If there is one major area where LG’s offerings have fallen flat in the past it has been the custom user interface deployed on their Android devices. The Korean smartphone maker hasn’t quite stuck a balance between Android functionality and value-added features. They hope to make some strides in that department with the release of the Optimus UI 3.0, which will feature on the company’s Android 4.0 devices. The UI is being touted as “unobtrusive and simple,” with enhancements that include Quick Memo — a method for quickly jotting down notes — and new lock screen features.

The highlight reel of features includes

• the ability to unlock the phone by dragging anywhere on the screen;
• a new Pattern Lock that allows users to preset the most frequently used function, such as the camera, which automatically opens once the phone is unlocked;
• a simpler version of Optimus UI 3.0 for new smartphone users which organizes the main applications so that they are the easiest to access;
• a new Voice Shutter that allows users to capture photos using only voice commands;
• a special camera feature that enables users to pick up the best shot among multiple images including the moment just before the shutter button is depressed;
• an Icon Customizer that provides an additional level of personalization by allowing users to set their own photos as icons and shortcut images;
• the addition of a Download category to the menu for easier organization.

The Optimus UI 3.0 will debut on the LG Optimus LTE II, which launches this week in Korea. It will then make its way to the LG Optimus 4X HD in June. Back at Mobile World Congress when we first got a look at some of LG’s latest hardware we proclaimed that the manufacturer would need to up its software game if it wanted to stay a relevant Android contender. Here’s hoping the new UI enhancements are a step in the right direction.

LG’S NEW OPTIMUS UI 3.0 ADDS NEW FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS WHILE BEING UNOBTRUSIVE AND SIMPLE

New User Interface Makes the LG Smartphone Experience Faster, Simpler, More Convenient

SEOUL, May 16, 2012 - LG Electronics (LG) is introducing a new User Interface (UI) for its newest Android Ice Cream Sandwich devices, aptly named Optimus UI 3.0. Optimus UI 3.0 brings with it an array of enhanced key features, including Quick Memo™ and unique unlock functions, among other new features and functions aimed at improving LG smartphone experience.

"With smartphone hardware becoming more and more similar, it’s important for manufacturers to differentiate their products from the competition through the user interface," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Both carriers and customers tell us that they want LG phones to look and feel unique and the UI plays a big part in that. LG is really going to push the boundaries of what is possible in user interfaces starting with Optimus UI 3.0."

Optimus UI 3.0 is designed with convenience and speed in mind. A powerful memo function called Quick Memo™ enables users to jot notes on the screen using a finger. Quick Memo™ in Optimus UI 3.0 allows users to share their thoughts through social networks, text messages and e-mails more conveniently than ever before.

Other new features include:

– the ability to unlock the phone by dragging anywhere on the screen;
– a new Pattern Lock that allows users to preset the most frequently used function, such as the camera, which automatically opens once the phone is unlocked;
– a simpler version of Optimus UI 3.0 for new smartphone users which organizes the main applications so that they are the easiest to access;
– a new Voice Shutter that allows users to capture photos using only voice commands;
– a special camera feature that enables users to pick up the best shot among multiple images including the moment just before the shutter button is depressed;
– an Icon Customizer that provides an additional level of personalization by allowing users to set their own photos as icons and shortcut images;
– the addition of a Download category to the menu for easier organization.

Optimus UI 3.0 will debut on the LG Optimus LTE II launching this week in Korea, followed by LG Optimus 4X HD in June.

The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S III is only a few weeks away, but this unboxing video is enough to cause anyone eager to own the new Android superphone to lose their patience. The above video comes to us courtesy of Italy’s HDBlog and features the retail version of the Galaxy S III. For good measure the phone is compared to several other recent Galaxy models as well as the HTC One X and HTC One S. While it doesn’t reveal much about the phone we didn’t already know it gives us a good idea of what to expect come launch day. So who is picking one up?

[via AndroidandMe]

T-Mobile has updated their support pages with an exact date to expect Ice Cream Sandwich for the HTC Amaze 4G. Previously the update was pegged as coming sometime in the next couple of weeks. Now users can look forward to Android 4.0 (but only Sense 3.6) on May 21st.

In related news, the upgrade to ICS for the HTC Sensation 4G should begin pushing today, just as promised. Any owners of the T-Mobile handset receive the prompt to update yet? You can manually pull the software by navigating to the “About phone” menu under Settings and checking for any new software updates. Let us know how things work out!

[via AndroidCentral]

Those pre-ordering the Galaxy S III from the Samsung Brand Store in Westfield Stratford City, London are about to be the coolest kids on the block…at least for a few hours. Why? Because Samsung has announced that their new flagship phone will be available a day early to these pre-order customers. The phone will be ready for pick up on May 29th at 6PM. Those having to wait the extra half day to fulfill their pre-orders on May 30thwill surely be envious. Check out the release from Samsung below.

SAMSUNG GALAXY SIII AVAILABLE A DAY EARLY FOR SAMSUNG BRAND STORE PRE-ORDER CUSTOMERS

16th May 2012, London, UK - Samsung Mobile UK today announced that customers who have pre-ordered a Galaxy S III from the Samsung Brand Store at Westfield Stratford City will be able to collect their device the night before the official launch date of 30 May.

Samsung Brand Store pre-order customers can get their hands on the new device from 6pm on 29 May. Early collection will only be available for customers that have pre-ordered from the Samsung Brand Store before 6pm on 29 May. The device will not be available to buy on May 29 - this offer is for pre-order customers only. Pre-orders made after 6pm on 29 May, whether in-store or online, will be fulfilled from 30 May. Pre-orders from retentions or online will also not be delivered to customers’ delivery addresses until 30 May onwards.

Samsung is also giving its retail partners the option to make their own Galaxy S III pre-orders available early; an hour later from 7pm. The final decision will be contingent on individual retailers as to whether they make this offer available to their customers.

Simon Stanford, Vice President, Telecommunications and Networks, Samsung UK and Ireland said: “We’ve had an overwhelming response from our retail partners and customers alike since announcing the Galaxy S III on 3 May. So we wanted to delight our customers and reward them for pre-ordering by letting them get their hands on the device a day before anyone else. We believe we have created our best smartphone yet, designed specifically with daily human needs in mind, and we are proud to provide our customers with a truly unique mobile user experience.”

The Galaxy S III will be available to buy in the UK across all major networks, key high street and out of town electrical retailers, online retailers and the Samsung Brand Store at Westfield Stratford City on 30 May.

Looks like there’s a healthy fixin’ of the Android Overload for you here tonight. These are all the stories that came past our way from throughout the day, but we couldn’t feature on our homepage. For all the ones that didn’t make the cut, we place them here — in the Android Overload. There’s almost always something here for everyone. So, pull up a chair and dig right in!

• Peel updated with support for Ice Cream Sandwich and Gingerbread devices. [Play Store Link]
• Apple’s Siri says Nokia Lumia 900 is world’s best smartphone. Siri quickly patched. [Cnet]
• Cox looking to sell 700MHz spectrum to AT&T and US Cellular. [PhoneScoop]
• Antivirus firms says 75% of all mobile malware targets Android users. [Forbes]
• FCC investigates Verizon over warehousing spectrum concerns. [GigaOM]
• Pantech P8010 headed to AT&T with S4 processor and LTE. Possible Vega Racer 2 variant. [Engadget]
• ASUS Padfone benchmarked. Gets an easy 5057 on Quadrant. [NetbookNews]
• Oracle vs Google jury begins patent deliberation. [Electronista]
• Galaxy S III with non-TouchWiz UI and dual-core processor headed to NT Docomo (along with 19 other devices) this summer. [SammyHub]

The cloud gaming space is about to get a little more crowded with new comer Gaikai entering into the ring. Backed by none other than Nvidia and their powerful Kepler GPU. Gaikai is the brainchild of gaming mastermind David Perry (of Earth Worm Jim fame) and allows players to game from just about any device with a high speed internet connection and a device capable of streaming HD video. If you thought this sounded a lot like Onlive, you’d be right but there’s one small, millisecond difference — latency.

Gaikai looks to get a leg up on the competition thanks to their partnership with Nvidia who will back David Perry’s cloud service with their powerful gaming processor. Nvidia and Gaikai took to the stage today to show off Nvidia’s GeForce Grid GPU on an ASUS Transformer Prime. On Nvidia’s cloud in the sky, the GeForce Grid features 2 Kepler GPU’s with 3,072 CUDA cores, capable of pushing 4.7 teraflops of 3D shader bliss.

To demo the new service and technology, a demo of an upcoming first-person mech shooter called Hawken was shown off onstage showcasing ten millisecond latency and Gaikai’s “console,” jokingly nothing more than an simple ethernet cable — no console box necessary. The coolest part? With plans to bring the service to everything from smartphones to televisions, Gaikai will let anyone game with friends regardless of platform.

As far as pricing goes, Gaikai is currently free, offering demos of popular games from any desktop browser but this new venture could see a Netflix-like flat monthly rate for all you can play access to their gaming catalog — supported by publishers like Epic, Capcom and THQ, EA, Ubisoft and Sega. No word on exactly when we can expect GaiKai’s/Nvidia’s GeForce Grid to launch, but it’s very possible we’ll see more at next month’s E3 — of which we’ll be on hand, providing you with the very latest.

[TheVerge]

T-Mobile is getting ready for a second round of job cuts in which the number 4 carrier in the US plans to layoff 900 more of their employees across the US. The layoffs follow 10 consecutive quarters of customer contract losses and will should help T-Mo hold apply that $4 billion they recently acquired from AT&T to help rollout their upcoming 4G LTE network.

The cuts wont affect “front line” employees (those working at T-Mobile retail locations), but will hit those in which T-Mobile feels will help their new restructuring efforts. Those employees will be this notified this week with T-Mobile’s CEO Philip Humm sending out an email to employees saying:

Dear colleagues,

Since the beginning of the year, T-Mobile has stressed that 2012 is a rebuilding year for the company. A vital step in that process was announced in March with the consolidation of our call centers. This week, T-Mobile is taking the second essential step. We are announcing a new structure that further aligns our costs with our revenue realities, enables teams who support our field organization to act and react with greater speed and effectiveness to customer and market opportunities, and better positions us to return to growth.

The new organization required difficult decisions that will impact some of our employees. This week, news will be shared personally with employees and teams who are directly affected by the restructuring. Changes will include some position eliminations and changes to individual roles and responsibilities. It is important to emphasize these impacts to employees result from business decisions. We have tremendous employees here at T-Mobile and we truly wish we could retain all our talent, but our business realities require hard choices. For affected team members, we are providing generous transition support including severance, assistance with COBRA continuation coverage, and outplacement services. As mentioned in the March announcement, customer service representatives in the remaining 17 call centers, technicians in engineering, and frontline employees in our T-Mobile corporate-owned stores will not be affected.

Our rebuilt structure enables T-Mobile to realize significant savings, allowing us to invest in future growth - in particular modernizing our network to LTE, repositioning the T-Mobile brand, and aggressively pursuing the B2B segment where we plan to add 1,000 positions over the next few years.  We gain the agility to put resources where the current opportunities are, grow in areas where potential is greatest, and act on emerging opportunities quickly and rationally.

The restructuring provides a sustainable organizational model, centered on our T-Mobile Values, with the following attributes:

• A greater focus on driving Customer Delight by reducing the layers between working teams and executive leadership, and shifting and consolidating groups in the field sales regions and the FSC to minimize redundant work - resulting in more effective coordination and communication.
• A renewed emphasis on Best Place to Perform and Grow:
• Enhanced people manager spans of control (number of direct reports), enabling faster decisions, more ability to execute, and more empowerment of employees at all levels.

• Evolution of our leadership model from player-coach, where more time is spent on daily tasks than on planning and guiding, to leader-coach, where time is focused more strategically on coaching, developing, delegating, and motivating.

We approached the restructuring process and decisions with care, rigor and cross-functional alignment. A team comprised of top leaders, with support from industry-leading subject matter experts, worked closely together over the past few months to develop an effective and sustainable structure. We strongly believe the organizational principles we applied are lasting ones. More details on the new organizational structure will be shared in department and team communications this week and more broadly after that.

I want to assure you we will move through the communications this week very thoughtfully, but also as quickly as we can while preserving the quality of the conversations that need to happen. As always, our T-Mobile Values will guide our actions.

Thank you for your patience as we work through what will be a difficult week. Thank you for your continued commitment.

With sincere appreciation,

Philipp Humm

CEO & President

T-Mobile USA

It was only 2 months ago, T-Mobile announced they would be shutting down 7 call centers in which 3,300 employees would be losing their jobs.

[TmoNews | Reuters]

It was only earlier today that HTC announced the availability of their upcoming super budget, entry-level Android nugget — the Desire C (Golf). Now it seems HTC is adding a new “C” device to their lineup, with the now leaked HTC Ville C. According to the fine folks at Brief Mobile who received the tip, the Ville C will essentially finds itself as an HTC One S, just minus a few of the specs that made it so special.

Specs for the HTC Ville C include 4.3-inch AMOLED qHD display, 16GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM but when it comes to its processor, will come equipped with last year’s Qualcomm S3 dual-core processor (MSM8260). Pay no attention to the image which lists the clock speed at 1.7GHz, apparently, that’s a typo. The Ville C will also come with the now standard 8MP camera with front facing VGA camera. We’d expect the build quality of the Ville C to come with the standard aluminum chassis — minus the 1 million volts oxidation process of the One S to further cut costs. No word on release date or even if we’ll see this stateside, but we’ll keep you posted.

Two of HTC’s heavy hitters — the HTC EVO 4G LTE and HTC One X — are facing shipping delays here in the states due to a U.S. Customs investigation. Apparently, both devices are being examined to ensure they aren’t in violation of an International Trade Commission exclusion order over Apple patent #5,946,647 (having to do with clickable links inside messaging and browser apps). HTC was supposed to have taken care of the issue but in a statement today, HTC announced:

[HTC One X on AT&T | All Things D]

It’s rare you see a cross platform developer implement Android 4.0 design practices into their application but Evernote is showing they’re one of the few that can make it happen. With their latest 4.0 update, they’ve introduced a completely redesigned app that is easily their greatest update — ever.

Everything from their homescreen to their note and notebook lists have been completely redesigned to take advantage of new swipe gestures and more intuitive controls that make finding, and getting to your notes quicker, and easier than ever before. You’ll also notice new Android 4.0 designed “action bars” running along the bottom of the app that are context sensitive based on where you are in the app. When reading a note, the action bar will disappear giving you a full screen to view your note without any distractions. Places is Evernote’s new area for viewing notes according to where they were created. You can even view them on a map, if that tickles your fancy.

Because of their app to desktop (and back again) syncing functionality, Evernote has long been my one and only note taking application on both my desktop and Android device. The best part about it? It’s completely free. You can grab the all new Evernote 4.0 from the Google Play Store right now.

[Play Store Link]

We hear it talked about a lot in the tech circles, but if you were hoping to get a glimpse of what Android’s “fragmentation” looks like, the boys at Staircase 3 have a nice graphic for you. These guys have been tracking 681,900 Android devices over the past 6 months that have downloaded their OpenSignalMaps (a network monitoring app) and this is what they’ve found: 599 distinct brands, 3,997 different Android devices, spanning across 195 countries. And that, folks, is why they call it the Android army.

Taking a look at the graphic, you can easily see which Android devices have the majority market share, with Samsung devices dominating the chart and their Galaxy S2, specifically, taking top honors among the distinct models surveyed. Keep in mind, this data — while nice to look at — isn’t exactly a complete and exhaustive study. The data is only taken from those that have used the OpenSignalMaps application and even then, custom ROMs can muddy up the data with unique “android.build.MODELs.”

While fragmentation gives users the option of choosing just about any device with the specs to fill their need, you can see that it poses a challenge on developers looking to make a single app tailored to fit them all. Would love to see more official statistics like these from the boys over at Google HQ. Would make it much easier to recommend Android devices more likely to receive updates based purely on market share.

[OpenSignalMaps | TechCrunch]

If the appearance of the Galaxy Nexus for sale through the Google Play store signaled the company’s renewed interest in direct smartphone sales, a new report out of the Wall Street Journal could hint at plans to change the entire Android landscape. According to the report, Google will open up its Nexus program to multiple OEM partners and offer up to five launch devices for Android 5.0, which will be on sale by Thanksgiving of this year if all goes according to plan. The move would aim to satisfy manufacturers wary of favoritism in light of Google’s Motorola buyout while providing a selection of carrier unlocked devices running the latest version of Android to customers in Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Rumor has it more details could be unveiled at the upcoming Google I/O conference. We will likely get our first tease of Jelly Bean, the next version of Android, at the show as well. It isn’t confirmed but we might expect both tablets and phones to be included among the stable of Android 5.0 devices. The move would be sure to cause a bit of tension with major mobile providers, but offering multiple devices with a unified build of Android could be a move in the right direction if Google plans to tackle the fragmentation problem head on.

[via Engadget]

Sony’s latest Xperia offerings aren’t lacking in style, and they are serviceable in the hardware department as well. If there is one area that easily falls under the “needs improvement” column it’s that devices like the Xperia S shipped with Android 2.3 and no quick plans to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich. Now a representative posting at the official Sony forums is shedding some light on when the flagship model will receive its share of Android 4.0.

The Xperia S can expect to see ICS sometime between late May and early June, which fits within the original Q2 2012 timeframe given by Sony. The company has been fairly transparent about the update process for other devices, and will hopefully be more forthcoming with details as the time draws near for the Xperia S to see its upgrade. It shouldn’t be much longer now. We’re halfway through May and time isn’t showing any signs of stopping.

[via The Verge]

Nova Launcher has a new update headed our way, bringing several new features and enhancements to the homescreen replacement software. The update to version 1.1.3 brings even more customization and a few new gesture controls, including rotate clockwise, rotate counterclockwise, and double-tap for Prime users. Here’s the full list of changes:

• Unread counts via TeslaUnread (Prime)
• New Gestures: Rotate Clockwise, Rotate CCW, and Double-tap (Prime)
• Support for selecting icon from Go Launcher icon packs
• Set default screen by dragging checkmark on preview screen
• Hide scroll indicator
• “Reverse” wallpaper scrolling mode
• Animation/Scroll speed preferences
• Show Recent Apps Nova Action
• Support for Cyanogenmod nightlies “Launcher” setting
• Misc fixes

Also receiving an update is WidgetLocker, which gets a bump up to version 2.2.5. Some changes stem from the update to NovaLauncher such as Go Launcher icon packs, but there are some other tweaks as well. The full list:

• Unread counts via TeslaUnread (Supports Gmail)
• Support for selecting icon from Go Launcher icon packs
• Fix rotation issue on some devices
• Fix tint issue on some devices

Both can be found in the Google Play Store today. Hit up the links below to download.

Google Play Link: Nova Launcher

Google Play Link: WidgetLocker

Verizon is adding even more cities to its 4G LTE coverage map, bringing the next-gen network to a total of 258 markets nationwide. As expansions continue, Verizon is lighting up LTE in 28 new cities and expanding coverage in 11 additional markets. The network additions cover a wide range of states across the union including new coverage in Virginia, Texas, Oregon, South Dakota, and Louisiana. Expanded coverage areas include cities and towns in Colorado, Maryland, and Florida.

Here’s the full list of new markets:

Houma/Thibodaux and Lake Charles, La.; Hyannis/Mid-Cape, Mass.; Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Mich.; Biloxi/Gulfport/Pascagoula and Oxford, Miss.; Atlantic City/Toms River, N.J.; Dickinson and Williston, N.D.; Ashtabula, Bucyrus and Defiance, Ohio; Eugene/Springfield, Ore.; Lancaster, New Castle, Northern Cambria County, Oil City/Franklin, Somerset and York, Pa.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Mitchell, S.D.; Paris, Texas; Burlington/Northern, Vt.; Fredericksburg, Harrisonburg, Martinsville and Staunton/Waynesboro, Va.; and Sheridan, Wyo.

And the expanded markets:

Denver, Colo.; Dover, Del.; Fort Myers and Lakeland, Fla.; Hagerstown, Md.; Canton, Lima, Mansfield, Toledo and Youngstown/Warren, Ohio; and Erie, Pa.

The new coverage isn’t set to officially roll out until the 17th of this month, but some are already reporting the presence of 4G LTE signals in these regions. Check out the source link below for all the details.

[via Verizon]