LG G Flex 2 now available on Sprint in Volcano Red and Platinum Silver
The G Flex 2, LG‘s most recent curvy smartphone, has made its way to the US after a brief time being exclusively available in South Korea. Sprint is the first carrier in the United States to sell the phone, and it’s offering the device in two different color options: Platinum Silver and Volcano Red. For those wondering, Volcano Red is an exclusive color for Sprint, but it doesn’t differ too much from the original Flamenco Red variant that was originally announced.
If you’re interested in grabbing the device from Sprint, it can be yours for $199.99 with a two-year contract, $0 down and $21 per month on Sprint’s Easy Pay plan, or $504 to pick up the phone with no contract. These prices aren’t as bad as we originally thought they’d be, since the G Flex 2 brings a ton of interesting features to the table.
For those who need a refresher, the LG G Flex 2 offers up a 5.5-inch Curved P-OLED display with a resolution of 1920×1080, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit Octa-Core processor coupled with an Adreno 430 GPU, all backed by either 2 or 3GB of RAM (depending on which storage option you choose). The phone comes with either 16 or 32GB of on-board storage, a 13MP rear-facing camera with OIS+, a 2.1MP front-facing camera and a non-removable 3000mAh battery.
The G Flex 2 is considered more of a device that showcases LG’s new technological advancements, rather than a true flagship competitor. It brings an awesome self-healing back which can eliminate light scratches in less that 10 seconds, and oh yeah, it has a curved display. The display really helps the device’s in-hand feel, and is much more comfortable when talking on the phone compared to most other handsets on the market. If you’d like some more information on the G Flex 2, you can check out our full review here.
Any Sprint customers interested in this new device?
LG G4 Note with 3K display slated for second half of 2015?
The phablet market is currently being dominated by the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the iPhone 6 Plus, both of which are great smartphones, however the competition could soon be heating up, with LG CEO Cho Ju-No announcing that a “higher end device” than the G4 will be announced in the second half of 2015. An announcement on the LG G4 is expected in the second quarter of this year, whereas this alleged second device is rumored to be the LG G4 Note (hopefully not the final name choice).
Speculation points to a 5.5 inch 3K curved display for the LG G4 Note. A display of that resolution and size would result in a ppi of about 600, which would be the highest pixel density for a phablet (or smartphone in general) on the market to date. Other reported specs include a 16 MP front-facing camera and a 5 MP rear facing shooter. These cameras are switched around compared to the norm, so perhaps LG is focusing on selfies? While this does seem to be an odd design choice for a phone, LG is known for creating very high-end polished devices with useful extra features, so we’ll have to put our trust in them when it comes to the G4 Note.
Source: The Korea Herald
The post LG G4 Note with 3K display slated for second half of 2015? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Carphone Warehouse launches the LG G Flex 2 in the UK
British mobile phone retailer, The Carphone Warehouse, has today launched LG’s second-generation curved, self-healing smartphone, the G Flex 2, in the UK. The handset is available to purchase on a 2-year contract through Vodafone for £34.50 per month, or for £529 outright on a pre-paid plan.
As for as internals go, the G Flex 2 is a beast of a device packing a 5.5-inch curved P-OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable internal storage, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing shooter.
Straight out of the box, the device runs the latest build of Android 4.4.4 KitKat with LG’s Optimus user interface plastered over the top. The handset is, however, expected to receive the much-anticipated and eagerly-awaited Lollipop update when it’s finally distributed by the South Korean company sometime later this month.
If you live in the UK, like the sound of the G Flex 2 and want to pick one up — hit the source link below.
Source: The Carphone Warehouse
Come comment on this article: Carphone Warehouse launches the LG G Flex 2 in the UK
Look out Samsung, LG may have a Note of its own
When it comes to Samsung’s Galaxy Note line and Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus, there’s no denying that large-screen smartphones have made their way out of the ‘niche’ category. Obviously Samsung and Apple aren’t the only players with ‘phablet’ sized devices, but they are the most popular, at least in the western world. Is there room for a third major contender in the phablet space? If a new report from The Korea Herald proves correct, LG seems to think so.
According to the publication’s sources, LG plans to roll out a smartphone called the G4 Note, in hopes to take on Samsung’s Note line and Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus. Although the name seems a bit too obvious of a Samsung copy, LG has reportedly already filed for the trademark at the Korean patent office in February. Moreover, according to the report, this new Note made by LG could potentially be the smartphone alluded to by LG Mobile CEO Juno Cho that will “stand above the G series“.
While the CEO didn’t reveal any specifics concerning this mystery device suggested above, it makes sense as to why LG would have a large-screen smartphone in the works. In a recent interview, Cho explained he wants LG to push ahead to become the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world. Apple and Samsung have occupied the top two spots last year (and for several years now..), and perhaps not-so-coincidentally, both companies launched a couple of widely-popular phablets in 2014.
The competition
Samsung’s Note line has been relatively untouched in the phablet space, in terms of sales and included features. For starters, the original Galaxy Note sold over 10 million units by August 2012, and that was just the first big handset from the company. The Note line has continued to prove itself popular over the years, and has conjured up a consistent amount of sales throughout every iteration. Just in the first month alone, the Galaxy Note 4 sold over 4.5 million units worldwide. Those numbers have never been seen before from a smartphone that, just a couple years ago, was considered to be a niche product.
Moving to another device that has proven itself worthy, Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus has gotten a lot of attention since its launch in 2014. While we don’t have any specific numbers in terms of 6 Plus sales, the joint launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus has given Apple the biggest revenue numbers in the company’s history. In Q4 of 2014, the company shipped 74.5 million handsets worldwide, which was a massive 46.1% increase year over year. The arrival of the 6 Plus was speculated as one possible reason for the uncharacteristic surge in sales, as it finally gave iOS fans a viable alternative to large-screen devices on the Android platform.
LG’s history
LG has a history with big smartphones, though it’s not an extremely positive one. Enter: the LG Optimus Vu (or the Intuition for you Verizon users). After Samsung’s original Note launched in 2011, LG aimed to bring something different to the then-new phablet world. The Optimus Vu featured a 5-inch screen (which was considered a phablet at the time) with a 4:3 aspect ratio and extremely poor stylus integration. The included pen couldn’t be stowed in the device, and everything just seemed half-baked when using the stylus for just about anything. It’s no wonder why this device failed, and why the next two iterations didn’t do so hot either.
LG has created numerous smartphones that have failed to make a dent in the phablet space, but that’s exactly why they have the potential to create a really great large-screen smartphone this time around — now LG knows what works and what doesn’t work.
Then in 2013, LG announced its new G Pro series. These devices were bigger than most other smartphones on the market, though the lack of optimization for the large screens arguably didn’t provide enough value to the end user. This is where Samsung really shined with its Note line, and unfortunately, LG’s G Pro series just didn’t provide as much functionality as it needed to in order to survive.
In late 2014, LG outed its new stylus-equipped smartphone, dubbed the LG G3 Stylus. However, that phone was never really meant to take on the likes of the Galaxy Note line. The G3 Stylus was a blown-up LG G3 with downgraded specifications that came with a stylus. Unfortunately, this device didn’t really help LG out in the phablet category either.
Plans for the future
When it comes to the idea of a Note competitor, all hope may not be lost for LG. Back in December of 2014, the company filed a trademark for something called the “G Pen”, or what’s purported to be a smart stylus, much like Samsung’s S Pen. The G Pen patent doesn’t specifically mention the word ‘stylus’, though the patent does bring some interesting new ideas to the table. The G Pen patent mentions a number of “identification” devices, such as “watches, smartwatches, watch chains, and bracelets, key rings and rings of precious metal”. To be completely honest, we’re not sure what that means at all. But if you think about it, that’s a good thing. That means LG is thinking outside the box, and likely has something up its sleeve that could be a bit more exciting than the boring stylus it included with its devices in the past.
The bottom line
All in all, if there’s a company that could create a worthy competitor to the Galaxy Note line, it very well might be LG. Over the past 4 or 5 years, LG has created numerous smartphones that have failed to make a dent in the phablet space, but that’s exactly why they have the potential to create a really great large-screen smartphone this time around — now LG knows what works and what doesn’t work. The company now knows that the majority of people don’t just want to carry around a massive device just because they want a large screen. If people are going to lug around a giant smartphone, there better be some added functionality that comes along with it (or an Apple logo…). Let’s hope LG understands that concept, and they put forth the effort this time around that was seemingly absent in its past devices.
For what it is worth, the rumor from Korea Times suggests LG may be doing just that. Supposedly the handset could push beyond QHD, with a 5.5-inch 3K display, and may also see a high-end camera configuration as well. Considering the Note name and the recent G Pen filing, we can only hope that there are at least a few stylus-related surprises in the works too. Of course, for now, this is just a rumor, and so we’d take the entire report with a grain of salt.
What do you think, could LG create a device that could finally give the Note series a run for its money, in terms of both screen size and added functionality?
What could LG’s “more premium than premium” flagship be?
LG’s refreshed logo may not be the only surprise of 2015. There is supposed to be a super-premium product that is to be unveiled as well.
While the major focus at MWC 2015 was clearly Samsung and its pair of Galaxy S6 offerings, one tidbit that few may have picked up on was the curious comment LG issued. Despite the fact that the G4 was nowhere to be seen, this didn’t stop Korea’s other big tech company from talking about a flagship, except said comment was in reference to a different, currently unknown product. This device was specifically billed as being something even higher on the totem-pole than the G4 itself, which begs us to ask the question: what could LG have that is “bigger than bigger”, to *ahem* use a now-infamous tag-line.
We are planning to release a product that stands above the G series. It will be launched during the second half of this year.
Juno Cho, LG Mobile CEO
Maybe it’s just… big
The LG G Pro 2 was quite a handful. Literally!
The LG G3 came and went, yet this time LG shied away from a large screen, mainstream phablet version like the G Pro and G Pro 2 that followed it. Granted there was the LG Vista, but it had neither the specs nor the presence to command a flagship-type following. Regardless, the G Pro line has never been a stylus-centered experience, though the Optimus Vu did give it a whirl. It’s conceivable that the new product will be a device more in-line with the Galaxy Note 4 and thus offer better competition for Samsung’s de-facto Android phablet champion, as well as expand its own offerings and software suite.
Still, if the G4 clocks in at 5.5 inches like its predecessor, the logic of a product at 5.7 inches would seemingly be too similar an experience, even it it were to have a stylus and accompanying support. LG itself made this clear back at MWC however when it actually told us there would be no G4 Pro in light of such an overlap. This leaves the possibility of a 6.X inch device, but it then risks being considered too big by even the phablet-crazed masses.
Supporting the theory that LG’s mystery new premium device is a phablet is talk out of Korea about a device called G4 Note. LG already trademarked this name, according to the report, and may be looking to emulate Samsung’s and Apple’s two-track strategy by releasing a larger device to take on the Note and iPhone Plus.
If this impressive beast is the G4, then what will the even more premium offering be?
There’s also the remote possibility that LG might in fact shrink the G4 down to a more mainstream mingling 5.0-5.2 inches, and therefore a ~5.7 inch “premium” flagship would make sense. This would allow the company to take advantage of two different market segments, as these days 5-inches no longer qualifies as a phablet (to most, at least) yet even 5.5 definitely would. Still, the question needs to be raised as to if a G4 Note would actually substantiate LG’s promise of a super premium device.
Galaxy S6 Edge, eat your heart out
Thinking of what might be unquestionably considered “flagship”, a more plausible possibility is that LG will make use of the very technology it unveiled back at CES in January, the same type of technology that Samsung has now employed to amass an astonishing 5 million pre-orders based on retailer interest alone. By this of course, we are referring to the Galaxy S6 Edge and the dual curved edges it so ergonomically boasts.
You have to admit, were this slapped into a retail frame it would be the perfect rival for the Galaxy S6 Edge. What is to stop LG from doing so?
The potential here is quite obvious, as evident by the warm reception to Samsung’s Edge, and by making an LG “Slide” of sorts, the company is better able to cater to those who may still be turned off by the G Flex 2 despite the smaller footprint and higher resolution screen when compared with its predecessor. LG has insisted on curving its product on a horizontal axis and, as such, its Flex line has been deemed the “banana” phone. Regardless of user-comfort and ergonomics, the fact is that many people simply don’t want such a thing no matter how cool it looks. The S6 Edge however, is still very much a flat product, just with some sloped sides.
Moving to metal? Or going for glass?
Like it or not, LG is now one of the only big OEMs that has continued the plastic-trend. HTC has used metal for years, Motorola has a metal frame on its Nexus 6 and Moto X hardware, heck even the up-and-coming heavy hitters from China like Huawei and Lenovo have made use of the material for their big name products. Late 2014 saw Samsung add metal to the frame of the Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy Note 4, and Galaxy Note Edge, and then make a unibody metal product with the Galaxy A3, A5, and A7 mid-tier offerings. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are not only using metal, but also glass for the back panel.
Where does this leave LG? Not in a good situation, that’s for sure. While the self-healing properties of the G Flex series might be nice for those who care, the Flex 2 makes it almost pointless given that the back cover is removable: do people really care about little nicks and scratches when they can just replace the whole piece entirely? Granted the flexible nature of the device lends itself well to a pliable material like plastic, but for a true flagship? It’s time to step up the A-game.
The leaked pictures of the G4 show what looks to be plastic (similar to that of the Flex 2) and therefore it’s almost a given that the real product will indeed make use of a polycarbonate backing. The solution: simply develop, announce, and release a premium G4 under a different name. The device need not even have better specs than the G4, it just need to look and feel that way.
It’s worth pointing out that, just today, the Korea Times ran a story about an interview with LG spokesperson Terry Taekyung Lee, who said “a completely-redesigned new LG handset will be released soon.” This could easily become the curved-sided product that we mentioned earlier, or perhaps something metallic. Or perhaps both.
A “G” by any other name
Remember the (somewhat recent) days when everything was branded Optimus? Maybe the “G” line is just going to disappear as well, to be replaced by a different naming convention.
Moving on, we must also consider the idea that LG won’t actually release a product better than the G4, but instead, simply release the G4 as a different product. The “G” moniker has been around for as long as the Optimus name, which has since been canned. Just as LG’s logo has actually seen an upgrade this year via a new font with smoother curves, it’s possible the whole “G thang” will be discarded and a new name chosen. Thus the flagship that’s better than a flagship will in fact be the same product, ironically enough.
Pricing practices
When the LG G3 released last year, it did so at a cost somewhat lower than its rival products, despite excellent hardware inside. This in turn, might be part of what led the company to an increase in overall smartphones sales by 10 million units as mentioned earlier. What if the G4 is actually going to be an “upper mid-tier” device, and this new product in turn, becomes the true premium that’s set to go edge-to-edge with the Galaxy S6, or perhaps even the more pricier S6 Edge? Doing so would certainly allow LG to sell its product on the same grounds as Samsung’s offerings.
Long shot: foldable, convertibles
The final thought we have is that the mystery device could actually be a foldable smartphone or even tablet convertible. Last fall, LG Display released a very interesting visual that highlighted its plans for the following few years. For those in need of a reminder, take a look:
As indicated, 2015 is supposed to be the year that bending displays come into production, and mid-to-late this year would make a great time table for the entrance of such a product. This goes double for a release around the time of the Galaxy Note 5 which would no doubt steal some of its thunder. Of course, it’s difficult to imagine what a bendable product actually is. Technically speaking, the LG G Flex and Flex 2 can bend when you exert force on them. The POLED panel will literally flatten itself out. Is this what bendable means?
Will Samsung bring out a product like this in 2015? Furthermore, is this what LG means when it refers to a bendable display?
Does bendable mean that the product in-question will have a soft plastic build quality such that you can actually squish it in your hands? Would it be like a semi-hard piece of plastic? Given that Samsung has already gone on record to state that 2015 will see its first foldable display released to consumers, it’s only a given that LG will seek to counter with its own product. In all practicality however, the chances of a truly futuristic product like the patent seen above releasing in 2015 would be quite a shock indeed.
What do you think?
Korea’s two biggest tech companies, separated by just inches of space.
Well you’ve heard some of our thoughts on this mystery product, now we want to hear yours. Given that the LG G4 leak-festival has seemingly begun in earnest, it’s probably only a matter of time before pictures and details start floating around about this new product as well. We’re all eager to find out what it could be, and LG is no doubt eager to show us when the time is right. For now, let us just be content to dream the dream.
One thing is quite clear however: if the G4 name and brand will stand as-is, LG has arguably done itself a great disservice by publicly announcing to the world that it plans to release an even better product in the second half of 2015. Whether that is just PR-hype or an actual promise to deliver, those in-the-know and on-the-fence about the G4 may end up waiting it out, or else buying something else entirely.
[Rumor] LG’s newest flagship series could be the G Note
LG hasn’t exactly been secretive in its wishes to make a phablet that rivals Samsung’s Note series or the Xperia Ultra, but we still have yet to see the rumored device. Well if the newest rumor out there is true, we may see it sometime this year coming in as the LG G4 Note or G Note.
The LG G4 Note will be a premium phablet and a trademark for the name has already been proposed in the Korean patent office last month. iI the G4 Note is real, it will be a part of a line of “upcoming premium phones” and a part of a push in achieving the company’s goal in becoming the third largest smartphone maker in the world. At least according to CEO Cho Juno when he dropped the hint about these devices at MWC this year.
Come comment on this article: [Rumor] LG’s newest flagship series could be the G Note
A LG G4 press image leaks out, seems to show us a bit of a flex
The LG G4 is shaping up to be a pretty impressive device, as its predecessor was, and if a leaked LG G4 press image is anything to go by, it’s going to be a looker too. The image was leaked out by @OnLeaks, and also gives the dimensions of the device, which apparently are 148.9 x 76.5 […]
The post A LG G4 press image leaks out, seems to show us a bit of a flex appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Additional non-final LG G4 angles show front and side
Recently, we caught a look at what is allegedly a non-final press render of the upcoming LG G4. Only the rear of the device was exposed and showed that LG would keep its setup that debuted on the G2 and reappeared on last year’s G3. The new images, still considered non-final press renders, offers looks at the front and side of the G4. Quite noticeable is the slight curve that the device has. Perhaps LG wants to start implementing the G Flex series’ innovative technologies with its flagship as a key selling point.
Hit the break for an image of the side.
Source: NowhereElse.fr
Come comment on this article: Additional non-final LG G4 angles show front and side
Non-final press render of the LG G4 appears on Twitter
Now that Samsung and HTC have announced their latest flagships at MWC 2015, it’s getting closer to LG’s upcoming launch of the LG G4, and that means yet another monster handset to contend with when considering which smartphone to buy. Here we have our first glimpse of the new LG G4 handset. As you can see from this image tweeted by @onleaks, the LG G4 appears to be building on the G3’s design although it should be noted that this is an early ‘non-final‘ press render. This means the design could change drastically between now and the official announcement.
Looking at the image, the G4 seems slightly curvier than the G3, and possibly a little sleeker. This could be due to the angle of the device in the picture though. This non-final version of the G4 has dimensions of 148.9 x 76.5 x 9.9mm which makes it a tad larger than the G3(146.3 x 74.9 x 8.9mm) in every respect. Whether this will result in thicker bezels or a bigger display, it’s anyone’s guess. You can also see that the speaker is staying on the rear panel, although as said before, that could change because this is not the final product. You can almost certainly count on the power and volume buttons staying on the rear of the device though. What do you think of this non-final press render of the LG G4?
Source: @onleaks
Via: Android Authority
Come comment on this article: Non-final press render of the LG G4 appears on Twitter
“Early” press render hints at curvy LG G4
The LG G4 is around a month away from launch and @Onleaks has just uploaded a press render of the handset to tantalise us with. However, somewhat unusually, this render comes with the proviso that it is “early (non-final)”.
Normally that wouldn’t be interesting, but the render seems to show a curved display design for the LG G4. Although apparently more subtle than the G Flex 2, a curved body would certainly blur the lines between LG’s two smartphone ranges, especially given that the G4 is also rumored to ship with a Snapdragon 810 processing package. Perhaps the LG G4 will retain the G3’s QHD display resolution, to help set it apart?
LG has already done something similar with the Magna and Spirit mid-rangers, which both feature screens that curve very slightly. These are LCD screens, not plastic-based OLED like on the more dramatically curved G Flex 2, and they have no special functionality or purpose, besides looking different. It’s possible that LG is doing something similar with its next flagship.
@Onleaks also states that the LG G4 has dimensions 148.9 x 76.5 x 9.9mm. This would make the LG G4 slightly larger than the G3 (146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9 mm) in every axis, suggesting either a slightly larger display or slightly thicker bezels to accommodate the curve.
Other than that, the design aesthetic looks remarkably similar to the G3, with the same laser focus, dual-LED flash, single speaker placement, and volume rocket design on the back. Of course, as this is apparently an early render, the design could change significantly before the phone’s release.
For those wondering about this new Twitter account dedicated to leaks, @Onleaks is ran by French blogger Steve Hemmerstoffer, editor of NowhereElse.fr, a website that has had some solid leaks in the past.
What do you think about a curved look for the G4?
AIVAnet 