LG Etna Shows Face, Picture, Vodafone-bound (UPDATE)
| by Rob Jackson on September 7th, 2009 |
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The Android world is set to have an insane holiday season but LG Electronics has been somewhat missing in action from these discussions. Not any longer – at the IFA Trade Fair the folks at German website Chip Online (translated to English) spotted the company’s first Android Phone – named LG Etna – at the Vodafone booth.
Very few details were shared about the device but we’re told its a 3-inch screen, 5MP camera and has Bluetooth and USB. Obviously you can tell the form factor is touchscreen with Full QWERTY slideout and the keyboard itself looks nice and spacious. I’m a little curious about the front – it appears there is a DPad but I don’t see any hardware buttons so that should be an interesting development.
Here is the original article translated to English:
LG Etna: Vodafone shows Android phone
Mobile phone maker LG Electronics will introduce in the near future appears to be his first Google Android phone, called Etna.
At the IFA trade fair stand of Vodafone, our editors will spot the Android phone from LG was first to inspect. The Etna has next to the Google Android operating system, a 3-inch touchscreen and a sliding QWERTY keyboard. For further equipment details include a 5-megapixel camera and Bluetooth wireless and a USB interface.
Will be when and at what price to have the phone on Vodafone, currently is not fixed yet. (sg)
More details on the LG Etna as we get them!
UPDATE: Remember back in February when we first heard about a phone called the LG Etna – an affordable texting phone with a touchscreen and slideout QWERTY? We did… although Android was never mentioned. Interestingly enough, the video showing off the LG Etna has been removed by its user… hmmmm. It was originally headed to AT&T when discussed in February and it was officially announced and made available as the LG Neon (GD365). So is this LG Etna really the LG Neon 2? Pardon me, but speculating is so much fun!
[Thanks Dominik!]
1. a wrote on September 7, 2009
Maybe other keys are touch like Chocolate
2. HereAndNow wrote on September 7, 2009
I suspect, a lot of QWERTY keyboard fans are going to be happy to see this hit the market.
3. Rudy wrote on September 7, 2009
Is there a possibility that this is the same phone as the LG eve that you have listed in the rumored phones section?
I am so looking forward to this device! I guess i am going to buy.
4. QuantumRand wrote on September 7, 2009
We all know AT&T isn’t ever going to carry an Android phone (at least not one worth getting)…I really do hate my carrier.
5. bandi87 wrote on September 7, 2009
I wonder what the hardware specs are…and whether this pic is really old, because as I see it’s not with cupcake(check out the search widget)…
6. Herbert wrote on September 7, 2009
It seems LG is frequently re-using the name “Etna”.
As you say, the KD365/KS360 was called Etna.
The GW520 was also called Etna.
The KW300 is Etna2.
Perhaps that picture is of the GW620, which will be an Android device released soon, but its currently going under the name of “Eve”.
7. K wrote on September 7, 2009
Hmm, possibly one of the VZ android phones?
8. heavyduty wrote on September 7, 2009
Does it have a front facing camera for video calls? It looks like it.
Does Android even have support for video calls?
9. Rudy wrote on September 7, 2009
here is another article about it:
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Vodafone-zeigt-Android-Smartphone-von-LG–/meldung/144846
they say, that lg is going to adapt their s-class ui to the phone. so it is not going to be a google experience phone
10. Dennis wrote on September 7, 2009
That is weird.. I thought that the physical keys were a requirement.. At a minimum I would prefer physical keys for talk, and stop (power).. what’s the option if an app crashes terribly ?.. removing the battery ?
11. Maj wrote on September 7, 2009
@Dennis
i never had my g1 crashes like that, i had such issue very few times with my 1st gen iphone but never with the iphone
12. NieuweMobiel wrote on September 8, 2009
The GT365 “ETNA” is not the same phone as this Etna Android. According to the User Agent Profile of LG that is: http://gsm.lge.com/html/gsm/LG-GT365.xml
13. rem06513 wrote on September 8, 2009
Looks cool. I can’t wait to try it out.
14. dsh wrote on September 8, 2009
A five-row keyboard! It’s about time someone made another keyboard that wasn’t lame.