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Google-branded phone coming early next year?

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 18th 2009 at 4:47AM

We've been hearing talk of thoroughly Google-branded phones since before Android was announced -- and if you want to get really technical about it, you could argue that it's already happened twice in the form of the Dev Phone 1 and the Ion. Thing is, those are strictly developer-oriented one-offs based on existing models, and TechCrunch is reporting in a rather authoritative tone today that Google's just about to launch a consumer phone all its own designed to in-house, no-compromise specifications with signs suggesting that either Samsung or LG would be responsible for OEM duties. Allegedly, the device was supposed to be at retail in time for the holidays but ended up getting pushed back into early 2010, at which point we can expect a big marketing push -- but the question is, why? Google had a heavy hand in the design and development of the chunky, geeky HTC Dream, so we already know they're probably better off leaving the details of the industrial design to the guys who've been doing this for a while -- and with strong new partnerships with Verizon and Motorola just now bearing fruit, it's safe to say that Big Red wouldn't be a launch partner. Our most interesting theory here is that AT&T -- which has gone totally radio-silent for all things Android in the past six months -- is responding to the probable impending loss of its iPhone exclusivity by scoring a coup on a gorgeous, aspirational device with the Google logo all over it. Given the time frame that TC's suggesting, it sounds like we wouldn't have to wait long to find out what's what.

BlackBerry Curve 8520, LG Shine II coming to AT&T

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 16th 2009 at 1:46PM

That successor to AT&T's wildly popular LG Shine that we spied back in August has finally popped official today, becoming the Shine II (surprise, surprise). It's a very evolutionary set -- if you squint, you can't see much difference from the original -- but this might be a situation where it's in AT&T's best interest not to mess with success just as long as they don't end up pulling a RAZR over the next several years. It's got a 2 megapixel cam, a mirror-finish 2.2-inch LCD, GPS, 3.6Mbps HSDPA, and microSD expansion to 16GB; look for it on November 22 for $119.99 after rebate on contract. Perhaps more notably, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 has migrated from T-Mobile over to AT&T today with the same EDGE data and optical pad as its cousin; it'll be hitting in the "coming weeks" for $99.99 after rebate. Of course, the Bold 9700 hits on the 22nd for a hundie more, so there'll be some soul searching among AT&T-based BlackBerry lovers over the next few days, we suspect.

LG to announce Snapdragon-boasting Android phone, Korea-bound in 2010

by Laura June posted Nov 6th 2009 at 11:58AM

It's looking like LG will be offering an Android phone boasting Qualcomm's hot Snapdragon chip -- which has recently squeezed its way into handsets such as the Xperia X10 and Acer's Liquid. The new LG mobile phone is expected for the Korean market in the second quarter of 2010. While the device is still unnamed and specs are still a mystery, LG is promising that the device will be "more mature" than the GW620 Eve, an Android device announced earlier this week for Rogers in Canada. There's no solid word on what availability of the device will be like, though LG says its considering possibilities outside of Korea.

[Via Slashgear]

Verizon's BlackBerry 8530 and LG Chocolate Touch go hands-on

by Paul Miller posted Nov 5th 2009 at 12:41PM

Rounding out the flurry of interesting Verizon Wireless launches today are the BlackBerry Curve 8530 and LG Chocolate Touch (pictured). The 8530 is pretty much just the Verizon edition of T-Mobile's 8520, but the LG Chocolate Touch bears closer examination. Basically it's just a war on the eyeballs of anyone who's ever seen the BL40, with the front, back, materials and interface of the device all falling incredibly short of aesthetic pleasure. However, the $80 phone does have a relatively responsive and usable touchscreen interface for a "dumbphone," and we've used worse touchscreen keyboards on Windows Mobile. So it's not a complete tragedy, but we really feel sorry for someone who skips over the DROID ERIS for this just handset just to save $20.

LG Chocolate Touch

BlackBerry Curve 8530

Verizon's LG Chocolate Touch skips on the BL40 influence

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 5th 2009 at 9:15AM

We've suspected it for a while, and now it's 100 percent confirmed: Verizon's latest Chocolate device, the Chocolate Touch, takes absolutely zero influence from the lovely BL40 with which it shares a name. That said, it definitely seems to continue the Chocolate line's music-oriented tradition with an integrated FM radio, dedicated music key, stereo Bluetooth, equalization tech from Dolby Mobile, and a curious "Join the Band" function that lets you add in your own beats to the music with a full on-screen drum kit. It's got a 3.2 megapixel cam, full touch display, and for the impatient among us, the best news might be that it's available today -- yes, today -- for $79.99 on contract after rebate.

LG GW620 Eve coming to Rogers, Android deftly avoids AT&T yet again

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 9:16PM

It looks like Canada's Rogers will be among the first carriers in the world to offer LG's first Android device, the GW620 Eve -- and for North Americans, this is particularly notable since it means there's a version of the device at retail that'll theoretically work on Bell, Telus, and AT&T in addition to Rogers proper. We have no indication that AT&T's about to actually pull the trigger on this thing (or on any Android device for that matter), though, so if you're into the 5 megapixel AF cam, full QWERTY slide, and 7.2Mbps HSDPA capability, we'd recommend putting your unlockin' pants on. For Rogers customers, we're not seeing a release date just yet, but it looks like you'll be paying a downright reasonable CAD $49.99 (about $47) on a three-year deal when it launches.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Verizon's Chocolate Touch is a dead ringer for the LG SB210

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 8:36PM

If you want to know what Verizon's upcoming Chocolate Touch will look like, look no further than this little number, the SB210, that's just been unveiled for LG's domestic South Korean market. Naturally we can expect that the firmware will be a good deal different, but the hardware looks exactly like the spy shots we've seen so far of the next Big Red handset to wear the storied Chocolate brand -- which, it bears repeating, won't be the much hotter BL40. In the SB210's case, the big feature here is an integrated database of 280 golf courses that hooks up with the GPS to offer distance information and lower your handicap (theoretically, anyway). The phone's available now on SKT for 638,000 won -- about $538 -- so we're expecting a much lower subsidized price when this thing comes to Verizon later this week.

LG's Android-equipped GW620 hits the FCC

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 30th 2009 at 2:59PM

By all accounts, the GW620 seems to be a pretty timid first entry into the Android fray for LG -- it's a pretty plain-vanilla set with nary a software customization to be found -- but there's definitely a market for that sort of thing, so it's good to see that they're making nice progress toward retail availability with an FCC filing here. Of course, as with far too many phones, FCC approval has precisely zero bearing on whether it'll actually be offered in the New World; these guys are just dotting their I's and crossing their T's as they prepare for a proper launch in key markets around the globe where travel to the US seems like a possibility. The particular version we've got here is the GW620F variant, rocking quadband GSM / EDGE plus WCDMA Band V which offers up 850MHz 3G. If we had to guess, there's also 2100 in there, which would make it likely bound for Australia. With DROID Fever still in full effect, of course, it could launch in Antarctica and we're not sure the Android community would be paying too much mind.

LG launches official site for GW620 Android phone, sort of

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 29th 2009 at 4:54PM

LG's GW620 handset may be easy to miss among all the other current Android-based offerings, but it looks like LG is now starting to ramp things up a bit to help it get noticed, with it recently launching (inadvertently, judging from the copy) the official site for phone complete with some fresh new images and promo videos. While there's expectedly not much in the way of new details, LG's ads and promo videos (check one after the break) do seem to position the phone squarely in CLIQ territory, with LG even going so far as to dream up a series of mascots (including a "Social Butterfly") to demo the phone's social networking capabilities. Head on past the break to see for yourself, and keep an eye on the link below for what should soon be the "official" official website.

[Via Android-France]

Continue reading LG launches official site for GW620 Android phone, sort of

LG Chocolate Touch for Verizon coming November 5

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 29th 2009 at 7:07AM

We've been able to confirm with a trusted source that LG's Chocolate Touch for Verizon -- which will end up being about as far from the sexy BL40 as possible, unfortunately -- is slated for a November 5 launch. With the DROID and Droid Eris both launching in the same window, it's going to be tough for this puppy to get a word in edgewise, even though it's the latest model in a storied brand and really doesn't compete on any level with Verizon's Android devices. Then again, considering how far they've strayed from the BL40 with this one, we can't say we're feeling a ton of sympathy.

[Thanks, HTC Kid]

Telus kicks off HSPA+ network with iPhone November 5th, HTC Hero, LG New Chocolate and more to follow

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 26th 2009 at 9:10PM

Telus already announced that it'd be launching the iPhone in November, but it's just now gotten official with an actual date: November 5th -- which just so happens to also be the day that it lights up its brand new HSPA+ network. Unfortunately for anyone hoping that a little competition would spark a price war, Telus is matching Rogers' prices across the board, starting at $99.99 for the basic 8GB iPhone 3G, and moving up to $199.99 for the 16GB 3GS, and $299.99 for the 32GB 3GS (all on a three-year contract, of course). What's more, Telus has also taken the opportunity to offer the first official confirmation of some of the other devices that'll take advantage of its new network, including the HTC Hero, the previously rumored LG New Chocolate (a.k.a BL40), the Blackberry Bold 9700, and the Nokia E71 (plus a USB stick, for good measure). No prices or release dates for any of those just yet, unfortunately, but the Hero and New Chocolate are apparently Telus exclusives.

LG BL40 New Chocolate review

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 19th 2009 at 11:44AM

You know the deal by now: we grab a slab of fresh new hardware, fiddle, play, and tinker with it until exhaustion or boredom is reached, then wax poetic about the whole experience, with a side serving of pictures and videos thrown in. Today's candidate for a grilling is LG's BL40, which is now available in Europe. You'll be familiar with it already from our hands-on look last month, but do join us past the break where we explore what's under the glossy hood in more detail, and give you a definitive answer on just how useful that elongated screen really is.

LG BL40 New Chocolate review

Continue reading LG BL40 New Chocolate review

LG GD900 Crystal makes a very portable fish tank, PETA magnet

by Engadget staff posted Oct 17th 2009 at 1:42AM

Remember the good old days with your virtual pets on your keyring? Well, how about an injection of life that actually roams around inside your phone? Some dude in China had this exact idea -- probably inspired by the waterproof LG GD900 Crystal in a fish tank -- and popped open the hollow keypad of his own Crystal, slapped in two unfortunate little neon tetras, squeezed in some water and snap! There's no mention on how long the poor things can survive in there for, but chances are PETA will be after your backside well before something goes wrong. We also went through the warranty paperwork, and honestly, we think this gentleman might be in a fishy area here. Video of the mod after the break, if you dare.

Continue reading LG GD900 Crystal makes a very portable fish tank, PETA magnet

LG GD910 Watch Phone review

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 16th 2009 at 12:24PM

You're not how much money you have in the bank, you're not the car you drive, you're not the contents of your wallet, you are not your freaking khakis – oh, who are we kidding, if you're reading a site such as this, you're all about your khakis. To sate that "look good, feel good" need in all of us, LG has brought out the ultimate in techie chic: a watchphone. This is not just any watchphone though, this is a £500 ($808) droplet of Orange-tinted exclusivity that straddles your wrist and demands onlookers' attention. Do the consumer in you a favor and come along to Engadget Classic where we have the full scoop on the GD910.

No-contract $30 / $45 Straight Talk wireless plans storm Walmart

by Darren Murph posted Oct 14th 2009 at 1:16PM

Remember when TracFone horrified the world with its Straight Talk phone selection back in July? Clearly the suits in Bentonville weren't so scared, as now Walmart is latching on to that very plan and claiming it as its own. In over 3,200 of the outfit's retail stores across America, consumers will be able to snag an admittedly pathetic cellie and a rather decent calling plan for just $30 a month. Three Hamiltons gets you 1,000 voice minutes, 1,000 texts and 30MB of mobile web access, not to mention nationwide coverage and free 411 calls. If that's not quite enough, a $45 per month option provides unlimited everything (voice / SMS / mobile web). Of course, the price of using an antediluvian LG 220, LG Slider 290 or Samsung 451 can't be measured in mere dollars, but hey, humiliation's only temporary -- right?