In second place, trailing Samsung by a huge margin, was LG according to the research firm’s figures. LG took 2.5-percent of the overall Android smartphone profit, or $100m, according to the stats, while a similar amount was shared out between all other manufacturers of phones running the platform.

“An efficient supply chain, sleek products and crisp marketing have been among the main drivers of Samsung’s impressive profitability” Strategy Analytics suggests. As for LG, “it currently lacks the volume scale needed to match Samsung’s outsized profits.”

In fact, the analysis firm argues that Samsung probably makes more revenue and profit from Android than Google itself does, and warns that its dominance could pave the way for a skewing in power dynamics as time goes on. Samsung might “request first or exclusive updates” of the Android OS, it’s predicted, gaining a further advantage over its rivals.

Samsung’s smartphone sales this current quarter could well be even more impressive than Q1 2013, since that period did not include the new Galaxy S 4. That only began shipping at the tail-end of April, with Samsung supposedly shipping 4m units before the month was through. Internal predictions are of blasting through the 10m mark by the end of May.

It’s not only smartphones – the only metric these particular figures looked at – that Samsung did well in last quarter. The company’s profits overall climbed 42-percent quarter-on-quarter, with mobile sales in particular driving performance.

That processor is used to good effect, as we discovered when we reviewed the Optimus G Pro earlier this month. Then, the LG impressed us with its smooth Android performance and the usefulness of the various sketching and note-taking apps, which are still included despite the phone lacking a dedicated stylus.

That’s arguably the most significant deciding factor between the Optimus G Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy Note II. Nonetheless, even without a pen, the big screen of the LG does have its advantages for multimedia consumption and web-browsing.

LG Optimus G Pro review:

It’s likely to be too big for many users, but we should see features like dual-recording – which combines footage from the front and rear cameras into a single frame or video clip – showing up in smaller LG devices over the coming months.

If you’re convinced, the LG Optimus G Pro is available from AT&T today, though you’ll need to sign up to the usual two-year agreement with a mandatory voice and data plan. The phone has been up for preorder since May 3rd at $199.99.

LG’s tablet ambitions were scuppered in 2012, when the company confirmed it would sideline its slate plans so as to focus instead on smartphones. Its Optimus Pad failed to gain traction, and fellow Android device OEMs pushed prices low to undercut Apple’s iPad.

Since then, however, we’ve seen Windows 8/RT arrive, as well as some success among Android devices, fueled in no small part by the low-cost Nexus 7 ASUS manufactures for Google. Meanwhile, we’ve also seen some movement in the high-end Android tablet world, with high-res options like Samsung’s Nexus 10 out-performing the iPad’s Retina Display in terms of pixel density.

That might pave the way for LG to use some of its display arm’s homegrown screen talents. Back at CES, LG Display showed off a 7-inch, 324ppi 1920 x 1200 tablet panel, among others, which seems ideally suited for a small tablet rival to the much-speculated iPad mini with Retina Display.

Of course, there’s not only Android to consider. LG could also opt for Windows 8 or Windows RT, joining a relatively limited market of tablets running Microsoft’s platform. Whether the potential rewards for taking on Microsoft’s own Surface are considered rich enough for LG remains to be seen, however.

[via TechEye]

If, though, this was the next-gen Nexus, or “Nexus 5″, the positioning of the LG logo would be a minor coup for the manufacturer. On the current Nexus 4, the fascia of the phone is completely logo-free, with the only mention of LG and Google on the back panel.

Of course, that could also mean that this is the LG Optimus G2, the oft-rumored successor to the Optimus G. That phone was functionally all but identical to the Nexus 4 inside, differing only really with branding (and pricing); since Google and LG are said to have renewed their Nexus collaboration and already be working on the fifth phone of the series, the same internal components in this prototype might – if authentic – end up in both handsets.

Estimates of scale suggest the mysterious phone is around 5.5-inches, which would be a considerable step up from the 4.7-inches of the current Nexus 4 and Optimus G. It would also put it on a par with the display size of the newer Optimus G Pro; indeed, one possibility is that this device is a variant of the G Pro, complete with the slightly curved glass that we know from the Nexus 4.

Should Google opt to refresh the Nexus line more imminently, that would break the roughly year-long lifecycle of the previous phones. However, it would also give the company a high-profile handset to reveal at Google I/O, as well as a time advantage over the next-gen iPhone which isn’t expected until later in 2013.

[via Android Community]

Hardware

Up front of the LG Optimus G Pro is a 1080 x 1920 pixel display across 5.5-inches of IPS LCD. This equals 400 PPI resolution and the same amount of pixels the HTC One and the Samsung GALAXY S 4 have spread over a slightly larger area. The display reaches out to the sides of the device with a bezel that’s extremely narrow, this giving the phone the illusion of having a near-edge-to-edge screen.

The front of the device is covered by a single piece of reinforced glass from top to bottom with a bent-in flat edge that, with flat sides and rounded back, give the whole package a unique feel. While the design comments in our LG Optimus G Review suggested LG’s hardware to be a bit more slippery than the average phone, the Pro’s shape and size allow for a bit better grip.

The front panel is interrupted only by a single plastic bit up top to make way for the earpiece for phone calls and a physical button on the lower front surrounded by multi-colored LED light. This pulsing spectrum of color is easily one of the most well-implemented bits of finesse ever implemented on a smartphone. This feature alone pushes the hardware design over the edge: from Pretty Good to Unique and Cool.

Along the sides of the device you’ll find two mic holes (one on top, one on bottom), a standard-sized headphone jack with Dolby Digital audio technology for all your headphone music blasting adventures, and a microUSB port below. Also on top you’ll find a tiny black piece of plastic – this is your IR-blaster, aka your key to using this device as a remote control for a variety of electronics around your home, including but not limited to your television (most televisions, not just Smart TVs), stereo system, projector, Blu-ray player, and air conditioner.

On the right you’ve got your power button and on your left you’ve got your volume rocker below a third button. This last button is what LG calls a Quick Button. With this Quick Button you’ll be able to “get quick access” to whatever app you like. If you’re a photo-taking sort of person, set it to your camera. If you’d rather it connect to Google Search / Google Now, that’s an option as well. If you do decide to set it to Camera, the Quick Button also acts as a shutter button inside the camera app – just as it should.

This device feels nice to hold and, unlike some of its competitors, isn’t larger than the average adult’s hand grip. Where the LG Intuition fell a bit flat due to it’s massiveness, the aspect ratio of the LG Optimus G Pro allows it to be even larger yet fit in your hand far more naturally. Here we’ve got a phablet with a size that’s not too wild.

Software

Inside you’ve got LG’s newest approach to Android, complete with their complete utilization of the full processor power under the hood with oddities galore. One example of a simple – yet impressive – use of the power this device’s processor presents is the massive bubble that pops up when you unlock your screen. It and flipping through screens with a door-like drag happen so seamlessly that you’ll scarcely realize how slick it is. Until you use a phone later on with a lesser processor, of course.

LG’s software here keeps with the nice parts of Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, including Google Now, and push forward with features like QSlide apps. While I’m not entirely sure when the ability to have an app appear above the fold and accessible as a window in a desktop operating system app would be, here you’ve got the future right in front of you. This sort of floating app functionality is also seen in the Samsung Galaxy and Note line of smartphones and tablets in a just-as-mystifying implementation.

The notifications pull-down menu is utilized by LG in a variety of creative ways the likes of which no other hardware company has pushed to a smartphone. You’ve got brightness control, notifications, access to full settings, quick settings (toggles), QSlide apps, Music control (when music is playing), and Quick Remote. Each of these is customizable too, of course.

QuickRemote is LG’s current app interface for remote controlling your home hardware. This app allows you to work with the infra-red blaster that sits at the top of the device and allows you to control your TV, Cable box, Audio system, DVD player, Blu-ray player, Air conditioner, and projector. You’ll have to go through a short trial-and-error process to connect this control to each device around your home, but in general, anything that’s controlled by a normal universal remote can be controlled here.

Though you don’t have the Rubberdium Pen you did with the LG Intuition here with the Optimus G Pro, you still have access to apps like Note Pad and Notebook, both of which allow you to draw and take notes on your display with your finger. You also get a simple task manager to keep yourself on-point with notifications of to-do items, Video Wiz to edit your own self-filmed videos, and LG Tag+ to create your own unique NFC tags (not included in the box this time around).

In display settings you’ll find Smart screen, similar to a feature Samsung has been pushing with the last several smartphones it’s released, here detecting your eyes and keeping the device’s display awake so long as you’re looking at it. You can customize your home button LED light colors and alerts from this screen as well.

In Share & Connect in the device’s Networks tab in Settings you’ll find an NFC switch (off and on) aside Direct/Android Beam. With Wi-Fi direct you’ll be able to share files between mobile devices (that also have such connectivity abilities) and with NFC this connection is made extra-easy. You’ll also find File Networking to connect to your local network (if you’re sharing files via your PC, for example), and with SmartShare Beam you’ll be sharing files back and forth between LG devices specifically.

Then there’s Miracast – this being the first time we’ve seen the system named specifically since Google implemented this connectivity in Android Jelly Bean earlier this year. With Miracast you’ll have a new industry standard for wireless connectivity of devices, in this case allowing you to mirror your Optimus G Pro’s display to your high-definition television at high speed.

Have a peek at a demonstration of LG’s “World’s First Wireless Ultra HD Transmission Technology” filmed earlier this year at Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona. You’re seeing this hands-on with the LG Optimus G, this letting us know that the ability isn’t just there in the less-powerful of the LG hero devices, it’s ready to go for 4K televisions as well! Now we just need a 4K television to test it on with LG’s final implementation of the connection between on device and the other.

You’ll find the LG Optimus G Pro out-performing most devices on the market today regardless of the slightly larger display size it works with. Above you’ll find a gallery of benchmark results run on the device, many of which we’ve run for similar devices in the past. As you’ll see, this device’s biggest competitors are the HTC One and Samsung GALAXY S 4, the whole bunch running the same Qualcomm processor under the hood – the battle continues!

Camera

While we’ve done a slightly more extensive exploration of the abilities of this device’s camera earlier this year in our LG Optimus G Pro Photo Tour: Barcelona, you’ll also find a new set of examples below. This device uses a 13 megapixel camera on its back, a 2.1 megapixel camera on its front, and a set of odd abilities you’ll have a good ol’ time working with. NOTE: we’ll be including further examples of the Dual Recording feature in the near future. For now: courage!

Battery

With a 3,140 mAh battery it’s not easy to knock the power out of this device in one go. That said, if any display was going to do it, it’d be this beast’s. As you can see in the example here, you can either keep the device running actions for hours on end and kill it in less than 8 hours, or you can let it sit idle for many days. This appears to be the case with most devices running Qualcomm processors in this newest generation – we’re expecting this trend to continue.

Wrap-up

The LG Optimus G Pro is a rather fine piece of machinery. It’s offers you an alternative to the HTC One and/or Samsung GALAXY S 4 here up on the top tier with its similar display (larger, though again, with the same amount of pixels), identical processor, and surprisingly similar set of features. It also offers you a unique hardware build and a camera that’ll go very nearly toe-to-toe with the leaders.

You’ll find the LG Optimus G Pro costing the same or less than the competing top-tier smartphones out with AT&T right this minute and/or in the near future, and its feature set makes it a solid package in the battle against the other titans of this mobile industry. Here in this massive smartphone, LG has created an amalgamation of elements that’ll satisfy legacy LG lovers and newcomers to the size, all the same.

The new phone will cost you $199 after signing a new two-year contract, or you can shell out $549 for the off-contract version if you so desire. Early adopters will also get a free LG black folio case to keep their new device safe from the elements, but it seems AT&T only has a handful of these, so if you’re going to pre-order the phone, there’s no better time than right now.

The Optimus G Pro looks to take on the Samsung GALAXY S 4, the HTC One, and the Galaxy Note II with a 5.5-inch full HD IPS display that has a resolution of 1920 x 1080. On the inside, there’s a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, coupled with 2GB of RAM to keep things going along smoothly.

The $199 price of the Optimus G Pro will land you 32GB of storage, with the ability to slap in a microSD card if you ever find yourself with not enough space for all those movies and music files. On the back you’ll spot a 13-megapixel camera with a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera that can record 1080p video. Check out our complete photo tour of the phone to get a better sense of the Optimus G Pro’s camera.

Google’s more recent Nexus releases have stuck to a roughly yearly refresh cycle, though given the fast pace of the smartphone market, there’s no guarantee that the Nexus timetable will stay the same. Nonetheless, demand for the Nexus 4 remains strong, with Google and LG struggling at times over the past months to produce sufficient stock to meet orders.

If the collaboration rumors are true, it means LG would become the second firm to have two successive Nexus projects. While HTC worked with Google on the first device, the Nexus One, it was replaced in that role by Samsung, who developed the Nexus S and then the Galaxy Nexus.

LG then took Samsung’s position for the Nexus 4, creating a device – built mainly to the pattern of the existing LG Optimus G – that was sold at an ambitious $299 off-contract, as Google attempted to ween smartphone users off of their carrier dependence. Samsung instead contributed the Nexus 10 tablet.

One possibility is that the new Nexus could follow LG’s even larger new smartphone, the Optimus G Pro, though with that handset’s sizable 5.5-inch display, it’s possible some would-be buyers might find it simply too large. Specifications for the device are yet to leak.

Meanwhile, LG is also believed to be talking with Google about the potential for an OLED Google TV, as well as more “futuristic projects as part of the big picture” in consumer electronics. That could include wearables like Google Glass, sources suggest.

[via AndroidBeat]

Some of the more notable specs of the Optimus G Pro include a gargantuan 5.5-inch display with a full 1080p HD resolution, and a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor on the inside, along with 2GB of RAM. The phone also has a 13MP rear camera, along with a 1.6MP front-facer for those selfies we know you love taking.

AT&T says that the Optimus G Pro will be eligible for the carrier’s recently-revamped $100 trade-in program, where you get at least $100 towards a new phone if you give them your old AT&T device, no matter how beat up it is. This means that you’ll get the new LG phone for $99 or less if you bring in your old phone to trade in.

We first laid hands on the phone back in February during Mobile World Congress in Spain, where we also took it on an adventurous photo tour, where we tested the phone’s camera to no end, and we received some pretty impressive results with the pictures that we took. You can check out our photo tour with the new device, as well as our hands-on session.

The flat OLED TV is priced at 11 million Korean won, and went up for preorder in January 2013 with shipments beginning the following month. As for this flexed variant, it will command a 50-percent premium, with LG pricing it at 15m won, or around $13,500.

Beyond the privilege of being at the cutting-edge of hardware, LG says early-adopters of the new TV will benefit from some technical advantages too. Because of the curved screen, the company claims, the distance from all points of the TV to the viewer’s eyes are the same, reducing distortion and blur. That also has an effect on 3D, LG says, with a better quality image than a flat screen can manage.

As for the design, the 55EA9800 is embedded in a carbon fiber reinforced clear plastic stand which weighs in at 17kg, with a minimum thickness of 4.3mm. LG has used transparent thin-film speakers, too, spreading the TV’s audio abilities across the front of the stand but without spoiling the looks.

Samsung, meanwhile, is yet to announce availability of its own curved OLED set, which it also demonstrated back at CES in January. Each of the TVs runs at 1080p Full HD resolution, which means that if home entertainment fans want Ultra HD resolution, they’ll currently need to stick with LCD technology. However, that’s likely to be a gap LG is looking to fill; the company announced it would invest more than $650m into OLED production this year.

The new locations will have access to the service by the end of May. The LG Cloud service is a content streaming service that allows users to stream various content directly to their LG Cinema 3-D Smart TV. The LG Cloud service also provides a place for LG smart TV owners to store entertainment content that can be automatically synchronized between various devices they own such as computers, smartphones, and TVs.

The new service offers users access to multiple content types including video, photos, and music once the user uploads content to their account. The service allows users to upload content one time and then access it on multiple devices. The LG Cloud service offers users up to 5 GB of content storage at no cost.

LG offers access to the content stored on its Cloud using a PC client, website, or smart device. LG also says that in the future, smart home appliances will be able to access the shared content stored on the LG Cloud. If you’re wondering what sorts of smart appliances LG may be talking about, we’ve seen refrigerators that have integrated TV screens in the past. The LG Cloud service also allows users to pause content on one device, and resume watching from that exact spot on another device.

[via LG]

LG’s push for the larger segment of the smartphone environment has this device heading their 2013 lineup. Have a peek at our hands-on experience with the LG Optimus G Pro international edition and notice the similarities to the image above. This device will be delivered with a slightly different set of flavors inside as evidenced by the wallpaper used in the Evleaks leak – blueberries are a primary wallpaper here while the international version has a much more warm-colored fruit.

This device appears by all means to have basically the same set of specifications as the international edition, this made possible by the Qualcomm processor’s ability to work with 4G LTE, unlike a wide cross-section of processors delivered before last year. One example of a processor changing between international and USA editions is the Samsung Galaxy S III, this device working with an Exynos processor outside of the states, a Qualcomm processor inside.

Have a peek at the LG Optimus G Pro timeline below to see more information on the device that LG will be revealing in May. This device will be taking on the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy Note II and the Droid DNA from HTC, each of them coming with relatively large displays compared to the smartphone average as well. Join SlashGear for the musical reveal event on the first of May – we’ll be there with bells on!

LG Display’s work on flexible OLEDs has been underway for some time, though the company’s efforts have perhaps been overshadowed somewhat by rival Samsung’s YOUM development. Last year, according to a Korea Times report, LG Display was preparing for mass-production of flexible screens by the second half of 2013.

Samsung, meanwhile, demonstrated a flexible OLED concept back at CES, though the screen wasn’t implemented in quite the way many had expected. Rather than being a clamshell device, with the flexibility used to allow the prototype to open up and reveal a bigger panel, Samsung instead wrapped the display around the edge.

That allowed the handset to display status updates along the side, making for at-a-glance notifications without needing to power up the whole display. However, Samsung insisted at the time that the device was merely a concept of what flexible OLED could be used for, not an indication of an actual product in development.

While OLED panels have become more common in their use on mobile devices, LG Display still faces potential bottlenecks in ensuring supplies for its smartphone affiliate. Analysts have already warned that the next-gen displays still suffer from low yields, which likely means high prices and low numbers of products.

That would probably put the eventual device in line with LG’s curved OLED TVs, demonstrated at CES, officially intended for the market but at a cost that will make the potential audience tiny. Nonetheless, as a proof of capabilities, it suggests we could see flexible OLED phones more widespread in 2014 and beyond.

[via OLED-Info]

This concert will feature the band known as Atlas Genius. This is the latest in a line of similar events hosted by LG, Samsung, and most recently HTC. Just this past week an HTC mini-concert was held with musician Pharrell Williams in promotion of the HTC One smartphone release. Several months ago, Samsung brought the Samsung Galaxy Note II to the United States with a mini-concert put on by Kanye West.

Even Apple has joined in the fun with an appearance by the Foo Fighters at the iPhone 5 release event this past year. Now with the LG Optimus G Pro, LG will be the bringing an engagement to New York City. It’s not known at the moment if the smartphone will be available at the event for demonstrations or if the company will be revealing any release information before or after the music event.

With the release of the LG Optimus G Pro, LG will have effectively updated their large smartphone nearly-tablet-sized segment while the Verizon Intuition by LG remains out there for consumers looking for a pen-toting experience. Here with the LG Optimus G Pro, Qualcomm has also jumped onboard with the Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, this being the same processor coming with the HTC One and the Samsung GALAXY S 4.

While the LG Optimus G was so impressive that Google hired LG to make them their own in the Google Nexus 4, the G2 has to step things up a notch. With the 2013 wave of smartphones out-doing the G with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 600 processors (in the HTC One and Samsung GALAXY S 4), it wont just be the body that’s getting a cut. LG has also been tipped to be including Qualcomm’s best yet: the Snapdragon 800.

The LG Optimus G2 is being quoted as containing the following today, straight from the source speaking with MyDrivers. The physical design of this device may be the biggest change, but the final build will be one heck of a whopper!

LG Optimus G2

• 5-inch display, 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution
• 13 megapixel camera back-facing, 2.1 megapixel front
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor
• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
• LG User Interface
• Worldwide Launch

Have a peek at our LG Optimus G Pro hands-on experience as well as our original review of the LG Optimus G and get ready for the next coming of LG. This device should be revealed by the time Summer has begun, but no confirmation has yet been given by LG. Stay tuned!

Alongside these new additions, there are several other companies who are part of the PMA. Blackberry, NEC, Texas Instruments, IDT, NXP, ZTE, and Kyocera have all joined the alliance and are planning on implementing the wireless technology into their devices later on. Accessory makers Incipio, Sketch, and Otterbox are also following the lead of these companies, and will be launching wireless-charging capable accessories in the future.

PMA has become commonplace all around the world. It has over 1,500 charging spots all throughout the United States, located in various Starbucks locations, airports, and places like Madison Square Garden and The Garden State Plaza Mall. It’s starting to spread globally as well, including various McDonalds located across Europe. At these select McDonalds, all you need to do is place your wireless-charging capable handset on a McDonalds table to begin charging your device.

Previously, PowerKiss, the company that would be equipping McDonalds’s tables with wireless charging technology, planned on using Qi’s wireless charging technology to execute its plan, but it has dropped Qi in favor of the Power Matters Alliance. Many companies are starting to see the PMA as the new standard of choice for wireless charging. In just the past 5 months alone, its membership increased over 10x.

[via Engadget]

What we’ve seen of the LG Optimus G Pro thus far is a release on one side of the ocean, a push on the other, and signs of a USA release in recent weeks. With the LG Optimus G Pro and the Google Nexus 4 by LG continuing to make waves on AT&T, T-Mobile, and off-contract here in the USA, the LG Optimus G Pro (and its recent FCC appearance) has us guessing we’ll be getting at least an AT&T 4G LTE iteration before summer time.

The “Share the Genius” line in the invite suggests either that the device they’re about to show will be riddled with share-friendly features or that the name, Optimus G, is ready to share the spotlight with the bigger version of greatness. The LG Optimus G Pro takes the finer points of the LG Optimus G and amplifies them – not only do you get a larger display, you get a much more powerful processor from Qualcomm and photography features that had us giving the thumbs up back at MWC 2013.

Have a peek at the timeline below of recent LG mobile tips, suggestions, and otherwise excellent hands-on experiences to see if you can piece together this puzzle for yourself. LG will one way or another need to bring some heat now that the Samsung GALAXY S 4 and the HTC One are about to hit the market – make it count!

Alternatively, those without an existing PayPal account will be able to set up a new one directly from their TV, using LG’s MagicRemote to gesture through the menus. From that point on, the account can be optionally left logged-in, remembering payment and shipping details for each subsequent purchase.

According to LG and PayPal, the possibilities for integrated payments are far broader than just buying the odd on-demand movie or smart TV app. Instead, they see a more complex and engaging advertising strategy evolving, where smart TV viewers can buy physical products without putting down their remote, or donate to charity campaigns with a single click.

In addition to the three markets where PayPal on smart TV has already been switched on, the service will arrive on 2013 LG models in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Australia starting this month. Broader availability will follow on after that.

We saw LG’s giant Optimus G Pro handset earlier this year at the 2013 Mobile World Congress, and we got out hands on it back in February, giving it a quick review, which you can read here. Rumors concerning the handset have been swirling for awhile now, but we’re hearing that the smartphone will be finally hitting shelves via AT&T next month, replacing the current Optimus G offering.

Tips have been rolling in, and others are reporting the same thing as well, including the folks over at Android Central. The announcement could end up happening any time now, and according to the tips, the rollout date is said to be May 10, meaning there’s about a solid month of waiting left (assuming the rumors are true). Once available, this giant upgrade to an already popular handset could give HTC’s One quite a bit of competition.

The LG Optimus G Pro boasts a quad-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600-series processor, as well as 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space. The battery is huge, not surprising given the 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 full HD display, which will use more than its fair share of power. There’s a rear 13-megapixel camera, as well, and 4G LTE support. No word has surfaced about the handset hitting other carriers, but so far it seems like an AT&T release is penciled in.

[via Android Community]

Reports Bloomberg, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency searched Samsung’s Asan-stationed display headquarters in search of documents that would indicate theft of LG’s OLED display technology. According to the report, the police have an active investigation going on regarding whether LG’s partners leaked the company’s secrets, and, in this particular case, whether Samsung could be on the receiving end.

In response, Samsung’s spokeswoman Jun Eun Sun offered a semi-smug statement: “We have no reason to steal other companies’ technology, as we have the world’s best OLED technology.” While the initial thought is that LG is behind the search, the company’s spokesman said that it didn’t have any involvement in the matter. “The latest investigation is related to large-sized OLED TV panel technology, but the police have made the allegation themselves.”

LG was smacked last year with theft accussations, with six of its workers being charged with stealing Samsung’s OLED technology. LG saw the matter different than the legal system, claiming that the technology its employees were charged with stealing was common industry information and that no trade secrets were involved. As it currently stands, LG has trumped Samsung in the OLED television market.

[via Bloomberg]

LG hopes to increases its smartphone market share, and get more exposure to its smartphone line-up so that it can better compete with the likes of Apple, and its homeland rival, Samsung. LG sold over 10 million of its LTE handsets worldwide, however, it still doesn’t hold a candle to Samsung. LG plans on doubling its LTE-smartphone marketshare this year, and it plans on tripling its sales of LTE-handsets as well.

LG’s expansion of its retail stores is most likely a reaction to Samsung’s plan on launching 1,400 experience shops this year, with 900 of them launching next month. The experience shops will showcase Samsung’s mobile products, such as its smartphones, tablets, and laptops. They will be launching in Best Buys all over by summertime. These stores will mainly focus on pushing out the Samsung GALAXY S 4, which Samsung plans on selling 100 million of.

LG hasn’t stated how much this expansion is going to cost it, but the emerging markets are the best option for it to grab as much market share as possible. Smartphone shipments in an emerging market like India is expected to grow rapidly. Its anticipated to reach 155.6 million smartphones shipped in the year 2017 alone, which is a 459.7% increase compared to its 27.8 million smartphones shipped this year. Be sure to check out our review of the LG Optimus G, which LG will most likely be showcasing in its stores.

[via The Wall Street Journal]

The 4K recording was displayed on LG’s 84-inch 4K Ultra HD TVs at various, private locations inside of the Georgia Dome. The premiere of the NCAA Men’s Final Four championship in 4K also coincided with the 75th anniversary celebration of March Madness, making it the perfect time to start broadcasting the sporting event in the next-generation of HDTV. Ken Aagaard, Executive VP of operations, engineering and broadcast services for CBS Sports, states that Ultra HDTV can become the future of sports broadcasting.

LG’s 84-inch 4K Ultra HD TVs sell for $19,999. It brings 4 times the details of a Full HD 1080p display, shelling out a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. It features the LG Resolution Upscaler Plus which boosts lower-resolution content into higher detail. It also comes with an LG Magic Remote which allows you to navigate through LG’s HD TV onscreen interface with gestures and voice search. It has a 2.2 Sound System that brings ultra-quality sound to your ultra-quality television.

LG has some big competition coming from Sony. Just yesterday, Sony released the pricing for its 55-inch and 65-inch 4K Ultra HD TVs, both of which will be available on April 21st. The 55-inch will sell for $4,999 and the 65-inch will sell for $6,999, making them both much more affordable than LG’s current offering. Sony will also be bringing a 4K media player in the future, and it will launch a 4K video distribution service as well in order to jet-start the 4K era.

Jelly Bean comes with some impressive improvements compared to Ice Cream Sandwich. Jelly Bean users can take advantage of improved notifications, Google Now, and some UI tweaks that make performance a lot smoother thanks to Project Butter. However, the AT&T update specifically comes with support for Isis Mobile Wallet, which is available to use in Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah.

AT&T also mentions that the LG Optimus G is the “official mobile device of NCAA March Madness,” which is still going on now, with the final four teams ready to face off this Saturday. As for what this means for Optimus G users, you’ll be able to watch the games using the March Madness Live app, and the only requirement is that you have to login using your cable subscription credentials.

In any case, if you don’t see the update automatically hitting your Optimus G, you can head to Menu -> Settings -> General -> About phone -> Software Update and see if the update has made its way to you. If it has, simply connect to a WiFi network and off you’ll go. Be sure to tell us how you like it in the comments below.

[via Android Community]

You’ll find this machine humming along nicely with 1GB of RAM, 8GB internal storage, and a microSD card slot for storage expansion. If you’re all about the wireless charging, you’ll have to make sure you pick up the separate removable battery cover – that’ll cost you $40 USD. This will pair nicely with your wireless charging dock, both this and that being bits and pieces we’ll be reviewing for you later this week!

Above you’ll see a bit more of the LG Optimus F5 as we saw it earlier this year at Mobile World Congress 2013. There in Barcelona we saw LG bringing the fight to multiple display sizes with iterations of devices in this Optimus wave all ready to be LG’s 2013 front. You’ll see not only LG’s custom user interface, but another showing of LG’s own Starter Mode – made perfect for those using a smartphone for the first time.

You’ll be able to purchase this device online on the 4th of April while this device’s retail appearance will be at least one or two more weeks away. Let us know what you’d like to know about this device right now!

As you’ll know well by the looks we’ve had at the LG Optimus G Pro, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor is an absolute beast. It’s the second-highest most powerful processor Qualcomm makes today – so great, both the HTC One and the Samsung GALAXY S 4 have opted to employ it. Then there’s the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, a step up, a quad-core processor intended only for the most dominant devices of this generation, complete with a fabulous Adreno 330 GPU for graphics superiority.

That’s the processor we’re seeing here in the GLBenchmark results found today to be showing the LG D801. This is a device that’ll be hitting up T-Mobile to start with, bringing with it a set of specifications that’ll blow your mind.

• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• T-Mobile 4G LTE
• 1080 x 1794 pixel display
• MSM8974 (aka Snapdragon 800)

The benchmark list you see above also shows the “HTC 6435LVW” – note here that this is the HTC DROID DNA, while the LG E975 below it (with the same score) is the LG Optimus G (the original.) Right along with it is the LG Optimus G Pro which gets a similar score because of its massive display – note that the DROID DNA and the LG Optimus G Pro should, by all means, be getting different scores because the G Pro has a more advanced processor – but again, this isn’t an all-encompassing benchmark, it’s only showing Offscreen 1080p processing – no worries!

Have a peek at our archive of bits and pieces surrounding this upcoming LG Optimus G2 as it makes its way to T-Mobile soon – stay tuned!

LG Optimus G Pro

Though it’d be quite a scandal if the LG Optimus G Pro were released with T-Mobile before it hit AT&T, we can certainly cross our fingers that this monstrous beast will bestow its greatness on the big pink carrier this week. As it’s already prepared for work with AT&T radios via the FCC, T-Mobile’s technology may very well be pumped up and ready for action here as well.

Have a peek at our hands-on with the LG Optimus G Pro in a photo tour of Barcelona – through which you’ll learn one whole heck of a lot more data on the device!

Nokia Lumia 521

It should come as no surprise that the Nokia Lumia 521 would be chosen as one of the first devices to be unveiled here in the United States under these new carrier plans. This device was revealed at Mobile World Congress 2013 as one of several budget-minded smartphones working with Windows Phone 8 by Nokia, aiming for the everyman without sacrificing the high-quality craftsmanship and Nokia-way that comes with every Lumia device. You’ll find this device having hit the FCC this week.

Have a peek at our hands-on with the Lumia 520 – the original version (the international version) of the device we’ll be seeing here on T-Mobile as the 521. It’ll be essentially the same device with a few choice changes to the hardware build – expect it! Watch out for the slightly larger Lumia 720 as well.

BlackBerry Z10

Even though the BlackBerry Z10 was available to business customers with T-Mobile back on the 11th of March, it would still make a lot of sense for the company to give some hands-on time and another kick in the bootloader to this smartphone at this week’s event. Once it’s available to the general public, the stream of BlackBerry love can continue – and maybe it’ll even have 4G LTE connectivity. Can we dare to hope?

Have a peek at our BlackBerry Z10 review right this minute as it appears internationally and let us know if you’d jump on board if it were available to you from T-Mobile this week.

Lenovo IdeaTab A1000-F

Though it’s rather unlikely that a device that, according to Engadget, is passing through the FCC this week with Wifi only would be revealed by T-Mobile this week, it’s still possible. This machine is a 7-inch tablet we heard about earlier this year with not one whole heck of a lot of surprises inside, but a Q2 2013 release time on the books. Watch out for it one way or the other!

Have a peek at our hands-on with Lenovo’s A and S-Series tablets from Mobile World Congress 2013 as well. Keep in mind that T-Mobile has been carrying tablets for several years now – it may be time to go big as they go small!

iPhone 5

It may be that T-Mobile has finally signed a deal with Apple to get the iPhone on their shelves, but this is the least likely device of the collection here in this article. It’s much more likely that a carrier like T-Mobile would wait for Apple to reveal a new generation of device before they announce a partnership – especially with the new subsidy plans in the UNcarrier push.

Don’t forget the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy Note II, also – the Galaxy device was the first device to have T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network switched on while the HTC One has been guaranteed to see the carrier sooner than later! Remember – this T-Mobile event happens at 8AM PST tomorrow – that’s 10AM Central, and 11AM Eastern Standard Time. Don’t you dare miss it!

If you see what the Financial Times notes, they’ve got a “person briefed on the project” who says that though larger projects like Glass are being created in the Google X laboratories, this supposed Google smartwatch is being developed for by the Google Android unit. What we must assume here is that, if the watch were real, it’d be created by one of Google’s hardware partners – perhaps Motorola? Meanwhile the Google developers on-staff creating Android would be taming a version of Android tailored specifically for an ultra-tiny display.

“While Glass is being created in its X Lab, home to experimental “moonshot” projects such as the self-driving car, Google’s smart watch is being developed by its Android unit, according to a person briefed on the project, to act as an extension to the smartphones using that operating system. The project is separate from Samsung’s efforts, the source said, although there is no indication of when it might launch.” – FT

It’s not as if it doesn’t make sense for everyone and their grandmother to be creating a smartwatch at the same time with essentially no warning and no pre-cursor or need, but what if? What if Apple and Google decided, separately, that they’d both create a wearable computer that wrapped around your wrist at once?

That once-utilized watch-loving arm will once again be home to a timepiece, only this time, you’ll be able to do a whole lot more than you were able in the past. Then it’s time again to get rid of the cellphone and the smartphone, right? Seems only logical!

Of course, then again, there’s always that Google Smartwatch patent.

According to The Korea Times, not only is LG currently working on a smartwatch, but they’re also developing another wearable piece of technology, which is said to be something similar to Google Glass. This rumored smartwatch from LG would be able to sync to your smartphone and provide notifications and the like to the smartwatch.

As for the software side of things, it’s said that this supposed smartwatch will either run Android or Mozilla’s Firefox mobile operating system, both of which are tipped to be viable options for the company, although they’ve already been working with Android for a while now, so that seems like the more obvious choice at this point.

Both Apple and Samsung have been rumored to be creating their own smartwatch variants. However, Samsung has confirmed that they’re actually working on one, according to the mobile vice president of the company. The word is still out for Apple, but Google recently joined in on the rumor vine, with LG being the latest one to join the team.

[via The Korea Times]

The 100-inch screen combined with the ultra short throw laser projector creates a 100-inch full HD resolution picture. The system also supports LG’s Smart TV platform allowing access to streaming content on the big screen and more. LG has now announced the TV will be available in April.

As you probably guessed with a 100-inch Laser TV, the price isn’t exactly cheap. The LG Laser TV will cost $8999. LG says the TV will provide a brilliant home theater experience with a 1080p resolution image and 150 nits of brightness. LG promises that the image will “pop” even in a brighter environment. One of the big benefits of the LG system compared to a typical projector is that LG’s laser TV can be positioned near the floor or fastened to the ceiling whereas most standard projectors have to be ceiling mounted.

This gives users greater flexibility when installing the system. The laser projection system also has a long life span of 25,000 hours, which is about five times longer than a normal projection system will last between bulb replacements. The projector housing also has an integrated ATSC tuner, 20W stereo speakers, three HDMI ports, two USB ports, and an optical audio output. The projector also has integrated Intel Wireless Display and Wi-Fi Direct.

[via LG]

After Apple you’ve got Nokia, Samsung, and Motorola one after the other, followed by HTC, LG, and BlackBerry. The average score, says J.D. Power & Associates, has risen for smartphone satisfaction since the last test done at the end of 2012. Past that, the one factor pushed up most amongst those considered in the polling done by the group was performance, which rose 26 points.

This is, again, the 9th consecutive time that Apple has topped this chart with their iPhone line. This report is released semi-annually, and Apple has always ranked highly particularly in physical design and ease of operation.

As for traditional cellphone design, LG tops the tower with a paltry score of 719. This is well below even the lowest score on the smartphone scale, BlackBerry having had a 732. Below LG you’ll find Nokia once again hitting the second spot, the study average being 703 (just below Nokia’s 714), and the rest lining up as such: Sanyo, Samsung, Pantech, Motorola, and Kyocera.

Have a peek at other iPhone customer satisfaction posts we’ve reported on recently and let us know how satisfied you are with your own smartphone or more traditional cellphone right this minute!

[via J.D. Power & Associates]

LG claims it applied for the patent in 2009, as well as other eye-tracking patents as far back as 2005. There’s nothing that the company can do right now, but once the GALAXY S 4 officially launches late next month, they’ll be able to investigate and see whether or not Samsung infringed on one of LG’s patents.

Samsung denies any infringing on LG’s patent, and the says that it uses its own technology for “Smart Pause.” LG’s Optimus G Pro was unveiled at Mobile World Congress last month and is expected to release sometime next month in the US, and there’s already an update out for the new phone that enables eye scrolling, similar to Samsung’s “Smart Scroll.”

This isn’t the first time that LG has turned up the heat on the battle between the Optimus G Pro and the GALAXY S 4. Before the GALAXY S 4 launch, LG trolled Samsung in New York City by placing a clever and bold ad directly on top of Samsung’s ad for the new phone, officially mocking the company before the phone has even been unveiled. Of course, this is only the start, so we’re bound to see more skirmishes between the two companies in the near future.

[via The Next Web]

The picture above shows the prototype of the LG Nexus 5. The rumored specs list include: 5.2-inch OLED HD 1080p display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU clocked at 2.3GHz, 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 16/32/64GB of internal storage, 16MP rear-facing camera by OmniVision with the ability record 4K resolution video at 30FPS, and 1080p video at 60FPS, 2.1MP front-facing camera, 3,300 mAh battery, front positioned stereo speakers, LTE 150Mbps & HSPA+, Integrated DVB-T/ATSC Antenna, and gesture-like controls.

The rumored specs are pretty amazing, and definitely a specs sheet that Google is capable of pulling off. But with all of those high-end specs, it’d be hard to imagine Google being able to sell the phone at it’s standard, low, unlocked price. The 16MP camera sounds amazing, and a bit unreal, however Google’s Vic Gundotra had stated last month that Google’s future Nexus handsets will have “insanely great cameras”.

The Snapdragon 800 sounds too good to be true,mainly because it’s the highest-end CPU announced this year, and because it sounds very costly to adopt. 3GB of RAM also sounds too impressive. Whatever the case may be, we should be hearing more about this phone soon (maybe at Google’s I/O). So what do you think about these rumors? I’ve been very happy with my LG Nexus 4 so far (despite having to wait a long while for it to ship to me), so if LG and Google really are working together on the next Nexus phone, I would not mind giving Google more of my money come Q4.

[via Android and Me]

Whereas Samsung’s ad reads “Be ready 4 for the next Galaxy,” LG’s ad reads in a similar, but mocking tone with “LG Optimus G is here 4 you now!”. Of course, LG has occupied that billboard space for quite some time, while Samsung only recently bought the advertising space right below it, but it’s pretty obvious what LG is doing here.

However, we’re not sure if LG did a great job in this case, since both of the ads look almost identical, meaning that someone just driving by and glancing at the billboards may not notice that they’re actually different from one another, and due to Samsung’s viral marketing of the number “4″, most people may just quickly assume that LG’s ad is a Samsung ad at first glance.

Either way, while this may not turn the heads of most people walking along Times Square, it may certainly ruffle some feathers at Samsung headquarters in Korea. Plus, we doubt the ads themselves will persuade anyone from getting an Optimus G. Marketing and advertising is a tricky industry, and it takes more than just a few billboards to persuade someone to buy a specific smartphone.

[via Android Community]

The Smart Video feature is a new multimedia UX feature that will enhance the user’s viewing experience. Through the use of advanced eye recognition technology, the phone will be able to detect whether or not its user’s eyes are looking at the smartphone screen. If the user is looking away, the video will pause. When the user stares back to the screen, the video will resume playing. This will make sure that if you’re distracted, you still won’t miss a single moment of the video.

The value pack update also brings several other features. The “Dual Camera” feature will let you simultaneously take pictures with your rear and front-facing camera, so that you can “be a part of the story” and not just an observer. The Magic Remote Pad and Text Keypad feature will work together with the QRemote function to allow you to use your LG device to control LG-branded Smart TVs. There will be customizable LED lights, which will let you customize notifications for specific contacts. Lastly, there will be colored emoticons for your device, so you don’t have to stick to the boring, old, green Android.

LG, like Samsung, understands that hardware isn’t the only major driving point for devices. Dr. Jong-seok Park, the CEO of LG’s Electronics Mobile Communications Company, stated, “LG is continuously innovating to offer creative ways to offer a user experience that adds value to our customers. It’s the positive UX that will differentiate smartphones in 2013 and beyond, not only cutting-edge hardware specs.” LG will be bringing this value pack update to not only the Optimus G Pro, but to its other high-end smartphones in the future as well.

[via Android Community]

The bezel is designed to be small and unintrusive, shrouding an IPS display offering full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. There’s support for 3D, and response time clocks in at 5ms. Connectivity includes 2 HDMI ports, composite and component video, 3 USB ports, as well as LAN, WiDi, and Miracast. There’s two 7 watt speakers with 3D Sound Zooming, as well as 2D to 3D Conversion, Magic Remote and USB Quick View.

LG’s Senior Vice President and Head of the IT Business Unit Il-geun Kwon had this to say: “LG designed its Personal Smart TV lineup to meet the growing demand for compact, multipurpose devices suitable for bedrooms, studio apartments and dormitories. The MT93 is the best in its class and its thin bezel design belies a well-rounded set of features that consumers have come to expect from LG’s large screen Smart TVs.”

With the smart TV’s software, users will have access to Facebook, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and a variety of other online content. In addition, games can be played on the MT93 via a mobile device that is streaming the content to the display via Home High-Definition Link. The MT93 IPS will be launched later this month in Europe, and will then be released in other locations around the globe at an undisclosed date. No price was given.

[via LG News Room]

What’s not immediately apparent is the comparison you can make between the two charts, that being the fall of Google’s Android on one hand and the continued rise of Samsung (using Android, mind you) on the other. While Samsung and HTC continue to work with Windows Phone 8 as well as, in Samsung’s case, a tiny bit of their own home-made mobile OS, it’s still Android that dominates their ranks.

So once again we’re able to pull out a conclusion that was spoken about more than once in the past few weeks: Samsung is growing at a rate that’s not dependent on Google’s Android mobile operating system. The first big blast of understanding in this came with an “interest over time” chart made by Benedict Evans run on Google search terms – it showed the brand “Galaxy” to be gaining steam at a rate much faster than Google’s Android.

And now here in this ComScore report, we’re seeing Google’s total number of smartphone subscribers in the USA moving from 53.6% to 52.3% in the two three-month periods ComScore compares – a downward trend of 1.3 percent. Apple is the only entrant in this top 5 list that’s gone up in the ranks – BlackBerry, Microsoft, and Symbian took a turn from bad to worse.

Meanwhile we see both Apple and Samsung rise in the manufacturing world, with Samsung’s Galaxy line continuing to swallow up the market as a whole as Apple does with its iPhone lineup. Meanwhile the other three of the top 5 on this list sit below 10%, with LG being the only one to rise between these two 3-month periods, and only be a measly 0.3 percent.

So is this a perfect indicator that Google should be worried about Samsung eclipsing Android with their Galaxy lineup of Android-powered smart devices? Not exactly – but it’s not beyond possible that these two trends are related. Keep your eye on these two titans through the near future to see how they continue to team up.

[via ComScore]

It may seem strange to see a review of a peripheral as small as this lovely little Analogix SlimPort HDMI adapter out here in the wild simply due to the large amount of relatively similar solutions on the market. Whenever 20 companies make an smartphone accessory, it always ends up being difficult to tell them apart. When it comes to the SlimPort solution here, on the other hand, there’s really only one way to go – especially when you’re using the LG Optims G Pro or the Google Nexus 4 (also made by LG.)

Last week we were told that the brand new LG Optimus G Pro would be carrying official MyDP standard connectivity in its microUSB port. With that, we heard from SlimPort that they’d be more than happy to let us have a peek at their technology in a rather simple-looking HDMI connector. As it turns out, LG was rather pumped up about this connectivity as well:

“With SlimPort, LG is able to deliver unprecedented functionality at a lower cost, because of its streamlined design and standard USB connector. SlimPort unleashes content from the Optimus G Pro smartphone, making it a snap to share and enjoy videos, games, photos and more on any screen.” – Dr. Ramchan Woo, division leader/smart phone platform division of LG Mobile Communications Company

You’re able to pick up any of several different SlimPort accessories to work with your Nexus 4, LG Optimus G Pro, or future MyDP-enabled devices. The one we’ve got here connects on one end to the microUSB port on your smartphone, the other to an HDMI cord (which you must already own), the HDMI cable then connecting to your secondary display of choice. The reason you’d pick this adapter up instead of the company’s HDTV Cable (microUSB straight out to HDMI), is the microUSB port it works with.

With the microUSB port on the adapter, you’re also able to connect a microUSB cord in that’s also connected to a wall socket – this way your smartphone (or perhaps tablet in the future) is being charged at the same time you’re outputting massive amounts of graphics. That said, this solution also allows you to work without plugging in to the wall – a definite bonus that places this technology over solutions like MHL which, on devices like the Samsung Galaxy S II and III, demand external power to work.

SlimPort’s solution here also requires very little power to utilize. We’ve watched entire movies on the Nexus 4 with this HDMI adapter without external power, in fact, and the LG Optimus G Pro works even longer than the Nexus 4 – what with the larger battery, and all. SlimPort also offers (or will offer in the near future) VGA and DVI out as well.

So have a peek at this HDMI adapter or check out the rest of the collection at SlimPort – you’ll be paying right around $30 USD if you need an adapter today, and the rest of the collection will be appearing online soon. Also have a peek at our Nexus 4 tag portal for more information on this radically popular Google-fresh LG-made smartphone, chock-full of Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor goodness.

After reaching this milestone, LG is already gearing up for its next milestone. The company wants to double its LTE smartphones market share in 2013, and it expects to triple the sales of its LTE handsets this year. LG Mobile’s president and CEO, Jong-seok Park, stated, “Having established ourselves as a major industry player, we will continue to expand our footprint in the global LTE market with a wider range of differentiated, high quality LTE smartphones.”

LG attributes its success to a variety of factors, including launching its LTE devices globally, its early entry into the LTE markets, and its rollout of the LG Optimus G handsets. LG also stated that according to Strategy Analytics, global shipments of LTE handsets will reach 275 million, and LG hopes that it will be a major player in that figure. Alongside LG, Strategy Analytics attributes the upcoming boom of LTE handsets to Apple and Samsung as well.

LG doubling its sales of its LTE handsets this year doesn’t seem too far off. LG plans on releasing the LG Optimus G Pro sometime in Q2, and it has announced its LG Optimus F-series, which is a series of handsets capable of 4G LTE, but at a more affordable price point. All of these phones were announced at the Mobile World Congress this past week and are set to appeal to all types of consumers, from those seeking lower-end handsets to those seeking only the best handsets available.

[via LG]

Before we go any further, you should know that this is just the second in what we’re expecting will be an extended series of Photo Tour posts here on SlashGear. The first was back a few months ago with the HTC Evo 4G LTE, a device whose photo setup was being pushed by its makers at the time. Of important note is the fact that both that device and this one both use Qualcomm Snapdragon processors – from different generations, yes, but both coming with architecture that Qualcomm is proud to speak about as having fabulous photo processing abilities. This time they team with LG, and here we go again on a different corner of the earth – Spain.

The first image you see above was shot with the camera right out of the box, automatic settings from start to finish, the shot taken in the morning of a Barcelona city street. Note that this photo was also the subject of another hands-on post earlier this week, the LG Pocket Photo – a miniature photo printer that requires no ink to use – like magic! Below you’ll see one of our first examples of an HDR photo. The shutter speed on this device, even with HDR, is rather quick – but because of the nature of HDR photos, you’ll still see multiple instances of the same people walking in this MWC 2013 crowd.

Below this you’ll find a gallery of photos taken in the same location as what you see above. With the quick shooting mode on this device, you’re able to collect a massive amount of photos in undeniably quick succession – 20 shots before it has to stop and think about what it’s done. The best way for you to visualize this here in still photos is to click (or tap) one of the photos below and move rapidly through the gallery with your arrow buttons. This will only work on a desktop computer with our gallery system unless you’ve got a wildfire-fast tablet or smartphone – if you do, go for it! The goal here it to see the images as a sort of stop-motion animation. When you do, you’ll see that this beast is a snappy shooter.

Another example of an HDR photo can be seen next – the big LG logo. Here you’ll get an idea of how this device shoots something lit up in a rather mixed-lighting environment. Again you’ll notice the multiple instances of the same faces because of the multi-exposure that happens when you shoot an HDR shot.

A macro photo can be seen next, even though the LG Optimus G Pro isn’t promoted for its macro abilities, you’ll find that this photo does the trick. The subject matter is the G Pro Quick Cover – an official LG-made cover for this device you can read all about over on Android Community. Up close and personal without a special setting looks rather nice and clear with the 13 megapixel camera we’re right here and now using with the LG Optimus G Pro.

Another HDR photo is next, in this case showing an especially dark locale. You’ll find that in this Beer shop in the midst of this week’s convention venue, the blacks have become in many cases a lighter shade of gray. With this you’ll see that there’s not much that you cannot see – that can be especially valuable if you’re doing photography for documentation rather than for the sake of high art. If you want 100% true-to-life colors, you wont want to use HDR with the Optimus G Pro.

Then there’s a two-up photo set here, the first of a Coke can taken without HDR, the next being that same Coke can, this time with HDR switched to “on”. You’ll be able to tell one from the other only with extremely sharp eyes – and by noticing that I’ve accidentally placed my finger into the edge of the HDR photo. The HDR photo looks almost identical to the non-HDR photo (besides the finger and the television picture behind the can, for obvious reasons). The HDR version is ever-so-slightly more intense, especially in the darks across the range – the red in the can, for example, is a bit more deep.

The gallery you’re having a peek at below shows two different examples of what the LG Optimus G Pro captures with its own unique version of a Photo Sphere. If you’ll remember back a few weeks when a new version of Android Jelly Bean was introduced, Google revealed Photo Sphere – a built-in camera mode that creates a panorama photo, but capturing a massive photo that covers all directions, something like what you see when you head to Street View in Google Maps. You’ll also remember that while it works great some times, it – at other times – doesn’t work so perfectly. The same is true of LG’s iteration of this feature, even with a slightly different user interface.

Another gallery rests below, this time showing a set of examples of a regular old panorama. This standard panorama mode has produced marginally better results for us thus far than the sphere-like mode above. It is important here – as it always is with panorama shooting at this time in history – to drag the camera across your scene at an even rate – and not too slow, not too fast either. One of the photos was taken at the Google Head Space party during MWC – as you can see, this club area was rather dark, and didn’t work too well with the panorama mode in the end. The others were taken on a bridge inside the main MWC 2013 event, lighting being a bit more generous.

Next you’ll see another example of a photo taken indoors of a rather large, open area at Mobile World Congress. The first shot was taken without HDR, the second was taken in HDR mode. This example set shows just a bit more clear the difference between the two – generally this is the case when you’ve got the possibility of a much more large range of colors and levels of light and dark.

The nighttime photo you see below is taken from across the street from the Mobile World Congress 2012 venue. This is a place where many MWC-goers stop on the train to transfer trains as it’s a large hub from one place to another – notably the new venue, mind you. The important point here is the levels of light in the darkness – and the idea that this photo was captured by hand. Normally a photo captured here at this time by hand – with most smartphone cameras, that is – would have lots of light streaks due to the shutter being open for enough time to capture the correct amount of light. In this case, LG’s setup allows you to do this much quicker – and the result is obvious.

Finally you’ll find a lovely gallery full of photos taken at one of the more challenging locations a person can take a photo at with results that look more than terrible. It is – once again – the Mobile World Congress 2013 Google party: Google Head Space. There are two rooms here, the first a smaller one made for chilling out and having a drink amongst a DJ mixing tunes under a massive Google Play Music set of orange headphones. The second is a massive room with a stage that held both Tinie Tempah and Florence and the Machine.

Enjoy this if you would, and have a peek at the rest of our Mobile World Congress 2013 content in our lovely MWC 2013 tag portal. You can also have a peek at our LG tag portal for more awesome Optimus action, there finding the review of the LG Optimus G Pro soon, and very soon.

Samsung may not have brought the Galaxy S4 to MWC – we’ll have to wait until mid-March to see that – but the company still had one of the largest stands of the show. It’s key new product was the Galaxy Note 8.0, slotting in-between the Note II and the Note 10.1, and taking on the iPad mini. What’s interesting is that, while Samsung has been accused of slavishly copying Apple, the Note 8.0 does have a distinct difference from the Apple slate in the shape of the S Pen stylus.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 hands-on:

Over at LG, the company was unabashed at taking on the Note II with its new Optimus G Pro, a 5.5-inch slab of beautiful LCD display and 13-megapixel camera tech. No stylus – though the Korean-spec demo units did have a fetching pull-out antenna for the digital TV tuner – but a 1080p display and speedy processor. LG fleshed out its cheaper models with new L series and F series devices, though it had spoiled the surprise some by pre-announcing them ahead of this week’s show.

Nokia had been more secretive, and so its new phones – the Lumia 520 and 720, taking the Windows Phone 8 range to five, and some cheap devices, the 105 and 301 – came as a moderate surprise. On the smartphone side, Nokia’s range is starting to look more and more thought through, though we’re still sticking with our stance that the Lumia 620 is the best of the bunch. Meanwhile, Nokia hit new price lows with the 105, a €15 ($20) handset ideal for developing markets and festival-goers alike, yet which didn’t abandon the company’s distinctive color schemes.

We also had a chance to sit down with some of Nokia’s top-level executives, and quizzed them on what little they’d spill on the roadmap (don’t hold your breath for a QWERTY Lumia any time soon) as well as their predictions for wearables and smart sensors.

Plucky upstarts ZTE and Huawei brought a brace of new devices along to Barcelona, though the reaction proved mixed. The ZTE Grand Memo played the big-screen card, overstepping the LG Optimus G Pro with a 5.7-inch screen, though arguably undermined it by opting for 720p resolution. Huawei made a similar schoolboy error with its Ascend P2, rocking high-end specifications everywhere but the number of pixels. ASUS, meanwhile, opted to go for confusion above all else, with the similarly-named FonePad and Padfone Infinit continuing to push the company’s modular strategy.

At the low-end, Firefox OS made its play for the developing market, with votes of support from eighteen operators worldwide and new handsets from Alcatel among others. At first glance, however, we’re less than impressed. The HTML5-based platform is sluggish on the cheap hardware, and it’s tough to see how – even with web apps – Mozilla plans to flesh out its portfolio in a way that legitimately challenges the ever-cheaper Android behemoth.

In chips, Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 600 and 800 came out to flex their muscles, and were found in a number of the higher-profile phones of the week. NVIDIA had some chip news too, though the most exciting phone to use the new Tegra 4 was the Phoenix Developer Platform smartphone, which will allow coders and manufacturers to get to grips with Tegra 4i before it arrives later in 2013.

NVIDA Phoenix Developer Platform hands-on:

After two years of incredible public stands, Google took a more clandestine approach at Barcelona this year, holding a few private meetings rather than pushing people down an Android-themed slide like in 2012. We caught up with director of Android design experience Matias Duarte to talk Google Now and how it might just be the future of Android, as well as how it helped shape Google Glass. Duarte, unsurprisingly, has strong ambitions for Android, going so far as describing it as the “OS for humanity.”

Nonetheless, while MWC had its gems, the show felt more humble than in previous years. The new venue, a sprawling flow of halls joined by a serpentine hallway, is certainly far improved over the old location, but where the Congress of years past has seen flagships debut and companies stake their reputation, this year it felt a little like those same firms were holding their breath; saving their energies for individual events where they alone could control the news.

On a broader note, however, it’ll be interesting to see how the trade show calendar weathers the change in product launch strategy over the rest of the year. While smaller shows will happen in-between now and September, many eyes will be IFA 2013 early that month. The past few years, Samsung has used the Berlin show to debut several high-profile products – the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Camera in 2012, for instance – but with the Korean firm withholding its big launches from CES and MWC, it’s unclear whether the Germans will get a headline-maker or not.

All this is just a sample of our coverage from this week; you can find all of our Mobile World Congress 2013 content in the show hub.

The hockey puck wireless charger, dubbed the WCP-300, charges up Qi-compatible devices, like LG’s own Nexus 4, Spectrum 2, and Optimus G Pro, and it sits at just 6.9cm in diameter. The back plugs into a traditional microUSB port in order to feed juice to devices wirelessly. However, only the Spectrum 2 and the Nexus 4 support the wireless charger in the US.

Of course, though, LG will be releasing more smartphones in the future with Qi wireless charging functionality, and the company hopes that more smartphones will jump on board with the wireless charging protocol as well. After all, the wireless charger doesn’t do much good if you don’t have a phone that supports it.

LG will be releasing the wireless charger in South Korea this week at a price of 65,000 won (around $60). However, the company expects to roll out the accessory worldwide over time, so it’ll arrive in the US at some point this year we’re hoping. Plus, $60 isn’t too bad of a price for the world’s smallest wireless charger, so hopefully LG keeps it that way when it eventually comes to the US.