Engadget got their hands on the LG Star; and the verdict is a pretty positive heck yes, saying “Basically, Tegra 2 will give anything your current phone’s running an inferiority complex.” Engadget only had positive remarks about the Star, and everything negative was attributed to the fact that they were reviewing a test device.
Adding to the salivation is that Engadget is saying it could be possible for the Star to launch with Gingerbread; FroYo being so last summer, and all.
An additional note worth making here is that the initial Star leak came with the juicy implication that Gingerbread could be the Android version shipping with final units, so we’ll have to just wait to find that out.
Engadget’s review of the Star is definitely in depth and a worthy read for anyone wanting to know how high the bar for next-gen Android devices is being set. You’ll also be treated to a barrage of pictures and a video of various benchmarks being executed.
[via Engadget]
test,
Please ignore.
The phone looks nice and all, a little too Iphone-like for me, but still looks good. Problem I have is people saying how amazing Tegra2 is, and how us 1ghz single cores will be weeping at the speeds of new phones. Realistically look at the slight lag when changing screens, now I understand its still in testing. However my droidx stock moved quicker than this thing, and now that I’m rooted its blazing fast.
Not trying to hate on these new phones, but I think people are severely getting their hopes up. I have a hard time believing someone will buy this phone and I will be more then slightly impressed with its speed/specs. Guess its just a matter of time til we see it in the real world and how it truly preforms
Looks like an IPS screen to me – that’s good.. About Tegra 2, it seems overrated to me. The GPU is already outclassed by PowerVR 540. The CPU seems to be great, but I think the new Snapdragon and Samsung Orion will destroy it.
“Engadget’s review of the Star…”
Guys, it’s a preview.
Anyway, apart from having nice specs I seem to be one of the few people that actually likes how this phone looks (based on the Engadget comments). Will definitely stick with my Desire for a while though as I don’t see any need for dual-core in phones at the moment…
@Joe. I don’t think that switching screens is a process that is being handled by both cores. The benefits of having multi core processors is when you have programs/apps which are designed to take advantage of them. Those will blow away apps that are designed for single core processors, especially if those apps (the ones made for single core processors) are running on multi core processors since they aren’t being efficiently used to maximize both cores. Just because phoned have multiple core doesn’t mean all those 100k+ apps are going to be better. But when we start seeing apps made specifically for them you will see the difference. In a couple years when multi core phones are standard most apps won’t be nearly possible to run on what we call high-end phones today.
@joe c
since its running froyo and not gingerbread, its only using one of the two cores and the speeds are still fantastic. just wait until(hopefully) gingerbread gets on it and ull be more than satasfied with it
Did I miss where it said what carrier this is headed too?
The phone looks pretty good.
How is LG with updates? I currently have a Samsung Vibrant, and we all know how Samsung are with updates, and I’m about done with it.
@sano You like the Vibrant but hate the updates. How about he fastest updated Android phone the Nexus S? LG already said they may or may not update their other LG phone, I would believe that they would update their phones if they had stock Android on them. Also don’t forget that just because you have stock that doesn’t mean a phone will get updates as fast as the Nexus line of phones. For updates you have to wait for first Google then the manufacturer then the carrier and with the Nexus its just Google then straight to you.
Thank god I don’t qualify for an upgrade until next summer otherwise I probably would’ve bought something with an inferiority complex already.
@Sano
LG has some of the best updating speeds for Android phone manufacuturers, They’ve really been on top of things lately, meanwhile Samsung lags behind in last place for having some of the most expencive and fastest phones still running Eclair ._. But bottom line, LG is bomb, and on another note, Dual core for phones is a horrible idea right now, we need to extend battery life and keep our phones cool, these days they just get burning hot and take the life out of you phone, we need ventalation and better battery before better processers…
@Greg they don’t definitively know because since they’re using wifi and have no network connection they probably don’t have anymore of an idea than you do. I think the only other review I’ve seen (also on Engadget) was in Turkish.
It might be shipping with Gingerbread you say? Does that mean we can expect the Star to launch late next year, sometime around the release of Honeycomb?
There is no such thing as lag in gingerbread, if you read some of the docs, it says application pauses will be so small it will be smaller than the refresh rate of the screen.
@ joe C You are dilusional its a test device a tegra 2 device is going to change cell phones. To be able to have 2 cores is going to change how developers make their apps do some research and stop hating because you jumped on the X bandwagon and now your phone is not the superior one anymore
@JOker when since the Droid X been the superior phone? The Evo is still TOP DAWG for now
The evo is crap compared to the x.battery, pictures, video, and style are all won by the x. The only thing the evo has over the x is 4g. And 4g is so sparse it doesn’t help the evo win.
just talk…talk..and we could by disjointed just like with
NEXUS S, right?
@curry
i dont think battery life will be a problem :)
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/12/worlds-smallest-battery-uses-a-single-nanowire-plant-eating-vi/
I love my Vibrant (aside from the lag, the lack of updates and the “I’l work when I damned feel like it” attitude of the GPS, but I can’t stand the TouchWiz. Beautiful, yes? I just hate that it looks to iPhoney to me. I thought I would feel better about it because everyone thinks it’s an iPhone, but I hate it because I’m on a Droid! Now the LG Star looks liek the Galaxy S.
I’m excited about the phone but, believe it can be a success or a total flop !
to be a success it has got to be smooth all the time especially for a new phone with froyo/gingerbread/or honeycomb, and on-top of that dual 1ghz a9 tegra 2 chip, their should be no lag at all! it should also have either lte/hspa+/wimax support as well!
I’m so sick of hearing “it looks too much like an iPhone”. Is that really a bad thing? I mean think about it; is it really the phone you hate? Do you hate ram? A screen with great resolution? A battery? Cameras? Or is it just iOS you hate? Because personally I think the phone itself is a very descent piece of hardware.
Apple made a very basic looking device, its square and its all screen. Pretty much every all screen phone you see will look like that unless they change colors or give it contours like the N-S has.
I don’t find this phone or the iPhone particularly attractive but they are far from ugly and if the specs are nice enough I can look past that. But please, next time you say you hate it because its “too much like an iPhone” rephrase, cuz you just sound like a fanboy.
@jdog25
I was initially going to get the Nexus S for that reason, but being that it is a downgrade compared to my phone put me off.. The whole no microsd slot and no more hd video really put me off.. I could care less about the HSPA +…
@Nlsme
“The evo is crap compared to the x.battery, pictures, video, and style are all won by the x. The only thing the evo has over the x is 4g. And 4g is so sparse it doesn’t help the evo win”
I disagree. Even though I have a Nexus One, I would say the EVO is probably the best Android phone out there right now. 4.3″ screen, front facing video camera, thin, HDMI out, 4G, etc. That phone has everything! I would get one except that I’m on T-Mobile and the processor in the EVO (like my Nexus) is about to be obsolete.
Battery life, IMHO, is a non-argument. You pay to play. If you want a super phone, you expect the battery to be drained fast. You can turn off certain features, turn down screen brightness, use less auto-updating widgets, etc, to make battery life last longer. You can also get longer-life after-market batteries. I did this for my Nexus One and it helped a lot. Three of my friends have EVO’s and love them and I totally understand why. HTC makes great phones. I’ve been dreaming about HTC announcing the “EVO 2 for T-Mobile!” Or the Nexus H. It would have 32GB ROM, 1 gig RAM, SD card slot, 1080P HDMI out, noise-canceling extra mic like in Nexus One, Super AMOLED, Scorpion processor, 4.3 or 4.5″ screen with super thin bezel, 4G (HSPA+), standard headphone jack, and LED for notifications.
so you are saying the evo is the better phone because of what the. If it isn’t the battery, or camera, or the memory. The screen size is the same, the processor is clocked at the same speed. Sparse 4g hardly makes up for the evo shortcomings. The ONLY thing the evo has is its ability to be hacked.sorry. The x has hdmi out, it is also thin. You really haven’t made any case. Plus, verizon owns sprint. Especially to an nfl fan.
Ohh, the x also has a standard headphone jack and led notification.plus the evo is plastic.
Just wish this phone worked on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network and ships with stock Gingerbread…guess I’ll have to keep wishing…
@agx It does look to much like an iphone. One good thing about android phones is that they all are different and costimized in such different ways. @ everyone else I hate the droid x I think it sucks in everyway except screen size compared to the g2 and evo I actually like but not as much as my g2. But really they are all top end phones and everyone of them has there plus and minus. You can debate all day but really there is no clear best phone right now.
Hopefully this hits Sprint with 4G
Really at a loss for the people who claim the evo is the best phone. They must not care about the things that really matter.like the long list ong things the x wins in. battery lasts twice as long.picture and video is better.reception is better. Nice cancellation is non distant on the evo.not saying the x is the”best”phone, but there is NO WAY the evo is better.
Wow that is one GENERIC looking device. I know its packin’ serious power under the hood. But hardware wise, this phone can absolutely be lost in the crowd.
I’m not sure why people are saying that LG has better phones than Samsung or Motorola? Maybe in Korea but, look at the phones here. The Optimus, the Ally, Vortex? All lame low end phones. Free after rebate city.