PhoneTalk

In addition to adding another Android smartphone to its line-up with the LG Motion, MetroPCS also unveiled a new plan. First, more details on the phone. The LG Motion is a high-end Android 4.0 phone sporting a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 5-megapixel camera with the ability to record 1080p HD video, and the ability to take photos while recording video. It also works on the 4G LTE network and offers the users the ability to talk and surf the web over the network.

The new plan announced has a lot to offer and helps take the guess work out of monthly bills. That’s right, it’s an unlimited plan. For $55 a month users with this plan get unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data. Those with family plans can get the plan as well, but it will cost $50 a month on the account’s second, third, and fourth lines. The plan will only be offered for a limited time.

The latest Android smartphone available for Virgin Mobile users has plenty to offer. The LG Optimus Elite runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS and sports a 3.5-inch HVGA display, 800Mhz processor, and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. It is also the first Virgin Mobile phone to have a NFC chip for use with Google Wallet. Better yet, the phone is available with the company’s Beyond Talk plans that start at $35 a month and include unlimited data and messaging. The LG Optimus Elite is available now.

Earth Day is just around the corner on Sunday, April 22nd. If you want a phone to reflect your green sensibilities, check out the LG Optimus Elite that will be available with Sprint 3G service on Earth Day. The Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS smartphone is loaded with eco-friendly attributes including a casing made of 50% recycled plastics, has a charger that only consumes 0.03 watts of power when plugged into the wall, and UL Environment Platinum Certification. As for features, the phone will sport a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with a flash, and an 800MHz processor. Additionally, the phone has an NFC chip for use with Google Wallet and can share its 3G data connection with up to 5 other WiFi enabled devices via the Mobile HotSpot feature

Later this week Verizon customers will be able to get the 4G LG Lucid Android smartphone at an affordable price with a new two-year contract. The cell phone is full of high-end features including a 4-inch touchsreen display with Corning Gorilla Glass, so it’s bright, clear, and durable. The 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM means it will offer a snappy user-experience. Although it will come with the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS installed it will be upgradeable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The LG Lucid also features a front-facing camera for video chat and a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera with flash that can record 1080p HD video. Once the video is captured the Video Producer app can be used to edit it right on the phone. As noted, the phone will also work on Verizon’s high-speed 4G data network, so expect a speedy web-surfing experience.

The latest addition to the LG Rumor family of phones is the eco-friendly LG Rumor Reflex. What makes it so eco-friendly? This cell phone’s cover is made up of 31% post-consumer recycle materials, the battery is energy efficient, and of course the packaging is recyclable. The Rumor Reflex has something not found in a ton of phones these days, a slide-out tactile QWERTY keyboard. The feature-rich phone also sports a 2-megapixel camera than can record video, a 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen, and a microSD slot that can support up to a 32GB microSD card. The phone will be available for Sprint users next week and for Boost Mobile users at the end of the month.

At the end of last year, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus became the first phone to ship in the United States running Android 4.0. Dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich, this is the OS that bridges the gap between Android tablets and smartphones. Since its debut people have wanted to know if and when the latest OS would be arriving on their Android smartphone. Thanks to the Verizon’s News Center Updates, we now know which Verizon 4G LTE phones should be getting the latest OS. Although, there’s no word on when the update will be arriving, here’s the list of phones scheduled to get the update:

• DROID 4 by Motorola
• DROID BIONIC by Motorola
• DROID Incredible 2 by HTC
• DROID RAZR by Motorola
• DROID XYBOARD 8.2 by Motorola
• DROID XYBOARD 10.1 by Motorola
• HTC Rezound
• HTC Rhyme
• HTC ThunderBolt
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7
• Spectrum by LG

One of the most anticipated cell phone shows of the year is just around the corner. That’s right, we’re talking about Mobile World Congress in Spain. Although the show takes place in Europe it often offers an inkling of what we might see here in the U.S. market. In anticipation of the show, LG announced the company’s new design philosophy dubbed L-Style. The idea takes into consideration five aesthetic elements that working together will provide the company’s devices with a slick, streamlined, modern, and easy to use design. We’ll likely get a better idea of what can be expected when we learn more about three new phones LG will be displaying: The Optimus L3, Optimus L5, and Optimus L7.

Be sure to check back next week for more details on these products in our Mobile World Congress coverage.

Last week at CES, among the devices that Verizon Wireless announced were the LG Spectrum and the BlackBerry Curve 9370. This week, the two models are available for purchase.

First up, we got a chance to checkout the Spectrum at CES. That phone is fast thanks to the 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 4G LTE connectivity. The data connection can be shared with up to 10 WiFi-enabled devices via the Mobile HotSpot feature. It also has a vibrant and bright display, which will come in handy when using the included SmartMovie HD app for creating and editing videos on the phone. The cell phone is currently running the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, but will be upgradeable to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The phone also sports a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera and front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera. Overall, the LG Spectrum is a high-end Android smartphone that’s loaded with entertainment-centric features.

The BlackBerry Curve isn’t a 4G LTE phone, but it can be use around the globe. It’s also running the latest BlackBerry 7 OS, sports a 5-megapixel camera with a flash, and the company’s trademark tactile QWERTY keyboard making it an ideal business companion.

During CES, MetroPCS announced it would be adding the 4G LTE compatible Samsung Galaxy Attain 4G and the LG Connect 4G to its line-up. The Samsung Galaxy Attain 4G will run the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, sport a 1GHz processor, a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 3.5-inch display. Users will be able to use Google Talk to make video calls. While the LG Connect 4G is a bit more high-end featuring a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 4-inch touchscreen display featuring Corning Gorilla Glass Screen Protector making it durable. It will also run Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, but the phone’s 5-megapixel camera will be able to record 720pHD video. Music lovers will appreciate that the LG Connect 4G will also come pre-loaded with Rhapsody Unlimited Music service. Both phones will require one of the company’s smartphone plans.

As Sprint begins to expand to the 4G LTE network, the company announced the first three products that it would be offering with 4G LTE compatibility. First up, a mobile HotSpot device from Sierra Wireless called the Tri-Network HotSpot that will work on 3G, 4G and 4G LTE data networks. The HotSpot can be used with up to eight WiFi-enabled devices simultaneously and it evens features a microSD slot that can be used for network storage. The first areas to get Sprint 4G LTE service will be Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.

The first two 4G LTE phones with Sprint service will be the popular Samsung Galaxy Nexus that runs the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS. Unlike the Verizon version of the phone, Sprint’s model will support Google Wallet. The other 4G LTE phone will be the eco-friendly LG Viper with a casing made of 35 percent recycled plastics. Feature-wise, the LG Viper 4G LTE will sport a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera and front facing VGA camera, a 4-inch touchscreen display, and will run the Android 2.3 OS.

In other Sprint news, the company showed off the Samsung Epic 4G Touch in white (pictured below) and announced that the HTC View tablet would be receiving the Android Honeycomb OS.

LG Mobile unveiled its plans to update certain LG Android phones on the company’s facebook page. The upgrade rollout will happen in two phases beginning in the second quarter of 2012 with select phones (listed below) and the second batch of updates will go out the third quarter of 2012. We should note that most of these are European models. Here’s a list of the phones slated to get the upgrades:

Phones to get updated in the second quarter:

• LG Optimus LTE
• Prada phone by LG 3.0
• LG Optimus 2X
• LG Optimus Sol
• LG myTouch Q:
• LG Eclipse

• LG Optimus 3D
• LG Optimus Black
• LG Optimus Big
• LG Optimus Q2
• LG Optimus EX