LG - 5/45 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Apr

Google Play's Favorite Things Twitter Sweepstakes: Win One Of 10 Nexus 10s, 7 Nexus 7s, 4 Nexus 4s, Or 100 $10 Gift Cards

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Google, News, Nexus 10, Nexus 4, Nexus 7

Got a dog bite? Maybe a bee sting? Perhaps you're just feeling sad? Google's got a little mid-week pick-me-up in the form of a sizeable giveaway. To promote the new look of the Play Store and the Google Play Twitter account, they're giving away ten Nexus 10 tablets, seven Nexus 7 tablets, four Nexus 4 phones, and no less than a hundred $10 gift cards to the Google Play Store. Unfortunately for our international readers, the sweepstakes is only for US residents.

To enter, you'll need to follow the Google Play Twitter account (@GooglePlay), then tweet out one of your favorite things (copper kettles, woolen mittens, unlocked devices with AOSP software builds) with the hashtag #favoritethings.

Apr

On Dealbreakers And Breakthroughs: Why You Really Shouldn’t Hate Any High-End Smartphone Right Now

Posted by David Ruddock in Editorials, Galaxy S4, HTC, One, Optimus G Pro

In Android Police’s private chat room – deep in the bowels of a place known only to a select few… Android Police writers – conversations are often had over what makes a phone good, and what makes a phone bad.

And, of course, views on this issue vary. Some have a strong preference for stock Android, and anything attempting to subvert or otherwise ‘break’ Android the way Google intended it (unless Google’s intentions sucked) is a waste of time. Others are more concerned with how it works: is it smooth, fluid, and functional? And, of course, there are the typical arguments about SD cards, removable batteries, and plastique.

Apr

Jelly Bean (Android 4.1.2) Now Rolling Out To AT&T's LG Optimus G

Posted by Cameron Summerson in AT&T, Device Updates, News, Optimus G

Last Updated: April 26th, 2013

If those of you on Big Blue have been jealous of The Now Network's Jelly Bean offerings to the LG Optimus G, today's your lucky day. AT&T just announced the official Android 4.1 (4.1.2 to be exact) update for its variant of the LG flagship, complete with Google Now, expandable notifications, and all the other goodies that one expects to come with the full OS update.

Images from XDA: 1, 2

The OTA also enables the ISIS Mobile Wallet, which allows users in Austin and Salt Lake City to test the waters with the new mobile payment system.

Apr

Gaggle Of New Nexus Accessories (Nexcessories?) Show Up On The Play Store - Earbuds, Wall Charger, USB Cable

Posted by David Ruddock in News, Nexus 4

Three brand-new Nexus 4 accessories are appearing on the US Play Store (UK, Canada, and Germany too) today: a wall charger, a microUSB cable, and a set of earbuds with a built-in microphone. The wall adapter is a rather steep $16, the microUSB cable $10, and the earbuds $20.

Basically, you're probably vastly overpaying for all of this stuff, should you so choose to invest in it - 2.1A wall adapters (with two outlets, no less) can be found on Amazon for $10, and microUSB cables for a few bucks at Monoprice. But if you really need the official gear, it's there now.

Mar

Did Google And LG Silently (And Subtly) Update The Nexus 4's Design?

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Nexus 4

According to the guys over at German site MobiFlip, Google and LG may have pulled a fast one on us by very subtly updating the Nexus 4's design. The changes appear to be quite minor (yet useful), with the addition of small "nipples" on the bottom of the phone's backside being the most notable. Why would Google add such a small difference, you ask? Because as it stands, the N4's back is completely flat, which essentially mutes (or drastically muffles) the speaker when the phone is laid down. It's incredibly frustrating, and as a result I've missed several texts and phone calls since getting the N4.

Mar

Is Sprint Already Killing The Optimus G? Signs Point To 'Maybe'

Posted by David Ruddock in News, Optimus G, Sprint

An active thread at XDA has multiple posters (here, here, and here) claiming that Sprint is cutting off shipments of the Optimus G, and that the device has reached 'end of life' status, meaning it will be discontinued soon. One poster included a photo of an inventory spreadsheet indicating as much:

Two other posters claimed to have received similar information, one of whom suggested quite correctly that the Optimus G's recent participation in the "buy one get one free" promo means Sprint is probably trying to clear out remaining stock. The Sprint Optimus G continues to show as in-stock at most major online phone retailers (Sprint, Amazon, LetsTalk, Wirefly), though it's often local resellers that are first affected by an EOL situation, because their shipments are much smaller and more frequent.

Mar

Nexus 4 Goes On Sale In Brazil, But Not Via The Play Store, Costs A Whopping R$1,699 (~$843USD)

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Google, News, Nexus 4

While Google's been on a roll entering new countries with all its services lately, today is a little different. The Nexus 4 has reached Brazil's shores, but it's not via Google's own-branded storefront. You can pick it up at Fast Shop, Ponto Frio and, presumably, other retailers. No word on when (or if) it might launch on the Play Store.

With the good news comes the bad, though. According to Google's post, the phone starts at $1,699 Brazilian Reals, or about $843 USD. That is an unbelievable premium over the U.S. Play Store version. While it's hard to say how this compares to most handsets without living in the country (residents are free to shed some light in the comments), people on Google+ do not seem happy about the price.

Mar

[Update: Winners!] Review/Giveaway: Seidio Surface, Active, And Convert Cases For The Nexus 4

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Contests / Giveaways, Nexus 4, Other Reviews

Last Updated: April 11th, 2013

As soon as we heard that the Nexus 4 was covered in glass on both the front and back, how am I going to keep that safe?! was a question on the minds of many. We've already taken a look at a way to keep it free of scratches with the Spigen Steinheil Dual screen/back protector, but that's just not enough for some people. Some users just want – or even need – a case.

Today we're taking a look at a trio of cases from Seidio for the N4: the Surface ($35), Active ($35), and Convert ($55 with Surface, $30 without) series.

Mar

Bell, Rogers, And TELUS Pushing Jelly Bean 4.1.2 Update To LG Optimus G; SaskTel Trailing Close Behind

Posted by Cody Toombs in Bell, Device Updates, Jelly Bean 4.1, News, Optimus G, Rogers, TELUS

Last Updated: March 25th, 2013

We have some good news to share with our neighbors to the north: the Optimus G is getting an update to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. Right now, this only includes customers on Bell, Rogers, and TELUS. LG says that SaskTel users will receive the OTA in "late March", which suggests it should begin shipping only a few days behind the other carriers. This version bump will bring support for Google Now, offline speech recognition, expandable notifications, and several other goodies. LG has also packaged a few of its own improvements, but seems to have left out an upgraded QSlide 2.0. Here is the full changelog, provided by MobileSyrup:

Touch performance improvement
A simpler user interface for complex features such as WiFi-Direct and Miracast combined
Multimedia file transfer through Android Beam
Lock front key feature for QuickMemo
A memo scribble feature
Notification bar enhancements
Google Now support
Offline Voice recognition and typing
Quick Translator
Exchange task sync support

The update appears to be available only as an OTA, so just keep watching for the notification.

Mar

[Update: Unlocked LTE SIII, Too] CyanogenMod 10.1 Nightly Builds Now Rolling Out For The LG Optimus L9 And U.S. Cellular Note II With LTE

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Note II, News, Optimus L9

Another day, another set of CM10.1 nightlies for some currently aging handsets. Well, maybe not that aging, but the point remains: new nightlies are here for the LG Optimus L9 and U.S. Cellular's LTE variants of the Galaxy Note II.

Update: Looks like the unlocked LTE variant of the SIII (i9305) just got its first experimental nightly, as well.

If you just can't stand not having stock Android, have been dreaming of CyanogenMod 10.1 for your device, or some other thing related to flashing this ROM, the time is here. Keep in mind that these are nightlies, so there may be some software quirks, though I've generally found these types of builds to be stable enough for everyday use.