This upgrade also includes LG’s newest user interface: “Optimus 3.0″. This software utilizes the greatness of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and keeps the device unique with LG’s own take on looks and usability. You’ll be able to swipe anywhere on the screen to unlock, you’ve got the ability to use your own photos as icons and shortcut images, and your menu will have a brand new “Download” category for easier organization.

You can take a peek at our own in-depth review of the LG Nitro HD from back when it originally launched, and keep an eye out for the update which will, again, begin on the 31st of July. Check out how you’re going to be activating this download via LG’s instructions page and note that you will need to download drivers and software on your PC to make this all work.

We’ve reached out to LG and AT&T to see how Mac users will be able to get the update – at the moment it appears that only Windows machines will be able to help you upgrade at the moment. Check out the LG Nitro timeline below for more news bits surrounding this device!

Having a closer look at the LG Optimus LTE 2 we see that they’ve revealed some, but not all of the specifications of the device as it’ll appear in the wild. You’ll find the look to be much more square than the Galaxy S III (which has a nature-themed bit of software inside of a pebble-shaped device), and the LG device will more than likely be released with a dual-core processor along the lines of the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4. The reasoning behind this is that LG has noted that its processing chip will have integrated LTE connectivity. The battery in this device will be a massive 2,150mAh with “40 percent more” usage time for you than the previous LG powerhouse known as the Optimus LTE – also known as the LG Nitro HD.

The most important bit of detail that LG has decided to share thus far on the Optimus LTE 2 is its massive 2GB of RAM. This extra memory will bring what LG says is much higher stability for Android than we’ve ever seen before. Meanwhile the Samsung Galaxy S III will have 1GB of RAM and has certainly shown itself to be as stable as any device we’ve yet laid hands on.

Samsung Galaxy S III hands-on:

The Galaxy S III contains an Exynos quad-core processor, will be working with HSPA+ as well as LTE in different areas of the world, and has a 4.8-inch 720 x 1280 306ppi HD Super AMOLED display up front. The back of the device is plastic (like the LG device) but here has what Samsung calls a “hyperglaze” coating to reduce the likelihood of scratches. This Galaxy device has also had all of its specifications revealed as opposed to next-to-none as it is with the LG device, and we’ve got more information and hands-on experiences for you in our timeline below than you can handle!

The decision between these two devices might be made for you before you even make it as the LG device is likely going to have a much smaller release area than the Samsung Galaxy S III, with the GSIII already being announced to have USA versions appearing perhaps inside 2012. We’ll see soon!

GSMDome have gotten their hands on the phone. They’ve run the mandatory Quadrant benchmark, as well as taken a few photos, although the handset doesn’t seem to differ much from existing variants. Specs look to be roughly the same: a dual-core 1.5Ghz Qualcomm processor, 720p IPS display, and an eight megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p video.

As for Quadrant, the phone manages to run up a score of 2564, putting it in the same ballpark as the LG Nitro HD. Unfortunately, the P936 is running Android 2.3.6, so you’re probably going to be out of luck if you’re expecting to run Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box when it does launch.

Where can we expect this phone to launch? The US already have their LG Optimus variants in the form of the Nitro HD and Spectrum for AT&T and Verizon respectively. The lack of carrier branding means it’s probably not US bound, so the P936 could be destined for a European debut. There’s no word on when it will be released, either.

While there is something like $21,000 USD up for grabs for the contest here in the United States, the most important thing to the general public is that the game will be released for the Android platform at some point during or after the contest played early next year. This game will be optimized for 720p resolution displays and devices running at least dual-core processors under the hood. Street Fighter IV HD will be available exclusively on the LG Nitro HD at first, but given that there’s not been basically ANY game on Android that’s stuck with one device exclusively in the past, we’re guessing the release will expand inside the first half of the year.

To qualify for the tournament, if that’s your sort of deal, you’ll have to head on over to the sign-up sheet and get your early stretches in now. This contest starts in January of 2012 and is bound to be as epic as a video game tournament can be. The original Street Fighter IV HD came out several years ago for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and since we’ve got no previews for the Android version as of yet, have a look at that for a mild taste of what we’ll see soon:

First I’ll direct you to our Nitro HD hands-on and unboxing to get the two of you more acquainted with one another but also let you know we have an extended hands-on video below too. The LG Nitro HD has impressive specs, a pretty screen, fast 4G LTE speeds and everything else you’d want from a top of the line Android smartphone. We’ll go over some hardware and software today to help you decide if this is the phone for you, or if another 4G LTE offering like the Galaxy S II Skyrocket would be more fitting.

Hardware

LG has delivered with the Nitro in terms of design and hardware specs but when you actually get up close and personal the phone seems to be pretty average in regards to its looks. With phones like the DROID RAZR or the Galaxy S II looking all sexy the Nitro leaves a little to be desired. It is by no means an ugly phone and still has a sleek and good design and feels great in the hand.

The Nitro offers an AT&T first 1280 x 720p HD display measuring 4.5″ in size while being powered by an LG H-IPS panel. The viewing is excellent outside or in sunlight but the colors still can’t quite match that of the AMOLED’s from Samsung. The pixels are extremely sharp and pictures or video playback was excellent, especially the included HD video samples on the device. We also have a powerful 1.5 GHz Qualcomm processor under the hood, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. The Nitro comes with an additional 16GB micro-SD card in the device too, so that was nice.

Around back is the 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and a goofy looking but well purposed soft touch battery cover. The texture is unique but will keep you from dropping the device anytime soon. We have a 1.3 front camera for video chat and then the usual array of buttons around the phone. A lone volume rocker occupies the left side while nothing is around to the right. Up top is the 3.5mm headphone jack, power/wake button, and the micro-USB port for charging. The charger cover is unusually large too, in case you didn’t notice.

Software

LG’s software customizations are a bit similar to Samsung’s while taking a few hints from iOS (if you feel my drift) and while they aren’t all that different from standard Android 2.3 Gingerbread you do notice the differences. They’ve also added the same motion controls for moving icons and widgets but I found it to be highly difficult to control and actually disabled it first thing. Personally that should be an option, not enabled by default.

Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread is stable and everything we Andy fans have come to know and love. I personally have a strong craving for Ice Cream Sandwich lately but I’m sure this will get the update in due time. For an AT&T phone bloatware was actually pretty minimal other than the usual AT&T stuff. We have Navigator and barcode scanner, AT&T Map, and a few other carrier apps. Bloatware consists of MOG Music, Qik Lite, Twitter, YP, and my personal favorite — Zynga Poker HD.

Below is our extended hands-on showing you a little more about the phone and the software that was not covered in our initial hands-on coverage. Enjoy the video below followed by a full gallery of images.

LG Nitro HD Extended hands-on and speedtest results

Performance and Benchmarks

Having a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor we had to run a few benchmarks to see where she sat. I was actually quite impressed with the Nitro considering the larger screen and pixel count. Performance is stable and smooth and while a few slowdowns were most likely related to LG software-side changes the overall experience was stable and fluid — especially for a powerful dual-core device.

Quadrant wasn’t the best we’ve seen but when compared to average at best results from other 1.5 GHz dual-core phones from HTC I was actually pleasantly surprised. I managed around 2600-2900 in Quadrant Advanced. The real show was Vellamo where the Nitro acted more like nitroglycerin (fight club style) and blew up the scoreboard. Vellamo tests browser performance device-wide and while I had a few random freezes and one force close with the Nitro Vellamo seemed to love the phone.

AT&T 4G LTE results

Currently AT&T’s 4G LTE network is still in its infancy, most areas are still waiting for the update but here in Las Vegas it’s moving along plenty fast and stable. I rarely see more than two bars of service but I’ve not experienced the in and out 4G/3G drops that I’ve seen from Verizon phones. That is a big plus for AT&T and will probably save some precious battery life too. Without talking it up here are my speedtest results.

Battery Life and Camera

LG’s equipped this phone with a large 1830 mAh battery to help out with the drain from the large screen and 4G LTE and while it seems to hold its own quite well compared to many from Verizon, I still would love better battery life. The picture below is better then what most users will see, but was how a mildly light day of usage went. At least standby performance is suburb here right?

The LG Nitro HD’s 8 megapixel camera was actually very impressive if you ask me. While 1080p video was a little choppier than I’d like the picture quality was excellent. Motorola needs some serious help here and should maybe look to LG for direction. Shutter speed was quick, flash was accurate and not over the top, and natural lighting shots were great even for close-ups. Here is a sample and more are in the full gallery below.

Wrap-Up

So did the LG Nitro HD deliver? Sort of. I’d say this is a good top tier smartphone for those on AT&T while having a little bit of compromise. Yes the screen is amazingly crisp and 720p but the Samsung Galaxy S II colors are better and brightness outshines the Nitro. The changes to Android aren’t my favorite but I’d hardly call them a con. Battery life could be better, but that goes for all 4G LTE devices so you should know that before hand.

If you want one of the best devices from AT&T while having one of the best camera’s on a smartphone I’ve tested in a while the LG Nitro is a great choice. Pair that with the highest resolution display available for the carrier and truly excellent call quality and speakerphone this is a pretty hard phone to pass up. If I had to choose one of the three from AT&T it’d be a hard call. The Vivid has the best build quality, Nitro has the screen resolution but the Samsung Galaxy S II might be the ideal package. If you’re a pixel counter the LG Nitro HD will suit you amazingly well and you wont be disappointed. It is available right now from AT&T for just $249 by clicking here.

The LG Nitro HD, better known as the Optimus LTE was recently revealed to be headed to AT&T earlier this month and was officially announced this week. The LG Nitro HD will hit AT&T stores starting this Sunday on December 4th so if she looks good to you, I’d get ready to throw down about $249. While I run down the specs in my video below lets go over it one more time before you enjoy some photos. The Nitro is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread and comes equipped with a 4.5″ H-IPS NOVA display that offers a full HD 1280 x 720p resolution. The NOVA display is said to be one of the brightest and best screens around and my initial impressions are very favorable.

The Nitro also offers an 8 megapixel camera around back with LED flash and 1.3 mp front camera for video chat. Under the hood the magic is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 dual-core 1.5 GHz processor. We have 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage as well as a 16GB micro-SD card included in the box — giving users plenty of space for all their needs. LG’s gave us an 1830 mAh battery that should last through hours of gaming on that bright and vivid 4.5″ HD panel too.

I don’t want to spoil all of the fun and instead will save the rest of the details for our full review coming early next week. While we do have some bloatware I’m actually excited to try the new Zynga Poker HD that comes pre-loaded and will take advantage of the 720p HD screen. The specs claim its around 10mm thin but it most definitely feels sleek and thin while in your hands.

For now enjoy our hands-on and unboxing video and gallery of pictures, then stay tuned for our review shortly. If you have any specific questions or comparisons throw your ideas in the comments below.

LG Nitro HD with 4G LTE hands-on

This device has 4GB of onboard memory and a microSD card slot that comes with a 16GB card in the box. The display is the real superhero here at 500 nit and AH-IPS technology (that’s Advanced High-Performance In-Plane Switching, just so you know). Battery efficiency, high resolution, and brightness on the horizon. Have a peek at how it works here:

This is the first offering from LG that looks to be a top-class contender in a while, the last being the LG Optimus 2X (aka the G2x), a the first dual-core processor toting smartphone on the market and one of your humble narrator’s devices of choice when it comes to build quality. We’re hoping for the same awesome build as well as the most advanced dual-core processor on the block. Also since Ice Cream Sandwich is slated for the LG G2x, we must assume that this device will get it inside early 2012 as well, as it doesn’t come pre-installed.