The phone racked up 4412 points in the new Quadrant benchmark. That makes the X3 significantly faster than the Samsung Galaxy Tab that scored roughly 2200 points, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus scored only about 2000 points, and the Nexus S scored about 1500 points. The X3 from LG will be a high-performance device indeed.

The X3 has a 4.7-inch screen with a resolution of 720 x 1280, 2000mAh battery, and 16GB of internal storage. The device also has a microSD slot for memory expansion, a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera, an eight-megapixel rear camera, and it runs Android 4.0.3. One interesting thing is that the phone that was benchmarked was running Android 4.0.3 and showed a 2.6.39 kernel.

[via Android.Modaco]

With softening demand, sales prices of screens have declined, hurting profits. The tough road in the LCD panel market is affecting more than Samsung; it’s also affecting Samsung rivals LG and Sony. Some analysts place some blame for the soft market and falling prices on the panel makers themselves for continuing to produce screens over and above market demand. By producing too many screens, panel makers have forced themselves to slash prices to sell the excess production.

Strangely, despite the LCD panel market as a whole being in an oversupply situation Chinese firms are entering into the market and building new production lines only adding to the oversupply in the industry and forcing prices even lower. Prospects for growth in the LCD industry overall are slowing, but the OLED segment is set to boom in the coming years so many of these companies are expected to refocus on OLED panels to spur profits and growth. Samsung has estimated that OLED revenues will increase by 600% from now until 2014. With the difficulty in the LCD market, a spinoff of the Samsung LCD unit would help streamline Samsung’s business.

[via BBC]

Instead of giving you a specifications run-down, what I’m going to do here is give you my “total package” view of what each device has to offer to you, the everyday user. I’ll speak about the displays, the buttons, the keyboards, and the version of Android they hold, sure, but it’s that one phone you’ll be purchasing, so it’s that one phone on its own that we’ll have a chat about.

Motorola DROID 4

This is the fourth self-titled DROID that Motorola has put out, and it offers you essentially the same thing as you’ve gotten with each past DROID device – a push-out keyboard with real physical buttons, a lovely display, and almost the most recent version of the Android software. The keyboard on this device, if you’re in need of a full physical QWERTY that is, is the nicest one you’re going to find on the Verizon network. Aside from that, and especially if you have no need for a physical keyboard, there are much better choices for you, most of them costing you a whole lot less.

Check out our full review of the Motorola DROID 4

Motorola DROID RAZR/ RAZR MAXX

What you’ve got here is the fat version of the DROID RAZR, a device that was otherwise known as one of the thinnest smartphones on the planet. This thickness adds so much battery life that you’ll only have to charge up every two days instead of every night – and it costs at least $50 more than the DROID RAZR, and in one case $100 more – that depending on if you get a memory card inside the device. If you want the biggest battery on the market, go for the MAXX. If you want a purple smartphone, get the original DROID RAZR – and note that bot the DROID 4 and the DROID RAZR are a bit wider than most people’s hand palms, so be sure to hold it in the store to see if you’re comfortable with that.

Check out our full review of the Motorola DROID RAZR

HTC Rhyme

Actually there’s another purple smartphone here at Verizon, that being the HTC Rhyme. This little mouse of a phone has all the power and capabilities you might like from a larger top-tier smartphone with its only drawbacks being its unique aesthetics. This phone was made for the feminine crowd, having cuteness and fashionability to the core – and it’s free at the moment, too.

Check out our full review of the HTC Rhyme

HTC ThunderBolt / HTC Rezound

Though these two devices may appear to be similar, and indeed they are much more similar to one another than they are to the rest of the device on the network, the devil is in the details: if you want the uniqueness of the HTC experience and you’d like to avoid the fashion forward experience of the Rhyme, you’ll want one of these two – and I’d suggest the Rezound. The HTC ThunderBolt was a fantastic phone for me for quite a few months after it was released – indeed it is a classic HTC device – but the Rezound has as high definition a display as you could ever want, has excellent speakers and Beats-brand earbuds in the box, and isn’t reaching its “end of life” as the ThunderBolt is. Its kind of like when they stop selling a car at a dealership: they’ll still support you, but they’ll keep updating your Rezound for a whole lot longer.

Check out our full review of the HTC ThunderBolt and our full review of the HTC Rezound

LG Spectrum

This device is the only LG device you should be considering. There’s also the Revolution by LG you can purchase used, but don’t bother with it – the Spectrum is going to be much more reliable for you in the short and long run. It also has a really great camera and an ultra-bright and ultra-sharp display on it as well. The only drawback here is, again, that it’s a pretty gigantic device, and might be uncomfortable for you to hold in one hand.

Check out our full review of the LG Spectrum

Motorola DROID X2

This smartphone is the only one on Verizon you’re going to find with the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor. There are other dual-core processor toting devices on the carrier, and in tablets there are even some more NVIDIA Tegra 2 chips inside, but this is the only smartphone to hold such a distinction. What this means, in short, is that you’ll be able to download games from the NVIDIA Tegra Zone, a store where only the sweetest monsters slumber.

Check out our full review of the Motorola DROID X2

Pantech Breakout

This device doesn’t get a whole lot of press because Pantech is really still only a small gunner of a manufacturer of Android devices here in the United States, but check it out: this device is certainly not the worst device on the carrier. It’s one of the last of its breed having a single-core processor inside, and the camera is only a 5-megapixel shooter on the back, but they’re both decent, and you can certainly play Angry Birds if that’s your winning combination.

Check out our full review of the Pantech Breakout

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Soon you’ll no longer see the name “Ericsson” on Sony-branded smartphones, this one being one of their most famous combinations before Sony bought out Ericsson’s half of the business. This is the fabled PlayStation Phone, and with it you’ll be able to access a set of games only available to this device specifically. This device was also one of the two choices Google made for Gingerbread hero phone — in short, this means it works very, very well with the software its got running. This device is made for gamers, make no mistake about it, and it’s certainly fun to own.

Check out our full review of the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

If you’re looking for the most advanced Android software, look no further than the Galaxy Nexus: Google’s hero phone for their newest mobile operating system Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. This device has many futuristic characteristics such as a massively high definition display, a button-less front face, and a sleek exterior, and it’s running a vanilla version of Android. This means that there’s no user interface changes made by the manufacturer or the carrier – though it does have a couple of helpful Verizon-added apps. This device is both Google and Samsung’s current hero smartphone.

Check out our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Editor’s Choice

If I had to choose just one device, I’d probably end up going with the Galaxy Nexus as I do love to mess with the software – and all Nexus devices are made to make that process easy. Other than that, I’d either choose the LG Spectrum for its camera or the HTC Rezound because its user interface and headphone branding makes it a nice full package. If I wanted a Motorola device, I’d pick the original DROID RAZR because its so incredibly thin and I’m constantly charging my devices anyway – look at that stack of coins in the lead image of this post – sharp!

The question remains as the leaks to not confirm the newest version of Android and the image we’ve got at the moment has an interface that could just as easily be Ice Cream Sandwich as it could be Froyo. This device sill have a few other cosmetic changes also, with the volume button and the 3D switch switching sides from the right to the left for this iteration. LG is setting us up for something brand new, but will it be a big enough change to bring us back after a slightly lackluster first edition?

This device also has the name LG Optimus 3D Max and will almost certainly share its 9.8mm thick body with the LG Optimus Vu at this year’s Mobile World Congress. This 3D device is likely to have the same screen found in the Optimus LTE, hi-res IPS sharpness and all, and will be trumped only by the Vu in its newness. Follow the action via our [MWC 2012] portal and don’t miss a beat at the end of this month!

[via OLED Display]

The flip side of the argument, though, is that a 4:3 display gives the device a wider aesthetic when held in portrait mode, making it more amenable to reading books or looking at portrait-oriented photos. We’ve all become accustomed to widescreen displays so something like this just looks inherently weird. And as the above picture shows, compared to Samsung’s large Galaxy Note phone, it just looks outdated.

Nevertheless, the Vu will surely appeal to a select group of phone users. The market for a 5-inch phone is probably notably different than that of a 4-inch phone. This new category of “phablets” or “tabletphones,” whatever you want to call it, will no doubt have some growing pains. The idea of going back to a world of 4:3 aspect ratios just seems unlikely, but we probably would have said the same thing about 5-inch phones in the first place, just a couple years ago.

[via Android Community]

That said, this “Not for sale” labeled working unit does appare to have ScanSearch and what PlayTo has been renamed as: SmartShare, both of these previously exclusive the the Optimus 7, so some sort of exclusive business may be going on in the innards of this device. LG has been relatively quiet on the Windows Phone front thus far, bringing such lovely oddities as the LG Spectrum with Android to the market with a whole lot more force, so this could be their play for the center of the ring. The mid-range of the smartphone world is always a great place to make a play when the top tier is overflowing with ultra-similar looking and functioning devices.

This device has been tipped separately as having a 1GHz Snapdragon and a 1GHz Scorpion processor, both of them single-core, while its front-facing VGA camera and back-facing 5 megapixel camera specs seem to have been holding up ever since inception. This device is expected to be announced inside the first quarter of 2012 – carrier remains unknown!

[via GSMArena]

Still unconfirmed is exactly what resolution the big screen runs at, though LG is believed to be offering an 8-megapixel main camera and there’s what looks to be a front-facing camera lens visible in the video teaser. 8GB of ROM space and NFC is also believed to be onboard, the latter unsurprising as LG has already included the short-range wireless in its recent PRADA Phone 3.0.

Beyond that there are only tidbits to be gleaned from the clip, which shows the PRADA-style circular metal buttons for lock/power along with a sliding microUSB cover door. What we’re really interested to see is whether LG has followed Samsung’s similarly sizable Galaxy Note and equipped the Optimus Vu with a stylus.

We’ll find out more over the next few weeks, we’re guessing; if there’s one thing we’ve learned from previous pre-MWC teaser campaigns, it’s that LG can’t help whispering about its new devices in advance. Whether we have the pockets to accommodate the Optimus Vu will have to wait until Barcelona.

[via Android Community]

Unity has a roster of 750,000 registered developers spanning the industry from independent hobbyist to large multinational publishers. Although Unity has dealt in programs that aren’s considered video games, this deal with LG seems to be all about a new chapter in how gamers interact with their TV. In 2012, the company will offer TV sets that come with special motion controllers for remotes, which will work directly into this new strategy.

Right now, the state of gaming on Internet-connected TVs is abysmal. Among the scant selection of apps that have been optimized for the living room device are very casual, very clunky, and very slow-paced fare. After all, you’re controlling them with a traditional TV remote that isn’t exactly built for gaming. LG hopes to change all of that, but the video game market is finnicky at best. It has a long road ahead.

[via VentureBeat]

Featured: Our big featured story of the day features one of our favorite things – ice cream. More specifically, Ice Cream Sandwich. Yep, a beta version of Chrome has been released for the newest version of Android and we have a hands-on review ready for your consumption right now. Just be sure to wipe your hands after; ice cream sandwiches can be a real mess.

Mobile: Hey, did you know that Siri accounts for 25% of Wolfram Alpha queries? Yeah, go figure. Okay, so that covers our Siri factoid for the day. Let’s move to the other side and take a look at Windows Phone. And guess what? We’re not talking about Nokia. Yeah, believe it or not there are still other people who make Windows Phones, and these pictures of LG’s Miracle phone prove it. Well, that’s all for now. Tune in tomorrow for Wednesday’s wrap-up.

LG is planning to introduce a mid-range Windows Phone, according to a leak posted by PocketNow. An image of the device has surfaced and it’s reportedly the same handset as the LG Fantasy that was revealed in a leaked roadmap back in December.

The LG Miracle is expected to sport a 4-inch super-bright NOVA display, 1GHz Snapdragon single-core processor, 8GB of internal storage, front-facing VGA camera, and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera capable of 720p video capture.

The Miracle will also support HSPA connectivity and include an NFC chip, which supports expectations for NFC support in the next Windows Phone update. The device will likely be unveiled at Mobile World Congress later this month.

At the time, a quadcore processor was tipped for the X3/P880, specifically NVIDIA’s Tegra 3, with the display a 4.7-inch panel in a device under 9mm thick. OS is Ice Cream Sandwich, and there are the usual twin cameras - 1.3-megapixels up front and and 8-megapixels on the back – along with 16GB of storage. Up to 21Mbps HSPA+, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0 round out the key leaked specs.

As for the LG P700, the UPnP listing confirms Ice Cream Sandwich, though the company’s own XML file suggests a mere 640 x 480 resolution display. That implies a mid-tier device, bringing Android 4.0 to lower price points, which Google needs if the OS is to begin ousting 2.x versions from the mainstream.

The expectation is that LG will be showing off these two new devices at MWC, and we’ll be there to bring back all the details.

[via Android Community and via Juggly]

When you plan on creating a revolution in the market, it essentially does not matter who you are, even Apple has to work with 3rd party companies to create their devices. LG and Samsung are set up quite nicely in this case to produce their own panels for the Smart TV revolution, both of them already well into the market with such things as HDTV and 3DTV. What Apple has been tipped to be waiting for then is Sharp’s IGZO panels specifically as the Japan-base group readies their production lines for a much greater production rate.

At the moment, Sharp’s 8G lines are able to produce all sorts of panels including 32-inch, 46-inch, and 55-inch sizes. On the other hand, IGZO panels are not ready to be produced at the rate Apple would need them. Apple’s iTV would build on the Apple TV market, but would become a whole new segment if analysts are correct. Will you be amongst the millions of already-ready television watchers to jump in o the next Apple market?

[via DigiTimes]

Last quarter Apple sat in the fifth-place spot on the list in the record-breaking quarter for iPhone 4S shipments propelled Cupertino up the list in a big way. That massive sales success also saw Apple besting mobile phone maker ZTE, pushing it into the fifth-place spot. The top spot remains firmly in the grasp of Nokia with Samsung taking second place spot.

Apple shipped 37 million iPhones in Q4 to give it 8.7% of the global market. The 37 million shipment number is more than twice what Apple shipped in Q4 2010. It’s also worth noting that LG’s total sales volume declined for the third quarter in a row signaling trouble for LG. The majority of phones shipped during the quarter were feature phones rather than smartphones.

[via IDC]

Of course Sony and Samsung complained just as quick as the advertisements were released, finding in both situations that NAD both took their case and challenged LG separately, finding essentially the same thing: LG’s findings were simply unfair. One of the most telling examples is listed by NAD here, siting the actual units used to do the tests:

“NAD, in considering the advertiser’s evidence, noted that LG’s “broad line claims are premised upon a single test of the parties’ entry-level model 3D televisions” although the record was clear that all three parties make several models of 3D televisions within their respective lines – from entry-level models to high-end technological 3D sets – each configured with any number of combinations of features and attributes. … NAD also recommended that the advertiser discontinue its characterization of the tested Samsung 6420 model as Samsung’s “leading model.”

Claims ranging from LG’s largest advertising point, that “4 out of 5″ consumers preferred LG 3D televisions, to the quite similar claim that consumers preferred LG 3D technology “3 to 1″ over Samsung 3D technology, have all been recommended by NAD to be permanently discontinued. LG prepared separate statements for both cases and outright disagreed with the findings, saying they still respect NAD, but wouldn’t be agreeing to this situation:

“LG supported its claims with an innovative national consumer preference study that was designed and administered by a leading ISO 9001:2008 certified survey research firm. LG believes that the study firmly established consumers’ overwhelming preference for the LG 3D television over the challenger’s comparable 3D television. …

“The advertising claims at issue in this challenge have run their planned course; nevertheless, LG respects the NAD self-regulatory process and will take the NAD’s views into consideration in its advertising going forward.” – LG

Some of the statements brought up in both cases that Samsung and Sony felt should be removed from advertising on the part of LG were as follows. And don’t forget that NAD actually did find in favor of LG for one of these: “[LG Cinema 3D provides] Picture Perfect 3D. From Any Angle,” saying it’s monadic. These are the statements in question:

• “FOUR OUT OF FIVE CONSUMERS PREFER LG CINEMA 3D OVER SONY AND SAMSUNG ACTIVE
3D IN HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISON”
• “In 3D TV Tests, 4 out of 5 People Choose LG over Sony and Samsung for Overall 3D
Experience”
• “4 out of 5 People Choose LG Cinema 3D over Sony and Samsung for Overall 3D Experience”
• “4 out of 5 People Choose LG Cinema 3D over Sony and Samsung for Brightness”
• “4 out of 5 People Choose LG Cinema 3D over Sony and Samsung for Color”
• “4 out of 5 People Choose LG Cinema 3D over Sony and Samsung for Picture Quality”
• “4 out of 5 People Choose LG Cinema 3D over Sony and Samsung for Glasses”
• “[LG Cinema 3D provides] Picture Perfect 3D. From Any Angle”;
• “Consumers favor passive 3D technology, like LG Cinema 3D, because they prefer every
aspect of the passive 3D TV experience”
• “Consumers’ clear preference for passive 3D” has been demonstrated by “independent,
unbiased research”

Again the most notable case here is the fact that Samsung’s Model 46” 6420 was the only one used in consumer tests. This model, as Samsung notes, is not only just one of 43 Samsung televisions currently out there with 3D capability, it’s not even a general distribution model. Samsung has two different screen types on the market now with televisions with 3D capabilities ranging between 40 to 65-inches and prices between $1,000 to $5,000. Because LG was in no way clear on this point (or even that it used that one TV) in its advertising, “the advertiser’s broad claims convey the unsubstantiated message that the test results show that 4 out of 5 people prefer all televisions in the LG Cinema 3D line to all Samsung 3D televisions when that was not the case.”

It appears to this editor that LG has acted in very bad taste in this situation, and the full report has one whole heck of a lot more issues to burn through than this. Advertising can be a wicked world to be a part of, and it’s no small deal when you’re found to be doing the false brand of it. We’re expecting this case to move on past this set of reports without a doubt.

This new business will be run by Young-ha Lee as Chief Executive Officer and Hidenao Kawai as Chief Operating Officer. Lee has expressed his excitement for the birth and growth of the company and the joint venture has been very vocal about how his recent role as CEO and president of LG’s Home Appliance Company has brought him in on Japanese corporate culture via his station between 1986 and 1990 well enough that he’ll be a fine selection for this new venture. Lee spoke thusly on the situation:

“Human use of water has increased more than 30-fold over the past three centuries but less than 1 percent of the world’s fresh water is readily accessible for human use. LG and the Hitachi -– two of the most diversified companies in the world — will combine their resources to developing innovative solutions for the world’s water problems.” – Lee

Certainly an encouraging project, and with Hitachi’s power in advanced R&D and water-related industries tied with LG’s manufacturing and technology backing them up, we’re looking at company that’ll certainly have s strong start. This group will be focusing on manufacturing and selling water treatment equipment at the start. This includes Engineering, Procurement, and Construction of water treatment systems and O&M for water treatment facilities. This project will center around drinking water and sewage treatment facilities as well as wastewater treatment facilities, and will be researching and developing water treatment technologies for all of them.

This would make it the first smartphone with the term “3D” at the front of its name. The insider information comes from Israeli website GSM-Israel, which has a solid track record of leaking details that are later proven true. Based on earlier information we’ve seen, the phone will have a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch display, and a built-in 3D camera for still shots and video.

Of course, the tough part of selling a 3D phone right now is the lack of content. Sprint put out an aggressive campaign for its Evo 3D device that encouraged users to create their own content with the built-in 3D camera. Third-party app makers have been less enthusiastic, but perhaps at next month’s Mobile World Congress, where the 3D Max is expected to be fully unveiled, we’ll see advancements in this area.

[via Pocket Now]

Hardware

While LG does still have one of my favorite devices ever in the G2X released last year, this device feels a bit large for the average citizen. Certainly consider whether you need all the extra space in this gigantic four and half inch display before you go purchasing it, especially since your thumb wont be able to reach the other end of your screen without assistance of your other hand. When playing games and watching video though, this display is top of class. The camera also has us dazzled and is certainly up there in the top 10 cameras thus produced on a smartphone.

The onboard speaker system is fairly excellent, though still pointing out the back of the device as too many smartphones and tablets these days are, still working perfectly well if you’ve got it up against a wall from whens it can reflect. Plug in some headphones and you’ll have a great time all around. This device has a slightly odd look to it with the three button selection below the display, but therein proves its readiness for Ice Cream Sandwich – that’s not a menu button, it’s a multitasking button.

Software

LG has chosen to continue to use their slightly unintuitive user interface over Android 2.3 Gingerbread here, showing how little it trusts in the original build of Android especially in the apps drawer with row after row of titles for app collections. While it all may appear clunky in comparison to the basic build of Android, it does all move super slick, and even offers a selection of themes at the bottom of the home screen with which you can make profiles for yourself. These aren’t the sort of themes like you get with an HTC device with color changes and backgrounds and all that – instead you can set up which apps you need where for Work, then make another for Home, and etcetera. Functionality here is what’s being pushed, made for people with a need for different environments for their smartphone indeed.

Camera

I can’t say enough about how nice the camera in this device is. Though the interface isn’t my favorite in the world (I’m much preferring the stock Ice Cream Sandwich interface at the moment), this skinned version of the Gingerbread shooter certainly gets the job done right. LG has reminded us why it’s 8 megapixels, not a speedy 5 megapixels, that does it best on Android. Have a peek at some photo and video examples here and in the gallery below to get a good idea of what we’re dealing with.

Phone and Battery

The phone quality is perfectly legitimate, like most smartphones these days running on Verizon’s network coming in and sending out clear voice anywhere I roam inside the Twin Cities here in Minnesota. The battery is surprisingly powerful, lasting at LEAST one day with medium to heavy usage and two days (as you can see here) with light usage. Play some streaming video with your built-in Netflix app and you’ll see considerably degrading excellence at something like 6 hours total.

Wrap-up

This is certainly one of the top five LG smartphones ever to be released, and definitely beats out the LG Revolution released last year with LTE as the best LG device on Verizon right this minute. It’s relatively sleek, light, and has a fabulous camera, all this aside from the fact that if you live in an LTE area, it’s very, very fast data-wise. The decision you must make now is whether you want to sacrifice Ice Cream Sandwich as found on the Galaxy Nexus in exchange for the nicer camera on this device – if that’s not a great tradeoff for you, stick with the former.

This device has been tipped to be coming out on Verizon’s network with 4G LTE intact, this making it the first 7-inch LTE device on the market – just so long as it comes out before the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 this spring. The image above indicates that this tablet is refined up to a point where it can be tested and soon sent out as review units with a release soon after. Whether or not it will actually be released on Verizon is still not know, but it does appear likely given the amount of ZTE that’s been coming to big red lately.

The price is still a mystery, as is the release date, but we’re guessing that this tablet will be coming in right at or around $300. This puts it in range with the upcoming ASUS MeMO which thought it has much more powerful specs will be released for a mere $249. This device will likely be showing up next month in Barcelona where we’ll be sending you some hands-on looks at it straight from the events themselves. Seeya there!

[via Android Community]

Initially, though, production will be more conservative, ramping up from around 8,000 panels per month. LG Display will use the time to make a decision on investment into its 8G OLED production facilities, expecting to decide in Q3 this year whether to pump cash into large-scale production in 2013.

The panels will be slotted into high-end sets like the LG 55EM9600, launched at CES. Less than 4mm thick and weighing just 16 pounds, the TV supports passive 3D and Full HD resolution, though LG is yet to say exactly what it – or production variants – will cost. More details on the 55EM9600 in our eyes-on report.

LG Display announced another loss-making quarter, but at 6.25 billion won ($5.56m) it was an altogether more successful three month period than the previous year, when the company made a $239m loss. Panel production is expected to be low through 2012, the company has warned, though the market is expected to grow compared to 2011.

[via OLED-Display]

Insider there’s a 1GHz dual-core processor paired with 8GB of internal storage, Bluetooth 3.0+HS and WiFi b/g/n, together with HSPA+ supporting up to 21Mbps downloads, network-depending. You also get 1GB of RAM and a front-facing camera for video calls, together with a reskinned UI that ditches Android’s usual colors for a monochrome, PRADA-themed icon set.

The PRADA Phone by LG 3.0 will go on sale free with a new, two-year agreement priced at £31 ($49) per month or above, on a choice of networks. We’re expecting unlocked availability from the beginning of February.

This smartphone is both light and powerful, it rolling out with the most high-clocked dual-core processor on the market and a collection of applications right out of the box that will have your head spinning. There’s ESPN ScoreCenter for your sports needs, it connected to the NFL, the MLB, and NASCAR to name a few. You’ll notice that this and other apps are collected cleanly in the apps drawer which has a unique face, it being part of LG’s own custom user interface over Android.

While you’re watching the hands-on video for this device, please feel free to write down any and all questions you’ve got on its technology or its build. We’ll be giving this smartphone a full review by the end of the week, and we want you to have all the information you need on what’s going on here! Wouldn’t want to buy a phone unless you had the full story, yes? Have a peek at the sharpness for now!

This newest model is being said to have the newest Texas Instruments dual-core processor, that OMAP 1.2GHz SoC you know and love. It’ll have the same dimensions as far as screen size and overall heft and bulk, but the display this time will be a NOVA, that meaning its power is far beyond that of the original, and the thickness has been reduced on the profile by 2mm. Imagine a much thinner third dimension, essentially.

The cameras on the back, taking photos at the same time and giving you the 3D you desire, will have 5 megapixel ratings, this the same as the original LG Optimus 3D, and the front-facing camera is likely somewhere around 1.3 megapixels. We can expect to see this mother flying around Mobile World Congress 2012 next month – and we’ll be there to let you know! Follow us here on SlashGear for the most comprehensive coverage of Mobile World Congress available on the internet!

[via PocketNow]

This device is set to be running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich right out of the box as all good 2012 smartphones coming with Android should, so says the source leaking this image and the details that come with it. The rear facing and front facing camera sizes come as no surprise at 1.3 megapixels and 8 megapixels, and storage inside the device is said to be 16GB. Inside we’ve also got a 21Mbps HSPA for connectivity along with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.

The battery on this monster is set to be a lovely 2000mAh and inside you’ll also find NFC capabilities. We’re expecting this device to make its debut next month at Mobile World Congress 2012, and we’ll be there LIVE to let you know how it goes. This device will likely be released early Summer, 2012.

[via PocketNow]

There’s also an 8-megapixel camera with flash on the back, capable of recording Full HD video, while a front-facing camera serves for video calls. Unlike many Android slates, there’s a memory card slot for a microSD card, allowing you to upgrade the storage.

Connectivity includes HDMI, USB and the usual bevy of WiFi, Bluetooth and sensors. You also get DLNA streaming support, and LG is talking up its interactivity features between the Optimus Pad LTE and its other hardware, such as smartphones and TVs.

Battery life from the 479g tablet is up to 10hrs, and there are various apps preloaded including a video editor to allow you to whip your 1080p footage into shape. The LG Optimus Pad LTE will go on sale in South Korea first, though we’d hardly be surprised if LG then expanded its reach to LTE networks in North America.

But it wasn’t just LG. Vizio showed off an ultra-widescreen set that many film buffs were happy to see, and the sheer number of Smart TVs featuring built-in apps, integration with DVRs, and countless other features was dizzying. There were even the giant televisions on display for those who have large rooms and want to impress friends.

Check our all the CES 2012 Smart TVs here

All that has made me wonder: how will Apple, a company that is reportedly working on a new television to best them all, actually achieve its goal of changing customer perceptions about TVs?

The way I see it, just about every company is providing what Apple will reportedly offer in its own HDTVs. We already have extremely well-designed sets, thin televisions that look like a picture frame hanging on the wall, and TVs featuring all the apps you would seemingly want. What’s more, they all come in at prices that, if history is to be our guide, Apple likely won’t even come close to matching.

Furthermore, I just don’t see any technologies out there that Apple could stake claim to. If the company offers up an OLED set, LG will respond with one of its own. If it only sells 4K televisions, the competition will have already put some out.

Unfortunately for Apple, the television market might be one place where it really was too late to the game.

Looking back, being late to the game is something that Apple hasn’t suffered all that often. In fact, its most successful products, the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad, helped set off entire new product ideas. In the television space, however, there’s little chance of the iPhone maker having a chance to do that.

Of course, there will undoubtedly be Apple apologists that disagree. They’ll argue that Apple’s integration of the App Store and iCloud will be enough for the company to attract customers away from competing sets. They’ll also say that Apple’s branding always wins out.

Admittedly, it’s hard to argue with that. And even if Apple launches a television with technologies we’ve already seen, there’s a good chance the set will still sell well.

But I think it’s time we all acknowledge that Apple isn’t the only company in the industry that has, or is willing to, take chances. Some of the top TV vendors in the world are quite Apple-like in their product presentations. And this year, I think we’re going to see that quite clearly.

Watch out, Apple. You might just have more TV competition than you think.

This solution, as used by LG in the Revolution here in the video, is using Horizon Type 2 hypervisor, this a solution that requires vertualization to layer your second environment on top of your already existing Android base. What you see working here allows you to have two completely separate environments on your device: one for “home” and one for “work,” for example. This solution gives you the ability to have things such as security of your work data and files while you work with your personal set of apps, files, folders, and even items so simple as wallpapers.

It also allows carriers to very possibly do away with the massive wait that we all go through when a new version of the software comes out and we must work to create a compatible version of it for each individual device. That, and it gives the manufacturers in this Android world the ability separate their software from their hardware (in more ways than one) so that they can concentrate on one or the other, however they wish.

Have a peek at this award-winning project courtesy of LG’s Tony Janssen right here on a device that came out earlier last year, the LG Revolution, also reviewed by us in full.

LG unveiled a Google TV-powered range of HDTVs at CES this week, using the same Honeycomb-based v2 iteration of the platform that has already been pushed out to existing Logitech and Sony hardware. However, this new arrangement would give LG privileged access to Google’s third-gen version, which is expected to be released by the end of 2012.

Although Android is open-source, and manufacturers have broad scope to modify and implement the OS as they see fit, Google has used the Nexus program to lead vendors in the direction it sees best for the platform. The original, HTC-made Nexus One kick-started faster processors and bigger, better displays, while the Samsung Nexus S introduced NFC. Most recently, the Galaxy Nexus has pushed screen resolution and debuted Ice Cream Sandwich.

Having seen a shaky start, Google TV could potentially be brought back on track with a flagship device to help Google outline the hardware possibilities of the platform alongside the software. No timescale for the LG set’s release has been indicated, and indeed a spokesperson for the manufacturer said no decision on the partnership has been made; Google declined to comment.

It’s possible that Google’s third-gen TV version could be based on Ice Cream Sandwich, the platform that the company expects to run on both smartphones and tablets and streamline app development for each. Lenovo revealed an ICS-based set this week, the K91 smart TV, though it uses a custom UI rather than Google TV.

The television has the amazing color reproduction and almost perfect black of organic light-emitting diode, a size that’s much more likely to be found in the common living room. (Look for even bigger units next year, in the 70-80 inch range.) Motion is impressively fluid thanks to OLED’s pixel-specific activation.

Physically, the television is absolutely beautiful. At less then 4 millimeters thick, with a bezel that’s practically invisible, this is the kind of fantasy technology that you see floating around science fiction movies. At just 16 pounds, it’s also incredibly portable and small. On a physical scale, LG wins this fight hands-down.

So which wins? I have to give this one to Samsung. The LG model is stunning, but Samsung’s 55-inch Super OLED absolutely blew me away. Either is better than anything currently on the market, but Samsung’s is the clear winner on picture quality – and that’s what counts in the TV world. The LG may still win on availability, though: while neither company gave any price expectations, LG expects to ship the 55EM9600 in the third quarter, while Samsung is still mute on a release expectation.

It’s possible that the extent of LG’s licensing is pre-emptive, of course, and not a sign that there’s a Chrome OS device in its labs. However it’s worth noting that no mention of Chrome OS was made in HTC’s agreement with Microsoft, but Samsung – which is already on its second Chromebook – did apparently license for both.

Since then, though, HTC has been tipped to be readying a Chrome OS device of its own, for release in 2012. LG could also be looking beyond the notebook form-factor; Samsung revealed a Series 3 ChromeBox Desktop at CES this past week, and Microsoft’s deal covers everything from tablets and mobile phones to “other consumer devices” after all.

“We are pleased to have built upon our longstanding relationship with LG to reach a mutually beneficial agreement” Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft’s deputy general counsel said in a statement today. “Together with our 10 previous agreements with Android and Chrome OS device manufacturers, including HTC, Samsung and Acer, this agreement with LG means that more than 70 percent of all Android smartphones sold in the US are now receiving coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio.”

HTC signed its deal with Microsoft all the way back in 2010, while Samsung held out until late last year before agreeing to terms. Both companies also apparently agreed to work with Microsoft on Windows Phone, pushing out handsets using the platform as well as opening up their wallets to help with marketing and promotion of the OS. It’s unclear if LG has also been roped into similar obligations.

That leaves Motorola Mobility still holding out and refusing to license Microsoft IP. The two companies are embroiled in ongoing legal sparring, with Microsoft alleging Motorola has infringed on several of its patents with its Android line-up. Last December, the ITC’s preliminary ruling found in favor of Microsoft.

Riding high on Android and with its expertise in search, Google should’ve swept the board when it first turned its hand to smart TV. Instead, Google TV was lambasted for its confusing interface, patchy functionality and ever-changing line up of content (made unpredictable by Google’s apparent refusal to pay for licensing deals but instead attempting to harness free online streams). With the second-gen system now ready for prime time, the search giant has managed to coax some big names back onboard, as well as tease gamers with the promise of OnLive for console-quality play without any extra hardware beyond a wireless controller.

Samsung, Sony, LG and Vizio were all expected to bring Google TV powered sets to the show, and all but Samsung delivered. LG spared us the heavy-duty specs, only saying that its two Google TV sets would drop later this year and use a homegrown quadcore ARM chipset. Like Vizio, which announced the R-Series of Google TVs, LG has reskinned the core Google UI to suit its own interface styling. Vizio also had two set-top boxes, one adding a Blu-ray drive, the VAP430 and VBR430, which promise to make Google TV more affordable.

Sony, meanwhile, took another approach, not bothering with fully-integrated Google TV HDTVs but instead looking to two new set-top boxes instead. It’s possible the company learned the hard way from its first-gen Google TV sets, though the new Network Media Player NSZ-GS7 and Blu-ray Disc Player NSZ-GP9 are arguably more useful given there are plenty of people content with their existing TV but still wanting a smart upgrade.

Finally, Marvell brought along its ARMADA 1500 chipset and a reference design Google TV STB to demonstrate it. The company is pushing the design to its hardware partners, along with a useful upscaling addition that promises to make lower-res content and UI look better on a 1080p Full HD display.

As for Samsung, it stuck with its homegrown smart TV platform for CES, though reiterated its support for Google TV and promised that “a forthcoming offering will deliver an entirely distinct experience in the category” later in 2012. That’s not to say its hardware this week has been underwhelming, however. Our playtime with Samsung’s 60-inch smart TV – which packs Kinect-style motion and voice control – suggested the non-traditional navigation may be gimmicky but the core software is very strong, while integrated DIRECTV support and the potential for hardware upgrades along the line shows services aren’t being left behind either.

LG may have had Google TVs to show off, but it also pushed ahead with its own platform, and some models ramped up the extras to stand out of the crowd. The Cinema Screen 3D HDTVs, for instance, can use their 3D screen technology for dual-view gaming, each player getting their own full-screen view simultaneously.

Vizio, too, used its own VIA smart TV software on some of its other models, echoing Philips’ push for true theater-aspect 21:9 screens with the new XVT CinemaWide line-up. You’ll need a big living room to accommodate them – and Vizio will need more luck than Philips, which eventually axed its range – but if you’re a keen movie buff they might be a solid alternative to a projector.

Lenovo isn’t a name generally associated with TV, so the company’s K91 entrant to the home entertainment segment came as something of a surprise. Headed to Lenovo’s home territory China first, but with broader international availability expected after that, the K91 actually runs Android but Ice Cream Sandwich rather than Google TV (v.2 of which is based on 3.x Honeycomb) and has a custom UI to suit sofa-bound users.

Finally, Canonical is hoping the hunger for Linux-based smart TV platforms will see its own embedded Ubuntu system picks up steam. We were impressed by the performance on the Ubuntu TV the team had prepared for CES, though Canonical wouldn’t say much on the “multiple manufactures” apparently in talks about using the system. It’ll go head to head with Google’s renewed Google TV drive, that’s for sure, and the search giant’s known brand and significantly improved second-gen software could prove difficult to beat.

Convinced by Smart TV? Considering buying one of these sets, or holding out for more new hardware later in the year? Let us know in the comments!

AT&T‘s cluster of LTE devices was perhaps the biggest single launch of the show, with the carrier hoping to flood our attention with more than a half-dozen 4G handsets. There are some stand-out phones in among the torrent, however: the HTC Titan II, for instance, packs a whopping 16-megapixel camera, while Nokia‘s much-anticipated Lumia 900 brings polycarbonate unibody style to the US and marks the start of the Finn’s North American re-entry.

Otherwise there’s the Pantech Burst and Samsung Exhilarate, both attempting to drag LTE to the entry-level, with a $50 apiece price tag. Sony ditched the Ericsson name and passé hardware with the Xperia ion, toting a 720p HD display and sizable 12-megapixel camera; both it and its European HSPA+ Xperia S pack NFC and the promise of ICS in Q2.

Finally, Samsung‘s Galaxy Note gets a new, AT&T LTE version, offering a compelling – if perhaps tricky to pocket – smartphone/tablet hybrid with useful digital ink input and a beautiful 1280 x 800 display. It’s a phone we’ve coveted in Europe and we’re curious to see how it does in the US.

Verizon had fewer devices than AT&T, but some eagerly awaited ones nonetheless. Motorola brought the DROID 4 to the party, an LTE-toting QWERTY Android slider, along with the DROID RAZR MAXX. The latter answers a common complaint of the original DROID RAZR of last year, meagre battery life on LTE, throwing a huge 3,300 mAh battery at the phone while still measuring just 8.9mm thick. Those looking for superlative displays have the LG Spectrum to look forward to, another LTE device but offering a 1280 x 720 IPS panel with iPhone 4S-besting pixel density.

T-Mobile USA had a much quieter show than either of the big boys, perhaps still licking its wounds and pondering the future now the AT&T acquisition has been ditched. The carrier had just one new device to announce, the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G, supporting HSPA+ and – as the name suggests – being another iteration on the Korean company’s familiar Galaxy S II.

Then there are the outliers and oddities. Lenovo opened the show with its S2, headed to China first with an encrypted kernel to keep your data secure and malware-free, while ViewSonic attempted to bridge the work and home worlds with its dual-SIM ViewPhone 3. Beyond their core conceit it proved tough to work up much enthusiasm around either device.

Easier to like has been the Huawei Ascend P1 S and P1, two phones that take dieting very seriously. The “S” prefix device is a mere 6.68mm thick, with what looks to be Galaxy S II “inspired” styling helping it take – for the moment at least – the title of world’s thinnest smartphone. Perhaps more interesting, they both run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, still something of a rarity (all of the previously mentioned handsets are still using Gingerbread).

ASUS‘ Padphone – back in its 2012 redux – is a lot chunkier than the Huawei, certainly, but arguably more useful. Like the Ascend phones it’s now running Ice Cream Sandwich, but of course the Padphone also gets a tablet chassis in which it can be docked for big-screen browsing and multimedia playback. ASUS reckons it’ll hit shelves in the spring, though still isn’t talking pricing.

Finally Intel, a company that has been talking about entering the smartphone market for several years, but is only now looking like it’s building any sort of momentum. The freshly announced Atom Z2460 Medfield processor, along with deals with Motorola and Lenovo, should result in some actual handset launches by the end of the year, each running Android, with talk of tablets also making an eventual appearance.

Lenovo stopped by to demonstrate its Racer-A Atom reference design, an impressive 4.5-inch smartphone with a 1280 x 720 display, 8-megapixel camera, HSPA+ and a 1.6GHz dual-core processor. There may be a few tweaks to the aesthetics, but for the moment this is likely to be one of the devices Lenovo brings to market in the second half of this year. We’ll have to wait until then to find out whether Intel’s long-standing battery issues have been ironed out with Medfield.

Tempted by any of these smartphones? Or are you waiting for Mobile World Congress next month, to see what HTC and others have in store for 2012? Let us know in the comments!

Lenovo and LG opened proceedings, unable in their excitement to even wait for the CES preview days to spill the beans on the Lenovo ThinkPad T430u and LG Super Ultrabook Z330/Z430. Lenovo has been pushing ultrathin notebooks for years now, but with the T430u it shaves just enough off to fit into Intel’s sub-20mm category.

It’s likely to appeal more to road warriors counting on their IT departments to furnish their computing kit, perhaps, unlike the more consumer-centric LG Z330 and LG Z430. They offer the full gamut of Core i3, i5 and i7 processors and either 13.3- or 14-inch displays, and use a hybrid SSD/HDD setup to provide both rapid boot/resume times and capacious media storage.

So far so good, but LG’s machines were somewhat forgotten when Acer unveiled its waifish Aspire S5. A slimline mag-alloy chassis that tapers to a razor edge at the front, Acer’s machine has some neat design touches like the drop down full-width port panel on the back. Never one to shy away from spectacle, the whole process is motorized.

Acer in fact had more than one ultrabook to show, with the Aspire Timeline Ultra series stretching the category at the fringes. Larger displays and even integrated optical drives mean they’re not quite the ultrabook Intel intended, but perhaps better considered a hybrid of ultraportable and regular notebook.

HP hasn’t been shy about ultrabooks in the past, though it’s arguable whether the 14-inch HP ENVY 14 Spectre quite counts. Still, with a choice of Core i5 or i7 processors, both HDMI and Mini DisplayPort video outputs, Beats Audio and a sub-$1,400 starting price, there’s no shortage of things to like.

Samsung already had an ultrabook-a-like in its back catalog, and so the Samsung Series 9 merely refined the proposition in its second generation. Clad in an eye-catching “stone metal” finish, it’s under half an inch thick and short of 2.5lbs, yet still manages to pack backlit keys.

It’s joined by the Samsung Series 5, a 15-inch almost-ultrabook in the same manner as the Acer Timeline Ultra. The LED display is a particular stand-out feature, managing to look clear, vivid and crisp even in dodgy trade-show lighting, and its sub-$1,400 tag will undercut the Series 9 too.

So far so good, but Dell through a spanner in its rivals’ works with the late launch of the Dell XPS 13. The company’s first ultrabook – though a machine with ultraportable heritage in the shape of the Adamo, among others – the XPS 13 turns to carbon-fiber for part of its construction, allowing Dell to fit a hefty Core i7 processor inside without worrying about overheating. “It’s the world’s best ultrabook” Dell insisted to us.

Then there’s the ultrabook pipeline, and both Toshiba and Intel stepped up with possible products we could expect to see late in 2012. Toshiba‘s 14-inch prototype relied on Windows 8 for its appeal, though had a slickly curved aluminum casing so that you could still catch admiring glances in the coffee shop.

Intel, meanwhile, pushed the boat out with a sliding, tilting concept that packs a 12- to 13-inch display – potentially a touchscreen – with a full QWERTY ‘board and the flexibility to use it either flat when walking around or notebook-style on a desk. Intel is hoping its OEM partners decide to adopt the design for future models, probably when Windows 8 brings its finger-friendliness to market later in the year.

Most eye-catching, though, had to be Intel’s Nikiski concept, an ultrabook packing a transparent, full-width trackpad that could be used as a preview display when the notebook was closed. Sadly the likelihood of the Nikiski reaching the market is around about zero.

Of course there’s another big name in ultrabooks, even if the company itself isn’t calling its ultraportable that. Apple‘s MacBook Air arguably helped shape each and every one of the machines mentioned above, and stands as the notebook to beat in the extreme-ultraportable segment.

Last refreshed in July 2011, with new Core i5 and i7 processors along with Thunderbolt connectivity – still only matched by the ASUS Aspire S5 this week – rumors late last year suggested Apple was already looking to bring out an updated model sometime in Q1. That’s likely to set the cat among the pigeons once again.

Convinced by Ultrabooks? Standing by with credit card in hand? Let us know in the SlashGear poll:

[poll id="24"]

Like all of the laptops conforming to Intel’s Ultrabook specifications, the Xnote Z330 is thin, light and big on metalic personality. It’s got a more squared-off design than most Ultrabooks, which go with front and rear tapers to appear even skinnier. The lid has an ofset circular texture, not unlike the Azus Zenbook models. A chromed-out LG logo adorns one corner. The 15.7mm profile is a beauty.

On the inside you’re greeted with the standard screen, chicklet keyboard and all-in-one trackpad. (Please, somebody make an ultrabook with real mouse buttons. Please?) The trackpad hangs a little to the left to center on the space bar, and its comparatively large size should be good for those who want precise cursor control. The keyboard itself feels serviceable if not amazing.

On the left side you get a single USB 3.0 port nestled between the power jack and some tiny exhaust vents. Opposite that you’ll find a tiny MicroSD card slot (no standard SD slot is present) an audio-out port and an HDMI port. Front and back are bare, as with most of this category. The screen is the same 1366×768 panel we’ve come to expect from 13-inch laptops in general, and ultrabooks in particular. It’s decent, and shows considerably less glare than other machines at the event.

Inside you get an SSD hard drive and a low-voltage Core i3, i5 or i7 processor, though obviously we couldn’t put it through its paces. The Xnote has a larger brother, the absent 14-inch Z430, which features dentical specs aside from the screen. The laptops launch in the first quarter of this year.

The Galaxy Nexus will offer a pure Google experience, boasting the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Details on the specs haven’t been released, but it should be fairly similar to the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon.

The LG Viper is being touted as an eco-friendly device with a case made entirely from recycled plastic and a charger that’s more energy efficient. It features a 4-inch WVGA NOVA display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, VGA front-facing camera, NFC, and runs Android 2.3.

The two smartphones and the one mobile hotspot are among 15 new 4G LTE devices planned for launch on the Now Network this year, which will include more handsets as well as tablets and data cards. The 4G LTE smartphones can take advantage of the carrier’s Everything plans, including Everything Data Plan with Any Mobile, Anytime that offers unlimited data, texting, and calling to and from any mobile device in the US.

The back holds an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus and 1080p Full HD video recording, while a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera does video calls. Standard storage is 4GB, with a microSD card slot to add to that (a 16GB card will be preloaded), plus there’s WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0. The MicroUSB port does HDMI-MHL, and there’s hotspot sharing for up to 10 WiFi-tethered clients.

The Spectrum measures a not-inconsiderable 135.4mm x 68.8mm x 10.4mm and 141.5g, though LG does at least use that heft to accommodate a 1,830 mAh battery. A second, extended battery with 3,000 mAh to play with should hopefully keep up with power-hungry LTE.

The LG Spectrum will go on sale January 19, priced at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement. An Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is promised for the first half of this year.

Behind a black curtain, LG showed off an OLED TV that was a whopping 55-inch OLED TV. LG calls it the thinnest, lightest and largest panel of its size. At just 4mm thin and 7.5 pounds, we’re inclined to agree with them. Naturally, it also supports 3D content.

The company is formally announcing its partnership with Google for Google TVs, and they were shown off at the press conference. LG will introduce its own chipsets to support its Smart TVs, with an undefined quad-core ARM architecture. (This is for both Smart TVs and Google TVs). LMG860 and LMG620 models will be sold in 2012. Users can navigate via LG’s custom interface or the standard Google UI via a separate QWERTY remote.

A new split-screen feature which allows two different video game players to see separate images based on which anle they’re looking at is promising, though we’ve seen this in more fanciful demonstrations before. The LM9600 and LM 8600 models feature LG’s custom dual-core chipset for faster loading. A stylus-enabled touchscreen plasma titled the LG PenTouch plasma TV. It’s being marketed at businesses and families. LG’s Cinema screens will have just 1mm bezels and 28mm bezels – just a little thicker than an ultrabook laptop.

New Magic Remotes allow for voice recognition, gestures and other navigation options for Smart TVs. The company is also redesigning its user interface around voice and camera-ased gestures, Xbox Kinect-style. WiFi screen sharing for those computers and phones that support it, as well as secondary wireless screens. Aparently this is a different standard from Intel’s WiDi – which is also included.

A glasses-free screen system will be built into new monitors and laptops, paired to head-tracking cameras. In the smartphone area, LG showed off the existing Optimus LTE and LG Revolution, with VMware’s virtualization solution on the latter. No new mobile phones were announced, but they teased new announcements at Mobile World Congress in February.

LG’s SmartShare technology was also on display, with sharing between mobile, television, computers and appliances. On the appliance side, LG showed off an integrated refrigerator computer that manages the items in your fridge via a barcode scanner. It keeps a shopping list on the computer, and (if tha’ts your bag) you can order groceries directly from the refrigerator. They also showed off a Blast Chiller, which can chill the canned beverage of your choice to ice-cold drinking temperature.

As for the twin gamer appeal, that’s LG Dual Play: with two gamers each wearing special glasses, they can see a different full-screen view at the same time, rather than sharing a portion of the screen. It’s something we’ve seen before on Sony’s PlayStation 3D Display, but likely to be considerably bigger on LG’s sets.

3D Sound Zooming is promised, to better position audio within your room based on where, on-screen, it’s meant to be. That’s already been included in LG’s hefty multi-channel surround systems, though we’ll have to wait until next week to see how well it actually works.

Finally, as you’d expect, there’s smart TV integration in the new Cinema Screen sets, though it looks to be LG’s existing implementation rather than Google TV.

There’s also a dual-core TI OMAP4430 1GHz processor, 8GB of internal storage and a microSDHC memory card slot, along with HSPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 and a microUSB port supporting MHL-HDMI output. NFC is present for those impromptu file transfers, and the UI has been reskinned in a suitably pared-down monochrome fashion.

Back when we played with the PRADA Phone by LG 3.0, we found the display to be bright (if lower resolution than we’d liked to have seen) and the phone snappy in operation. We also had no problems transferring files over from our ICS-running Galaxy Nexus, as in the above video, though LG is likely to upgrade the PRADA Phone to Android 4.0 anyway.

LG is yet to confirm official RRP and availability, and it’s unclear if the PRADA Phone will be offered as a carrier-exclusive sometime ahead of unlocked sales starting.

The LG Google TV comes with the “Magic Remote Qwerty” and a user interface based on Android Honeycomb. The Magic Remote Qwerty is a combination of its voice-controlled Magic Remote with a QWERTY keyboard. With the LG Google TV users can expect an interface and main screen designed for convenient browsing. Those hoping to do a bit of multi-tasking, don’t fret. The search, social networking and TV functions can be run simultaneously.

LG’s Google TV will come equipped with LG’s own CINEMA 3D technology.The built-in 2D to 3D conversion engine allows any 2D content to be viewable in 3D. CINEMA 3D glasses, which are battery-free and relatively affordable, will be required for viewing 3D content. This TV looks promising, however, one specification that has yet to be released is size. But with CES just around the corner, we won’t have to wait much longer for that information.

[via PR Newswire]