LG’s first laptop for the US is a MacBook Air rival

LG is launching its range of Windows laptops for the first time in the US, kicking things off with the slim and light Gram series.

Available in two sizes and a range of configurations, the new laptops are lighter than the MacBook Air. The 14-inch variant weighs only 2.16 lbs — that’s 0.8 lbs less than Apple’s offering, but a wee bit more than 2.03 lbs MacBook.

                                                                   The LG Gram weighs only 2.16 lbs and is just half an inch thick

Both the 13-inch and 14-inch versions are only half an inch thick and feature a 1080p IPS display in a carbon magnesium and lithium magnesium chassis.

They also come with HDMI and USB 3.0 ports as well as slots for microSD cards.

If you’re interested in the 14-inch model, you can choose between an Intel i7 2.4GHz processor with a 256GB SSD for storage, or an i5 2.2GHz chip with a 128GB SSD.

Both variants pack 8GB of RAM, along with a Wolfson Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) for high-quality audio output. LG promises up to 7.5 hours of battery life.

The i7 model costs $1399.99, while the i5 version will run you $999.99.

For $899.99, you can get the 13-inch model with an i5 processor, but without the DAC.

The laptops are available now at Microsoft stores across the US, as well as online at microsoftstore.com and Amazon.

➤ LG Electronics Makes Laptop Debut In U.S. With Windows 10 ‘Gram’ Series [PR Newswire]

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Google's upcoming Nexus phone might look like this

Leaked Image of the new Nexus from LG

We know another Nexus smartphone is coming soon, but built by whom? Both Huawei and LG are rumored to be making Google's reference device for Android M, and we now have pretty solid evidence for LG. A picture of the device from an Indonesian G+ user spotted by blogger Marques Brownlee shows the back of an LG Nexus device. Size-wise, it appears to line up with the 5.2-inch rumors and also features a rear fingerprint scanner, bulging camera, laser focus, dual-LED, iPhone 6-style flash and plastic galore.

If the device is for real, all that plastic might not be a bad thing. It could mean that Google will take the Nexus back to its lower priced roots -- LG's original Nexus 5 was $349, while the Motorola Nexus 6 was $649. A previous render from @Onleaks matches the photo closely, and also shows a USB Type-C port. Rounding out the specs, the device is supposed to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 CPU.

The Huawei device, on the other hand, is rumored to be a larger, 5.7-inch phablet with slightly more upmarket specs. We'd take all this with a ton of salt, but with Apple, Samsung and others now offering big and small handsets, two Nexus devices makes sense. As for when we'll find out, we'd expect the devices to arrive sometime in the fall along with Android M.

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The LG Nexus will probably look something like this

The other day, @OnLeaks lived up to his name and dished out several details about the upcoming Nexus handsets from LG and Huawei. Today, @OnLeaks has help to bring us a selection of renders, showing us what the next LG Nexus smartphone should look like.

The renders are based on factory schematic information provided to third party accessory-makers, so the dimensions are quite likely to be accurate, although the final look could well vary a bit, especially when it comes to build materials.

On the back, we can see the fingerprint scanner that has been rumored numerous times in the past. LG’s signature rear volume controls seem to have given way in order to include the scanner, which sits just underneath the protruding camera module.

The camera comes with an LED flash and also what appears to be a laser auto focus module. We can also spot the reversible USB Type-C socket at the bottom of the smartphone.

Other rumors have pointed to a couple of front facing speakers, which we can also make out on the front of the render. The size of the smartphone also apparently backs up claims that the LG Nexus will feature 5.2-inch display. The schematic states that the phone will measure 146.9 x 72.8 x 8mm, with the protruding camera extending the depth to 9.8mm.

Interestingly, there’s no sign of LG’s signature curved display with this handset, so the company won’t be bringing all of its proprietary technology to its next Nexus smartphone.

We will have to see if a similar render for the rumored Huawei Nexus shows up as well. Check out the video below for a full view of the render.

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A Massive LG G4 Leak Went Down This Weekend

Ummm, well, this is the LG G4 . The phone was supposed to be officially revealed for the first time on April 28, buuuuuuut, a microsite set up for the phone was leaked yesterday and its contents are now everywhere on the web. That means that the phone in all sorts of forms, including versions with leather backs (and butt seams), is ready for you to see. We also know more about some of its specs, like the removable 3,000mAh battery, included SD card slot, a “color spectrum sensor,” and its IPS “Quantum” display.

Yeah, we know a lot.

Ready for it? 

Oh, don’t worry, there is more. Ready?

My lord. OK. With that out of the way, let’s talk.

From this microsite, which is of course now gone, we are pretty sure that we can expect two versions of the LG G4 – one with a traditional plastic cover, and another that is fitted with leather. The plastic cover version will come in at least three colors, which appear to be white, grey, and gold. The leather version will then come in black, brown, red, light blue, gold, and yellow.

The back of the phone is removable, as is the battery. There is a micro SD slot, and a “durable, sleek” body that “was designed with an idea user experience in mind.” The phone, according to this microsite, is 8.9mm thick.

The 16MP camera, as you all know, includes an F1.8 aperture lens that LG claims captures more natural images, thanks to its “Color Spectrum Sensor.” It also has a fancy light trail effect mode, and the previously announced manual mode.

As for the display, we already know that it measures in at 5.5-inches and with a QHD resolution, but LG is calling it a “Quantum” display. It’s supposed to deliver “brilliant, crisp images” that are “rich and authentic in color,” while also remaining energy efficient.

We are also pretty sure that LG ditched the Snapdragon 810 for the 808.

So yeah, that’s the LG G4, assuming this is all accurate. It has to be, though, look at all those damn images.

Thoughts?

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LG rolls out new flip phone, calls it the ‘Ice Cream Smart’

Flip smartphones are nothing new. In fact, LG and its close rival Samsung already released a few models the past couple of years. They're not as popular as the other top smartphones but there is still a market for clamshell phones. Last year, LG introduced its first flip style smartphone called the Wine Smart. It was aimed to beat Samsung's SM-G9098 dual screen flip phone. We're not sure if it did succeed but we know LG wants to prove itself once more in the flip phone arena. Enters the LG Ice Cream Smart. This phone doesn't necessarily run Android Ice Cream Sandwich but the name can be really confusing although very yummy.

Last year, LG launched the Wine Smart, its very first clamshell smartphone (running Android 4.4 KitKat). Now, the company getting ready to introduce another clamshell that's based on Android. Most likely, it's KitKat which can be updated to Lollilop once the latter is ready. We saw some leaked photos last week but LG launched the phone over the weekend in South Korea.

LG Ice Cream Smart comes equipped with the following: 3.5-inch LCD display, 480 x 320 pixel resolution, 8 megapixel rear camera, VGA front camera, 1GB RAM, micrSD card slot, 8GB built-in memory, FM radio, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, USSB 2.0, 1.2GHz Quadcore chipset, and LTE connectivity. This isn't any entry-level phone because of the 4G/LTE connection it offers.

LG seems to be bent in pushing the the Smart flip-phone lineup. After the Wine Smart, here is the Ice Cream Smart in the same pastel colors that are usually popular with the teenagers. The manufacturer added KakaoTalk physical buttons for more convenience. These buttons can be configured as shortcuts to other instant messaging and frequently used apps as well.

We're not sure about pricing and availability or if it will released outside South Korea but we'll let you know soon.

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LG G Flex 2 release date, news, specs and rumors [updated: G Flex 2 rumored to come to CES 2015 with speedy Snapdragon 810 processor]

It’s almost been a year since LG presented their show-off and innovative curved smartphone, the LG G Flex at the CES 2014, and with this year’s CES 2015 just a month away, it looks like the second generation model, the LG G Flex 2, will be announced packing a number of improvements.Update: LG is almost ready to show off its latest bent phone at the CES, and new reports indicate it will come with a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor. Check out full details under the tech specs section below.

The LG G Flex 2 could be announced at CES 2015. / © LG

LG G Flex 2 release date

The G Flex 2 will likely be announced at LG’s press conference during the days following the official start of the CES 2015 in Las Vegas, as was its predecessor last year. The latter was first released in South Korea in October 2013 and later made its way to other markets after the US conference. This is one of the first times we are hearing about a successor, and since October 2014 has been and gone, the likelihood is that we will it released in January.

LG G Flex 2 price

The LG G Flex wasn’t cheap, starting at 770 USD, but the price has since declined. It’s probable that the LG G Flex 2 will cost around the same, but since it is rumored to be a major improvement over the first generation, the price could be hiked up to reflect this.

LG G Flex 2 specs

So far, not much is known in regards to the LG G Flex 2 specs. The sparse rumors indicate an increase in display resolution over the lacklustre HD display that was given to the LG G Flex, its main point of critique. The newer model is said to come with an OLED Full HD display. Otherwise not much else is known at this time.

The G Flex 2 is also reported to be smaller than the original 6-inch model, which will likely be a lot easier to handle.

Update: Korean website Naver has just confirmed that the LG G Flex 2 will indeed show its face at the CES 2015, and that's not all: the new smartphone will pack a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 proccessor with LTE-A connectivity with tri-band carrier aggregation. This is a big step up from the original LG G Flex which came with a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.26 GHz. LTE-A connectivity means that the phone would be able to transfer data at the amazing speed of 450 Mbps. 

The LG G Flex had an HD screen, while the G Flex 2 could get Full HD. 

LG G Flex features

The LG G Flex was the second curved device to ever appear on the mobile market next to the Samsung Galaxy Round. The latter is bent along the vertical axis, while the top and bottom side of the LG Flex are bent in, and to a much more drastic extent. It has been reported that the new generation will be bent even further, and will be more flexible thanks to a new hard rubber chassis. Inside you would find the same bendy battery and other hardware components. The curved shape is said to be more ergonomic for video watching, phone calling and operation.

The G Flex 2 is said to be even more bendy and flexible than the G Flex, as seen above, where it jumps back to its original shape. 

Like the first model, you can apply pressure on it, and flatten it out, without damaging it. The G Flex 2 would also come with the same self-healing resin back cover, which means if you were to scratch it with a key, for example, the marks would disappear in a few hours.

The LG G Flex 2 is also likely to get the back-facing buttons as is the LG trend at the moment like we’ve seen on the LG G2, LG G3, and the first model, the LG G Flex.

After testing the first generation in our LG G Flex review, we had a lot of quibbles like the HD display which was plagued with burn in issues, and a meak camera lacking OIS. Hopefully the new generation will wow us and improve on these points.

What do you think so far? Are you excited to see how LG developed this idea? Do you think the LG G Flex 2 will be a show stealer?

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Android 5.0 Lollipop Update for LG G3 Now Available in India

LG G3 running Android Lollipop

After rolling out the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for its G3 flagship smartphone in Poland ans South Korea, LG has begun rolling out the update to India.

Notably, the over-the-air update is not yet available to download, but the Android 5.0 Lollipop update can be downloaded and installed manually via the LG Mobile Support Tool. Caution: users are recommended to back up their data before continuing with the update method. The OTA update is expected to rollout to India shortly.

The LG website features separate links of the tool for the 16GB variant of the LG G3, and the 32GB variant. Once users have navigated to the corresponding page, they will need to select the Software Update tab in the Manuals & Download section.

To update the LG G3 to Android 5.0 Lollipop, users will first need to install the USB driver, before installing and executing the LG Mobile Support Tool (only available for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7). Also recommended is removing the data card from the smartphone, and ensuring 'Mass storage only' mode (via Apps>Settings>SD card & phone storage setting) is not selected.

After that, users can connect the G3 to the PC with a USB data cable, and click on the Start Upgrade option (only clickable if an update is available) in the Mobile Support Tool. While some users report they are able to click on the Start Upgrade option, some report it remains un-clickable.

Unfortunately, no changelog has yet been provided by the company, or accompanies the above mentioned Android 5.0 Lollipop update method for the LG G3 via the Mobile Support Tool. Ahead of the Poland rollout however, LG had detailed some broad changes that would come with the update, essentially reiterating the changes the OS upgrade as a whole brings, such as Material Design UI, new improved notifications, Smart Lock, Android Runtime (ART) software improvements, and more.

Are you an LG G3 user in India? Were you able to upgrade your smartphone to Android 5.0 Lollipop using the above method? Let us know in the comments below.

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LG begins Android 5.0 Lollipop update for G3, Nexus 5 still in the dust

LG G3

Google just can’t seem to catch a break. After Motorola dropped a bombshell last night by beginning Lollipop soak tests for the 2014 Moto X, even LG has beaten out Google’s Nexus line in getting the update to the latest version of Android, as it has just announced the beginning of the LG G3 Lollipop update.

The update will begin rolling out this week in Poland, followed shortly by other key markets. Of course, we’re expecting a lengthy wait for United States carrier-branded devices to get in on the fun, but still… even with that ultra-thick software skin, LG was able to bounce back with a super quick update. That’s most certainly a shocker, as we were expecting the G3′s update to have a couple more weeks to cook.

It’s fun to note that this makes two devices now that have beat out the Nexus 5 and 2013 Nexus 7 in getting the Lollipop update (not to mention the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 2012) – the Moto X and LG G3 – so we’re hoping Mountain View will get its act together and begin the rollout of Nexus updates as soon as possible.

Who do you think will be updating next? HTC? Sony? Samsung, perhaps? Sound off in the comments!

Source: LG

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Screenshots of Android 5.0 Lollipop for LG G3 hit the web

LG is already busy working on the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for its Nexus devices, but it's also taking care of its current flagship, the LG G3. A working version of the new software fell in the hands of eager bloggers who posted several screenshots.

LG G3 with Lollipop (leaked build)

Unlike the Nexus brand, the LG G3 features a customized Optimus interface and that won't change with Lollipop. From the three screenshots available it looks like there will be cosmetic changes to the notification area and those are definitely the new style notifications.

LG G3 with KitKat

In action the UI is reportedly smoother and features the new shadows and animations characteristic of the new design language for Lollipop, Material design. However, the overall look remains closer to Optimus than pure Android 5.0. The same is true for Samsung's early build of TouchWiz as it appeared on the Galaxy S5.

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