LG Optimus 3D, Optimus Black and Optimus LTE all in line for Ice Cream Sandwich

In addition to the LG Optimus 2X, the company announced on Facebook is is planning to upgrade to Android Ice Cream Sandwich the LG Optimus 3D, Optimus Black and Optimus LTE as well, and we hope their US versions will follow suit.

All of these handsets held something "first" in their description when they launched this year, so it's only fair they will be given the ICS treatment by LG. The Optimus 2X was the first dual-core handset, the Optimus 3D the first with a parallax barrier screen and dual-channel memory, the Optimus Black held the "brightest screen" title for a while with its 700 nits, and the LG Optimus LTE was the first handset to be announced with an HD display and 4G LTE connectivity.

These "firsts" didn't translate into big sales for LG this year, but it takes time to bend customer perceptions, and quick upgrades to the newest version of Android is just what the doctors order in these circumstances. Good news is that other LG handsets might also get the ICS update after a functionality review, and the update schedule will be up in December so each owner knows when to expect the goods. Here's the full release:

LG confirms today that the Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) OS will be initially available for the following high-end LG smartphones which were introduced this year: the Optimus 2X, the Optimus Black, the Optimus 3D and the Optimus LTE. We are also continuing to evaluate the ICS OS to determine whether it is compatible with the functionality, features and performance of other LG smartphones to make the ICS OS available on as many LG smartphones as possible.

In December this year, the forthcoming upgrade schedule and additional specific models for the ICS OS upgrade will be posted on our LG Mobile Global Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LGMobile) and on our local LG websites. Please stay tuned for more updates from LG.

Does this mean that the upcoming LG Nitro HD for AT&T we got a picture of recently will get an ICS update later on, or come directly with the latest Android onboard? December 1 might tell.

LG Optimus 2X not getting Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

The LG Optimus 2X is not going to get updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, LG has confirmed via its Facebook page.

“Dear Anant, We will not be introducing Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich updates on LG Optimus 2X P990. Keep watching this space for further updates,” LG replied to a question.

Now, that’s not a huge surprise - LG hasn’t even brought Android 2.3 Gingerbread to their dual-core Optimus 2X. It’s interesting to see, though, what’s the reasoning behind such decision from LG as Samsung in contrast has said that all previous devices with enough horsepower should be compatible with the 4.0 update.

The LG Optimus 2X was the very first handset to arrive with a dual-core processor, and it’s a bit more affordable than the rest of the dual-core crowd. At the same time, it offers top-notch specs, so it’s really a pity it won’t get Android’s latest version.

Sprint to Deploy Faster LTE in 2013 to Keep Up in 4G Race

Sprint announced plans to deploy LTE-Advanced technology in 2013, indicating the company's entry into the 4G race won't end with its rollout of a regular LTE network next year.

Speaking at the 4G World conference in Chicago yesterday, Iyad Tarazi, Sprint's vice president of network deployment and engineering, said the carrier expects to upgrade to faster LTE technology in the first half of 2013.

LTE-Advanced is a "true 4G" standard, according to the International Telecommunications Union, and Sprint expects its 4G devices to reach speeds of 12-15 Mbps after the upgrade, which are comparable to what Verizon subscribers get now on its leading, regular LTE network.

The Overland Park, Kan.-based company's announcement speaks to its efforts to challenge competitors Verizon and AT&T in the race for the fastest network.

Verizon was the first carrier to launch 4G LTE, and its network is surpassing growth projections. The company expects to open up 13 more LTE markets next month, bringing its total to 178 and reaching 185 million U.S. residents by the end of the year.

AT&T plans to launch LTE service in five cities Sunday, and expects to add at least 15 more markets by the end of the year. The carrier's acquisition of T-Mobile may gain spectrum to challenge Verizon's 4G LTE domination, if it passes regulatory hurdles.

In contrast, Sprint is late to the starting line in the 4G race, but Tarazi assures the carrier will have more than 250 million subscribers under its LTE umbrella by 2013.

Theoretically, LTE-Advanced can support speeds up to one gigabyte per second when users are stationary and 100 megabytes per second when they are mobile, about 10-20 times faster than Verizon's network. Many factors can bring down those speeds, though, including lack of spectrum.

Some may question whether Sprint's spectrum has the capacity to support its ambitious LTE upgrade plans. It's unclear whether the carrier's tangled relationship with Clearwire, which has 4G designs but lacks the cash to realize them, can support LTE-Advanced speeds.

Sprint's partnership with Lightsquared may also boost spectrum, but until Lightsquared clears up regulatory concerns over GPS interference, that deal is questionable as well.

Sprint's investors, however, have already expressed concerns over the carrier's cash outlays for potentially high-risk strategies, including acquiring rights to the iPhone 4S.

As Sprint opens its wallet once again to make its LTE-advanced plans a reality, it may need to convince investors and subscribers before the risk pays off.

Sprint will move to LTE-Advanced in 2013, unlimited data is here to stay

Sprint's vice president of network development and engineering, Iyad Tarazi, said that the carrier will be having LTE-Advanced Release 10 deployed in a 10x10 setup by the first half of 2013, to take advantage of its carrier aggregation feature, and bring 12-15 Mbps download speeds on average in realistic scenarios. Unlimited data is also here to stay, Sprint clarified, noting that it will be specifically building capacity to support what it views as one of its most strategic offerings.

The launch of its LTE services will start mid-2012 using the company's 1900 MHz spectrum, and move also to the 800MHz now occupied by iDEN. Sprint said it will have 250 million to 277 million POPs covered with LTE by the end of 2013, which means it will have a bigger LTE footprint than its existing CDMA network by that time. Where are Verizon and AT&T going to be then is another matter entirely.

At least 12 LTE devices are in store for next year and although they will be using the network just for data, Voice over LTE is to come at a later date, around the first quarter of 2013. The WiMAX network provided by Clearwire will be supported in the years ahead because of contractual obligations, so those who have WiMAX devices needn't worry, although Sprint will stop selling them at the end of 2012.

If you are also concerned about the download speeds with your shiny new iPhone 4S on Sprint, Mr Tarazi confirmed that the carrier will upgrade its EV-DO network as well to support the existing 3G smartphone customers. He expects the number of small femtocells deployed to grow to more than 1 million by the first half of 2013.

It certainly seems like Sprint is spreading itself pretty thin with so many wireless technologies to provide and support, but the ultimate goal apparently is LTE-Advanced, where Verizon and AT&T will be heading in the future too.

Nokia planning US invasion in early 2012: LTE, CDMA phones expected, Verizon might be in the mix

Nokia unveiled two Windows Phone handsets today – the Nokia Lumia 800 and 710, but none of them got a specific release date for the elusive for the Finns US market. This doesn't mean, though, that the company isn't planning to widen its presence on US soil. Stephen Elop explicitly stated that there are phones planned for the huge North American market and LTE network support is in the plans. Not only that, Nokia will also release CDMA devices for carriers like Sprint and Verizon.

Sadly, that's not anytime soon and CEO Stephen Elop himself confirmed that Nokia will miss this Holiday season stateside and only arrive early 2012.

Now, this all you might have already heard if you've followed the live webcast and our liveblog, but what you might have not known is the fact that Verizon representatives were at Nokia World as well. To be more precise, Thisismynext spotted a Verizon staffer around the Nokia Lumia 800 booth. Combine LTE, CDMA and Verizon, and you arrive at a pretty tempting combination. Moreover, this confirms that Nokia has been hard at work at fixing its spotty relationship with US carriers. Will it manage to deliver an up-to-date portfolio in the dynamic American market? Chime in with your opinions in the comments below.

Pantech Vega LTE allows for gesture navigation to avoid finger grease

Remember that crazy Pantech Vega LTE phone which sports 800x1280 pixels on a 4.5" LCD display, that rings in 335ppi - the highest pixel density out there? Sadly, it is only sold in Korea for now, but it looks like the folks from Pantech embedded one more "i'm first" feature in the handset - gesture recognition.

They use the front-facing camera to read your hand movements, and the phone reacts accordingly. For now it supports the most common situations, like waving to answer a call, flip an e-book page, browse pictures in the Gallery, or change a song, after your hands have been buried deep in the KFC bucket.

The Pantech Vega LTE is powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S3 processor, and we know Qualcomm has been experimenting with gesture recognition after acquiring GestureTek. So has Texas Instruments, which is powering the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Droid RAZR, so hopefully we will see similar tech in other Android handsets soon.

LG’s New Smartphone Optimus SU640 LTE

LG Optimus SU640 LTE  is the new smartphone designed and developed by the company LG.

The display is an HD-IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 16 million colors. The screen resolution is 720 x 1280 pixels. The screen itself is 4.5 inches big and the approximate pixel density is about 326 ppi. That is a whole lot.

The memory is something you don’t see everyday. The phone has a storage space of 4 GB and 1 GB of RAM. All that RAM allow for the greatest of performance. The memory can also be upgraded via the memory card because it can use microSD cards of up to 32 GB.

The camera is an 8 MP camera that can photograph at resolutions as high as 3264 x 2448 pixels. Some of the main features of the camera include autofocus and the LED flash. There is also a secondary camera around there somewhere of 1.3 MP.

Moving on to the hardware part, This phone is built solid as an oak ( providing the oak is some sort of super technologically advance device ). We’re talking about a 1.5 GHz Scorpion dual-core processor. Put that together with Adreno 220 GPU and the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and you got yourself a little monster of modern science.

It was announced in October 2011 and there isn’t any real, solid data as to when the phone will be coming out, but judging by the specs, it’s gonna totally be worth the wait.