The LG Thrill 4G appears in a Target circular priced at $79.99 with a 2-year contract

Originally planned for a release yesterday, the latest news on a release date that we have told you is to expect the phone to launch on September 4th. That news came from a leaked Radio Shack document that seemed to point to AT&T as the decision-maker behind the delay.

The stereoscopic handset (a fancy way of saying that you don’t need special glasses to view the 3D effect) has already toured Europe as the LG Optimus 3D. In the States, the LG Thrill 4G will hook up with AT&T’s HSPA+ network, hence the 4G in the phone’s title. Under the hood is a 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP4 processor while Android 2.2 runs the show. 512MB of RAM is aboard while the dual 5MP cameras on back capture video in 1080p at 30fps for 2D and 720p at 24fps for 3D. 8GB of storage comes on the LG Thrill 4G with expansion to 40GB possible using the microSD slot.

As you can see in the circular, besides having to tie yourself up for 2 years with AT&T to get the subsidized pricing for the LG Thrill 4G, you need to commit to at least a $15 per month data plan. The handset without the contract is priced at $549.99.

source: BradyDuran via AndroidCentral

According to a leaked document coming straight from Radio Shack’s internal system, the release date for the LG Thrill 4G is now being pushed to September 4. As a result of this, the retailer will not be accepting pre-orders of the smartphone anymore, and those customers who managed to place one will be contacted and informed about the delay. The document does not point out the exact reason for the Thrill 4G release date to be changed once again, yet it seems like the decision has been taken by AT&T itself.

The release date of the LG Thrill 4G is pushed to September 4, according to this document

Sure, AT&T never really announced an exact release date for the smartphone and stated only that it is scheduled for a summer release, yet the summer is rapidly coming to an end. Furthermore, we are sure there are plenty of Android enthusiasts out there waiting to get their hands on the LG Thrill 4G for a fresh dose of 3D action. Let’s hope the wait is going to be worth it.
source: Android Central

Under the hood, the Motorola Defy Plus packs a 1GHz TI OMAP 3620 chip powering Gingerbread 2.3.4. skinned with Motorola’s UI skin still referred to as Motoblur. This is a slight upgrade over the original Defy which sported an 800MHz processor and was only updated to Froyo. On the back, there’s a 5-megapixel auto-fous camera with flash. A 1700mAh battery allows the phone to last 7.1 hours when talking and 16 days in standby.

Previously, we’ve heard rumors about AT&T getting the handset stateside, but the official press release doesn’t explicitly confirm this. What we know for sure, though, is that the Defy Plus will be made available in Asia, Latin America and Europe this fall.

source: Motorola Mobility

Perhaps this has everything to do with the fact that the biggest European electronics expo IFA will be held September 2-7 in Berlin, although we have already played around with the Acer Iconia Smart in particular, when the phone was announced way back in February.
Nothing was heard about it until now, and Acer might have run into production problems – after all, you don’t make a phone with 4.8″ 1024×480 pixels display very often, and rumor has it that the Japanese earthquake is also to blame.

The internals will be a bit outdated when it hits, though, as it will sport a 1GHz single core chipset, and 5MP camera. The European pricing at launch is scheduled to be the respectful  $700 (EUR 499) off-contract, but this is surely to go down pretty fast, as we don’t imagine a lot of people inclined to lug around such a display at all times just to enjoy videos or browsing more.

The other phone that is expected to appear in Germany next month, is an updated version of the rugged Motorola DEFY. The Motorola DEFY+ is to have the same 3.7″ display and 5MP camera, but a faster processor at 1GHz (the original sports 800MHz), and Android 2.3 Gingerbread, whereas the first DEFY is still stuck with Froyo.
A German site listed the phone as heading to O2 in the third week of September. Price is expected to be $430 (EUR 300) for the Motorola DEFY +, and this is without a contract. AT&T is also expected to land the updated ruggedness at some point.

via Electronista & GSMArena

Are we dealing with the rumored Samsung Attain, however, is a question that we are still unable to answer with absolute certainty just yet. Or perhaps, this name is reserved for that other Galaxy S II sibiling, the SGH-I777, which the FCC gave a green light to not long ago? Whatever the case may be, chances are that we are going to know the truth pretty soon since having the FCC’s blessing means that both devices are a step closer to setting foot on American soil. Any takers?

source: FCC via Engadget

The Celox surfaced in South Korea and its spec sheet lists a Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060 chip, a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen with WVGA resolution and 16 gigs of internal memory. On the software side, the Celox features Android Gingerbread, backed up by a 1750mAh battery, which is actually more than the 1650mAh on the S II.

The camera in the Celox seems to match the one of the S II with its 8 megapixels of resolution, while up front the phone sports a 2-megapixel shooter. Actually, design-wise the phone somewhat reminds us the Galaxy R, which had the same home button in its pre-release version. The Celox doesn’t yet have a release date or a price tag, but it seems that the upcoming iPhone will get some serious competition over in the Old Continent.

source: IT Long (translated) via SammyHub

Enhancements include updated features to the application tray, an update to FriendStream, added Quick Settings in the Notification
Window, improved power management functions and better media experience. Throw in the proverbial can of Raid to kill the bugs dead, and you have an outline of the changes coming with the update.

For a more detailed list of changes and to manually start the update if you’re too impatient to wait for the OTA one, visit the sourcelink. If you have already downloaded Android 2.3 on your HTC Inspire 4G, let us know what you think about Gingerbread and what changes you’ve noticed on your phone by dropping us a note in the Comments Box below.

source: HTCSupport via IntoMobile

The HTC Inspire is receiving an OTA upgrade to Android 2.3.3

A tipster of ours now confirmed that Best Buy is expected to launch the phone for pre-order soon, but had no further details about the device. Well, we already know plenty about the phone, which was launched as the LG Optimus 3D outside of the States. The 4.3-inch display on this powerhouse supports glasses-free 3D using a parallax barrier, which acts as a slit plate on top of the screen filtering content so your left and right eye see a slightly different variation of the same picture, thus achieving the 3D effect.

The Android-running LG Thrill 4G comes with a dual 5-megapixel camera setup for 3D image and video capture. Design-wise the phone mimics the Optimus 3D with both its solid heft and bulkiness – it weighs a considerable 5.92 ounces, but in exchange packs a lot of horsepower. Are you getting the Thrill 4G?

Thanks, optikawn!

Besides having to pay an unsubsidized price for the phone, you could also be missing out on certain design changes. For example, as we reported, the Samsung Hercules is expected to come to T-Mobile and there is speculation that the phone-with its larger 4.5 inch display-is a variant of the Samsung Galaxy S II for the nation’s fourth largest carrier.

We recently told you that speculation was centering on Verizon becoming the first carrier to offer the Samsung Galaxy S II with a possible August 12th launch date. With that day increasingly becoming more unlikely for the release of this summer’s hottest smartphone, the most likely scenario now is a September launch. And don’t forget, the recently leaked Verizon roadmap mentioned a September launch of the Samsung Stratosphere, a phone with specs that exactly match those of the Galaxy S II.

source: Newegg via UnwiredView

Newegg's unlocked model of the Samsung Galaxy S II will work on T-Mobile and AT&T's pipelines

An 8MP camera on back captures video at 1080p and a 2MP front facing camera takes self-portraits and can be used for video chat. 16GB of storage can be expanded to as much as 48GB with a microSD card and the phone is NFC enabled. Android 2.3 is pre-installed. As both T-Mobile and Telus have different 3G bands, the Samsung Hercules is expected to be rolled out with T-Mobile’s AWS bands along with the more “standard” 850/1900MHz frequencies. All Telus will have to do is take an eraser to the T-Mobile name and write “Telus” over the empty space.

With a late September launch penciled in for the Samsung Hercules, it’s interesting that the carrier that at first seemed to be left out of the Samsung Galaxy S II sweepstakes in the States, might end up with a variant pushing some of the highest of high-end specs. For example, as we reported, the Hercules is expected to have 42Mbps connectivity.

source: MobileSyrup

The Samsung Hercules is T-Mobile and Telus' variant of the Samsung Galaxy S II