LG G3 Specs Leak Ahead of Release: QuadHD Display, 13MP Camera

The LG G3 is set to be launched on Tuesday, May 27, but some of LG's international websites have killed the suspense by publishing the device's specifications a day early.

Droid Life has the details (coming from LG's Dutch site), and they're as expected: the LG G3 will feature a QuadHD (2560x1440 pixels), 5.5-inch display — the first high-profile Android phone to do so.

We also know the G3 will have a 13-megapixel rear camera, 2GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 801 processor, 16GB of storage (expandable via microSD memory cards), and a 3,000mAh battery.

Other features of note include a 2.1-megapixel front camera, "lightweight metallic design," wireless charging support and a 1W speaker.

We'll follow up after the device's official unveiling later today.

Image: LG

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LG's Big Event: G3 Smartphone and G Watch May Be Coming

LG has sent out invites for a "big event" in London on May 27, with simultaneous satellite events in New York and San Francisco, as well as events in Seoul, Singapore and Istanbul the following day.

LG could not confirm the exact nature of the event(s), but it's rumored that the company will announce a new flagship smartphone, the LG G3, and quite possibly unveil its previously announced LG G Watch.

The tagline for the event — a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, "To be simple is to be great" — reveals little besides a likely showing of a G series device. But LG previously told Engadget it plans to launch the G3 in the second quarter of 2014. No specifications were given, except the fact that the phone's screen resolution will be Quad HD, possibly 2,560 x 1,440 pixels.

LG recently launched a microsite detailing some of the G Watch's features. The Android Wear-based device will be "always on," as well as water- and dust-resistant. LG also said it would become available in the second quarter of 2014.

We'll be covering the May 27 event live, so stay tuned for more details.

Image: LG

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LG G Watch Will Be Water and Dust Resistant

LG has launched a microsite for its upcoming Android Wear-based smartwatch, the LG G Watch, showing off some of the device's main features.

The smartwatch, which was announced during Google's unveiling of Android Wear, will be water and dust resistant.

It will come in two colors — Stealth Black and Champagne Gold — and it will have a screen that's "always on," though LG doesn't go into details about what that means.

LG also points out that you can start voice commands by uttering "OK Google" to the device, which is expected since it's one of the standard features of Android Wear.

The pricing or the exact release date for the LG G Watch haven't been revealed. LG previously said the device would become available in the second quarter of 2014.

Image: LG

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LG's Smart Bulb Connects With Your Smartphone

LG has launched the Smart Bulb in Korea, a light bulb that connects with Android and iOS devices, providing several interesting features.

The 10W LED bulb will let you control lighting in the house with a smartphone, and it can also flash-alert when you get a phone call.

Other features include a security mode which makes it look like you're at home when you're away, as well as pulsating to the tune of music (but only on Android devices).

The bulbs should run for more than 10 years, provided you use them five hours a day, LG claims.

LG's Smart Bulb is not the only connected light bulb around. Recently, a company called AwoX announced a light bulb that can double as a Bluetooth speaker. We've also seen several Kickstarter projects to create a connected light bulb; the Wi-Fi enabled LIFX is one example.

The price for the LG Smart Bulb is 35,000 won ($32) in Korea; there's no word when the device might come to the U.S.

IMAGE: LG.COM

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The First Android Wear Devices Are the Moto 360 and LG G Watch

Earlier this afternoon, Google officially unveiled Android Wear, its new platform for wearables. Now both Motorola and LG have announced Android Wear smartwatches.

Motorola, Google's former-subsidiary apparently has big plans for Android Wear. It's calling its watch the Moto 360. The device is notable because it has a round face — something we haven't seen before in a smartwatch.

Like the Moto X, the Moto 360 is also designed to take advantage of gestures. Twisting a wrist will show an alert or your next meeting. On its blog, Motorola is hyping what it calls "premium materials" and says the Moto 360 will be available in a variety of styles.

LG is calling its device the LG G Watch and the company says it will be compatible with a variety of Android smartphones. LG says it expects to release the G Watch in the second quarter of 2014 — so we should see it in just a few months.

The company released a mockup image, which looks similar to some other smartwatches we've seen — including Sony's Android-powered SmartWatch 2.

LG says it will release more details on the LG G Watch in the coming months.

The Moto 360 will be available in Summer 2014, first in the United States and then in the rest of the world.

Image: Motorola, LG

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LG Unveils Three L Series III Smartphones

LG is apparently not very good at throwing surprise parties — after launching the high-end LG G Pro 2 smartphone one week before the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the company now unveiled three budget smartphones which will debut at the show.

The L Series III devices — L40, L70 and L90 — have similar specs and design, with the main difference being their screen size.

The 4.7-inch L90 has a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage memory. The L70 sports a 4.5-inch screen and the same specs except for storage memory, which is halved to 4GB. Its camera might also be a 5-megapixel or VGA one, depending on the market.

Finally, the 3.5-inch L40 has only 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage memory, and a 3-megapixel camera.

All three devices come with Android 4.4 or Kitkat, and support for LG's Quick Windows covers, which let you check vital phone info without lifting the cover. We'll have a chance to spend some time with them in person at the MWC, which starts Monday, Feb 24, in Barcelona.

Image: LG

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LG Might Unveil the G Pro 2 This Month in Korea

LG will reveal its upcoming smartphone, the LG G Pro 2, at an event in Korea on Feb. 13, ZDNet.kr reports. The company sent invites for an event on that date, named "Knock-knock-knockin' on," probably referring to LG's Knock On feature which lets you wake a smartphone from its sleep with two taps on the screen.

Rumors claim the G Pro 2 will have a 6-inch screen, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera.

So, if LG unveils the G Pro 2 in Korea, what's left to show at the Mobile World Congress, taking place Feb. 21 - 24 in Barcelona? Perhaps it will only be a European premiere of the G Pro 2 — LG actually did the same thing last year with the Optimus G Pro — but maybe LG has a surprise or two up its sleeve.

Phone Arena claims the G Pro 2 won't be LG's flagship for the year. In fact, the company's Galaxy S5 killer will be called the LG G3, and it might have a 5.5-inch screen with a 1440x2560 pixel resolution. That handset, however, is likely to come in May.

We'll be following LG's unveiling on Feb. 13, and we'll report on any news the company might announce during the MWC in Barcelona.

Image:JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

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LG Fitness Wristband Tracker Touts OLED Touchscreen

Adding to the long lineup of fitness wristband trackers on the market, LG announced on Monday at the 2014 International CES show a version of its own with a slightly different design approach: a touchscreen interface.

Called the LG Lifeband Touch, the device tracks distance walked, speed, calories and other typical data collected by activity trackers, but it also comes with an OLED display, manages incoming calls and can be used to control your music. This data can be accessed by swiping a finger over the display, similar to how you would use a touchscreen tablet or smartphone.

With the help of a motion-sensing algorithm, the device automatically turns on the display when the user rotates their wrist.

But one of the most compelling parts of the Lifeband Touch is how it connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth to receive data from third party devices, including the company's new heart rate earphones.

Pricing and availability for the LG Lifeband Touch haven't yet been announced.

Image: LG

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LG G Flex: First impressions

LG finally introduced its first curved display smartphone in India, the G Flex, at an event in New Delhi. Indian consumers will have to wait till next year to get their hands on the device, as the G Flex will be available in India only in February 2014.

We got a chance to play with the LG G Flex at the event however, and sum up our first impressions below.

When we first held the G Flex in our hands, we were definitely a bit taken aback by its ergonomic curved design, which definitely is the device's USP. The G Flex is curved on its horizontal axis which gives the device's top and bottom edges a curl shape.

Key Specification :

Display: 6.00-inch  (160.5x81.6x8.7mm)

Resolution: 720x1280 pixels

Front Camera: 2.1-megapixel

Rear Camera: 13-megapixel camera with an LED flash

Processor: quad-core 2.26GHz Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) processor with an Adreno 330 GPU

OS: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

RAM: 2GB

Storage: 32GB inbuilt storage, which is non-expandable

Battery capacity: 3500 mAh

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LG Optimus One

It could quite possibly be the longest time I've road tested a handset... Back in November I was kindly loaned an LG Optimus One - and it's been in my pocket, nestled next to my usual HTC Diamond 2 every since. Then Christmas came and print deadlines beckoned. Before I realised it, it had become part of my everyday kit...

The LG Optimus One is a neat, powerful smartphone that treads the fineline between fancy functionality and basic phone features beautifully.

The Optimus One is similar in size and form factor to HTC's compact Hero (which I quite like, incidentally), but the Optimus One feels more substantial and robust in your hand. The moulded, concave back in smooth plastic, the screen-protecting front in black rubber - it's a heavyweight handset.

Running Android 2.2, the 3.2 inch Optimus One the display resolution is fairly low.

Still, it boasts a capacitive and very responsive screen, which feels solid enough to the touch and responded well to the apps we used. Occassionally, typing proved to be a bit of a chore when the handset was held vertically. But that's a niggle rather than a complaint.

LG have customised Android a little to fit with the handset. It's a gentle tweak - with a custom dock to complement the physical buttons at the front and bottom of the handset. You can define and configure multiple home screens, though we found we were often happy enough going to the Optimus One's custom app page, where you can sort by category to quickly find your favourites.

It seems a bit of a disservice to tag the Optimus One as an entry level device. Some of the specs bear that out but, seriously, in daily use and operation we rarely missed functionality. The 600 Mhz CPU powering the Optimus One was fine in most circumstances, only stuttering and moaning a little when trying to tackle larger, more complex web pages. And it streamed video over YouTube at smooth rates and resolutions, when connected to WiFi.

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