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LG has no plans for Windows Phone 8 handsets

BARCELONA, Spain--LG has no immediate plans to sell a Windows Phone 8 handset, CNET has learned.

The Korean consumer electronics manufacturer remains open to using Microsoft's mobile operating system, but doesn't see a huge demand for the product.

"We want to give customers what they ask for," an LG representative told CNET.

LG's reluctance to embrace Windows Phone 8 underscores the difficulties that the platform faces with both consumers and vendor partners. LG was one of the early partners that signed on with Microsoft, releasing the LG Quantum in the first wave of Windows Phone … Read more

New LG ad: iPhone 5 is broadly inadequate

When it comes to the smartphone industry, it's difficult to get a broad view.

The intensity of entrenched positions makes it resemble Congress. And respect is in even shorter supply than intelligence.

I was, therefore, moved when Apple Insider pointed me to a new ad for the LG Optimus G Pro.

It appeared to be a deep and respectful homage to the iPhone 5 ad in which Apple shows off its panoramic capabilities, as Jeff Daniels intones at his most amiable.

You know, the one with lots of kids and Daniels saying, "Cheeeeeeeese." (Embedded below, should you … Read more

LG announces Optimus F5, F7 ahead of Mobile World Congress

LG today announced a pair of Optimus F series smartphones on the eve of Mobile World Congress. The two will bridge the gap between the entry-level Optimus L and high-end Optimus G series of phones. Both will run the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and will feature 4G LTE connectivity.

The Optimus F5 features a 4.3-inch qHD (540x960 pixels) display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB internal storage. Juiced by a 2,150mAh battery, the smartphone includes a 5-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, and microSD expansion slot.

The bigger and more powerful Optimus … Read more

LG's 5.5-inch Optimus G Pro to reach U.S. in Q2

After some earlier teasing, LG Electronics fully detailed its Optimus G Pro Android phone today, a high-end model with 5.5-inch screen, LTE networking, and a quad-core 1.7GHz processor.

LG often sells its phones first in its home market of South Korea, and it looks like that's the plan for the Optimus G Pro, too. But it'll arrive in other areas, too, including North America and Japan in the second quarter of 2013, LG said in an announcement a week ahead of the Mobile World Congress show. That's where the South Korean company will show off … Read more

Qualcomm Quick Charge powers your device faster

Have you noticed that your new smartphone charges up quicker than your old one? You might want to thank Qualcomm and the Quick Charge 1.0 technology, which Qualcomm today announced is in more than 70 Snapdragon-based smartphones and tablets.

The rapid-charging technology can charge your phone up to 40 percent faster than previous generations, Qualcomm claims.

Where other models might take up to 4 hours to charge, a Quick Charge could accomplish the job in under 3 hours. As of today, there are more than 70 devices with support for Quick Charge 1.0, with more on the way.… Read more

LG's Optimus L Series sales top 15 million units

LG's Optimus L Series, which made its debut at Mobile World Congress last year, is selling at a rate of one per second, the handset maker accidentally revealed today in a press release.

According to LG, it has sold 15 million Optimus L devices since last February. The company mistakenly released the news today and had planned to announce the tally on Sunday.

LG has made a strong push for the smartphone market with a growing number of Optimus handsets. The company's L series, which represents the mid-range of its line, has helped boost its standing in the … Read more

LG debuts Optimus G Pro ahead of Mobile World Congress

LG, seemingly unable to keep a secret, today teased a 5.5-inch version of the Optimus G Pro.

Presumably arriving in late February at Mobile World Congress, the handset aims to take on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

A teaser image posted on an LG Facebook page provides an early glimpse of the larger, yet familiar design. Although the official details for the 5.5-inch handset are light, early rumors suggest that a quad-core 1.7GHz processor, 2GB RAM, and a 13-megapixel camera are in order. For all practical purposes, the new phone looks to be a larger take on … Read more

Let the LG Spirit 4G descend

Save for one handset (the LG Motion 4G), all of MetroPCS' LG handsets have been stuck on Gingerbread.

So when the LG Spirit 4G was released on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (yes, it's not the latest Jelly Bean version, but I'll take what I can get), I was pleased. Not only was the update refreshing, the phone will also be the only other LG device to feature LG's Optimus 3.0 user interface.

On top of that, its current $199 price tag renders it oddly less expensive than some of MetroPCS' midrange Gingerbread phones (like … Read more

LG updates Optimus L-Series handsets for MWC 2013

Mobile World Congress will kick off in Barcelona, Spain, in two weeks, but that doesn't mean the news will wait until then.

LG announced today that it will unveil the next iteration of its L-Series line of mid-tier devices at the mobile conference later this month.

The series includes the successors of the LG Optimus L7, L5, and L3.

The updated L7, aptly called the LG Optimus L7 II, will have a dual-SIM version that will launch in Russia this week.

Its processor will be bumped up from a single-core to a 1GHz dual-core CPU, and it will get … Read more

Google sells Nexus 4 wireless charger for $60

Months after Google began selling the LG-made Nexus 4 Android 4.2 smartphone, it (finally) has a wireless charger to offer as well.

The charging accessory, available in the Google Play store, resembles a sheared-off Nexus Q and costs $59.99.

Google's wireless charger, like most, relies on the Qi protocol of inductive charging. The upshot is that the charger will be able to power other smartphones using the same standard.

I personally think this is a hefty sticker price for an add-on that's long been underscored as part of the Nexus 4's key selling points. Even … Read more