Samsung Galaxy devices to get Android 4 ICS update by Q1 2012

Samsung has already announced its plans to roll out Ice Cream Sandwich update to its Galaxy devices. However, it did not then provide any time-table for the roll-out. According to the latest reports, the company has now confirmed that it will update the Samsung S II and Galaxy Note to the latest Android OS by the first quarter of 2012. Apart from the S II and Note, Samsung will be rolling out Android 4.0 ICS update to the he Galaxy R, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 7.7, and Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus.

Meanwhile, SlashGear reports that Samsung has held back Android 4.0 updates for Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus. It further says that the company was holding the update to “monitor feedback”, after several users complained about the high battery drain. The reported glitch can also be associated with a recent update to Android 4.0 Galaxy Nexus. The Galaxy Nexus users had earlier complained about similar problems.

Earlier this month, Motorola said that it would announce next month which of its devices would be getting the upgrade and when. Back in November, LG had announced that the ICS update would be available for the Optimus 2X, the Optimus Black, the Optimus 3D and the Optimus LTE, but did not reveal exactly when that would take place. Huawei Honor is also arriving in February with the ICS OS.

It appears that all the smartphone players are pushing for most of their top handsets to get the ICS. It will be interesting to see which of the manufacturers make most of the ICS update in near future.

Source : Samsung Galaxy devices to get Android 4 ICS update by Q1 2012

Ice Cream Sandwich for LG Phones in Mid-2012

Android 4, also known as Ice Crean Sandwich, will be coming to a number of LG smartphones sometime in the middle of next year, according to a post on the company's Facebook page. According to LG, the company will begin introducing updates to Ice Cream Sandwich in the second and third quarters of 2012 (that's April-September) to select smartphones, with a "global roll out" following sometime thereafter.

According to the posting, the following LG phones will get Ice Cream Sandwich during the second quarter (April-June) of 2012:

• Optimus LTE
• Prada by LG 3.0
• Optimus 2X
• Optimus Sol
• myTouch Q
• Eclipse

LG will update five more phones in the third quarter (July-September) to Google's latest tasty mobile OS treat:

• Optimus 3D
• Optimus Black
• Optimus Big
• Optimus Q2
• Optimus EX

One thing to note here: Armando Rodriguez, PCWorld's resident Android expert, points out that the phones LG lists are all European versions of the phones, not US versions. Some LG phones go by different names in the US, though (as Cnet notes, the Optimus LTE goes by the AT&T Nitro HD in the US, for instance), so it may be possible that US versions of these phones will get the update too.

Still, if you're in the US, you may want to double-check with your carrier to see whether or not your LG phone will be getting Ice Crean Sandwich.

If you don't want to wait for LG to release an update and you're not afraid to hack your phone, keep an eye out for the upcoming CyanogenMod 9, a custom variant of Android (also known as a "ROM") for rooted Android phones. CyanogenMod 9 will be based on Ice Cream Sandwich, and it should be out sometime in January. The catch: We don't yet know for sure what hardware CyanogenMod 9 will support--the current release supports only two LG models as of this writing. Check the CyanogenMod blog for ongoing updates on future releases.

Source : Ice Cream Sandwich for LG Phones in Mid-2012

LG Optimus 3D

LG has grabbed attention of tech enthusiasts with its latest addition to the popular Optimus series of smartphones. The recently launched Optimus 2X can do nothing but weep at having lost its flagship status. The Optimus 3D is now the latest and greatest offering from the Korean company.  

According to the press release, the device boasts of a Tri-Dual configuration: dual-core, dual-channel, and dual-memory, that is. Of course, the most important aspect of the phone is its ability to deliver 3D stereoscopic content without the need for glasses. The display has a real-estate of 4.3", capable of 1080p output in 2D and up to 720p in 3D. The phone's software offers real-time conversion of 2D photos and videos into 3D. The phone is DLNA certified, and an HDMI port is also present. Although the press release doesn't give many details about the CPU and RAM, it is expected to be a dual-core 1 GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor, coupled with a PowerVR SGX540 GPU. The phone will also have a 3D augmented reality browser, developed in collaboration with Wikitude.

Looking at the hype surrounding 3D, this device will probably get a good response. Although the Galaxy S II from another Korean manufacturer packs in more power, the 3D gimmick may prove to be the decisive factor.The Optimus 3D will be available in Europe first, and then in more than 60 markets around the world over the next several weeks.

Source : LG Optimus 3D

LG Optimus Me P350 Creeps into India

We told you about LG launching the Optimus Me way back in January, and it now looks like the phone has stealthily made its way into India, what with the LG India website listing it along with an official price. The launch has been made without much fanfare, a stark contrast to when the LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black made it here.

The Optimus Me looks to entice those looking for a smartphone on a rather stringent budget. Check out the specs below:

• 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen at 240x320
• 600MHz processor
• Google Android 2.2 FroYo
• 3G and HSDPA 3.6Mbps connectivity
• WiFi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP + EDR
• 3.15 megapixel camera with Autofocus and Geotagging
• Stereo FM with RDS
• GPS with A-GPS support
• 1250mAh battery
• Storage expansion upto 32GB via microSD slot

As you can see, this phone isn't really going to give the LG Optimus 3D a run for its money, but it will be a decent option for quite a few people. While we’re not sure when exactly the Optimus Me P350 will be available in stores across the country, we’re fairly certain it’s going to be very soon. According to the LG website, the Optimus Me is going to be priced at an MRP of Rs. 8,999.

Source : LG Optimus Me P350 Creeps into India

LG launches Cinema 3D TVs based on FPR in India

After getting a firsthand experience at Seoul, LG has finally launched its Cinema 3D TVs based on its new patented FPR technology in India. The best part is the pricing which is pretty aggressive as compared to existing 3D TVs. Prices start from Rs. 94,990 for a 40-incher and goes all the way up to Rs.1,64,990 for its flagship model.  

LG will also be launching its Smart TV line-up which will give users access to Internet apps like YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, etc as well as India centric content through various tie ups with Hungama, NDTV,  Indiatimes, CarWale and Zapak. All Cinema 3D TVs will come with patent technology like 3D Light Boost for a brighter and vivid picture, 2D to 3D conversion on the fly and DivX HD support. The initial roll out will include a total of seventeen models in various price segments and they will be bundling four sets of glasses with every TV. Additional glasses are considerably cheaper compared to shutter glasses at just Rs. 1,000 a pop. The Cinema 3D TVs should start rolling out in all major stores in the coming weeks.  

Source : LG launches Cinema 3D TVs based on FPR in India

LG rumoured to make Google Nexus S tablet, possible lead device of Android 2.4

There is a distinct purpose served by the Google Nexus phones, they are the lead devices for their platforms at release, showcasing just what the new versions can do – its features, its capabilities – in a completely vanilla form.

To that end, it is not very surprising that a Google Nexus tablet is rumoured to be in the pipeline. The rumours are quite fair – after HTC and Samsung, Google has given LG the chance to make the Google Nexus tablet.

LG has shown it can handle the hardware with the LG Optimus Pad – being the first to squeeze in a 3D camera, a hi-res 1280x768 resolution 3D-capable display, 4G connectivity, and a dual-core processor in a Honeycomb tablet. That leaves all the fine-tuning of an all-vanilla Nexus tablet up to the geeks at Google.

Since Honeycomb is already out, it stands to reason the LG Google Nexus tablet will run the rumoured phone-tablet OS – Ice Cream Sandwich or, version 2.4. This is the OS that Google seems to be prepping the Nexus One and S for, with the Android 2.3.3 update. 

Source : LG rumoured to make Google Nexus S tablet, possible lead device of Android 2.4