Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

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LG isn't done making vague hints at what it's got in store for us in Barcelona next week. While we admittedly missed it on our first viewing, the latest trailer flies past several red initials and vague glimpses of four handsets. There's an L (style?), a G (greatness), one V (view, or Vu) and a new one, F, that apparently stands for freedom. In short, it looks like LG might be bringing quite a few phones to the show. The short video also places plenty of emphasis on tags, which we're guessing will involve some NFC tech -- possibly expanding on those "Tag On" stickers we saw announced at CES last month. We just wish the message was as loud and clear as the music in the teaser. You've been warned.

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Whether or not there's a 5-inch 4:3 aspect ratio spot in the world to fit LG's Optimus Vu is still up for debate, but the company is pressing on and has now officially revealed specs for its follow up, the Optimus Vu II. Matching the specs leaked previously the CPU is a Qualcomm MSM8960 that's a newer design than the previous one, but is still a dual-core chip clocked at 1.5GHz. The RAM has been doubled to 2GB, the battery is just a hair larger at 2,150mAh and it will come with Android 4.0 out of the box plus that integrated IR blaster and QRemote software to control your home theater. The VoLTE capability listed in the leak is here and accounted for, as well as a Rubberdium Pen 2.0 stylus with a thinner, more precise nub. One thing we hadn't heard about is its optional "One Key" accessory, a waterproof fob intended for your key ring that can be pressed to make your phone beep loudly if you need to find it, and light up blue or red to alert you when there are messages or if it has finished charging. The Optimus Vu II is priced at 966,900 won ($864) in Korea, though we'll have to wait for a US announcement to have any idea how much it will cost when it ships here.

Gallery: LG Optimus Vu II

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Source: LG Newsroom Korea

It's not uncommon for US carriers to take an international smartphone under their wings, make a few adjustments to hardware and firmware, stamp their fat logos in multiple places and then sell it to the masses. Verizon is no exception: the LG Intuition is its interpretation of the Optimus Vu, a 5-inch phablet we reviewed over the summer. Perhaps calling it an "interpretation" is a bit of an overstatement: aside from a bump in firmware and Big Red's LTE, it is the Optimus Vu. In fact, going into this review, we had a difficult time believing our experience would be much different than our run-in with the Korean version.

Our first reaction is that this doesn't bode well for the carrier. If Verizon opted for the Intuition in order to fill a gaping hole in its lineup, we have a hard time understanding why it would choose to greenlight this particular device with the Samsung Galaxy Note II coming within the next two months. The device's quiet launch is a solid enough indication that the network isn't planning on throwing a lot marketing dollars behind it, so it feels as though the Intuition's main reason for existing is to bolster Verizon's rapidly expanding LTE portfolio. Is there something intriguing about the Intuition ($200 with a two-year commitment) that wasn't there when we first played with the Vu? Or will we find ourselves in the Twilight Zone, reliving the same moment over and over again? Let's find out.

Gallery: LG Intuition for Verizon review

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It's a silly name as smartphones go (and one that conjures images of lady-focused razors), but regardless, LG's Intuition is now officially a member of Verizon's lineup. The 4G LTE device, shown off today at the manufacturer's launch event, is nigh unchanged from the South Korean model we reviewed this past July (known as the Optimus Vu). With a 5-inch 1,024 x 768 True-XGA IPS capacitive display, dual-core S3 CPU clocked at 1.5GHz, 8-megapixel rear camera, NFC, 2080mAh battery and that Rubberdium pen, the only thing separating this stateside iteration from its SK Telecom cousin is the skinned Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS onboard and $199 on contract price. So how does it fare in this Big Red debut? Follow along as we attempt to find what's been lost, if anything, in translation.

Gallery: Intuition by LG

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Just as rumors predicted, the LG Intuition for Verizon has been made official in time for a September 6th launch date. The phone, which is essentially the Optimus Vu with the carrier's 4G LTE connectivity thrown in, will be available for $200 on contract on Verizon's website starting tomorrow, and it will hit stores on September 10th. To jog your memory, the handset runs Android 4.0 on a 5-inch display, with a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor under the hood. The phone features the LG Tag+ app, which uses NFC to control phone settings, and two reprogrammable NFC stickers are included. Check out the press release for more info.

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LG just outed the Optimus Vu II for the Korean market, designed around a remote control app, QRemote. The company's translated PR claims (erroneously) that the new device will be "the world's first smartphone using infrared," letting it operate gear like set-top boxes and home appliances, including other companies' products. The device is scheduled to launch next month in the maker's home country, around the time the Tegra 3-powered Optimus Vu will go on sale in the US as Verizon's LG Intuition. The company hasn't released any technical details for the phone -- in fact, other than the remote functions, we don't even know if there are any changes from the current pen-capable model. In any case, it might give pause to another Korean maker about to announce an awfully similar product.

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Source: LG (translated)

The LG Intuition may be one of Verizon's more poorly-kept secrets of recent memory. Apart from LG itself having confirmed that an Optimus Vu rebranding is due for the US within weeks, there's been pricing and even an uncannily detailed FCC filing to fill in the gaps. Why not throw official press images into the mix? From the renders DroidDog has managed to obtain, the Intuition is a bit more than just a one-for-one port of the original Korean phablet. While Verizon's influence is light outside of that attention-grabbing logo, there's a switch-up in the navigation keys to reflect that Android 4.0 will be there from the beginning -- a nice break from the ancient-feeling Android 2.3 layout of the original. About the only question left at this stage is that of the exact release date. There's a September 15th mention in one of the images, but we all know how dates in press imagery can be misleading.

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Via: Pocketnow

Source: DroidDog

Could this 5-inch LG handset be Verizon's answer to the Galaxy Note? Our Intuition tells us otherwise (get it?), but that screenshot above and corresponding FCC docs deign to differ. Really though, that lady razor name's the purported new moniker for Big Red's rebranded Optimus Vu: the heretofore Korea-only phablet we recently reviewed. While we found the outsized handset's worth as a true S-Pen rival hampered by its lack of a digitizer and 4:3 aspect ratio, it could catch on with folks eager for a 7-inch tablet alternative. However this one eventually shakes down in the crowded Android marketplace, it appears subs are in store for a 4G LTE ride and the carrier's typical $199 on two-year contract pricing. Curiously, the leak makes no mention of an included stylus, so perhaps the operator's opting to spin this one as a more traditional smartphone release. Smart move, that.

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LG's extra-wide handset appears to be embarking on a world tour, and its packing a new processor for the trip. The Optimus Vu will be taking NVIDIA'S Tegra 3 chip to select markets in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America this September. It's still rocking that 5-inch 4:3 ratio IPS display, of course, but gone is any mention of LTE connectivity. There's no word yet if we'll see an LTE-equipped Tegra 3 handset hit Yankee shores when our time comes, but we certainly wouldn't bat an eye. Read on for LG's official press release.

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While LG's dollars and cents return on its cellphones have been up and down this year, the company just announced that since starting the LTE trend with the Revolution in May 2011 it's sold five million high-speed data connected handsets and has no plans to slow down. The counter ticked over three million back in May, four million in June and, according to LG, sales continued at a pace of one phone every two and a half seconds. That includes two million Optimus LTEs, over 500,000 Optimus Vus and about the same number of Optimus LTE IIs in the first 70 days alone. Now the Korean company is preparing to take its Optimus Vu phablet global, and CEO Dr. Jon-seok Park says its LTE phones in the next few months will be "second to none." Finally, there's a note about LG having the "largest overall" total number of patents, claimed to be worth $8 billion, which is possibly intended to ward off the kind of patent trouble currently chasing Samsung.

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If you're enamored with the 4:3 ratio of the Optimus Vu but remain disappointed that there isn't an American model to call your own, LG is bringing some sunshine to your day. The Korean company has confirmed plans to port the LTE-equipped version of the extra-wide phablet to the US sometime during the third quarter of the year -- in other words, anytime between now and the end of September. Thanks to our friends at the FCC, we even know that it's headed to Verizon first, if not exclusively. Most of the other details are scant. The timing makes it likely that Android 4.0 will ship with Big Red's edition as a matter of course; LG's me-too Q Voice interface won't speak English until 2013, however. We mostly know that, between LG's American plans and Samsung's next Galaxy Note, the Great PDA Revival of 2012 is still very much in full swing.

[Thanks, FT]

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A few weeks ago we had the chance to line up some of LG's current handsets -- the Optimus L7, Optimus 4X HD, Optimus Vu and Optimus 3D Max -- for a little photo shoot. While we only had access to the 3D Max for a short time, we ended up reviewing the other three. There's a bit of something for everyone here -- some Ice Cream Sandwich and some Gingerbread, some mid-range hardware and some hi-end style, some phablet and some 3D. Check out the pr0n family album in the gallery below.

Gallery: LG Optimus family

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As British readers bang their heads on desks, and LTE remains something perpetually happening "next year," another island nation is very much on-board with the new tech. NTT DoCoMo, one of Japan's biggest mobile carriers, has announced it now has over 4 million LTE users, with the last million joining its 4G Xi (pronounced "crossy") network in the last month and a half. Speeds top out at an impressive 75 Mbps, with eight of its most recent releases -- including the Galaxy S III and the Optimus Vu -- compatible with the new network. NTT DoCoMo saw uptake growth double after launching the LTE-centric summer range.

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LG's Quick Voice app's monolingual status shouldn't last long. After a quick restyle -- it's now Q Voice -- the app is gearing up to launch internationally with an English language version ready for the first half of next year. LG also adds a bit more detail on its voice recognition offering, which can pick out a single female voice in a noisy room full of men and have the ability to make settings adjustments to Bluetooth, sound and vibration by speech. Perhaps only slightly less important than real functionality, the Q Voice interface will also include some "witty emotional responses" -- ask what the device had for lunch and it will say it chowed down on 220 volts. LG Korea reiterates that the functionality is still limited to its domestic models of the Optimus Vu and incoming Optimus LTE II at the moment, but will feature on additional phones in the future. While voice recognition from bigger mobile rivals hasn't revolutionized how we use our phones just yet, LG's hoping the sheen of the newish tech won't have worn off by 2013.

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If the LG Optimus Vu's insistence on running Gingerbread was the sole factor keeping you from its 5-inch HD-IPS display and its goofy 4:3 aspect ratio, your prayers may have been answered. According to a leaked gallery of images at Android Police, the oversized slab's rumored Verizon variant will be running Android 4.0.4. The images don't reveal much else --save for big red's standard logo, prominently stamped above the device's face -- but that's one less negative you can count from our review. Check out a second shot after the break, or the full gallery at the source below.

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Tech companies are no strangers to the game of follow the leader -- industry imitation is, after all, the sincerest sign of a successful product. In the case of the Galaxy Note, Samsung's phablet wonder has been enjoying some unexpected popularity in markets abroad and even here in the US. But the company's ownership of that once-niche category is about to be contested by a surge of copycats, spearheaded by the stylus-toting LG Optimus Vu ($866 unlocked). It should go without saying: this 5-inch not-a-smartphone, not-yet-a-tablet has a steep climb ahead if it wants to oust or even claim equal billing with its successful opponent.

Of course, the Vu isn't launching an attack on all fronts yet as, right now it's a Korea-only affair running Android Gingerbread. (It redeems itself somewhat with an LTE radio.) Though the competition is welcome, the duel is not an even one, given the Vu's unusual mix of internals: a 1,024 x 768 HD-IPS LCD display, dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor, 32GB of non-expandable storage, an ample 2,080mAh battery and a region-specific T-DMB TV tuner. But could that be enough to dethrone the current category king, or at least present a viable alternative? Join us after the break as we crack this rectangular nut and winnow out the marketing noise.

Gallery: LG Optimus Vu review

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We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol' Federal Communications Commission's site. Since we couldn't possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there individually, we've gathered up an exhaustive listing of every phone and / or tablet getting the stamp of approval over the last week. Enjoy!

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LG and Verizon have something special in the works, and judging from the information we were able to glean from some mysterious documents submitted to the FCC (and subsequently approved today), it appears to be Big Red's version of the Optimus Vu. While the docs don't come out and specifically mention the Vu name or the phone's iconic 5-inch display, the diagram (seen above) of the LG VS950 shows the exact same speaker grille setup on the lower left as well as the SIM flap on the upper right. But if that weren't enough to clue us in, you can clearly see something that looks curiously like an antenna on the top left -- in the very same place as the Korean Optimus Vu. The VS950 sports NFC and offers LTE band 13 and GSM 850 / 1900. The phone's already received Bluetooth Certification, so we're hoping this means it's in the final stages of testing. Let's just hope it comes with a newer version of firmware than its Korean counterpart.

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LG's Optimus Vu still has yet to debut in the US, but Korean fans of the extra-wide 5-inch phablet can soon enjoy a new "Value Pack" upgrade. It brings the phone to yesterday's-news Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich along with LG-specific tweaks to its note taking features, UI 3.0 and Quick Voice search. There's a quick demo video of the update (embedded after the break) and promotional mini site with more details, although the ability to understand Korean -- or muddle through machine translated closed captions -- will come in handy.

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LG has been leaving its smartphone owners on pins and needles for their promised Android 4.0 upgrades. It's now starting to take action: if we go by poorly machine-translated Korean, the Optimus LTE, Optimus LTE Tag and Optimus Vu will all get Google's latest starting June 4th. Everyone gets the new UI 3.0 layer, but those who've leapt on the Optimus Vu's phablet frame will get "additional features" that we understand will take advantage of the extra-wide dimensions for side-by-side note-taking. LG's remarks still leave some gaps in the Ice Cream Sandwich story, such as when Nitro HD owners get the new software. Even so, we're glad to see that owners of LG's crème de la crème in at least some corners of the Earth can enjoy Chrome and other Android 4.0 perks in the very near future.

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LG has hitched its mobile fate to the future of LTE high speed data equipped phones basically since the technology was introduced and today it announced the fruits of its labor: three million LTE phones sold to date worldwide. While some will quibble over shipped / sold to end-user counting methods, or how this compares to figures recently touted by competition like Samsung and Apple, we need only look at LG's most recent earnings report to see the positive impact its LTE-infused lineup has had. According to LG, most of the gains have been in South Korea and North America so far, although it plans to have LTE phones in 20 countries by the end of the year. After kicking off the LTE frenzy with the Revolution last year on Verizon, it's talking up the combination of LTE and HD LCD screen features in its Optimus LTE phone, already a million seller in Korea just as its successor, the Optimus LTE II arrives on shelves.

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Some of us aren't convinced that phablets will last as more than a short-term success. That hasn't stopped ABI Research from predicting that enough of the size XXL smartphones will sell to block all natural sunlight. The study team sees phones like the Galaxy Note and Optimus Vu as just the start, with help from Huawei, HTC and others leading to a crescendo of 208 million phablets shipped in 2015 alone. Of course, as with many of these predictions, the estimate is based on a little bit of knowledge and a lot of speculation about the market's tastes: the researchers have a hunch that the values of navigation, reading and the web will steer us to big screens, and they're including devices just over 4.6 inches like the One X or the upcoming Galaxy S III. There's a bit of evidence to support the claims -- Samsung sold five million Notes in five months, and HTC has seen some brisk One X sales -- but that's still no guarantee that regular-sized smartphones will have to fight in the shade.

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If you aren't already accustomed to Japan's regular deluge of device announcements, brace yourself: NTT DoCoMo just stepped forward with 17 new phones, as well as a mobile WiFi hotspot and a tablet. Throw a stone at the pile of hardware, and you're likely to strike something running Ice Cream Sandwich -- with the exception of the WiFi hotspot and a single handset designed for kids, every device on the list is running Android 4.0. Among the hodgepodge of handsets, DoCoMo is offering ten dual-core devices with screens ranging from 3.7 to 5-inches, a 10.1-inch 1.2Ghz dual-core slate, camera sensors of all sizes (from 8 megapixels to 13, that is) and a curious "Raku-Raku smartphone" that promises the "sensation of pressing actual keys" to smartphone newbies. The lineup's superstars, however, can all be found in DoCoMo's "NEXT" series of smartphones, bolstering the carrier's Xi LTE service with heavy hitters like the Galaxy S III, the Optimus Vu, Sony's Xperia GX and the Tegra 3 touting Arrows X. Hit the source links to check out the smartphone smorgasbord for yourself, or read on for our list of the never-before-seen ICS devices (they're all waterproof!) as well as DoCoMo's official press release.

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Just under two months after LG's Optimus Vu got priced for the hometown market, in flies news that another hue will soon be on those very same shelves. The 5-inch, 4:3 ratio'd Android smartphone will soon hit South Korea in white, purportedly targeting the "younger" market -- you know, folks who like "cool" things (a translation for "refreshing," we're told). Folks can look for the device -- which should remain unchanged outside of the external color -- to hit SK Telecom as early as next week, but there's no word on when (or if) it'll spread to other markets.

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