Microsoft introduced the Your Phone Windows app as a way to bridge PCs and mobile but the best features that it offers are currently exclusive to Samsung’s phones. There are more phones in the market than Samsung’s, of course, leaving many other phone brands out of the party. LG has apparently decided to take matters into its own hands and has silently released a slightly similar software though, in reality, it is pretty much a rebranded Dell Mobile Connect.
Although Microsoft itself provides the Your Phone app as a standard part of Windows 10, that hasn’t stopped manufacturers from rolling out their own. For quite a few years now, Dell has provided its own “Dell Mobile Connect” app that can mirror Android phones on the desktop or access a few phone functions without having to pick up the phone. Dell Mobile Connect, which isn’t exclusive to Dell computers anymore, also supports iPhones but with more limited functionality.
As revealed by @ALumia, LG has enlisted the services of Screenovate Technologies, developers of the Dell Mobile Connect, to create Virtoo by LG. What Dell Mobile Connect can do, Virtoo can mostly do as well. The app description is pretty sparse but the screenshots show it can make calls, send messages, and mirror at least an LG Android phone’s screen.
The Windows 10 app’s page doesn’t go into detail about compatible models either. One can only presume that the Virtoo by LG for Windows is only compatible with LG PCs, like the LG Gram. The iPhone app is slightly more telling, requiring at least iOS 11 or later. Unfortunately, its features are also less impressive, covering only messages and contacts.
At this point, though, one has to wonder how much better Virtoo by LG is compared to Microsoft’s Your Phone. It offers only the basics and, unless, Screenovate will be able to add more features, the deeper integration into Windows could still keep the upper hand.
LG has been making rounds in mobile news lately but not in a good way. Rumors about the almost inevitable shutdown of its mobile business are becoming stronger even as it tries to pique interest in its less traditional smartphones, like the promised LG Rollable phone. In the meantime, there are still concerns about the company’s ability to even continue supporting its current lineup. At least one of those worries might now be over as LG starts rolling out Android 11 to its nominal 2020 flagship.
LG launched only two notable smartphones last year, disregarding the LG V60 ThinQ 5G that was a remnant of the company’s past strategy. There is, of course, the eccentric LG Wing and its swiveling screen but before that, there was the more traditional LG Velvet, the first of a new line of phones that ditches the letters and the numbers for more memorable names.
Although launched way back in May, it wouldn’t be until December last year when LG would finally start its Android 11 beta program from the phone. Surprisingly, it only took the company a little over a month to start rolling out the stable version of the update to the LG Velvet.
The changelog for the update shared by Piunika Web barely mentions anything at all except the Android OS upgrade. The update does, however, also bump up LG’s own custom UX experience to version 10, just to be extra confusing. The 2.25GB update hopefully also carries the January security patches.
The catch is that the update is currently only rolling out in South Korea where the beta was also started. There is no known timeline for the global rollout, much less any indication when other 2020 phones will receive Android 11 as well.
The future of LG's mobile division is uncertain, with anything from a significant restructuring to a sell-off reportedly being on the table. LG has said it's open to "all possibilities," and so it follows that one of those possibilities is a situation where LG no longer sells smartphones. That would be a natural end point for a division that's been losing money for more than half a decade, despite multiple attempted restarts under different executives.
Equally, based on its current earnings, the conglomerate could easily afford to continue propping up its mobile arm. However, the tone seems different this time around.
If this really is the end of LG Mobile, it won't be because it's spent the past six years producing bad products. Although our roundup of the best Android phones is bereft of LG handsets on account of recent efforts like the Velvet and Wing being duds, LG's back catalog contains some devices which were genuinely great for their time. For every Optimus Vu or LG Rolling Bot there was at least one G6 or V30 — competent phones that did everything pretty well and were worth the money.
Many factors have contributed to LG Mobile's stagnation over the years. It's never had the retail presence or carrier influence enjoyed by local rival Samsung, especially internationally. Its software track record has been pretty dire, particularly around major Android updates and design in general, where its skin has become a One UI copycat. The awkwardly shoehorned "ThinQ" branding, which was finally retired in 2020, likely didn't help either.
But one more central problem through the years has been LG's itchy trigger finger when it comes to throwing stuff at the wall, and lack of follow-through when it finds ideas that stick. The LG G5 was the first mainstream phone with an ultrawide camera, but a couple of years later it was overtaken by Samsung. It introduced the first creator-centric phone for videographers with the V Series, but failed to keep pace with the likes of Apple and Huawei, who soon had it beaten in terms of optics and image processing.
LG had an itchy trigger finger but lacked follow-through.
More recently, LG has allowed important smartphone trends like high refresh rate displays and super-telephoto cameras to pass it by. 2020's LG V60 lacked both features. And by the time the G-series successor LG Velvet emerged in the summer, it looked mediocre and dull next to mid-rangers from the likes of OnePlus.
Instead of honing the features that worked, much of the mid-2010s saw LG flailing between various ill-advised gimmicks. The aforementioned G5 used the poorly implemented modular system of "LG Friends'' attachments, which quickly crashed and burned. The LG G Flex served as a neat tech demo for flexible OLED, but was inferior in every way compared to the flat phones of the time. The tickertape display of the LG V20 — an early precursor of the display cutouts that many phones have today — had promise, but was underutilized and struggled to justify its presence.
And while its recent fixation on dual-display add-ons produced some interesting products, its technical limitations stood in the way of a possible move to 90 or 120Hz displays, making its higher-end models look old hat next to Samsung and others.
Source: Alex Dobie / Android Central
If LG Mobile fades away, it won't be for lack of innovation, effort, or second chances.
As much as I'm glad the LG Explorer Project for new and weird form factors exists, the reception of the LG Wing shows that it could turn out to be yet another outlet for half-baked ideas that do LG's brand no favors. Fans of weird phones, like me, can hope the upcoming LG Rollable makes a better impression.
Much like HTC — which has now, for all intents and purposes, stopped selling phones in any meaningful way — when LG came across some new innovation that worked, it was its competitors that ran with them and eventually found success. So even if the LG Rollable is a runaway (or rollaway?) success, will it really be remembered as an LG innovation, or will the idea be scaled and perfected by Samsung, Xiaomi or whoever else?
LG can make great phones when it wants to, and as my friend Jerry Hildenbrand pointed out last week, the smartphone market is richer for LG's presence. But if this is the end of LG Mobile, it won't be for lack of second chances, nor opportunities to build upon its many genuine innovations.
Other odds and ends for a working Sunday:
We reviewed the Galaxy S21 and it turns out it's pretty good. Samsung had to cut back on the extras in the standard and Plus models this year. But the question remains how such a trimmed-down S21 can coexist with the already very competitive Galaxy S20 FE. (To say nothing of the prospect of an S21 FE later in the year.)
Until we see anything beyond flashy brand videos and hype, it's hard to say anything of consequence about Carl Pei's Nothing announcement besides the new firm clearly having its marketing down even at this early stage. (Plus Pei's personal following certainly doesn't hurt.)
Honor is back, Huawei-free and ready to ship phones with Google services. Future phones will run Magic UI (basically a fork of Huawei's EMUI), which will surely feel like a blast from the past on multiple levels. (Huawei, of course, is in the process of pivoting to its own HarmonyOS. The question of what Honor even is without Huawei remains, and there are many technical and logistical hurdles it'll need to overcome through the remainder of 2021.
As for the whole stonks situation, this tweet from analyst Anshel Sag pretty much sums up my thoughts.
That's all from me. I'll catch you again in a few weeks!
After over a year on the market, Google Stadia is finally starting to prove itself as a legitimate gaming platform. There's plenty of room to grow, so this will be a crucial year for Stadia.
Each power source — gas or electricity — has its own benefits and drawbacks. Generally, electric ranges are more expensive, but they’re easier to clean, last longer, and offer precise heating that’s evenly distributed. Gas ranges, meanwhile, are less expensive but harder to install. Still, they heat up and cool down quickly and offer a bit more versatility when cooking.
LG released the Android 11 beta build for the Velvet 5G last month, and it seems the testing has gone smooth as the company has released the stable update of Android 11 for the smartphone.
The Android 11 stable build is currently seeding in South Korea for the Velvet 5G - model LM-G900N. The firmware has software version G900N2C and requires a download of around 2.2GB.
LG Velvet 5G Android 11 stable update
We don't have a complete changelog of the update, but you can expect it to bring redesigned UI and the usual set of Android 11 goodies to the LG Velvet 5G.
If you live in South Korea, you'll receive Android 11 on your Velvet 5G soon, and we hope it won't be too long before the rollout is expanded to smartphones in other markets.
I find LG devices hard to find the latest releases anyway.
j148
I think LG G6 was a great phone with good design. But LG screwed up the launch. They had 3 variants of it and Europe get the worst one. So they got bad reputation among customers especially in the EU area.
After that they realy never recover. And now they not even sell LG phones in my country. So I think it might be to late to save the brand in mobile.
J
Jerrimy
7As
I've been using lg V series phones for the last 3 I've bought . V30 after 4 years is still perfectly fine after replacing the battery. I'm currently using the V60 and absolutely love it . Best phone in the market for the price. Amazing camera best battery life on the market , great large screen and a headphone jack .
Everything is top tier quality and more affordable then Samsung or apple .
I really hope lg continues to offer this line of phones .
?
Anonymous
7vb
Anonymous, 15 hours agoAvailability killed thrm ... If they offeref unlocked phones to be shipped worldwide .. SadNa they just don't have compelling phones, both wing and velvet using the bargain bin snapdragon 765 while charging a price around galaxy S20 FE is a death sentence.
B
Babun
KSE
I like lg phone but sad hard to buy in my country
T
Tomasz
U2B
Anonymous, 17 hours agoBlind Freddy could tell you, Lg's problem is : 1.Appaling marketing, imagine buying a ... moreFrom the perspective of a user of both models LG V20 and V40 I totally agree with all your points you made.
As customer currently living in Australia I am deprived of the latest offering the V60.
LG you got no one else to blame but yourself for all your dire straits.
Siple advise to LG if they wan to turn around their fortunes in smart phone division pls start listening to your customers not some. insanely high paid. execs.
?
Anonymous
IBx
Anonymous, 18 hours agoThe hardware is good for the price. But when comes to software updates lg fails. If they impro... moreAvailability killed thrm ... If they offeref unlocked phones to be shipped worldwide .. Sad
?
Anonymous
uNY
I liked some of lgs phones from the past, but these days they seem to be trying to be different for the sake of being different.
As a consumer that just wants a flagship conventional phone with all the usual bells and whistles , this is getting harder and harder to find .
Apple and Samsung keep trimming features off their phones.
I think LG had a real opportunity to win a lot of customers back , but they keep on bringing out weird devices , and not ever trying to do something positive , for example add another year or two of updates to their phones.
I thought the LG v60 was not a bad phone even if LG cut a few corners in the hardware.
I would have bought one , but they are no longer sold in my country.
I look at the wing thing and wonder how much money they wasted on that thing.
No wonder they are losing money.
V
Vinay
Hkv
Just like Samsung they should release the smart phone world wide at ones
At present they treating the European market , American market and Indian market differently,
All high end phones are introduced in India lately by the time they introduce that specification will be out dated
t
tech b
NwF
invet phones for global use please...global firmwares to unlock your smartphones..these devices are rusting in some stores in many countries
?
Anonymous
g3U
Blind Freddy could tell you, Lg's problem is :
1.Appaling marketing, imagine buying a Velvet in Aus and finding out you cant buy the dual screen accessory anywhere....seriously you call that marketing?
2. Wasteful of resources, while I commend on the wing and Rollables, but why spend so much and not consolidating existing product lines, simple software updates to Dual Sims and you cold market them globally, US and Korea is Not the entire world.
3. Poor record of software updates preventing many from buying LG fones.
So many people I know, wanted an good dual screen like the V60 but could Never could get one; as silly billy only releases them in US predominantly only, how could LG sell more phones when it does not even market them globally?
LG spends heaps of money on R&D for new product....what for? nobody wants to pay max for an LG Rollable (will be pricey and any gurantee of software updates?) or Wings (huge price tags for mediocre SD765G...seriously? ).
1. why dont LG market the existing good products such the Dual Screens velvet and V60 and make them available globally and Dual Sim a must please, it is an essential feature selling in Asia especially, which still has a huge market that is largely untapped by LG.
Benn dying to buy a V60s Dual Sim but nowhere to be found...... Why?? ....makes no sense at all, minor adjustment to software even with e-sim/hybrid sim and you could sell tons of them globally in Asia and Europe; and also please fix your poor software updates by promising buyers you will get them roll out for at least 2 major updates and I promise you will see the sales volume sky rocket.
S
Sri vathsan
u1C
I am using LG G7 thinq +.. from the day 1, I luv this and still delighted with its performance.
Pros
Hardware
New features
Manual video etc
Cons
Software updates
And UI
?
Anonymous
7k3
The hardware is good for the price. But when comes to software updates lg fails. If they improve their software and ui and frequent updates they will get their plane on smartphone sector. But competing with brands like samsung and xiaomi they have to bring the budget devices globally. I own lg g8x and it's so good. Thanks to lg discount sale i bought it for affordable price.
T
Techphile012
M@g
I have been trying to get hold of a LG V60 ThinQ with the dual screen but it is not possible to buy one in Sweden.
If it is ordered from the USA then it will become way more expensive for me because of the custom duties imposed on it.
I tried to buy it from Poland as they have this 256GB variant but they don't ship to Sweden.
I am left with no option 🥺 and recommend LG to launch the LG V70 with the quad DAC in Sweden.
I will be more than happy to buy the phone if it is competitvely priced just like the LG V60 ThinQ was priced. Hope this reaches the LG team!
1929440
Anonymous, 30 Jan 2021Dude, some of your points are wrong. In my location, only Apple has success selling phones... moreBy what standard?
You didn't understand, when I mean Global, I don't mean to send units down to stores, I mean to make those phones with bands unlocked and allow shipping worldwide, that's a huge difference.
Total BS, look at cars, they are the embodiment of that, and each car cost significantly more than a smartphone to produce, it also takes longer, require more resources, the production line are massively more space consuming, same goes for the power, yet you have a lot of different cars, from SUV, sedans, coupé, sport cars, trucks, hatchback, and many more.
You clearly didn't get the branching out-in concept, many things don't need to be searched twice, once you have your blueprint for X or Y tech it is minor investment or sometime almost no investment at all to include it to another model.
In fact, by making a modular body ready to accept various configuration, you save money, as you can make totally different models out of the same body, exactly like many graphic cards are build on the same model, or many cars share the same frame.
Making variation of the same model is then quite easy and cheap, it also allows streamlining software updates as many common things are re-used, the same for many softwares, like the camera app.
Actually they cancelled it so much that they constantly try to revive it, and while they abandoned the Alpha as it is they still haven't given up on the idea, with recently a new wrap around evolution in the Mi Mix line planned : https://www.androidauthority.com/xiaomi-sliding-screen-1195501/
Even Huawei is on it : https://www.androidauthority.com/huawei-wrap-around-display-1157752/
The Mi Mix Alpha simple came up too early when flexible displays were not mastered yet, curved edge were barely started, and it was simply too complex to mass produce.
Also, where did I say every phone should be made to that extreme?
I simply talked about bezel, pop up, flip up, slider. Flat/Curved edge variety, of course if you go to talk to extreme things you'll find stuff that aren't viable.
And as long as it is profitable, what is the problem? That's because of people like you that 15.000 people would be unable to find their dream device, because of the smartphone homogenous market without any variety you are supporting.
Wrong, if it is done properly, meaning using standards to make the newer body compatible with the previous and newer X or Y feature (camera configuration A, camera configuration B, front camera configuration C or D, etc), you actually save money and only need to improve the components without requiring to rethink totally how to make them again.
What you are saying is as if at each new PC motherboard generation, we needed to remake the whole computer case layout, hardware arrangement and all that, of course it would be a complete nonsense to do, still, thanks to standard, there are many available configurations to be found, from the Alienware Aurora R11-727 or Corsair One a100 that use a custom case and have its own specific things but still follow standards to a simple HP 290 G2, including stuffs like ASUS ProArt Station D940MX.
The same is true for ANY industry, except Smartphone, which is the exception in the wrong way in many cases.
I agree for carrier exclusive phones.
LG's need to embrace both the niche aspect as well as the mainstream aspect, the brand have too much of a niche image to do otherwise.
Like some games have big success despite being niche, like Factorio or Satisfactory, or more fitting examples, Rover Mechanic Simulator and Kerbal Space Program have a huge success, but other things like Take On Mars was abandoned because of how it lacked success despite being exactly the same kind of niche.
A brand image can change everything, had any other brand than Apple or Samsung removed the 3.5mm Jack, it would have failed, LG is clearly one of those brand, exactly like Sony who despite making excellent phones have a bad niche image sticking to them.
So they need to make more mainstream phones for attracting more customers as well as making real niches by making many different of them for low cost by reusing many things in a smart way.
There is probably more money to be earned by filling as many niches as possible as by sticking only to a single design even if it fit the trend.
You can be perfectly profitable by making low volumes, that's how a lot of special company works, or perhaps you should postulate at Caviar.
And what is LG? A brand who innovate.
What was my proposal? To innovate.
B
Bend
p8J
I've wanted to buy lg phones for years now but i ain't dealing with importing. Last lg phone i had was the nexus 5 and it was amazing!
Focusing on availability and pricing is what I'd say is the most important step for lg to figure out.
J
John
7km
If lg freesale their phone the sales will goes ul
K2
Just have the following points to make:
- LG should launch globally. How can someone from Malaysia (in Asia) import an LG V50 with dual screen all the way from US? Can LG give a response to this, a phone made in S.Korea in Asia.
- LG should dissociate from carriers and open LG shops and target small smartphone retailers.
- At this stage, they should suspend some of their other phones like the K and Q series and concentrate on the V and G series. In the future, they can bring back the K and Q series.
This is just all I have to say. Their Marketing department should get to work and bring more innovative ideas to sell their phones. They can hire me if they want, cos I know I can help their smartphone department.
F
Fonz
sxs
My LG v30 is slowing down hope LG would improve their update on their phones..
34801130
Here's an idea for LG: Sell the phones to more countries. There are a lot of people out there who secretly want to own an LG phone but never been able to do that because of no official market release. I myself had to import my V50 with DualScreen case to Malaysia all the way from the USA, and it's the same story with my friend's recently-bought Wing 5G. That's not a good sign if you ask me.
LG Electronics today released its earnings report for 2020. There was a 1.53 percent increase in its revenue of 63.26 trillion won (US$ 56.45 billion) from 2019. The financial report also showed that Q4 2020 revenue was 18.78 trillion won (US$ 16.76 billion) reflecting a massive jump of 16.9 percent from its corresponding performance in Q4 2019The increased revenue figures of 2020 yielded an operating profit of 3.20 trillion won (US$ 2.85 billion), an increase of 31.1 percent from 2019, and this is a new record for the company. The record-setting performance was mainly driven by higher sales of home gadgets and OLED TVs in addition to a strong showing in automotive component solutions.
The operating profit for Q4 2020 was 650.20 billion won (US$ 580.19 million), ramping up 538.7 percent from 2019.
LG projects that 2021 will see a normalization of the global economy as vaccines are now coming on board across the world to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mobile Communications division of LG reported revenue earnings of 5.22 trillion won (US$ 4.66 billion) for the full year 2020, while Q4 sales grew 4.9 percent to 1.39 trillion won (US$ 1.24 billion) from 2019, but 9.2% lower than Q3 2020, not unconnected with the global shortages of 4G chipsets in addition to sluggish sales of LG flagship smartphones in the global market.
The full-year operating loss was 841.20 billion won (US$ 750.63 million), reflecting increased marketing investments to support sluggish sales of flagship models, partially offset by manufacturing efficiencies.
In 2021, with 5G technology moving at a fast pace, the global demand for smartphones is expected to go up but intense competition is expected among the players.
Amidst speculations that LG plans to exit the mobile telecoms market, the company said that it plans to closely evaluate the business before coming to a decision.
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Article Contents
LG might not sell a lot of flagship phones in America, but the company does have its budget and entry-level devices in nearly every prepaid carrier store. The K22 is one of LG's latest phones, and while it has been available in other countries for a few months, it only recently arrived in the United States as a Boost Mobile exclusive.
In a time when flagship phones are easily surpassing $1,000, and millions of people in the US (and elsewhere) are looking to save money wherever they can, phones like the K22 will likely receive more attention than ever. I was surprised by how capable the K22 was in my time with the phone, but it is about as cheap as a smartphone can reasonably be, which means a lot of corners were cut.
Design, hardware, what's in the box
The LG K22 is definitely on the larger side, with a diagonal screen size of 6.2 inches. It's almost identical in size to the Galaxy Note20, and slightly shorter than the OnePlus 8T. This will feel like a brick in your pocket, especially if you buy a case.
Most of that size is to accommodate the 6.2-inch screen, which has a notch at the top for the 5MP front-facing camera and a sizable bezel at the bottom. The display's resolution is 1520x720, which will look slightly fuzzy compared to the 1440p AMOLED screens of most flagship phones, but it looks decent enough. Brightness is sufficient for viewing outdoors, with next to no light bleeding (at least on my review unit). However, there doesn't appear to be any oleophobic coating on the display, which means fingerprints and smudges show up easily. You'll end up wiping down the screen fairly often, unless you buy a screen protector with a better coating.
On the phone's left side, there's the microSD/SIM card slot and a dedicated button for opening Google Assistant. LG doesn't have a way to change the function of the Assistant button, or even a switch to turn it off. Thankfully, I didn't accidentally press it all the time like I did with the Assistant key on the Nokia 8 V 5G. The right side has the power button and the volume keys, and on the top is the headphone jack.
There's a microUSB port on the bottom, which is a bit disappointing — if $35 wireless earbuds can have a Type-C port, LG probably could have put one on the K22. There's also no fingerprint scanner anywhere. The LG K22 seems to support Qualcomm Quick Charge 1.0 (according to the specs sheet for its SoC), but I couldn't test real-world charging speeds, since my power meter requires a Type-C connector.
Galaxy S20 (left) next to the LG K22 (right)
The back and sides of the LG K22 are covered in hard plastic, which is certainly better in my book than the glossy plastic found on phones like the Galaxy A11 and Galaxy A21. However, the rear casing does scratch easily. I've had the K22 for less than a week, and even though I haven't dropped it (or done anything else that would normally cause damage to a phone), there are already a few deep scratches.
In the box, you get the phone, a microUSB charging cable, a 6W USB wall adapter, and a few instruction manuals.
Software, performance, battery life
The LG K22 comes with Android 10, and if you know anything about LG, the chances are incredibly slim that this phone will ever receive Android 11 (or beyond). Interestingly, the K22 looks and feels like stock Android — LG's usual interface customizations and custom apps are nowhere to be found. It even uses Google's phone, messaging, and contacts apps by default. This isn't Android Go Edition, either.
I was expecting performance to be rough with this phone. It uses a Qualcomm 215 chipset, which is so low-end that it doesn't even get the usual 'Snapdragon' branding, built on an old 28nm process (the Snapdragon 888 is 5mm). Applications do take a few seconds to open, but once the phone is going, it's not unbearably slow. I wasn't left waiting for the keyboard to open or for Chrome to slowly load the New Tab Page, which are issues I've run into with other budget phones. I also didn't experience any random slowdowns or crashes — I suspect LG's decision to stick close to stock Android helped there.
The LG K22 is perfectly capable of watching YouTube videos, checking messages, and a bit of web browsing, which is better than I was expecting for under $70. However, any kind of gaming is off the table here — the K22 struggled even with simple titles like Crossy Road. My review unit from Boost Mobile also came with a staggering amount of bloatware and pre-installed applications, not counting the basic carrier apps. I've listed the ones on my unit below, and the bolded items can only be disabled, not fully uninstalled:
Amazon Music
Amazon Shopping
App Spotlight
Audible
Boost Mobile Music Plus
Boost Perks
Candy Crush
Cash App
Facebook
FastNEWS
News Break
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Kindle
Solitaire
TIDAL
TikTok
WeatherBug
Netflix
If you're interested in benchmarks, the LG K22 earned 9.93 in Speedometer 2.0 and a 302 in 3DMark's Sling Shot test. With Geekbench 5, the phone scored 96 in single-core performance and 341 in multi-core (full results here). In all tests, a higher number is better.
From left to right: Geekbench 5, Speedometer 2.0, 3DMark Sling Shot
Battery life on the LG K22 lives up to the standards set by other budget phones. The 3,000mAh battery is smaller than the packs seen in many other budget phones (which often push 4,000 or 5,000mAh), and the large display needs a decent amount of power, but it's somewhat balanced out by the low-end Qualcomm chipset. I ended most days with 50-60% battery remaining on the LG K22, so unless you don't charge the phone every night (or you really want to play games, for some reason), you won't see the low battery indicator often.
Camera samples
The LG K22 has two rear cameras: a 12MP main lens, and a 5MP macro lens. To absolutely no one's surprise, this $70 phone does not take great photos. Colors are washed out, it's difficult to capture objects in motion, and the sky is usually completely white in outdoor photos.
It's clear LG only added the 5MP macro camera so the company could say the K22 had two rear cameras. The secondary lens is too low-resolution to capture any substantial detail in photos... which is the entire point of a macro camera.
Should you buy it?
LG K22
8/10
Sure, if you absolutely can't spend more money. The LG K22 is a fairly impressive device, considering it's 14% the price of a Galaxy S20 Fan Edition but still covers all the essentials. Apps usually don't take more than 2-3 seconds to open, web browsing and messaging is functional, and it can technically take photos. The K22 doesn't have much competition in the sub-$100 bracket: the $70 BLU Studio Mini has an older version of Android, the more-expensive Nokia 1.3 has half the RAM, and so on. However, the K22 will almost assuredly never get an Android OS upgrade, security patches won't be frequent, the back scratches easily, and you're stuck with a power connector that most of the mobile world has now moved on from.
If you can push your budget to the ~$150 range, you can get something significantly better than the LG K22. The $150 Moto G Fast has a much larger battery, another GB of RAM, and faster hardware. There's also the 2020 Moto E and Nokia 2.4 to consider, which are slightly cheaper than the G Fast. Both of Motorola's phones should work on Boost Mobile, but likely not the Nokia 2.4 (it doesn't support CDMA).
Buy it if:
You can't spend more than $100.
You want a phone with a stock-like Android experience.
Don't buy it if:
You want a good camera.
You want Android 11 and beyond — this phone will likely stay on Android 10 forever.
LG Electronics Inc. announced its 2020 revenues of KRW 63.26 trillion (USD 56.45 billion) and record operating profit of KRW 3.20 trillion (USD 2.85 billion), an increase of 31.1% over 2019. In a statement, the company claims that growth was driven primarily by higher sales of premium home appliances and OLED TVs as well as strong growth in vehicle component solutions.
Sales in the fourth quarter of KRW 18.78 trillion (USD 16.76 billion) grew 16.9% from the same period of 2019 and were 11% higher than the previous quarter. Despite the impact of COVID-19, the quarter’s operating profit of KRW 650.20 billion (USD 580.19 million) increased significantly by 539% compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.
For 2021, LG expects the global economy to normalize after successful implementation of vaccinations. The company claims that core technologies such as AI, 5G, IoT and mobility will be widely applied to various LG business areas.
The LG Home Appliance & Air Solution Company ended 2020 with revenues of KRW 22.27 trillion (USD 19.87 billion), an increase of 3.5% from the previous year, and operating profit of KRW 2.35 trillion (USD 2.10 billion). The company claims that results reflect increased sales of new appliance categories and the home appliance rental business in South Korea. Fourth-quarter revenue of KRW 5.54 trillion (USD 4.94 billion) was the highest fourth quarter in the company’s history, an increase of 20% year-on-year with double-digit growth in South Korea, North America and Europe.
The LG Home Entertainment Company reported 2020 revenues of KRW 13.18 trillion (USD 11.76 billion) and operating profit of KRW 969.70 billion (USD 865.29 million), a 22.9% increase over the previous year.
The LG Mobile Communications Company announced full-year 2020 revenues of KRW 5.22 trillion (USD 4.66 billion). Fourth-quarter sales of KRW 1.39 trillion (USD 1.24 billion) were 4.9 % higher than the same quarter of 2019 but 9.2 % lower than the previous quarter due to shortages of 4G chipsets and sluggish sales of premium smartphones in overseas markets.
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If you're looking for a new big-screen TV to watch the Super Bowl on, there are plenty of worthwhile deals you can take advantage of right now. Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are all offering discounts on 4K TVs, including several 65-, 75-, and 77-inch models perfect for the big game.
New 2021 displays will start to hit stores in the spring, so the Super Bowl is the perfect opportunity for retailers to clear out existing inventory. Though deal prices aren't quite as low as they were during Black Friday and Cyber Monday , you can still snag a great TV for less than the usual asking price.
Below, we've rounded up some of the best deals we've seen so far on big-screen TV models. It's not clear how long all of these discounts will last, but most of the deals will likely run until the Super Bowl kicks off on February 7. We also expect a few new deals to pop up over the coming days, so be sure check back for all the latest discounts.
If you want an 8K TV at a slightly less eye-watering price, LG’s 75-inch 99 Series LED 8K UHD TV is a great choice with its incredibly high- resolution display and smart webOS TV operating system.
The Vizio MQ6 isn't as advanced as the MQ7 or MQ8 M-Series models, but it offers entry-level HDR support, smart TV streaming, and a huge screen size for an affordable price.
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With one of the most-watched and highly-anticipated sporting events just days away, LG Electronics USA announced limited-time promotional pricing on its award-winning LG OLED TVs. The special pricing promotion includes the lowest price ever for an LG OLED TV (55-inch class LG OLED BX) and significant savings of up to $2,000 on larger-screen LG OLED TVs. now through Feb. 7 at LG-authorized retailers nationwide.
Celebrated as the "Best TV" for the seventh straight year at CES® 2021 and recently honored with a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award, LG OLED technology delivers perfect blacks, more than one billion rich colors and a sense of immersion that allows the consumer to have the best possible experience when watching sports and movies, playing video games and more, especially when paired with one of LG's premium soundbars with Dolby Atmos.
OLED65GX Gallery TV (65-inch class), $2,499 (originally $3,499)
OLED77GX Gallery TV (77-inch class), $3,999 (originally $5,999)
As an added bonus, consumers who purchase an LG OLED GX Gallery TV with an LG GX Sound Bar (now through January 31, 2021) will also save an additional $500.2
"Big games call for the biggest and best TVs and experts agree that LG OLED TVs are the world champions," said Tim Alessi, LG USA's senior director of home entertainment product marketing. "With self-emitting pixels that provide perfect blacks, bright, vivid color and fast response times, only OLED TVs have the complete playbook to create a stunning picture and give you a front row seat to all of the action."
With the α9 Gen 3 AI Processor and other sports-centric features, LG OLED TVs are perfect for sports fans. Sports Alert helps users keep track of their favorite teams/ Users can select their favorite teams in various sports to receive automatic updates at the start of a game, whenever a team scores and when the game ends. Sports fans can also benefit from enhanced sound. Viewers can connect the TV to LG Bluetooth speakers to create a more dynamic soundscape and create a real stadium environment.
In addition to sports viewing, LG OLED TVs also are ideal for serious gamers, delivering a seamless, big-screen gaming experience unlike any other offering NVIDIA G-SYNC® compatibility. With support for the latest high-speed game consoles, variable refresh rate and low input lag, LG OLED TVs are considered the most advanced gaming TVs on the market today.
LG OLED TVs feature Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos for an immersive movie watching experience from a vast array of streaming apps included on the webOS Smart TV platform. LG OLED TVs also feature built-in LG ThinQ®, Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant, delivering cutting-edge AI features that can be operated directly through the TV's Magic Remote with no additional hardware required. Apple AirPlay2 and Apple HomeKit are also supported for easy streaming and connectivity with Apple devices.
The LG OLED GX Series "Gallery TV" offers the perfect combination of form and function. Featuring the latest OLED technology, it can truly bring your favorite movies, sports and TV shows to stunning reality. Its uniformly slim design, only 0.8" deep3, pairs with its supplied slim wall mount, allowing it to be mounted completely flush to the wall like a piece of art– so all you see is your display – which is just as beautiful off as it is on.
For more information on LG's OLED TV lineup, visit lg.com.
About LG Electronics USA LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $53 billion global innovator in technology and manufacturing. In the United States, LG sells a wide range of innovative home appliances, home entertainment products, mobile phones, commercial displays, air conditioning systems, solar energy solutions and vehicle components. The "Life's Good" marketing theme encompasses how LG is dedicated to people's happiness by exceeding expectations today and tomorrow. LG is a 2020 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year-Sustained Excellence. www.LG.com.
1 55-inch class is 54.6 inches diagonal / 65-inch class is 64.5 inches diagonal / 77-inch class is 76.7 inches diagonal
