in the Windows App Store. The app references features including battery life extender, pattern log-in and pen. The Galaxy Book is expected to come sporting an AMOLED display and S Pen stylus included.

As for the third tablet, SammyHub doesn’t allude to anything, but Droid Report references a report from Forbes that suggests Samsung will reveal a refreshed Galaxy TabPro S2 as a more wallet-friendly 2-in-1 laptop/tablet hybrid. The TabPro S2 is also expected to come running Windows 10, have a 7th gen Intel Kaby Lake core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 5,070mAh battery.

The predicted 12in screen should be Quad HD resolution, and there’s thought to be a couple of versions: Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi with LTE mobile connectivity.

We have a much clearer idea of what to expect from the Galaxy Tab S3 though, as several renders and rumours have leaked in previous weeks. It should ship with an S Pen stylus, but interestingly there won’t be a port to store it in. It’s also expetected to feature a keyboard dock similar to that of the iPad Pro, but won’t come supplied with a keyboard accessory.

We’ll know everything at 6pm (GMT), and you can see everything that’s revealaed for yourself by watching the livestream.

LG G6 preview: Look ma, no bezels

LG may not be enjoying some of the success its Korean competitor Samsung has seen in the modern smartphone era, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to stop trying to do something new and different. With the G5 last year, the company tried the modular approach. This year, LG has started from scratch to create something more beautiful, and visually striking. 

Is the G6 what LG needs to claw back some much needed interest in the consumer market? We went hands on to find out. 

LG G6 Preview: Design and Display

• 5.7-inch QHD 18:9 ratio display
• Dolby Vision and HDR10 support
• Glass and metal design

With the G6, the design and display are intrinsically linked. You couldn’t have one the way it is without the other. It’s not your usual case of just having a display plonked in the middle of some bezels. LG’s primary aim was all centred on the idea that you can have a big screen without having to put up with a big, cumbersome device. And the manufacturer may have cracked it.

The 5.7-inch screen is larger diagonally than most big phones on the market. The trend, of course, is to launch 5.5-inch phones. But the G6 isn’t about going with the trend. It’s about trying to carve out a new one. The Quad HD screen has a resolution of 2,880 x 1,440, meaning its aspect ratio is – unconventionally – 18:9 (or 2:1). And it’s a sight to behold. It also happens to be among the first phones to support both Dolby Vision and HDR10 standards.

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With the screen surrounded by bezel that is far narrower on the top and bottom than virtually every phone out there, there’s less to distract you from the content onscreen. It’s quite remarkable when placed next to other devices, just how little frame there is.

The screen itself also happens to have rounded corners which – while adding a certain aesthetic charm – were designed primarily to make the display less prone to breaking under impact. LG claims that not using right angled corners with slim bezels makes it more pressure resistant. Adding to that strength, the phone body is also IP68 certified against water and dust.

Add all of this together, and you have a phone that fits easily in one hand, and is durable enough to survive the daily grind. The curved glass on the back also ensures that it’s very comfortable to hold.

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The entire phone is glossy on the front and the back, meaning it’s a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but in the right light with reflections shining off all the curves, it looks gorgeous.

LG was keen to point out that there are no pointless protrusions here. The camera unit is completely flush with the body, and sits a finger’s width above the fingerprint sensor which also acts as the power/sleep button. The only other buttons on the device are the two volume buttons on the left edge. For all the headphone traditionalists, you’ll be pleased to know that there is a 3.5mm jack nestled in the top edge, while the Type-C port joins a speaker and microphone on the bottom.

LG G6 Preview: Power and Pixels

• Snapdragon 821 processor
• 3GB RAM/32GB ROM
• 3,300mAh non-removable battery
• Quick Charge 3.0

Apart from the display, the other big talking point with the G6 is its dual camera system on the back. Like the G5, the G6 has one wide angle lens and a regular lens, and lets you switch between them with a quick tap of an icon in the camera app.

Unlike the G5 however, they both use exactly the same image sensor. Both are 13-megapixel sensors, with the aim of helping a smooth transition between them and consistent results from whichever camera you happen to be using. As for the front camera, that’s 5-megapixels, and also has a wide angle lens for more inclusive group selfies.

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Inside the phone’s engine room there’s a Snapdragon 821 processor coupled with 4GB RAM and built into an internal system that includes a heat pipe to help ensure it won’t overheat. There’s also a 3,300mAh battery which – with Android Nougat’s battery smarts – should easily last a full day even with the most active of smartphone users.

If it does drain to worrying levels before the day is up, you’ll be pleased to know that it comes with Quick Charge 3.0 support. That means it can get from 0-50 per cent after being plugged in for just 35 min.

LG G6 Preview: Nougat, stretched out

• Android Nougat
• New Square Camera app

As you’d expect from a flagship phone launching in 2017, the G6 runs Android Nougat. Albeit with a slightly unique look. As with virtually everything on this phone, the software has been optimised to take advantage of the longer screen, and there are new bespoke apps to go along with it.

LG’s new Square Camera app has a number of shooting modes, each using the top half of the screen as the camera viewfinder, and the bottom showing either a recently shot image or a selection of images. The regular camera app now also has a scrollable gallery at the side of the screen, making it easier to see your camera roll.

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Apart from that, it’s the usual smattering of apps from LG. There are the basic default apps like the Clock, Calculator, Tasks, Contacts, Calendar, Music and QuickMemo as well as the Smart Cleaning app that helps get rid of any junk bogging down your phone.

First Impressions

It’s an interesting move from LG. Last year, the company bet on modular smartphones, and that didn’t turn out so well. This year, it’s about giving customers a big screen, without a bulky device. And we’re intrigued to say the least.

It’s an eye-catching display, without doubt, and one that won’t fail to raise eyebrows from anyone who sees it. Will it be enough to see LG mount a serious challenge in the smartphone market this year? Who knows, but it’s great to see the company pushing the boundaries of what is possible. 

LG G6 officially launches with huge 18:9 5.7in display, waterproofing, dual cameras and a whole lot more

LG has – as expected – taken the wraps of its latest G-series flagship. The G6 is LG’s attempt at crushing the main compromise that comes with having a large-screen. The compromise: having a big phone.

The LG G6’s biggest talking point is undoubtedly the large 5.7-inch Quad HD FullVision display. Unlike almost every other phone screen out there, it’s not 16:9 ratio. Instead, LG went with a longer 18:9 aspect ratio (2:1), making it twice as long as it is wide.

• LG G6: Release date, specs and everything you need to know
• LG G6 Preview: Look ma, no bezels

This means an unconventional 2880 x 1440 resolution packed in to a screen that makes up an impressive 80 per cent of the phone’s front face. That is thanks to the impressively narrow bezels on all four sides of the display, which has rounded corners to help reduce the likelihood that it will break.

What this means is that you can have a really big screen in a phone that’s much smaller than most big flagships. This also means watching cinematic content filmed in 21:9 will fill the screen better, without stretching it so far that the regular 16:9 content looks terrible. All of this in a phone that’s also capable of playing Dolby Vision and HDR10 content.

• What is Dolby Vision? Dolby’s very own HDR TV tech explained

The device is built primarily from glass, with a metal frame sandwiched between the front and back layers. The body is water and dust resistant, with IP68 certification, so you should kill it if you happen to answer the phone in the rain or accidentally drop it in the bath.

Inside, there’s a generous 3,300mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support delivered through the Type C port. There will be wireless charging support, but sadly, only in the US models. Another feature not coming to the UK, or even Europe, is the Hi-Fi DAC, which is reserved only for one or two markets in Asia.

As seems to be the way of modern smartphones, the G6 has a dual camera system. Like the G5 before it, this is made up of a regular and a wide angle lens. This time however, they’re both the same 13-megapixel sensor behind each of the lenses. There’s also a wide angle lens on the front of the phone, with a 5-megapixel sensor capturing the images.

To keep the Android 7.1 Nougat interface all running smooth, there’s the Snapdragon 821 processor inside, paired with 4GB RAM. 

All combined, it creates an image of a phone which is pushing boundaries in some respects, but also making sure LG has a phone on the market with the power and specifications to match the very best available right now. 

LG hasn’t announced the pricing of the G6 yet, or a specific launch date, but it’s aiming to make it to market within the next couple of months.

Google Assistant is coming to a Nougat or Marshmallow handset near you

Google has confirmed it will begin rolling out an update this week for Android 7.0 Nougat and 6.0 Marshmallow phones, that will see Google Assistant be installed.

• What is Google Assistant, how does it work and which devices offer it?

Google’s Siri and Alexa rival was initially only available on the company’s own Pixel phones, but has made its way to the LG G6, which lays claim to being the first non-Pixel phone to have it. We suspect several other phone released at MWC to feature it, too. But the Assistant has been installed on other platforms such as Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches and the the Nvidia Shield 4K HDR set-top box.

Compatible phones in the US will be the first to update, with the UK, Australia, Canada and Germany following soon after. Google Assistant will support the German language in Germany, and Google has said it will roll out support for more languages throughout 2017.

The company hasn’t specified what makes a phone compatible, so there’s a good chance not every single. Marshmallow or Nougat phone will be supported.Phones running earlier iterations of Android, such as KitKat and Lollipop will not be getting the update, at least, not right now.

Google Assistant is a comprehensive, conversational feature that can carry out ongoing dialogue with you, and can understand complex queries and tasks.

Accessing the service will be the same as on current devices, using the “OK, Google” voice command to bring it to life and it will be able to carry out all the standard functions such as setting calendar event and reminder, sending messages, making phone calls, opening apps and start navigation routes.

The update will roll out automatically over the air, so keep your eyes peeled for a notification telling you you can install Google Assistant soon.

Live from LG’s G6 Day at Mobile World Congress!

The time has come. The LG G6 hasn’t exactly been a well-kept secret, but we’re poised to finally meet the company’s new handset in Barcelona. Keep you browser locked here for all the news as it happens via our MWC 2017 liveblog. Heck, we may even be in for a few surprises.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

LG’s G6 is official

The LG G6 is official, but it’s not much of a surprise. We already knew that the G5’s modular capabilities were out, in favor of a more traditional aluminium and Gorilla Glass shell. We also knew that the phone would have an unusual 18:9 display, and a quad-DAC system similar to the one found in the LG V20 last year. Heck, we even knew what the phone looked like, thanks to a bunch of render leaks. So what’s left to announce? Hopefully quite a bit. Now more than ever, LG needs a ‘complete’ flagship that can compete with Samsung and save its struggling mobile business.

UPDATE: Read out full hands on here.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

LG G6 ditches modularity in favor of essentials

LG’s handful of recent teasers for its new G6 flagship left us wondering if there’d be any surprises left for us at its launch event today. Back in early January, the company was rather frank about moving away from the G5’s modular design due to a lack of interest, followed by a promise of increased safety measures after the Samsung Note 7 mishap. While it may seem as if LG has taken a more conservative approach this time, it used three teasers to emphasize the G6’s unique 18:9 (or 2:1, if you prefer) “FullVision” display.

Upon seeing the G6 for the first time, I was impressed by how much cleaner and more premium it looked than its predecessor. What used to be a metallic back is now a shiny slab of Gorilla Glass 5, which gently curves down to meet a smooth aluminum frame on all sides. You’ll spot LG’s signature setup of a dual-camera module plus fingerprint reader, but unlike on the G5, these are now flush with the back plate. LG mainly achieved this by using slimmer camera sensors, but more on that later. The launch colors are “Ice Platinum” (like Samsung’s “Coral Blue” but with brushed metal finish under glass, silver frame), “Astro Black” (black glass, space grey frame) and “Mystic White” (white glass, champagne gold frame), with more options to follow in the future.

On the front, the 5.7-inch IPS screen packs a resolution of 2,880 x 1,440, along with a pixel density of 564 ppi plus support for Dolby Vision and HDR10 content. That panel is covered by a flat sheet of Gorilla Glass 3 which sits flush with the metallic frame — a design choice made to protect the display from scratches and drops. Despite the taller screen, its reduced bezel along the top and bottom sides has enabled a smaller body footprint than, say, the G5, S7 Edge and OnePlus 3T, thus letting the G6 fit a tad more comfortably in one’s hand.

Another notable feature here is that the display panel has rounded corners, a decision made for both aesthetic reasons and to offer better protection against corner drops — LG’s data claims a rounded corner allows for stress dispersion upon impact, as opposed to a sharp corner taking the full blow.

In terms of core specs, the G6 is largely on par with other recent flagships. It runs Android 7.0 (pre-loaded with Google Assistant) and packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset (MSM8996AC), 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 32GB of UFS 2.0 storage, microSD expansion, dual microphones, USB 3.1, NFC and LTE downlink of up to 600 Mbps. The surprise here is that the G6 has a dustproof and waterproof rating of IP68, meaning it’s completely protected against dust ingression, and has been tested for continuous immersion under at least one meter of water. (Amazingly, LG said it tested its phone in salt water as well.) As such, the Nano SIM + microSD tray is the only removable part, and it uses a rubber gasket to seal properly.

For some, the trade-off here is that the battery is no longer removable, but you do get a much larger 3,300 mAh lithium polymer cell. With the bundled Quick Charge 3.0 power adapter and USB-C cable, I managed to go from a depleted battery to 34 percent charge in just half an hour, and then to full charge 72 minutes after that. But it isn’t just about a larger battery this time. Following the Note 7 fiasco, LG began testing batteries at higher voltages and with more recharging cycles as well. And, just to be safe, it also increased the thickness of the separators inside the G6’s battery, so that it’s better protected against short circuiting due to external forces.

On a recent trip to LG’s factory in Korea, the lab technicians proved their batteries’ durability by showing me a couple of crazy torture tests. The first one threw a thick steel rod right onto a fully-charged G6 battery right in front of me but nothing happened, whereas a non-LG battery blew up in the same test, but that was only shown in a video for safety reasons. The second test was rather painful to watch: An apparatus slowly pushed a large needle into another fully-charged G6 battery, but again, no boom. And yes, I also watched a video of a non-LG battery quickly exploding in the same test.

LG has a flame test as well, which the battery can supposedly withstand, but I didn’t have the opportunity to observe it in action. Just to be doubly safe, LG added a heat pipe to help lower the chipset’s heat, and it seemed to do its job well during my 20-minute N.O.V.A. 3 gameplay.

Now, this is where things get a little confusing: Some of G6’s special features will only be available in select markets. For instance, built-in wireless charging is only available on the US models, whereas the 32-bit Quad DAC previously seen on the V20 is only available in the Asian variants — bad news for audiophiles elsewhere in the world. Similarly, only some Asian markets will offer a 64GB model as well as a dual-SIM variant. Simply put, you won’t find a “perfect” model anywhere, which is a real shame.

On the software side, LG’s new “UX 6.0” takes full advantage of the G6’s 18:9 screen aspect ratio. Many of its native apps — namely Gallery, Contacts, Calendar, E-mail and Music — are designed with a dual-square grid in mind, making them more practical and aesthetically pleasing, to boot. The same applies to Android 7.0’s multi-window view, in which you can set a square window for both apps if you want. The feature-packed Camera app goes even further by offering a scrollable thumbnail bar, so that you don’t have to go into the gallery to browse recent photos.

Most of the major third-party apps I tried rendered just fine on the G6’s taller screen; the issues I came across were relatively minor and should be easy to fix. For example, the top bar in the Facebook app would double in height after a while for some reason. Then in Netflix and VLC, the full-screen videos were forced to one side as the hidden Android navigation bar left a blank space behind. YouTube and the native video player don’t have this problem, but only the latter offers a “zoom” mode to enable a true full-screen playback.

In case you’re wondering, yes, the G6 is intentionally skipping the Snapdragon 835, and for good reason. LG’s product planning team pointed out that due to the chip’s new 10nm process plus additional circuitry, it would take some time before production quality reaches a satisfactory level, and that’s on top of the time needed for LG to test the chip for the sake of reliability. Even though LG never said as much on record, it’s clear that it wants to beat Samsung’s Galaxy S8 to market by a wide margin, so it makes sense to stick with a chip that’s a known entity.

But not all is lost, as LG worked with Qualcomm to port the Snapdragon 835’s camera zoom transition feature to the G6 for both stills and video. This enables a smoother switch between the two cameras while zooming, and indeed, the switch delay is less noticeable than what I’ve seen on the iPhone 7 Plus.

Speaking of, the G6’s dual-camera module is powered by Sony’s 13-megapixel IMX258, with the f/1.8 main camera featuring optical stabilization plus a 71-degree field of view, and the f/2.4 wide camera looking at 125 degrees. On the other side, the 5-megapixel selfie camera has an f/2.2 aperture and 100-degree field of view. As with the G5 and the G4, LG is still sticking with the 1.12um pixel size for all three sensors, but the lower resolutions are inevitable given LG’s insistence on removing the camera bump. What’s more concerning is the lack of laser autofocus and color spectrum sensor this time, but LG believes its software optimization makes up for it. We shall see.

Based on my brief experience with the G6 so far, it’s safe to say that LG has taken a sensible approach. Here we have a solid device that’s tougher, more practical and better-looking than its predecessor, and its FullVision display is a much-welcome feature in a market where phones tend to struggle to stand out. It can perhaps be a little frustrating knowing that no matter where you get your G6 from, you’re still missing out on certain features, so it’ll be interesting to see how the consumers respond when the regional prices come out. There’s no word on availability yet, so until then, we’ll continue to fiddle with our G6 and let you know how we get on with it.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

Google Assistant comes to recent Android phones

Yes, the leaks were true: you no longer have to buy a Pixel (or launch Allo) if you want official support for Google Assistant on your Android phone. As of this week, the AI helper will start rolling out to Android phones running Marshmallow or Nougat. So long as your phone has Google Play Services and meets some basic specs (at least 1.5GB of RAM and a 720p screen), you too can use Android’s native search app to get answers and issue commands through Google’s conversational companion. Just where and when you’ll get it will vary, though.

The initial rollout will focus on English-speaking users in the US. Australians and Canadians will be next in line for English support, while Germans will also get it in their native language. Other languages are due in the “coming year,” Google says. And if you insist on getting Assistant with your next phone, you won’t have to be too picky. LG’s G6 is the first announced third-party phone to ship with Assistant, while other hardware partners will tout out-of-the-box support in short order.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.

Source: Google

When is the Samsung MWC press conference and can I watch it online?

Samsung was late to announce its press conference at Mobile World Congress 2017 and for a while it looked like the company might not be hosting an event.

That changed, however, and although we’re not expecting the see the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 just yet, it’s rumoured that Samsung will be unveiling new tablets and other devices.

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S3: What’s the story so far?

We’re also expecting a huge tease, and confirmation of when the SGS8 launch event will actually be held.

Samsung is telling us that the press conference will be available to watch live online and although we don’t yet have a video link, we’ll keep checking and update and embed it below if we find one. 

The action will kick off at 19:00CET, that’s 18:00GMT.

Get your LG MWC 2017 liveblog here

Coming to you live from Barcelona, we’re delivering coverage of the LG MWC 2017 press event. Keep it locked here for all the news as it’s announced at 12:00PM CET (6:00AM ET). We’re expecting to finally meet the much-teased G6 in an official capacity. Who knows, we might hear some news about a few accessories as well. Whatever the case may be, we’ll bring you all the news as it’s announced here in Spain. We’ll have all the announcements here in our liveblog at the aforementioned time.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from MWC 2017.