The LG Optimus 2X has finally been announced by the Korean company, and has been confirmed for a UK release.

Offering up a dual core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor (the first phone to be released with such tech inside) the Android 2.2-toting monster is also packing a 4-inch WVGA screen.

Another first for the phone is the inclusion of 1080p video recording - previously handsets could only handle 720p capture, but presumably the upgraded processor has made it easier for the Optimus 2X to handle the procedure without bringing the phone to a grinding halt.

Mirror, mirror, on the phone

Other specs include HDMI mirroring (where you can repeat your phone display on a larger screen) and DLNA compatibility, so the Optimus 2X can interact with other connected devices, either streaming to or from the phone.

A front facing camera is included as Google's Android push to match the iPhone 4's FaceTime service gathers pace, as well as 8GB of onboard memory (with a microSD card slot - screw you, Nexus S).

A 1500mAh battery and an 8MP camera with a single LED flash on the back round out the spec list.

We're still yet to get a UK release date, but it should land in Q1 2011 after the Korean launch. It's rocking Android 2.2 still, but the 2.3 Gingerbread update will be coming soon, with the update schedule to be announced shortly.


Read more: http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and ... z18Its6mQM

Does it actually make calls too? Convergence is all very well, but when does it start to impact on usability?

Sorry I can't take your call at the moment, I'm making a movie.

If the battery lasts long enough, 1500mah is pretty low

I was really pleased with my HTC today. The battery lasted until about 5 minutes after I got home from work. It usually runs out about lunch time

This is what I don't get. My current Sony candy bar which has no complicated OS, or big touch screen has a nearly 1000mah battery. Why the hell aren't they doubling that for "smart" phones?? If somebody made a Droid with two day battery life they'd surely have the market sewn up, no??

I'm still getting 4 days charge out of my iPhone 4.

Mark

You're the only person on the planet. Congrats.

Really? I've not noted any noise in the wires about iPhone battery power issues. Care to quote some neutral sources?

This bugs me. I don't want that many MP squeezed onto a squibbly sensor that's mounted < 10mm from the far end of the tiny piece of plastic that's referred to as a "lens".

/rant

It's not an "issue" per se and the 4 has been better reviewed than most. But it's widely accepted that traditional heavy use of any smartphone gets you a day, maybe 1.5 at a push.

My Pony Ericsson C903 is currently doing about 24hrs at a time on one charge. I'll use it for about 10 minutes of interwebbery most days and it's always got BT switched off. Battery's rated as 1000mAh.

I understand that, but speaking as someone whose phone is never turned on and is far from smart, can anyone tell me whether the claimed iPhone 4 battery life is really better than other smartphones?

What I am trying to get at is whether Apple has actually managed to get a real world smartphone that doesn't require the owner to live near a power outlet for more than a day, or is it just the other manufacturers haven't managed to get decent battery technology sorted out yet and the iBone gets lumped in with them by default.

If that makes any sense!

The weekend I was away recently, I was in the company of a friend with an HTC something-or-other running Android. I had the opportunity to play with it for a while, and it was quite fun - and largely irrelevant to this note. I only actually noticed him plugging it in once for a charge the whole four days we were away, though since we didn't share hotel rooms he might well have been charging it every night for all I know.

I've had to charge mine about 20 times (according to battery doctor) since new.
It gets a small topup when it's in the satnav mount in the car but that's it apart from the 20 full charges since launch day.

As long as I'm not constantly watching video on it then it'll last the whole week of regular usage.

means nothing as "regular use" is an undefined variable that is not consistent throught the population of users.
e.g. with regular use I have to charge every day. Our differing "regular usage" are worlds apart.

With "normal" phones they used to quote the standby time and the talk time. My Nokia will last on standby for over a week, but the talk time is only a couple of hours.

We need a new term. Something like "play time" to describe non-voice use of a smart device. I don't know what the standby of mine is, but the play time is only about an hour...