Latest phones and cell review

LG Electronics (LG) announced today that it has independently developed the first handset (user equipment) modem chip based on 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE)technology standards. The modem chip can theoretically support wireless download speeds of 100Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds of 50Mbps.

LG demonstrated the chip today at its Mobile Communication Technology Research Lab in Anyang, Korea, achieving wireless download speeds of 60 Mbps and upload speeds of 20 Mbps. The fastest phones currently on the market use HSDPA technology and download at a maximum speed of 7.6 Mbps.

The new modem chip is a 13 by 13 mm modem chip, perfectly sized for the next generation of slim-yet-powerful handsets. For its demonstration today, LG used a test terminal running Windows Mobile to play back high quality, on-demand video. In addition to this handset modem, LG is also developing the first preliminary LTE-based data card, which can replace the wireless cards currently used in computers.

“Now that LG has developed and tested the first 4G handset modem, a commercially viable LTE handset is on the horizon,” said Dr. Woo Hyun Paik, CTO of LG Electronics. “This latest breakthrough gives us a strong technology advantage that we will use to bolster our industry leadership.”

Mobile phone carriers have now built LTE test networks and are currently working on early stage handsets. The first LTE mobile phones will likely reach the market in 2010.

U.S. Cellular and LG announce the availability of the LG Rhythm to U.S. Cellular customers. The LG Rhythm was created with music enthusiasts in mind and is easy to use with its unique textured slide design. The stylish LG Rhythm offers a 1-inch circular touch screen and one of the most advanced music systems available in mobile phones today. The built-in music player includes Digital Signal Processing as well as an audio equalizer professionally tuned by Mark Levinson. The phone also includes an FM transmitter that easily streams songs to a car stereo or to another receiver. The included 3.5 mm stereo headset allows users to easily toggle between music and incoming calls.

You can store your favorite songs or video files on the handset or utilize the microSD memory port that supports up to 16GB. With a designated music hot key and the circular touchscreen, accessing multimedia files is convenient and easy. Other features include a high resolution 2-inch main LCD display screen, a 1.3 megapixel camera with zoom and camcorder, Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities and background music mode.

[via engadgetmobile]

A group of mobile manufacturers has launched a common energy rating system for chargers, making it easier for consumers to compare and choose the one that saves the most energy. The star rating system developed and supported by LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung Electronics and Sony Ericsson is one of a series of measures being taken by the industry to reduce the environmental footprint of its products.

Many consumers are unaware that chargers consume electricity when disconnected from the phone but left plugged into the wall socket. Around two thirds of the energy used by mobile devices is wasted in this way. Manufacturers are addressing this by continually improving the efficiency of their chargers and in making it easier for consumers to pick the ones using the least energy.

The new rating system indicates how much energy each charger uses when left plugged into the wall socket after charging is completed. The ratings covers all chargers currently sold by the five companies, and range from five stars for the most efficient chargers down to zero stars for the ones consuming the most energy. If the more than three billion people owning mobile devices today switched to a four or five star charger, this could save the same amount of energy each year as produced by two medium sized power plants.

People will be able to visit the websites of each manufacturer to view and compare the results for every charger. The ratings are based on the European Commission’s energy standards for chargers and the internationally recognized Energy Star standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. The ratings will be reviewed regularly and developed further in order to drive constant improvement.

Many of the manufacturers are also working on other ways to reduce energy consumption. Most major producers have begun introducing visual alerts into their devices to remind people to unplug the charger from the mains when the battery is fully charged.

AT&T and LG unveiled the availability of the LG Incite, a Windows Mobile powered smartphone with 3G capabilities, built-in aGPS and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) and Bluetooth 2.0. The LG Incite is equipped with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, Microsoft Office Mobile and Microsoft ActiveSync 4.5.

LG Incite has a crystal-clear 3-inch touch screen and a 3.0 megapixel camera and camcorder that enables consumers to send and enjoy memories at the touch of a button. Users have a choice of on-screen virtual keyboards - a full, QWERTY keyboard in landscape mode and a 20-key keyboard in portrait view - with haptic keys that provide vibration feedback. A configurable, drag-and-drop favorites menu provides quick access to the applications that matter most to the user.

Store all your favorite songs with the microSD Memory Port with up to 16GB of support. Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities allow consumers to wirelessly access music through stereo headsets, transmit data to other Bluetooth-enabled devices and make calls hands-free anytime. The Incite also features AT&T Video ShareSM, the first-ever service in the U.S. that allows users to share live video over wireless devices while participating in a voice call.

The Incite is available now for $199.99 with a new two-year agreement and mail-in rebate.

[via phonemag]

LG and PRADA today announce the global launch of the highly anticipated successor to the PRADA Phone by LG. The latest handset from LG and PRADA partnership is set to hit the stores in Europe by late November this year. The handset’s user interface also receives a powerful improvement with LG’s latest active flash UI technology and haptic feedback on touch input enhancing the experience of the phone’s exclusive contents offerings. Dynamic upgrades to the software is well complimented by hardware extensions that include 3G capability with HSDPA up to 7.2 Mbps and advanced 5 megapixel camera featuring slow motion video recording and DivX playback. Other features include Wi-Fi, full HTML browser, and video calling capabilities.

LG and PRADA also unveiled the new ‘PRADA Link’ (Model: LG-LBA-T950), a Bluetooth device that can remotely monitor phone calls as well as read full SMS text messages without having to extract the phone from a bag or pocket.

The new PRADA Phone by LG and the PRADA Link will be available with a starting price of 600 Euros and 299 Euros, respectively. The products can be purchased through major mobile dealerships in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, and other countries in Europe.