LG G Flex (U.S. GSM)
T-Mobile Debuts VoLTE in Seattle
T-Mobile today announced that it has launched VoLTE service in its home market of Seattle. T-Mobile claims that VoLTE service offers both voice and data in the same radio layer and offers call set-up times that are twice as quick. T-Mobile's VoLTE service includes HD Voice, though T-Mobile has offered HD Voice separately since last year. In order for HD Voice to work, both handsets need to be HD Voice-capable. According to T-Mobile, its VoLTE service uses Enhanced Single Radio Voice Call Continuity (eSRVCC) to make sure calls don't drop when leaving LTE coverage regions. This is an LTE Advanced feature that assures seamless voice service no matter the technology used to connect the call. VoLTE will first be available to the LG G Flex, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and Galaxy Light handsets. Owners of these devices will need to update the software of their phone in order to make use of VoLTE. T-Mobile said its VoLTE service will expand to new regions and devices over the months ahead. AT&T is launching VoLTE this week, and Verizon plans to launch VoLTE later this year.
LG to Push Knock Code to G2, G Flex in April
LG today announced it is prepared to extend the availability of its Knock Code feature beginning next month. Knock Code lets LG device owners use a pattern of knocks to wake up and unlock their smartphone. It was first shown off on the LG G Pro 2 at Mobile World Congress. According to LG, the G2 and G Flex will be first to receive a firmware update in April that enables the feature. LG didn't say if the update will be made available to all markets. LG eventually plans to extend Knock Code to the bulk of its Android smartphones.
T-Mobile to Sell LG G Flex Feb 5
T-Mobile today announced pricing and availability for the LG G Flex curved smartphone. The device will reach T-Mobile stores on February 5. T-Mobile is asking for a downpayment of $0 and 24 monthly payments of $28.
AT&T to Sell LG G Flex for $300, Preorders Start Jan. 24
AT&T today announced that the LG G Flex will be available for preorder beginning January 24. AT&T is asking $299.99 for the G Flex with a new two-year agreement. Customers can also choose to pay for the G Flex over either 12 or 18 months with an AT&T Next plan. The 12-month option asks for monthly payments of $34.75 and the 18-month option asks for monthly payments of $26.74. The G Flex can be pre-ordered online or in stores the 24th, but the actual in-store availability date was not disclosed by AT&T.
Sprint to Sell LG G Flex Beginning Jan. 31 for $300
Sprint today announced that it will sell the LG G Flex curved Android smartphone online and via telesales starting January 31. Sprint is asking $299.99 for the G Flex with a new two-year contract. Alternately, customers can purchase the G Flex with Sprint's new Easy Pay program, which asks for a down payment of $149.99 for the G Flex, followed by 23 payments of $20.84 and one payment of $20.68. Sprint is accepting preorders for the G Flex beginning today. It will reach Sprint retail stores February 7. The G Flex features a 6-inch, curved and flexible display, quad-core processor, and 13-megapixel camera.
Hands On with the LG G Flex
The G Flex is LG's entrant in the new curved-screen superphone category. It has everything the G2 and G Pro have, plus a huge 6-inch curved screen. It's now official for AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, and we went hands-on with the U.S. versions.
LG G Flex Also Coming to Sprint, T-Mobile
LG today announced that its current flagship phone - the G Flex - will come to Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T in the 1st quarter of 2014. The phone sports a curved design utilizing a curved, 6" OLED display and a curved battery. It also sports top-end features such as a Snapdragon 800 processor, 13-megapixel camera, and 3,500 mAh battery.
AT&T to Sell LG G Flex
AT&T today announced that it will sell the curved LG G Flex smartphone. LG announced the G Flex in October and it is already available for sale in several markets overseas. It has a curved, plastic OLED display, which measures 6 inches across the diagonal and has 720p HD resolution. The plastic OLED display is flexible, durable, brighter, and more precise than traditional OLEDs thanks to the materials and use of Real RGB pixels. The curved screen is paired with a curved 3,500mAh battery. The G Flex had a "self-healing" coating on the back cover, which is elastic and can recover from daily wear-and-tear. The G Flex positions the volume and control buttons on the back surface, rather than the sides edges. Other features include QTheater, which gives users quick access to photos, videos, and YouTube from the lock screen; Dual Window split-screen multitasking; Swing Lockscreen, which alters the appearance of the lock screen depending on how the G Flex is held; Face Detection Indicator to let users know when the G Flex sees their face; and Camera Timer and Urgent Call Alert, which flash the LED on the rear key to indicate the timer is counting down or there is an emergency incoming call. The G Flex runs Android 4.2.2 and is powered by a 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor that is paired with an Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The main camera rates 13 megapixels and the user-facing camera rates 2 megapixels. It includes Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC. Pricing and availability were not shared by AT&T, although LG announced plans for a Q1 release.
Liveblog: LG Press Conference
LG is a dominant force at every CES, and frequently they use their press conference to announce new phones, such as the Spectrum in 2012. LG has yet to make a serious play in wearables, and rumors are swirling about a possible CES unveiling of LG's answer to Samsung's Galaxy Gear. There are also rumors of the curved G Flex phone coming to the U.S. Tune in to our liveblog right here for the news as it happens.
LG Launching G Flex In More Markets This Week
LG today announced that the G Flex curved smartphone will go on sale outside of South Korea beginning this week. The phone will reach Singapore on December 8 and Hong Kong on December 13. According to LG, the G Flex will be sold at carrier stores as well as by electronics retailers. The G Flex is noteworthy for its curved design and healing skin. LG will push the G Flex to other Asian markets by the end of the year, followed by other, unnamed regions in 2014. U.S. carriers have not yet announced plans to sell the G Flex.
LG G Flex Has a Curved Screen, Self-Healing Cover
LG today announced the G Flex, an Android smartphone that has a curved display and a self-healing rear cover. The G Flex is curved across the horizontal axis, which makes it somewhat banana-shaped. LG says this curve helps the phone fit better against the owner's face, boosts the earpiece volume by 3dB, allows the phone to rest more comfortably in the hand, and is more comfortable when placed in back pockets. In order to make the curved shape possible, LG developed a curved, plastic OLED display, which measures 6 inches across the diagonal and has 720p HD resolution. According to LG, the plastic OLED display is flexible, durable, brighter, and more precise than traditional OLEDs thanks to the materials and use of Real RGB pixels. The curved screen is paired with a curved 3,500mAh battery, which LG announced earlier this year. LG claims the LG G Flex is the first smartphone to use a "self-healing" coating on the back cover, which is elastic and can recover from daily wear-and-tear nicks and scratches. Like the G2, the G Flex positions the volume and control buttons on the back surface, rather than the sides edges. Other unique features of the G Flex include QTheater, which gives users quick access to photos, videos, and YouTube from the lock screen; Dual Window split-screen multitasking; Swing Lockscreen, which alters the appearance of the lock screen depending on how the G Flex is held; Face Detection Indicator to let users know when the G Flex sees their face; and Camera Timer and Urgent Call Alert, which flash the LED on the rear key to indicate the timer is counting down or there is an emergency incoming call. The G Flex runs Android 4.2.2 and is powered by a 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor that is paired with an Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The main camera rates 13 megapixels and the user-facing camera rates 2 megapixels. It includes Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and support for various LTE networks. The LG Flex will be available in Korea starting in November, and availability in additional markets will be announced later.
