optimus

LG Electronics ships record 10.3 million smartphones

LG Electronics achieved a record number of smartphone shipments for the first quarter of 2013.

The mobile phone maker shipped 10.3 million smartphones for the quarter ended in March, its highest level since jumping onto the smartphone bandwagon. Revenues in LG's mobile business reached 3.21 trillion won ($2.96 billion), a rise of 28.5 percent from the year-ago quarter.

The company attributed the gain in smartphone shipments to healthy sales of its Optimus G and Optimus G Pro phones as well as 3G smartphones such as the Optimus L Series and Nexus 4. LG expects further … Read more

Optimus G Pro to be center of LG's 'Share the Genius' event

Slowly but surely, LG is releasing more details about its "Share the Genius" event, that's scheduled for Wednesday, May 1 in New York City.

The event will take place at The Metropolitan Pavilion at 8 p.m. EST, and will feature the band Atlas Genius (hence, the "Share the Genius" event name).

Most importantly, however, is that the event will focus on the LG Optimus G Pro.

The handset debuted back in February, during MWC 2013. Its 5.5-inch full-HD IPS screen places it in "phablet" territory, and it's pitted as a … Read more

Episode 34: The MacBook Pro rocks and rolls!

It's safe to say that upon our arrival at American Soil and Stone, we thought the MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina Display's fate was pretty much sealed. With so much equipment capable of tearing down a house around, the MacBook's chances of survival were slim to none. However, after an epic onslaught of perhaps the heaviest artillery we've ever thrown at a gadget, we were shocked at the computer's toughness.

While it's currently in the ICU, you guys will have the chance to give it some TLC, and hopefully nurse it back to health. … Read more

Episode 33: Sony Xperia Z gets a whole new kind of dunk test

Straight out of the box, the LG Optimus G Pro looks like it's going to be a crowd pleaser. With its 13-megapixel camera, spare battery, and charger, "quad-beat" earbuds, and cute Korean comic book manual, Jeff can't help but hear "Dream Weaver" in his head when gazing into its gorgeous display. It's even big enough to live up to Molly's phablet standards. Plus, the LG Optimus G Pro sports a sparkly back that, once again, prompts our hosts to reference "The Matrix."

The Sony Xperia Z, which made a surprise … Read more

Hulk-strong screens, IR blasters, NFC-everything: Your future phone (Smartphones Unlocked)

Here's the smartphone of your short-term future: it has a 5-inch, 1080p HD screen, an 8-core application processor, and a 13-megapixel camera that does crazy things like simultaneously record through both front and rear lenses. You can use it to change your TV channel, tap it to play songs on your car, and control it without ever touching the screen.

The smartphone of your near future takes your pulse, synchronizes to your scale, and tumbles from your hands without a scratch. Oh yeah, and did I mention that it'll last two days on a single charge?

New production … Read more

Android, LTE, and great call quality for an affordable price

Don't be swayed by the use of "Optimus" in its name, as the LG Optimus Regard for Cricket Wireless isn't out to impress. Its compact design is unassuming, its feature set is mostly entry-level, and it runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. So, in other words, it's about as far from the Optimus G Pro as you can get. Yet, those aren't reasons to avoid this affordable, easy to use, and LTE-ready handset.

The Optimus Regard costs a reasonable $249.99 for Cricket's contract-free service, which places it right in the … Read more

Samsung, LG may battle over eye-tracking technology

Samsung and LG Electronics could find themselves in another patent squabble, this time over eye-tracking technology.

Samsung's Galaxy S4 and LG's Optimus G Pro both will offer an eye-recognition feature that automatically reacts to the movement of the user's eyes.

The Galaxy S4 already comes built with Smart Scroll, which lets people scroll through the screen and trigger certain actions by moving their eyes up and down. The phone also includes Smart Pause, which pauses a video when a person looks away from the screen.

LG will add a Smart Video eye-recognition feature to its Optimus G … Read more

LG brings SmartVideo eye recognition to Optimus G Pro

LG this week announced that Smart Video eye recognition will be coming to the LG Optimus G Pro. As part of an upcoming "Value Pack" software update, the feature will be made available for select future LG premium smartphones.

The Smart Video technology utilizes the front-facing camera to track the viewer's eyes to automatically control playback of videos. For example, looking away from the phone will cause the video to pause and returning your gaze will resume the clip.

In addition to the Smart Video feature, LG has introduced a dual-camera function that simultaneously snaps photos from … Read more

LG spoofs Galaxy S4 ad with Times Square billboard

LG is aiming to steal some of Samsung's Galaxy S4 thunder with a copycat billboard in Times Square.

In the heart of New York City, LG has updated its traditional billboard to tout its Optimus G phone. But the billboard is a virtual duplicate of the one for the Galaxy S4.

LG's billboard is a bit larger than Samsung's and towers above it on a Times Square building, potentially stealing the attention of busy New Yorkers.

Even LG's ad copy takes a swipe at Samsung.

The Galaxy 4S billboard tells people to "Be ready 4 … Read more

LG reboots its 'phablet' with the Optimus G Pro

Debuting at Mobile World Congress, the LG Optimus G Pro is a 5.5-inch device that will launch in Korea this month, followed by a North American release in Q2. The handset is actually LG's third crack at the phone/tablet hybrid niche, after its Optimus Vu and Vu II (the U.S. carrier, Verizon, released the former as the LG Intuition, which received a lukewarm response).

But this phone is more than just another attempt; it shows how the third time can indeed be a charm. Not only does it boast powerful quad-core specs, it also features the … Read more