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Smartphone market share consolidates at top, study shows

The smartphone market leaders are more entrenched, and that's bad news for the underlings, based on a new study from ComScore.

ComScore's latest MobiLens report had no shifts in status among the major phone manufacturers and mobile operating systems in the three months ended in May, but the top two in both fields gained share while the bottom three all lost ground.

Apple ranked as the top phone maker with 39.2 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers, up 0.3 percentage point from the prior quarter, followed by Samsung with 23 percent market share, up 1.7 … Read more

The best pure Android phones right now

There's something magical about owning a Nexus phone. It's akin to belonging to an elite inner circle or cabal, one that's privy to the most up-to-date software straight from Google's top-secret labs. The benefits of running on pure Android unfettered by carrier bloatware, shady third-party apps, and manufacturer skins go beyond feeling special, though. The biggest is that accessories and apps simply run properly when not tripped up by glitzy yet proprietary add-ons.

Unless you void your warranty and root your handset, then flash it with custom Android builds, however, phones with stock Android are hard … Read more

LG to debut Optimus G successor at Aug. 7 media event in NY?

A day after revealing that successor to the Optimus G will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800, LG sent out invitations to a mysterious press event scheduled for August 7

The invitation tells us that that the company will host an "international media event" on that date in New York City but precious little else.

But considering Wednesday's announcement that LG's next flagship smartphone would be powered by Qualcomm's speedy new system-on-a-chip chip, and speculation that the handset would be unveiled in the third quarter, it's a pretty safe bet what South Korean … Read more

Successor to Optimus G will sport Snapdragon 800 processor

The successor to LG's flagship smartphone Optimus G will be powered by the speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, the companies announced Wednesday night.

The new smartphone, which as of yet hasn't been officially named, is expected to be announced later this year. The continued collaboration between the two companies isn't surprising considering that the LG Optimus G was one of the first smartphones on the market to be powered by the Snapdragon S4 Pro.

The companies promise that the next iteration of the Optimus G line will "redefine the smartphone experience" by tapping the Snapdragon … Read more

LG Optimus F7 from U.S. Cellular is a $100 winner

The fact that the LG Optimus F7 is available on more than one carrier is no surprise. It's an excellent midlevel phone that's packed with quality specs, such as a vivid 4.7-inch touch screen, an 8-megapixel camera, and a dual-core CPU.

Boost Mobile announced today that the F7 will be coming to the carrier on June 27 for $299.99 off contract, and U.S. Cellular customers can already get the device for $99.99 with a two-year agreement.

All in all, despite some of its drawbacks (like its sluggish 3G speeds), I'd still recommend it … Read more

LG to mass-produce flexible displays for smartphones

LG Display is about to embark on the mass production of smartphone display panels that reportedly don't break, crack, or shatter -- because they can bend.

By the fourth quarter of this year, the electronics company plans to be supplying the flexible displays to a host of major clients, according to The Korea Times.

"We have completed the development of our first flexible displays. We will mass produce flexible displays from the fourth quarter of this year," the company told The Korea Times. "We will apply a 4.5th generation glass-cutting technology for the OLED flexible … Read more

LG Optimus F7 available on Boost Mobile, June 27

Boost Mobile announced today that it will begin offering the 4.7-inch, LG Optimus F7 on June 27 for $299.99.

The device will be equipped with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, Android Jelly Bean, and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera.

We first caught wind of this smartphone back in February, when LG debuted the handset at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

In addition, U.S. Cellular started offering the Optimus F7 earlier this month for $99.99 with a two-year carrier agreement.

Other features include 1080p full HD video-recording capabilities, 4G LTE, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, … Read more

LG phone to sport always-on voice commands in 2014 -- report

LG is hard at work on a new smartphone that will allow for always-on voice commands, a new report claims.

The handset, which will launch in 2014, will allow users to speak commands without needing to touch the screen first, Gotta Be Mobile is reporting on Tuesday, citing three people who claim to have knowledge of LG's plans.The technology will also allow for a broader range of commands than those available now.

Although Gotta Be Mobile cites LG's plans, it's highly likely that it won't be alone in launching a device next year that features … Read more

LG Optimus G Pro hits 1 million unit sales in Korea

LG's Optimus G Pro has reached 1 million unit sales a few months before its predecessor, the company announced on Tuesday.

LG posted the news to its Web site (Translate), saying that it has sold 1 million units in Korea. The device hit the Korean market in February, meaning it took about four months for the Optimus G Pro to reach that point. The LG Optimus LTE, which came before the G Pro, reached 1 million units sold in seven months.

Interestingly, LG didn't mention Optimus G Pro sales elsewhere around the world, and it's not known … Read more

Don't kill the messenger, but here's why you should skip the LG Envoy II

You wouldn't expect high-end features in a simple phone, and you're not going to get them with the Envoy II. Not only is the low-resolution screen hard to look at from certain angles, you also won't get video recording, a flash, or any expandable memory.

True, like its predecessor, this handset is geared toward people who are mostly interested in making calls. But given that, call quality should have been better than it was.

Frankly, for a prepaid price of $49.99 and a contract price of $69.99, I'd want something more. Fortunately for U.… Read more