LG Optimus 7 won't get WP7.8 update says LG Poland

We got a lot of good news about the Windows Phone 7.8 update lately, but every streak comes to an end as we now have a particularly unpleasant piece of information to share with you. The LG Optimus 7, which was one of the first Windows Phone handsets and is currently running version 7.5 of the OS, will not be getting updated to version 7.8.
This info comes from LG’s branch in Poland and may not apply to all regions, but LG has not officially announced anything else regarding the Optimus G.
This move shouldn’t come as a big surprise as LG decided to step away from Windows Phone to focus on Android (the company won’t be releasing Windows Phone 8 handsets).

Hurricanes be damned, the LG Nexus 4 goes official

Hurricane Sandy may have forced Google to cancel the New York event, but even the storm can't stop LG from announcing the Nexus 4. The phone leaked extensively, so there's little about it that's unknown (it's based on the LG Optimus G), but let's go over the specs one last time.
The LG Nexus 4 has a 4.7" True HD IPS Plus screen with WXGA resolution (768 x 1280, 15:9 aspect ratio). It's powered by a Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset with four Krait cores at 1.5GHz, 2GB RAM and Adreno 320 GPU.
The phone is running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean (so no Key Lime Pie) and you get a choice between 8GB and 16GB storage options (there's no microSD card).


The camera on the back has an 8MP sensor and it has a cool feature called Photo Sphere. It's like a panorama, but you can snap photos in every direction you like - sideways, upside-down, wherever.
The Nexus 4 measures 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1mm and weighs 139g. It has a 2,100mAh battery, which has enough juice for 15.3 hours of talk time or 390 hours of standby. The phone supports wireless charging.
As far as connectivity goes, the LG-made Google Nexus 4 will have GSM/HSPA+ and NFC (unlike the Optimus G, there's no LTE). We suspect there will be a CDMA version later on, but there's no info on that just yet.
The first LG Nexus 4 phones will be available from the Play Store in US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Australia starting November 13. If you prefer brick and mortar stores, the you'll have to wait until the end of November when the Nexus will hit Europe, Central/South Americas, Asia, CIS and the Middle East.
The 8GB version (unlocked) is priced at $299, while the 16GB version is $349. T-Mobile USA will carry the 16GB LG Nexus 4, though with a price of $199 and a 2-year contract, it doesn't sound like much of a deal.

Prada Phone by LG 3.0 starts mass selling in the UK

The Prada Phone by LG 3.0 has been on sale in the UK for a couple of weeks now, but its availability was limited to Phones4U only. Now a couple of other major UK retailers have the third edition of the LG Prada Phone in stock.

UK online store Unlocked Mobiles has the LG Prada 3.0 for £424.98, while Clove sells it for £429.99. You can tell that LG have been pricing the phone and not Prada.

Moreover, considering that the Prada Phone 3.0 sports a 4.3-inch 480x800 touchscreen, 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of built in storage, the price isn't all that bad. And you know, bragging about your new Prada smartphone is worth every quid.

LG Miracle WP smartphone with NOVA display press shot leaks

LG is obviously about to complete the development of yet another WP smartphone. We just got a press photo of the handset, dubbed LG Miracle, and while it's not coming from an official source, such images normally only appear shortly before the device becomes official.

Along with the image we also got information about the key features of the LG Miracle's spec sheet. The most interesting bit is that the smartphone will be using a WVGA NOVA display, which will be a first for a Windows Phone handset. The super bright NOVA screen will help the Miracle stand out in the WP crowd, which is becoming an increasingly difficult task lately.

Unfortunately, the LG Miracle will feature a Snapdragon chipset with 1GHz Scorpion CPU, instead of the 1.4GHz and 1.5GHz units which we saw on most second generation WP smartphones. Its 5 megapixel camera will be able to capture 720p videos and there will be a VGA front-facing camera on board.

The LG Miracle spec sheet highlights continue with 14.4Mbps HSPA, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0 and, quite interestingly, NFC.

The pricing and availability of the handset are still unknown at this stage, but if we are lucky enough to see it announced at the MWC at the end of the month, we'll know more about them shortly.

G Optimus L3 E400 goes quietly up for pre-order in Sweden

In the quietest manner possible, LG's latest Optimus L3 E400 budget smartphone has gone up for pre-order at a Swedish online retailer. The smartphone, despite lacking a massive spec sheet, is bound to bring a serious dash of good looks to the market for lower end Android handsets.

There is no information on the CPU or RAM of the device. It features a 3.2" display with the rather lowly resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. A 3MP snapper is present on the back. MicroSD card slot is at your service as well, along with full connectivity suite. There is even an FM radio present. The Optimus L3 will come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box.

The pre-order price of the device is €145. The handsome looking smartphone can be ordered in two color schemes - black and white.

LG Optimus 3D to be called 3D MAX, with or without the Optimus

A few days ago leaked the first images of the rumored as the Optimus 3D successor - LG CX2.

The CX2 is supposed to feature a better processor, superior display, slimmer shell and even better connectivity options (incl. NFC).

Today a reportedly trustful source disclosed to GSM Israel the market name for the CX2 - it's going to be the LG 3D MAX or rather Optimus 3D MAX.

LG 3D MAX

In case you've missed a detail, the 3D MAX should run on a 1.2GHz dual-core processor (TI OMAP chipset) and use a 4.3" WVGA NOVA 3D display capable of better 2D-to-3D conversion. The two cameras will remain 5 megapixels, but it's yet to see if they will be capable of 1080p 3D videos. The 3D smartphone will most probably run on Android Gingerbread with much more 3D stuff than its predecessor.

Anyway, the MWC is coming in a few weeks, so the announcement should be around the corner. You can bet we will be there to cover everything for you.

LG Prada 3.0 launches in the UK this Friday

Prada Phone by LG 3.0, the latest smartphone to come out from the partnership between LG and the fashion giant, will hit UK stores tomorrow.

Phones4U will be the lucky store to offer the device in the UK starting tomorrow with others (including Play and Clove) to follow in the days after.

So if you feel like becoming one of the first LG Prada 3.0 owners you can get it for free as early as tomorrow with a two-year contract costing £31/month. If contracts are not your thing, unlocked Prada Phone 3.0 units will be available in the beginning of February.

About half of 2nd-gen WP7 phones are Nokias, but HTC leads overall

When Microsoft released their quarterly financial results, there wasn’t a peep about Windows Phone. So, we have to look to third-party statistics, like the one from OccassionalGamer, whose games have been installed over a million times on various WP phones out there.

Their statistics show over half of the Windows Phone handsets out there bear an HTC logo with Samsung coming in after them with about a third of the handsets. LG holds third place (but they have no second-gen WP7 phones). Nokia is currently a distant fourth.

Looking at just the second-generation devices (the ones that came after Mango was released), Nokia (who missed the first round of WP phones) takes the top spot with a 45% share. The majority of that is made up of Lumia 800s with the occasional Lumia 710 (they are about six 800s for every 710).

HTC is a close second with 40% share, with the HTC Radar doing pretty well for itself. It's ahead of the Lumia 710 but trails the 800. Samsung is third when it comes to second generation WP7 phones, with the Samsung Omnia W (Focus Flash in the US) leading the pack and the AT&T-exclusive Focus S dragging behind by a wide margin.

It's worth noting that the original HTC HD7 is the most popular Windows Phone device in OccasionalGamer's statistics, followed by the original Samsung Focus (for AT&T). HTC does have more WP7 models out there than any other maker right now, which helps secure their first place overall.

Nokia's Windows Phone offerings are still relatively new to the market and the Finns must be pleased with such numbers. They also have the Lumia 900 but we'll have to wait and see how it fares against the HTC Titan II, a spiritual successor of the HD7. Both phones are expected to launch on AT&T soon and there's a lot at stake there, especially for Nokia, who are yet to reinstate themselves on the US market.

Gingerbread update for LG Optimus Black starts rolling out

As promised by LG, the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the Optimus Black has started rolling out. However, for now, only people in India and Europe have reported to receiving the update.

The update upgrades the phone to Android 2.3.4, which is oddly three versions prior to the latest Gingerbread update, 2.3.7. Then again, the later versions only brought minor changes and improvements so you won't be missing out on much.

LG has also released a change log for the new update, which reads as follows:

• Improved power management
• Enhanced mobile gaming experience
• Improved UI to enable faster access and control and a more intuitive user experience
• One-touch word selection and copy/paste:
• Better Download management
• Support for new media formats such as AAC, AVC, MPEG 4 and H.263
• New features and other improvements: active app management, shortcuts, widgets, icons, app groups, updated calendar options, camera geotagging, better email synching and more precise camera auto-focus.
• App updates and pre-loaded Google+ app

If you're in the above mentioned regions you may already be enjoying the Gingerbread experience on your Optimus Black whereas others may have to wait a bit longer. Do remember that LG has also promised Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for the Optimus Black, which is expected in Q3, this year.

LG CX2 images leaks, it's shaping as an LG Optimus 3D 2

Under an assumed name, CX2, LG is reportedly in the works to bring a successor to its Optimus 3D smartphone with a better processor, superior display, slimmer body, NFC chip and HSPA+ (21 Mbps).

Now those are only alleged specs from an undisclosed source so take them under advisement.

Speaking of which, it's expected to debut at the Mobile Word Congress in February and going retail in early spring. The OS of choice is rumored to be Gingerbread and not ICS though an update seems likely at some point.

The processor of the CX2 should be a 1.2 GHz dual-core TI OMAP, the display, while likely to remain a 4.3-incher of WVGA (480 x 800) resolution, and it's said to be a NOVA unit, meaning superior brightness and contrast. It's expected that there will be a serious brightness decrease in 3D mode as opposed to 2D mode. The cameras are expected to remain 5 MP and the device will supposedly be thinner. Finally the auto-stereoscopic display is rumored to be more effective in converting regular 2D content into 3D.