Unfortunately there is no mention of a ship date whatsoever so we highly doubt many people will be game for plopping down €500 on a device from an online store that has no idea when such a device will be in stock.

A bit of a background on the 2X, it is a quad band device working on the 850 / 900 / 1800 /1900 frequencies and thanks to HSDPA 3G, there will be no shortage of fast mobile data. The screen is 4 inches with 480 x 800 pixels and it is a TFT capacitive touchscreen sporting 16 million colors.

For wireless enjoyment, there is Bluetooth, Wi-Fib/g/n, GPRS and DLNA support. 8GB of onboard storage with the ability to max it out at 32GB thanks to a microSD slot.

The Black will get a couple stripped down features. There is still a 4 inch screen with the same pixel density. HSDPA and quad band is included along with a front facing camera that has 2 megapixels and a camera around the back that does full 1080p video shooting.

Both devices come with Android Froyo 2.2 installed with the option to upgrade to 2.3 in the future. Both devices will feature dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 chips with clock speeds of 1GHz.

So while we would not pre order either until we get a ship date, we would begin saving that lose change, you know, just in case the credit card can hold the entire amount.

Source: GSMArena

The rumored LG Star has received a review (for a working prototype) and it looks like it’s as good in real life as it is on paper. As you may know, the Tegra 2 is an advanced SoC with a dual core processor, which means it’s extremely fast compared to any current smartphone CPU, plus it has NVidia’s video technologies and know-how, which gives it unrivaled performance in games, movies and other graphics intensive apps.

Among the most noticeable features of the LG Star are the 8 megapixels camera with 1080p Full HD recording capabilities, a HDMI out port (on an Android device!), and a big and nice 4 inch AMOLED screen.

The reviewed demo runs on Android 2.2 Froyo with a customized skin (which is hopefully replaceable), but the official release should come with Android 2.3 pre-installed, as it will be available to phone manufacturers by then. The LG Star (aka P990) is expected to be officially announced during CES 2011, which will begin in less than a month.

This is a great phone with lots of potential and a possibility to get both LG and NVidia off the ground in the smartphone market, and we hope that it won’t be brought down by some unwise corporate decisions, like Motorola’s locked boot loaders, which brought about a long wave of negative reviews and returned sales.

The Optimus 7 looks like yet another standard full touch phone, and it is, but that doesn’t stop it from being pretty cool. It is aimed at the mass market and anyone who wants to experience the new Windows Phone 7 on a relatively cheap, yet functional and powerful device.

The hardware specs are pretty good: LG’s first Windows 7 phone in the US runs on a 1 GHz Snapdragon QSD8250 processor, the same chip that powers most of the other WP7 phones, has 512 MB of RAM and 8 or 16 GB of internal memory for all your needs, features Wifi N, a 5 megapixels camera with 720p support, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, GPS, HSDPA and HSUPA support (all part of Microsoft’s standard Windows Phone 7 hardware specs) and other useful things.

The touch experience is provided by a nice 3.8 inch capacitive screen that looks and feels great, and can easily accomplish anything you at throw at it with its 800×480 resolution. The phone itself feels pretty good, and is comfortable to use with one hand, being slim enough to fit in any pocket. The plate that covers the battery is made of metal, which makes the whole phone seem more solid and well built (which it is).

All in all, LG have presented a great device for the new Windows Phone 7 Series, and one of the many LG Optimus 7 deals available will definitely be a good choice for anyone that is looking to buy their next smartphone and wants to try something different.

LG was the first phone maker to announce a handset for the WP7 OS and they have been the first to show the device in images and also in action. What is more is that the LG Panther is also the very first WP7 handset revealed that would have a slide out QWERTY keyboard – a major feature that is not present in other devices.

With the Panther already announced and ready to go, LG was able to establish themselves as the current ‘lead’ among WP7 handset makers –but with the simultaneous launch this coming October, LG’s position as first will not mean much. By having more devices however, they will still carve out a much larger niche than what the Panther can make.

The two new devices aside from the Panther are the E900 and the C900. These two smart phones have been brought up in a Microsoft database listing, revealing that the said devices will be using a special mobile version of IE7 that is designed strictly for the WP7 OS.

However, without an official listing or mention from LG, the actual specs or even basic details of the two devices are pretty much unknown –and some are even speculating that one of the handsets might be a designation for the Panther (which means LG will only have two devices and not three).

Since Microsoft has already given out specifics on the minimum hardware requirements for the new WP7, the least we can expect is that both devices will have capacitive WVGA touch screen displays and 1GHz Qualcomm CPUs.

With more and more app enabled smart phones in the market, LG has seen it fit to understand and learn what kinds of apps people tend to gravitate towards. Despite the constant messages from various economic leaders that that the recession is over, people still prefer to take the cheaper road of finding more ways to pinch down on the spending.

It’s a great thing actually, as such a mindset allows for better and wiser decisions for actually making purchases. The same applies to apps. The study has shown that people like apps that save money and time over other categories. The third on the list is the apps for physical fitness and emotional health (as well as mental well being). Fourth would be practical guides and directions to places to go to and last on the list are games.

While the results may sound strange, it may also be due to the fact that the study is a matter which apps people prefer to use, not which apps they have downloaded. Ironically, most of the apps that have the most downloads do not necessarily have the most users. More often than not, some apps simply get downloaded out of sheer curiosity. Practical apps on the other hand are actually being sought after directly.

LG’s research has also shown how big the app market in the UK truly is. According to the reports, the average annual amount spent by people in the UK on apps is about £422 million. This number is expected to rise with each coming year as more and more people prefer to use smart phones over conventional handsets.

Korean based LG is not going to be left behind by its competitors as they have recently confirmed that their LG Panther smart phone is ready and waiting for the upcoming Windows Phone 7 series mobile platform. The device is a touch screen smart phone that has a slide out QWERTY keyboard which matches the type 2 chassis requirements of WP7. The device is expected to come out later this October.

LG just announced 5 more smart phones that will be coming out in the next few months.

Starting off the list is the LG Cookie Music media smart phone that comes with some pretty impressive mid-range features. The device is equipped with a 5 mega pixel camera, Dolby technology for superior music quality, 4GB of internal memory, a 3.5mm external audio jack and of course, 3G HSDPA support.

Other upcoming devices include the KS365 touch screen GSM smart phone. The phone will have a 2.4 inch quarter VGA touch screen along with a 2 MP camera, a slide out QWERTY keyboard and an FM radio.

LG is also bringing out the Pure and the GT405 smart phones. The Pure comes in a slider form with a 5 mega pixel camera and support for HSDPA. While the GT405 is a touch screen device with a new 3D version of the LG S-class user interface.

Lastly, the LG Jaguar 5 is a basic candy bar device that comes with a VGA camera.

Get to know more about LG’s 5 new mobile phones at Mobile Choice UK.

While the OS is not yet shown on the device itself, LG and Microsoft have confirmed that the new smart phone is indeed made for the Windows Phone 7 series and it will be sporting a groovy 5 mega pixel camera and a slide out, physical QWERTY keyboard.

Initial shots of the device are promising. While there is nothing revolutionary about the form factor, it is very practical in terms of functionality. The slide out keyboard will certainly attract a lot of users who love to use mobile messaging functions such as text and email services. The actual keyboard itself is a 4 row layout that has decent sized keys for easy typing.

The fuss about WP7 is far from dying out as MS proves to the world that they still have what it takes to create a good operating system. The unveiling of the OS at the Mobile World Congress certainly drew a lot of good attention to the new user interface that reinvents the way we use and access information on mobile phones. Phone functions are divided into several pages for contacts, media and other functions, making WP7’s UI easy to move around in.

Speculations about the hardware for the WP7 hit a new high last week as the different chassis types were discussed at length. With the CPU for the OS already pegged to be using Qualcomm technology, many are speculating the Snapdragon processor to be WP7’s minimum required CPU. Images do reveal that the device comes with a 5 mega pixel camera with LED flash.

According to reports, the LG Panther is expected to come out later this coming September.

Read more about the Panther and WP7 at Mobile Today UK.

Despite its ‘mini’ tag, the Mini isn’t actually a particularly tiny device, although it is somewhat smaller than the LG BL20 New Chocolate. LG, with the Mini, have decided not to engage with the smartphone rage that currently grips the industry, staying within its own S-Class operating system. First impressions of the design show an artfully designed device with an excellent, pixel-rich screen displaying extremely vibrant colours. Its 3.2-inch 480 x 854 pixel resolution says all it needs to, and also features tough scratch-resistant glass – excellent for those of us tired of flimsy devices that collect scratches like some of us collect mobile phones. The touchscreen is also fast and ultra-responsive few mistakes are generally made when writing texts. The only slight caveat is that it is very sensitive, and will register even the most feather-light of touches, so be careful.

The device itself is fairly light at 99 grams and is ergonomic and comfortable to grip. It is LG’s thinnest phone – and no doubt this will appeal to the style-tragic, although it is not quite as thin as Toshiba’s TG01. In terms of the construction, the Mini gives a fairly minimalist feel with square angles and straight lines housing black plastic and brush metal. The screen font is also fairly simple and is helped by the fact that the front of the Mini has no keys at all. Usefully, for those of us who have been disconnected before when bumped on public transport, the screen features a proximity sensor that turns the screen off and simultaneously locks it during a call.

On the top of the Mini, we can find a 3.5mm audio input jack, as well as a covered micro-USB port. There is also a power and lock key here. All of these keys are easy to find and are user-friendly. The device also features a 5-megapixel camera, with the lens being housed in the top-left-hand corner of the phone. The camera is decent enough, but unfortunately features no lens protection which can raise concerns about scratch accumulation for some people and also has no flash, which will be limiting to those looking to take snaps in different lighting conditions. Despite the fact that the back cover of the Mini is easy to remove, it is firmly held in place and there seems no danger that it will fall off. It covers the battery, which is a 900 mAh Li-Ion, as well as the SIM card.

By tapping the Status Bar at the top of the screen you can launch a new menu that can switch Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and off as well as change profiles and take a look at all recent events. The home screen of the device also features a dedicated shortcut to the device’s main menu, and all items within the menu are easily accessible simultaneously – a departure from early LG incarnations. The device also has native Twitter and Facebook, both of which are easy to access for those into social networking. The music playing capability of the Mini is a real step up from the BL20 New Chocolate, and it features a ‘now playing screen’ which displays album art, where possible, as well as a spinning vinyl icon for presentation.

Internally the phone’s equalizer settings are fairly standard, although LG’s set-piece Dolby Mobile is particularly excellent. The 5 megapixel camera’s processing also allows it to take decent enough photos, although the video streaming was less impressive – and it is to be hoped that this facility improves when the device hits retail.

For those who love watching videos on YouTube, this phone offers you quick YouTube launcher.  You can launch YouTube with a quick touch on the YouTube icon and start watching videos. However, if you are a music lover, you’ll love the fact that this mobile phone can play virtually all types of music files, which include MP3’s, and you can add tons of music files, thanks to the expandable memory, which can be expanded to 32 GB. For the movie fans out there you can download movies onto your LG GT 540 and watch them on the go, this mobile phone is capable of playing several different types of video files, which includes MPEG-4 and DivX. However, the price on this phone is a mystery, and you’ll only find out when it hits the shelves.

In the end, this is a great phone in general, that anyone would consider buying it. In addition, it is also a great phone for staying in touch with friends and family members.

The new text scan feature of the phone allows you to take a photograph of something like a business card or letter, and the phone will transfer the image onto your phone in real text, so you can save them onto your phone to save you carrying them around with you. Perfect for keeping note of all the business cards you accumulate or even capturing a piece of school work this handy application is bound to come in useful for anyone at some point.

At the bottom left part of your control pad is a area called the widget hot keys. This will bring up your 4 most used applications or other ones set by yourself with one click, saving you having to go through all the menus to find them. This can include things like an address book, mp3 player, contact lists or text messages. The phone looks great as well as being a great performance phone and is noticably smaller than the BL40 Chocolate, so if you are interested in getting your hands on one have a look online for what deals are available.