AT&T has today announced the LG Optimus G Pro, a 5.5-inch Android-powered smartphone that will sell for $199 when it launches on May 3. The device is designed to give Samsung’s Galaxy Note II a run for its money, with a 1080p display and the latest quad-core Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm.
Today AT&T updated its store trade-in program to incentivize more customers to trade in used smartphones for an upgrade. The carrier is now giving $100+ credits towards the purchase of a new smartphone with a two-year plan. The catch is that you have to trade in a smartphone that is “no more than three years old and in good, working condition.”
The BlackBerry Q10, BlackBerry’s first smartphone to combine a physical keyboard with its new operating system, has gone on sale in the U.K. this week, and according to the early reviews, it’s going to be a winner — for those who like phones with physical keyboards, at least.
But it appears the NEC Terrain for AT&T wants to spoil its party by giving keyboard users an Android-powered option.
Samsung smartphones have always had plenty of support from custom ROMs like CyanogenMod, allowing owners who hate the TouchWiz user interface to replace it with something a little more like barebones Android. But Galaxy S4 owners on AT&T may not have that luxury.
According to CyanogenMod founder Steve Kondik, the AT&T Galaxy S4 comes with a locked bootloader, which could rule out the possibility of flashing custom ROMs. Kondik has advised those who might be interested in this kind of thing to look for another carrier.
Apple and Samsung will again go head to head in court this November after presiding Judge Lucy Koh called for a new trial to recalculate the damages awarded by a jury last August. The move comes after Judge Koh cut $450.5 million from the $1.05 billion originally awarded to Apple due to uncertainty over the jury’s findings.
