Android Authority |
- Android 4.2 update rolling out to ‘yakju’ Galaxy Nexus, factory image up online
- Cricket introduces the ZTE Groove, a 3.5-inch Muve Music Android phone for $129.99
- Samsung isn’t able to mass produce 441ppi smartphone displays yet – could delay Galaxy S4
- GREE shutting down OpenFeint this December
- Samsung 8-core big.LITTLE chip coming early next year, will we see it in the future Galaxy Note 3?
- HTC Droid DNA bootloader no longer unlockable, but root efforts still live on
- Asus Android 4.2 update in the works, at least for some Transformer tablet versions
- LG Optimus G from Sprint Review! [video]
- Tablets top kids’ holiday wishlist, iOS devices dominate
- Android 4.2 update set to bring back December… by December?
| Android 4.2 update rolling out to ‘yakju’ Galaxy Nexus, factory image up online Posted: 21 Nov 2012 02:39 AM PST
We get your frustration. It's been more than a week since the takju variant of Galaxy Nexus received its Android 4.2 update, but the yakju variant has been seemingly left out from the fun. This time it's not a false alarm – the software upgrade to the latest version of Jelly Bean (build JOP40C) is now rolling out to the yakju Galaxy Nexus. If the screenshot below isn't convincing enough, just head to Google's website and you'll find the latest factory image for the phone.
You may not see the notification update right away, but if you simply need your Android 4.2 fix now, there's a known trick to speed up the process. Simply go to Settings, Apps, All and tap on "Google Services Framework". Then click Clear Data and Force Stop, and restart the phone before checking for the update. You may have to do it more than once. As for the usual disclaimer, proceed at your own risk. We don’t really recommend doing it as it may mess up the device’s Google Play settings. Now, we'd love to hear from yakju Galaxy Nexus owners out there. Did you get the update yet? For those who have, what do you like or dislike most about the new Jelly? Related Posts |
| Cricket introduces the ZTE Groove, a 3.5-inch Muve Music Android phone for $129.99 Posted: 21 Nov 2012 02:36 AM PST
Getting into the holiday spirit, Cricket is introducing its latest Muve Music Android smartphone, the ZTE Groove, to subscribers and holiday shoppers who are looking for an affordable prepaid phone to giftwrap and give to others or themselves. “The Groove is the perfect stocking stuffer smartphone or gift companion phone with the features holiday shoppers need to delight their family and friends,” says Cricket senior vice president of devices Matt Stoiber. The ZTE Groove is powered by a single-core 800MHz processor, so it's not exactly the speediest entry-level phone in town. It boasts a 3.5-inch display with 480 x 320 resolution, 1GB internal storage, microSD support (up to 32GB), 1,500mAh battery, and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. If you're planning to take lots of embarrassing family pictures and videos, the ZTE Groove is more than equipped to help you. It sports a 3.2MP rear camera with flash, and a VGA front-facing camera. As for its price and availability, you should be able to get the ZTE Groove from Cricket's stores and online starting today for $129.99. For a limited time only, the phone is offered online for $79.99, and Cricket will even throw in free overnight shipping. Cricket Adds the Groove Smartphone to its Holiday Shopping List~ Offers Top-Tier Features at Value Pricing, ~ ~ Newest Android Smartphone Available with Unlimited Muve Music®Cricket today announced the availability of the ‘Groove from Cricket,’ the carrier’s newest Muve Music Android smartphone. The phone’s stylish design, popular Android operating system, and Cricket’s value pricing will excite customers and entice those looking to switch to a pre-paid option or buy a second handset. With the Groove, holiday shopperscan take advantage of Cricket’s unlimited music, data, talk and text Android service plans starting at $50 per month. The Groove will be available on November 21st at Cricket stores, dealers and online at www.mycricket.com for $129.99 (MSRP). (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120202/LA46949LOGO) “Cricket’s customers will be excited to experience the Groove with Muve Music, WiFi, tethering, and two cameras,” said Matt Stoiber, senior vice president of devices for Cricket. “The Groove is the perfect stocking stuffer smartphone or gift companion phone with the features holiday shoppers need to delight their family and friends.” The ‘Groove from Cricket’ is powered by a fast 800MHz processor, 2.3 Android OS and a long lasting 1500mAh battery. The 3.5 -inch HVGA TFT color capacitive touch display offers bright and easy to find icons that make navigation easy and enjoyable. With the Android OS, holiday photo and video sharing is simple and easily powers lifelike video conferencing with its 3.2 megapixel rear facing camera/camcorder with flash and 0.3 megapixel front facing VGA camera/camcorder. The ‘Groove from Cricket’ offers impressive design and is loaded with features not commonly found in a smartphone at this price and can be activated on one of Cricket’s three monthly smartphone service plan options starting at $50 per month. All Cricket plans, includingsmartphone service plans, feature all-inclusive pricing with no service fees and no overage charges. For customers, that means a predictable monthly bill, regardless of increasing usage, offered at a price point that fits into a value conscious budget. With Muve Music from Cricket, Muve Music subscribers have access to unlimited downloads of their favorite music and access to exclusive artist commentary, music and video through Muve Music’s monthly artist programs. With millions of songs at their fingertips, customers will never pay per song and no contracts are required. About Cricket Cricket is the pioneer and leader in delivering innovative value-rich prepaid wireless services with no long-term contracts. Cricket offers nationwide wireless voice and mobile data services over high-quality, all-digital 4G LTE and 3G CDMA wireless networks. Cricket’s innovative products and services, including the award-winning Muve Music® - the first music service designed for a wireless phone, are available nationwide at Cricket branded retail stores, dealers, national retailers and at www.mycricket.com. For more information about Cricket, please visit www.mycricket.com. SOURCE Cricket Related Posts |
| Samsung isn’t able to mass produce 441ppi smartphone displays yet – could delay Galaxy S4 Posted: 20 Nov 2012 11:03 PM PST
Rumors are continuing to emerge that Samsung is having a hard time perfecting a mass production process for these panels. Samsung Display (SD), another arm of the electronic giant, is responsible for supplying the panels to the smartphone division and it is having some production hiccups. According to industry sources, Samsung Display does not have the technology to mass produce the parts due to issues with its evaporation process technology. It has already been rumored that Samsung will switch away from AMOLED displays to LCD panels due to production problems. Current speculation is that Samsung is working with 3M to use its LITI technology which will enable OLED materials to be printed more smoothly on glass. But according to insider sources, that process still has problems too! But clearly the technology exists and I am sure it won’t be long before Samsung work out all the kinks. What do you think about the prospect of a 5 inch full HD display in your next smartphone (when they can be mass produced correctly)?
Related Posts |
| GREE shutting down OpenFeint this December Posted: 20 Nov 2012 10:23 PM PST
Mobile gamers might be familiar with OpenFeint, the network through which game developers track game achievements, points, and connections, as well as offer in-game content to users. With OpenFeint’s acquistion by Japanese game developer GREE, though, it seems it will soon be the end of the line for the social gaming network. GREE has announced that OpenFeint will officially close on December 14, 2012. As such, game developers have been advised that once closed, ”[a]ll OpenFeint network calls will be nonfunctional which may result in service disruptions to your game and a poor player experience.” Developers are not left in the dust, though. GREE is offering developers an opportunity to migrate to its own social gaming platform, so that users can still enjoy social gaming on titles like Fruit Ninja, Tiny Wings and Robot Unicorn Attack. Not all data may be migrated to the GREE platform, although achievement definitions, screenshots, and game descriptions will be automatically migrated. Leaderboards can be migrated on-demand. Developers will be able to use migration tools to move data in less than a week for basic integration. So if you’re an avid user of games that run on OpenFeint, you might find yourself losing all those points, connections and items you’ve collected along the way unless you can give the game developer a gentle reminder to either migrate to GREE or another social gaming platform. If you’re a mobile game developer, you may already be aware of this update. If not, then head on to the source link for an outline of what happens to OpenFeint, and some resources on how to migrate to the GREE platform. Related Posts |
| Samsung 8-core big.LITTLE chip coming early next year, will we see it in the future Galaxy Note 3? Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:22 PM PST
Current Galaxy S4 rumors say that Samsung will launch the next flagship phone at some point in early-to-mid 2013 and that the device will pack a new Exynos 5450 quad-core CPU (Cortex-A15) processor. But that's not the only mobile chip Samsung is working on. In fact, according to Engadget, the company will present an impressive 8-core big.LITTLE ARM processor in February at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC). What's so special about such a processor? Samsung’s big.LITTLE architecture combines two quad-core processors, a 1.8GHz ARM Cortex-A15 designed for heavy lifting when it comes to demanding apps, and a 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 that's going to take care of more mundane day-to-day operations that take place on mobile devices. In other words, we're looking at a 28nm process that’s going to make better use of the available battery juice in future handsets and tablets. Obviously, we're very interested to see what's going to be the first Samsung Android device to get the new chips, with next-year's Galaxy Note 3 being definitely one candidate – mind you this is just speculation for now, as we still have to wait for Samsung to get official with its 8-core beast. However, Samsung appears to be getting ready to unveil a variety of new technologies in early 2013, so we’re expecting to see some of them in upcoming mobile devices. The company will showcase a 4.99-inch display with Full HD 1080p resolution at CES, which is also where it could reveal more details on its upcoming products that will feature a flexible display. Then a month later, this 8-core SoC will be unveiled, with MWC 2013 taking place in late February, a week after ISSCC. Not to mention that the Galaxy S4 could be unveiled either at CES or at MWC, depending on what rumor seems more plausible for you, and you end up with a busy new year for the company. Let’s hope its main competitors are also ready to bring their A games to these upcoming events! Related Posts |
| HTC Droid DNA bootloader no longer unlockable, but root efforts still live on Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:10 PM PST
Rooting and tweaking are usually among a mobile enthusiast’s reasons for going for Android rather than iOS (although I must admit that I’ve also done my share of iOS hacking). The ability to root smartphones and tablets will vary, though, depending on whether a manufacturer allows bootloader unlocking, or whether the system part of the filesystem can be written to, among others. And so, while the latest HTC Droid DNA had been rooted ahead of official release, it seems HTC is clamping down on bootloader unlocking ahead of the device’s release date. XDA Developers reports that the HTC Droid DNA no longer has an unlockable bootrom as previously reported. Unlocking the bootloader through the HTCDev bootloader tool will no longer work. However, developers are not so bothered at this point, given that they are still trying to find a way to root the phablet through S-OFF, which should actually be an easier way to root for us users once they have achieved this functionality. This update made me think that the news of the HTC Droid DNA being rooted before release may have pre-empted Android fans’ enjoyment of yet another easily-rooted device. But as with any Android device — or even iOS devices, for that matter — it will only be a matter of time until developers find ways to successfully do a rooting or jailbreaking exploit. One question here for potential HTC Droid DNA buyers. Does this latest news discourage you from buying the phablet, or are you all right with getting a locked-down Droid DNA at this time? Related Posts |
| Asus Android 4.2 update in the works, at least for some Transformer tablet versions Posted: 20 Nov 2012 06:40 PM PST
Google has started rolling out the Android 4.2 update to its Nexus devices, but that doesn’t mean all Android device makers are ready to do the same thing for their existing tablets and smartphones, especially since some of them are still busy deploying the previous Jelly Bean version. However, it looks like Asus is already working on updating some of its Transformer tablet versions to Android 4.2. An ETA on the roll out of the firmware update is not available yet, and we have no idea what models will be supported, although it's more than logical to assume that those devices currently running Android 4.1 or later will also be bumped up to Android 4.2 also. But it looks like an Asus customer representative confirmed that Asus is working to Android 4.2, without actually providing availability details. A rough Google translation from Dutch blog Android Planet reads:
We'll be back with more detailed information regarding Android 4.2 updates for the handset once we have it. Related Posts |
| LG Optimus G from Sprint Review! [video] Posted: 20 Nov 2012 05:58 PM PST
Think about the last time that you used a phone by LG. While the Korean phone manufacturer has certainly been able to stay afloat within at least the mid-range smartphone market with typically forgettable offerings, memories of great Android devices currently end up with the likes of the Motorola RAZR, the HTC One X, or the current top dog, the Samsung Galaxy S3. At least for me, thinking “LG” often leads me to remember the Chocolate, a very popular phone from a bygone era well before the onset of Android, iOS, and even touchscreens. And even then, the Chocolate was touted as an mp3 player during a time when iPods were becoming ubiquitous. It would seem, from this track record, that LG has a habit of coming to the party a little too late, while struggling to remain relevant in a market that so easily leaves the slow ones behind. Not this time. LG can already hold its head high after incredible sales of the now sold out Nexus 4, which flew off basically all the shelves within an hour after being released. And now, with the release of the Optimus G, their flagship phone, LG has further expressed to the rest of the playing field that it isn’t going to be left behind. Sporting specs even the more popular current phones can only dream of having, the Optimus G brings speed via a fast, quad-core processor with all the bells and whistles you would come to expect from a top tier device. Features such as LG’s own Quickmemo and the Optimus-styled Ice Cream Sandwich OS are all nestled beneath a sleek body that also houses a powerful and very capable 13MP camera. The version that this review focuses on is Sprint’s Optimus G, as opposed to the international and AT&T offerings. Read on to see what we thought of this version of a phone that has already been celebrated here at Android Authority.
Plus points
Minus points
Build and FeelFrom the get-go, the Optimus G struck me as one of the prettiest phones I have ever encountered. Though I love the simplicity of my Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the blocky (albeit too large) design of the Motorola RAZR, and the color palette of the HTC One X, I found myself without any qualms to make regarding the Optimus G. Though some might look at this phone and assume that it is a Samsung by the shiny finish or a Motorola due to the squared out design, the second glance will likely be met with overall approval. A look all around the phone brings to mind a ‘black slate’ aesthetic – for the most part, it is as if the screen is where it all starts and the rest of the body is just there to add thickness. The top side holds the headphone jack and one microphone, the left side (looking head on from the screen) has the volume rockers and the right side houses the power switch, a location reminiscent of current Samsung phones. The bottom end has the plug for charging (and for OTG [on-the-go] USB cables, if you so choose to use one) and has the two Torx screws on the sides. These screws might be removable, but people don’t typically have a Torx screwdriver just lying around. As such, the battery is not removable and thus is not replaceable. With no expansion slots for microSD cards to be found, this also means there is no memory expansion to be found within. No, this phone is meant to come as is, and luckily the package is worth the sacrifice.
Front-wise, the LG Optimus G is likely to immediately turn a few heads. Almost completely black, save for the sliver lining around the trim and the soft keys that are elegantly hidden when not lit or in use, thoughts of ‘black slate’ come back to mind. ‘Smooth’ is definitely a word to describe this phone, as it quite literally is such, from top to bottom.
The back end evokes the same, except for the one little section quite literally popping out from near the top. That is the 13MP camera, which will be spoken of at length later in this review. If you are one to slide your phone around on its back, the popped out camera design might lead to some scratches on the lens covering. LG has outfitted the Optimus G with a glossy finish for the back, that at some angles just seems like another black slab but at other angles reveals a pretty diamond pattern called the “Crystal Design.” Though entirely cosmetic, this choice of aesthetic for the back just adds to the phone’s looks and appeal. All around, the phone is a delight to behold.
In the hand, the Optimus G sat snugly in my palm and I had no fear whatsoever of dropping it. Despite how large it seems at first, this phone actually feels quite perfect – at just a smidgen smaller than the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Optimus G felt like just the perfect size. With a little bit of maneuvering that should be commonplace for most current smartphone users anyway, reaching for the top of the screen for the notification dropdown and then coming back down to a regular grip became routine and felt safe. For me, the squared out form factor provided for this easy handling, as I have felt most rounded out phones these days run the risk of slipping out of my hands. With a slightly smaller build and a specifically squared out form, this LG felt like a dream. Screen and DisplayWithout a doubt, LG has definitely made strides when it comes to displays. The screen found on the Optimus G is a True HD IPS Plus LCD display – its resolution of 1280 × 768 (WXGA) and pixel density of 318 ppi provide a crisp, sharp image that is nothing short of a joy to navigate. The screen itself is incredibly responsive, as swipes across homescreens seemed to perform the millisecond after my finger hit the surface. This is achieved by the Zerogap technology that LG has brought in their flagship phone – essentially, what you have here is literally just the glass window between you and the LCD display.
Performance with video and graphic material helped the Optimus G’s display garner further approval, as video files and streamed content on the 4.7-inch screen were truly a sight to see. While the screen on this phone might not be as big as some offerings out there, such matters become trivial when you are busy getting lost in a beautifully rendered episode or movie on Netflix or laughing at a funny video on YouTube (in HD, of course). When used outdoors, the display performed well – direct sunlight did not detract from the display much at all, as the Zerogap also lends some benefits in this regard. Fewer layers between the LCD and the world outside the glass window seem to help. With brightness settings on auto, the phone sensors seemed to quickly pick up when I left an indoor setting and stepped out into the sunny San Diego weather – I never had to get into the settings myself and up the brightness just to be able to see my screen.
HardwareAs mentioned before, the Optimus G by LG has a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor under the hood. Let’s say that one more time – QUAD-core – and harken back to the memories of the LG Chocolate. Yes, LG has come a long way, so they have every right to make clear to all competitors that this is the first Android smartphone to sport such incredible processing power. Using the phone with this kind of power has been a seamless experience. I had close to no hiccups throughout my time with the Optimus G and the Ice Cream Sandwich build, optimized by LG’s OS, is as silky smooth as ever – it almost makes you forget that Jelly Bean has been out for a while and Ice Cream Sandwich should be in a museum somewhere. Again, this is a testament to the processing power of the Optimus G. Our previous review of the Optimus G used a version essentially the same as this one from Sprint, so the benchmarks will largely be the same as those found there. Nonetheless, I did run a couple tests. The phone performed beautifully, garnering 5 stars in one test and sat among some of the best current phones, as you can see below.
2GB of RAM allows you to run a multitude of applications at once, and I have not found any slowdown as a result of having Spotify playing music, Dropbox downloading a few pictures onto the phone, and my jotting down some notes for this review. The phone speaker does its job, as calls come in loud and clear. Near the top of the device on the screen side is the notification light. I did not test this light with applications like LightFlow to customize the notifications, but the light does come up clearly and is easily noticeable while blinking. On the back of the phone is the speaker, found as a small slit near one of the sides. The speaker is mono, unfortunately, so with it comes a lack of power that is typical of most smartphone loudspeakers. It is not as loud as the speaker found on the Samsung Galaxy S3 and seems to have a focus on the highs rather than the mids and lows with music. As long as you’re not hoping to entertain a room full of people with it, the Optimus G gets the sound job done. During calls, the speaker performed normally and did not crackle much even under very loud noises. 32GB of built-in memory is quite a lot, and it might be a long time before you fill it all up. Nonetheless, users might not like the fact that they cannot expand that memory to handle more music, movies, or pictures. While the AT&T version of the Optimus G does have an expansion slot for microSD cards, no such option is available in this Sprint version. ConnectivityThe Optimus G comes with the bevy of connectivity options that is typical of high-end smartphones. While capable of connecting to 3G and 4G LTE, this LG flagship also has WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS services. As far as speeds go, 3G was decent and workable. Unfortunately, Sprint has yet to roll out 4G LTE in my area, so testing on the much faster connection was not possible. As I will be in the Los Angeles area over Thanksgiving, I can test the 4G connectivity there, as it is one of the few places in the greater Southern California area that has LTE available. I will report back with the speeds and battery life (see below) that come as a result of using LTE.
WiFi Direct and Hotspot are both also available, providing more ways of getting yourself connected. NFC (Near Field Communication) makes an appearance here on the phone, and data transfers with the Samung Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy S3 devices yielded successful results. The NFC capabilities of the phone are further highlighted with the inclusion of two NFC+ tags that can be plastered on just about anywhere for a quick settings change. While I did not personally use these tags myself, I find this a quirky but potentially very useful tool – imagine getting into work in the morning and tapping your phone over the Tag found on your desk, putting your phone in just the proper settings (i.e. silent mode and turning on WiFi) for your workplace. BatteryWith a 2,100mAh battery that is seemingly not replaceable, the Optimus G touts a battery life of about 15 hours of talk time with over 300 hours of standby time. Claims for the battery’s longevity and features have been made – on the one hand, the Li-ion battery can supposedly go through up to 800 charging cycles, which is more than the typical 500 for current Li-ion batteries. On the other hand, LG touts that its battery in the Optimus G is up to 6% more efficent than ones found in other smartphones. Nonetheless, after about a week of normal usage, the battery seemed to perform about as normally as expected from a high-end phone such as this. Throughout three straight days of normal usage (viewing and responding to e-mails, text messaging, the occasional YouTube video viewing, and even online messaging through apps like Talk or GroupMe) I was able to get through an entire day without any problems. An overnight charge after a near complete drain followed the end of each day, but this is probably a typical occurrence with current smartphone users these days anyway. There is also an Eco mode that can be activated, which supposedly tones down the processing power and display for the betterment of the battery life. This is similar to the power saving mode found in the Samsung Galaxy S3, and the experience is largely the same – there is a decrease in performance when using power intensive applications like games, but everything else works just fine. Whether or not the battery life benefits greatly from Eco mode is a little vague, at least by my estimation, I used it during the third day of testing and got through the day just about as normally as the first two. Perhaps a few extra percent was available by the end, but that could have been a result of varying degrees in usage, as well. I did also go through a full, intensive battery drain to see how the phone fared – a full session of playing games, playing songs through Spotify, and long YouTube viewing times brought down the battery from full to empty within about 5 hours. One thing should be mentioned, however – all of this testing was done through a mixture of just 3G and WiFi connectivity. As Sprint is still trying to get through their rollout of 4G LTE across the country, my current location of San Diego has yet to get the faster service. As is normal for 4G LTE devices, using the faster connectivity drains the battery life to a much greater extent. If LTE was available during the time of testing, I am sure that the phone might have garnered quite shorter lifespans throughout. SoftwareSoftware found on an Android device these days usually depends a couple factors – the manufacturer in regards to what features they wish to bake into the given OS, and the carrier. In the case of this Optimus G, LG has put in their Optimus UI 3.0, putting a nice coat of paint over an already beautiful ICS. The default lockscreen takes on a nature motif, and has a lock in the center. You can pretty much start anywhere you want and swipe out in order to unlock the phone, however. On the bottom of the screen are four icons for specific applications – Phone, Messaging, Email, and Camera. You must start on the icon and swipe away in order to open straight to these applications. The lockscreen is customizable, including tweaks to the wallpaper, the launcher icons at the bottom, and even the unlocking effect. I went with the ink effect.
The actual launcher itself is quite customizable – LG allows for many options to be tweaked that were before only available to those using custom ROMs. This includes adding to and changing the order of the quick settings found in the notification dropdown. Icons for applications are also customizable, even to the point of using a saved photo in the device memory to create a whole new icon for any application. The home screens allow for different themes that are already built in (I’m using the Biz theme) and even the scrolling effect can be changed, as well.
LG also put in a few very worthwhile features that add to the Optimus G’s appeal. One in particular that I liked was the Quickmemo feature. As a person who likes to take screenshots on my Android devices for easy viewing of content otherwise not able to be saved, Quickmemo adds the ability to immediately modify the saved screenshot for further usage. Simply hit the shortcut from the notification dropdown and then edit to your heart’s content.
Another feature available in the Optimus G is QSlide, which allows for a video overlay on top of all other running applications. Essentially, you can have a video playing and still be able to text message someone. When activated, the video either fills the screen when in landscape mode or comprises about 30% of the top of the display when in portrait. Unfortunately, you can only use this feature when viewing videos that are saved into the local storage – this is not an option for YouTube or Netflix. On top of all that, I did find the video overlay to be quite distracting and not all that enjoyable. Despite there being an overlay slider that allows for some customization of the video opacity, even that bar can sometimes get in the way of what you are trying to do.
As far as other applications go, the LG Optimus G by Sprint comes with a few extras – a neat built in notebook app that can hold just about anything from pictures to handwritten notes, Sprint’s own ID and Zone apps for getting new content, Video Editor and Wiz for editing recorded videos on the fly, and even a copy of Polaris Office 4.0 for all of your writing/presentation/spreadsheet needs. CameraIt says a lot that I have gone through so much about this phone already, said so much about its features, build, and beautiful screen – and I am only now getting to the part I really wanted to talk about: the camera. My video review gives examples of the movies this device is capable of recording, even going as far as to say that with the right set of tools, a camera on a phone as good as this can serve a great deal of purposes. It’s not hard to let your jaw drop when you see the 13MP designation on the back of the phone. The LG Optimus G comes packed with a great deal of megapixels to help you capture that shot on the fly. To sweeten the deal, however, LG has added in quite a few different features to enhance an already impressive camera experience.  Click on the image to see the full sized photo. The 13-megapixel camera yields 4208 x 3120 sized photos, with the ability to go down to 8MP at 3264 x2 448 all the way to just 1MP at 1280 x 768. Zooming can be done via a pinch movement on the screen, while other settings such as ISO (Auto to 100, 200, and 400) and white balance can be changed, as well. Scene modes are available for whatever kind of shots you may encounter. Continuous shot acts like a sort of burst mode, allowing you to take a number of shots all at once – useful if you want to have a stop motion kind of effect. Essentially, the camera performed without any hiccups and lag was minimal. The panorama mode works about as well as it should, allowing you to take very widescreen shots with ease. You have to remain quite still throughout your wide movement, lest you get some jarring fade transitions between some of the image.  Click on the image to see the full sized photo. As is the case with many phone cameras, the low light capabilities leave some to be desired. While the camera is capable of taking shots, even more so with the Low Light scene effect, this camera should not be primarily used in low light situations by any means. Otherwise, using this camera in broad daylight and under adequate lighting is ideal. Of note are the two features that LG has added into the camera, which are “Time Catch Shot” and the “Cheese Shutter” functions. Time Catch is the more practically useful of the two, as it takes shots of the scene you are trying to capture in the background, even before you hit the shutter. If you are trying to get a picture of someone and they blink just as you take the shot, there will be about half a dozen other pictures available for selection, one of which should have captured the scene you desire. Enabling this feature disables the panorama and HDR capabilities of the camera, however, for normal shots, this is a very useful tool to have.
The Cheese Shutter feature is more or less just a fun way of taking pictures. Simply say one of six canned words like “cheese” and if the phone picks up the word, it will take the shot. This is more of a novelty and doesn’t quite add to the overall quality of the camera. From my tests, the phone is essentially capable of following through accordingly when using such terms – sometimes it doesn’t pick up your voice and other times it will go off even though no one has said anything close to the given phrases. All in all, it is a great party trick and a nice way to ‘wow’ your friends upon first glance at this phone.
Which brings me to the video capabilities of the camera. As a videographer, I have always been interested in the ability of a phone to replace a regular camcorder or DSLR camera in a pinch. Sometimes you need to get that shot for a video and you just don’t have your equipment on you. As someone once said, “the best camera you have is the one on you.” With that in mind, many of today’s smartphone offerings have been able to make great strides in becoming more viable backup choices for photography and video. The LG Optimus G camera is able to record 1080p video at 30 frames per second, and there are options for bringing down the video resolution to 720p and lower. When opening up the video camera, you are given the option of taking a long video or one made for messaging, and you are given control over the white balance, zoom, and brightness of the resulting image. There are also some options for adding live effects, but they are just for fun and ultimately something that might not be used. Video under good conditions is not only usable, but also quite nice. Under good lighting, it is definitely possible to take good shots of just about anything – this is true for the still shots, as well. Such is the ultimate rule of photography – lighting, lighting, lighting. Low light performance might not be great, but the flash is there to help and if you are looking to deliberately shoot or record something specific, you would probably already have the tools needed to get the job done well. I used a mount to stabilize the phone on a tripod and the result was a nice nature shot at a lovely fountain. Again, see my video review to see these shots. All in all, the camera is a capable performer with a megapixel count that is worth mentioning. The quality of resulting shots might not be amazing, but with some creativity, this phone can serve as a great alternative to backup solutions. Under normal usage, users will be able to get the shots that they want – low light conditions can be mitigated through usage of the flash or a low light NR effect, and high quality Instagram shots of food and friends will definitely satisfy. ConclusionUltimately, the Optimus G is a great coming out party for LG. While the Nexus 4 is technically the device everyone will be talking about at the moment, this monster of a performer is just waiting in the wings, ready for anyone looking for a powerful phone already a few steps ahead of the competition. LG has packed in some incredible hardware, making this phone one of the best available on paper already. Which makes it even more of a pleasant surprise to know that the experience lives up to the hype. The quad-core processor makes for one of the smoothest experiences I have ever had, the Zerogap technology makes navigation a breeze, and the screen makes for some wonderful viewing experiences. Having a whopping 32 gigabytes of memory makes the lack of expandable memory easier to swallow, though the lack of a replaceable battery might prove a nuisance to power users. The eye-popping megapixel count on the camera and the content it is capable of creating excited my creative side, and I maintain that if the iPhone can be touted as a viable film camera, others should be able to, as well. I believe that the Optimus G is an example of how close we are to that, if not already there. As this is the Sprint version, you are essentially only being held back by the lack of service. While phone coverage and 3G connectivity performed well, the lack of 4G LTE across the board stifles the potential this phone has. Even in a highly populated metropolis like San Diego LTE is still not available. If you are getting a 4G LTE phone, you want to use that capability right away, not wait for one of your phone’s greatest features to finally become useful. If you are lucky enough to have 4G coverage, then there is a lot to love about the LG Optimus G. If anything, I am excited to see more phones follow suit with incredibly powerful processors and even higher quality cameras. For now, enjoy LG’s new flagship phone and, essentially, their comeback party. See above my video review, which includes some examples of how the camera on the Optimus G can be used. Related Posts |
| Tablets top kids’ holiday wishlist, iOS devices dominate Posted: 20 Nov 2012 05:34 PM PST  Kids want to receive tablet computers as gifts this holiday season (Photo credit: Shutterstock) Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or any holiday, chances are that gift-giving will be a big part of the revelries. But apart from our own wish-lists, it’s the kids’ presents that usually take center-stage. These days, kids no longer root for model cars, train sets or bicycles. They seem to be wanting electronic gadgets more than anything else. A recent Nielsen survey gives us a peek into just what devices they want. Nielsen has found out that iOS devices dominate kids’ holiday gift wishlists, with the iPad coming out as number one at 48%, followed by the Nintendo Wii U at a distant 39%, for kids aged six to 12. Among the top five, four entries are iOS devices, namely the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and iPad mini. Tablet computers “other than the iPad” come at an eight place. This may include devices like the Microsoft Surface, Google Nexus 7 and perhaps the Google Nexus 10. The Amazon Kindle Fire HD might be included here, although Nielsen has counted e-readers and the Kindle Fire each as a separate entry. Being a kid-oriented survey, these other tablets might also refer to kid-friendly tablets like the Tabeo, Nabi, and MEEP (and perhaps in other markets, LG Kids Pad we earlier featured).
Meanwhile, smartphones “other than iPhone” are at a distant #14, with 20% of kids surveyed saying they’re interested in one. Android smartphones are further down the list, at #19, with 16%. Samsung’s Galaxy series (note or tab) likewise has its own entry, but it comes at #22 with 9% of respondents saying they want one. Among kids 13 years and above, though, other-branded tablets come out as third. The iPad is still #1 at 21%, with a personal computer (desktop or laptop) at 19%, then a non-iOS tablet at 18%. Meanwhile, for this demographic, the iPhone comes at #5, with 14%. Other smartphones are at #8, at 12%. Android smartphones are at #10 with 11%. Meanwhile, Samsung Galaxy Tab or Note is at 14th place, with 9% of kids 13 and above rooting for one.
Android vs. iOSDigging deeper into the survey, I noticed a few things that might have helped skew the results toward Apple’s iOS platform:
Without access to the raw data, I’m not sure if we can determine the adjusted results beyond the chart given by Nielsen. But if the items were categorized or presented differently, then Android might have a stronger position in this kids’ holiday wishlist. Whether it’s iOS or Android that dominates, parents might want to take heed . This survey indicates that tablets are poised to be a strong contender as a top selling product. Not only do adults want tablet computers — perhaps for productivity, as a “second screen” or for entertainment — but kids want in on the game, too. Related Posts |
| Android 4.2 update set to bring back December… by December? Posted: 20 Nov 2012 05:03 PM PST
A few days ago we talked about a very strange error that was spotted in Android 4.2, and a huge oversight from Google's Android team, the absence of the month of December from the People app. At the time we said we expect Google to pick up the error and provide a fix soon, and it looks like that's about to happen. Google has officially confirmed the issue on its Android Google+ page and said that a fix will be bringing back December to the People app:
We have no clear ETA on this update, but we'd expect it to arrive by December, you know, so this particular bug won't affect upcoming birthdays, Christmas holidays and Santa gift delivery plans. Any other Android 4.2 bugs you'd like to have fixed? Related Posts |
Long gone are the days of tiny 3 inch or 3.5 inch displays, even Apple have moved to bigger displays after years of trying to convince everyone that they aren’t needed. Samsung are leading this push to bigger, brighter and higher resolution panels and it looks like it has something special planned for the future. Somewhere in its product mix 
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