May 14 - 9:40am EDT   LG and Samsung this morning jointly said they would team up to promote a new standard for digital mobile TV in the US. Already submitted to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) that governs HDTV, the unnamed format would use the existing wireless spectrum already in place for digital over-the-air broadcasts to conventional tuners. The choice would not only make adding portable TV simple for existing providers but would do so without impacting the bandwidth available for full-size digital broadcasts, the companies say. [full story]

May 13 - 3:30pm EDT   LG on Tuesday announced its LG-HB620T flip phone, which is capable of delivering streaming TV to users thanks to its Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld (DVB-H) support. Thus far, only select countries in the European Union widely stream DVB-H content, which has become the European mobile TV standard. [full story]

May 8 - 8:15am EDT   Verizon this morning unveiled its anticipated release of the Samsung Glyde. The carrier's CDMA adaptation of the European, GSM-based F700 scales the camera down to 2 megapixels (with autofocus and flash) but otherwise aims at providing an iPhone-like experience while also mending some perceived gaps from its US rival; like the LG Voyager, the Glyde includes 3G Internet over EVDO, a full HTML browser and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Samsung, however, drops the digital over-the-air TV tuner in favor of built-in GPS navigation. [full story]

May 7 - 8:10am EDT   If you’ve always wanted an iPhone but couldn’t afford the minimum $399 price, consider the LG Vu for AT&T for $299. This iPhone lookalike offers the same mix of a largely touchscreen-driven interface, media playback, and a camera along with the unique ability to watch TV shows thanks to a built-in MediaFLO TV tuner. Included with the phone is a recharging cable as well as earbuds for listening to music on your LG Vu in private. [full story]

May 5 - 10:40am EDT   Following the debut of the necessary mobile TV service on the weekend, AT&T's LG Vu today became available online and in shops. The handset is AT&T's first primarily touchscreen-driven phone since the iPhone and makes video its focus, with a built-in MediaFLO tuner providing live, over-the-air broadcasts of digital TV similar to Verizon's V CAST TV service. AT&T also stresses media playback support with support for Internet radio streams from XM as well as direct downloads from the company's own music store as well as eMusic and Napster. [full story]

May 1 - 3:50pm EDT   Fashion design firm Prada on Thursday said it would launch its LG Prada phone in Japan, signaling one of the few carrier-based releases for the touchscreen device outside of Europe. The phone will be paired up with dominant carrier NTT DoCoMo and will primarily be sold from Prada's own stores rather than cellular or electronics shops. Few details of the local phone are available, though the handset is likely to include some level of 3G support to handle Japan's networks and should keep the 2-megapixel camera of the original. [full story]

April 30 - 11:40am EDT   Three LG-made media phones will launch on Verizon soon, with a new touchscreen model set to appear near the anticipated launch of a next-generation iPhone, according to leaks and accompanying shots from Phone Arena. The LG Dare (also known as the VX9700) is now believed to take its cue from the normally Europe-only Prada and should represent an upgrade to the earlier device as well as a switch to Verizon's CDMA network: an enhanced 3.2-megapixel camera with a Schneider-Kreuznach lens should improve on the earlier model's photography. [full story]

April 29 - 10:45am EDT   The next generation of Apple's phone should include a significantly smaller phone that may replace the existing model, according to claims by Taiwan Economic News. The paper echoes recent rumors in claiming that the device will use a plastic backing in place of aluminum but also contends that the device will be significantly smaller than the original, with a 2.8-inch screen replacing the 3.5-inch model used today. The combination of a lighter material and smaller frame is said to reduce the weight to between 3.9 and 4.2 ounces from the initial model's 4.8. [full story]

April 26 - 3:55pm EDT   Two top smartphones may finally be available on an official basis in Canada before the summer, according to separate reports. The Toronto Star cites industry contacts who tell the newspaper that the country's lone major GSM cell provider, Rogers, aims to launch the iPhone in time for it to be included in a campaign promoting touchscreen phones at the company, which will include the upcoming LG Vu and likely earlier devices such as the HTC Touch. The marketing effort will begin sometime between May and July and is allegedly supported by evidence that Apple and Rogers were nearing a finalized deal earlier this year for the latter to carry the iPhone. [full story]

April 25 - 12:05pm EDT   LG is gearing up for a direct sequel to its popular Prada designer phone, if an advance listing at a Taiwan shop proves authentic. The retailer claims to have a preview of the simply-titled Prada II that appears to improve several shortcomings of the early 2007 original. Still dominated by a 3-inch touchscreen, the phone will purportedly gain a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and heavily requested support for 3G Internet access over HSDPA (up to 7.2Mbps). Wi-Fi will also be added to fill in gaps in cellular data. [full story]

April 25 - 10:15am EDT   Apple joins Motorola and Sony Ericsson as the firms losing cellphone marketshare in early 2008, according to a new study by research group Strategy Analytics. Sales of 1.7 million iPhones during the first calendar quarter of 2008 are said to have resulted in an actual drop in the iPhone's effect despite its young status, reducing the newcomer's marketshare from 0.7 to 0.6 percent from quarter to quarter. The drop is directly attributed to a combination of shortages as well as a glut of unsold units in Europe at the time. The phone is simply "overpriced" for the continent at its normal cost, Strategy Analytics director Neil Mawson says. [full story]

April 24 - 9:25pm EDT   LG will be rolling out its 8G television line at least half a year ahead of other Taiwanese rivals, including S-LCD, AU Optronics, and Chi Mei Optoelectronics. According to DIGITIMES, the Korean electronics manufacturer already completed its fabrication shells, and has scheduled production to begin by March 2009, and full-scale production of 32 inch OLED TVs to commence in 2011. LG's competitors will start production in late 2008. [full story]

April 24 - 8:40am EDT   As promised, LG this morning took the covers from its next phone in the Black Label series. The Secret (KF750) follows in the steps of the Chocolate and Shine, but focuses as much on its craftsmanship as it does on specifications. The slider design is partly made of carbon fiber that increases the strength of the phone body without affecting weight; tempered glass protects the LCD while also reportedly improving its image quality. A touch-sensitive navigation pad both adds to the upscale feel and also prevents broken buttons. [full story]

April 22 - 12:05pm EDT   Netflix is cooperating with four other device makers beyond LG to develop network set-top boxes, the company has said while discussing its latest financial results. The movie rental agency had originally announced just its LG partnership in January but now says that three "major" companies are also developing media hubs that will bring the Netflix Internet movie streaming service to HDTVs. A smaller fourth company is also involved. [full story]

April 22 - 8:40am EDT   Expanding on an early look at the Mobile World Congress show, LG on Tuesday officially launched the KF700. An enhanced cousin of the Venus (KF600), the phone provides a larger, 3-inch touchscreen and aims to fix some of the control limits of these phones; aside from including a slider keypad, a dial on the back lets users quickly jump to music or other functions at different points in the touch interface. The interface mixes and matches, letting users zoom in or out of websites with the dial and supplementing typing on the keypad with touchscreen input for special characters. [full story]