LG G Flex begins global rollout with introduction in key Asian markets, starting in Singapore and Hong Kong.

LG G Flex begins global rollout with introduction in key Asian markets. starting in Singapore and Hong Kong.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

World’s First Curved, Flexing, Self-Healing Smartphone

Available For The First Time Outside Korea.

LG Electronics (LG) is introducing LG G Flex, the world’s first curved flexing smartphone, to the global market starting in Singapore and Hong Kong this week. Key markets in Asia will also announce the availability of this innovative device before the end of the year, soon to be followed by other regions.

The LG G Flex has captivated early adopters everywhere as the first smartphone curved to follow the contour of the human face, made possible with the implementation of the world’s first curved smartphone battery. With a durable plastic OLED (P-OLED) HD display, the G Flex also comes with a self-healing back cover that eliminates those day-to-day scratches, making it the first smartphone to incorporate such technology. These innovative features have earned LG’s latest smartphone significant praise and accolades from major media outlets worldwide.

Customers in Singapore will be able to place their pre-orders for LG G Flex beginning December 8. In Hong Kong, the device goes on sale starting December 13 and will be available through major carriers and leading electronics retailers.

The vertically curved G Flex is the latest device in LG’s premium G Series and incorporates proprietary innovations from other LG companies such as LG Display and LG Chem. The curved 6-inch Real RGB P-OLED display was developed specifically for the G Flex and is the largest of its kind in the world. The 3,500mAh curved battery from LG Chem was also developed with LG G Flex in mind and is also a world’s first.

Key Specifications (Korean Version):

- Chipset: 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm^® Snapdragon™ 800 (MSM 8974)

  GPU: Adreno 330, 450MHz

- Display: 6-inch HD (1280 x 720), Curved P-OLED (Real RGB)

- Memory: 2GB LP DDR3 RAM / 32GB eMMc

- Camera: Rear 13.0MP / Front 2.1MP

- Battery: 3,500mAh (embedded)

- Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2

- Size: 160.5 x 81.6 x 7.9 - 8.7mm

- Weight: 177g

- Network: LTE-A / LTE / HSPA+ / GSM

- Connectivity: BT 4.0 / USB 3.0 compatible / WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) / NFC

- Color: Titan Silver

- Other: TDMB / Hi-Fi 24bit, 192kHz Playback

LTE: Hong Kong: CSL to Expand 4G LTE Coverage in MTR.

LTE: Hong Kong: CSL to Expand 4G LTE Coverage in MTR.

Hong Kong's operator CSL plans to further enhance its network and extend its 4G LTE coverage in MTR by the end of 2013. By the end of 2013, 1O1O and one2free customers will have access to improved 4G experience on the East Rail, West Rail and Ma On Shan lines of MTR. 

In addition, CSL is expected to cover the new West Island Line (Sheung Wan to Kennedy Town) starting from the second half of 2014, while further deployment on the South Island Line-East (Admiralty to South Horizons) and Kwun Tong Line Extension (Yau Ma Tei to Whampoa) are expected to be completed by the end of 2015. 

CSL launched the dual band 4G LTE with DC-HSPA+ network in 2010 and has held LTE Advanced demonstration earlier this year. 1O1O and one2free aggregated its existing licensed 20 MHz LTE carrier at 2600 MHz with another licensed 20 MHz LTE carrier at 1800 MHz, to achieve a maximum theoretical speed of 300 Mbps.

China Mobile will launch LTE in Hong Kong on 18 December.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

China Mobile will launch LTE in Hong Kong on 18 December.

China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator will launch LTE in Hong Kong on 18 December, according to reports.

Hong Kong is already well served for LTE with all four other operators, Hutchison, PCCW and CSL and CMHK, offering 4G services. The move however, has larger significance in that it indicates that China Mobile is readying a wider TD-LTE–based launch in mainland China.

Details of its deals with Ericsson and ZTE to provide a dual-mode FDD/TDD network were revealed back in July.

At the LTE North America conference, John Saw, CTO of US wholesale network operator Clearwire said that the TD-LTE industry had received a massive boost by China Mobile joining the other Chinese operators in selecting Band 41 as its TD-LTE band of choice. China has allocated the 2500-2690Hz (2.6GHz) and entire 190Mhz spectrum ranges for TD-LTE.

Apple has announced that the iPhone 5 has been approved by China’s Ministry of Industry and Technology and that it will be available on China Unicom and China Telecom.  However, China Mobile has yet to reach an agreement with Apple to make the iPhone officially available on its network.

Analysts are predicting that the iPhone 5 will be available on China Mobile at some point in 2013 pointing towards Apple including a Qualcomm chip in the device that support’s China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA technology. However, no current iPhone 5 SKU supports the TD-LTE standard that China Mobile is currently trialling.

Earlier this week Telecoms.com exclusively revealed that Apple holds the keys to using the iPhone 5 on carries LTE networks and will not allow it to be used until it has conducted its own testing.

Hong Kong: Apple to establish a data center.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Hong Kong: Apple to establish a data center.

Apple Inc. plans to set up a data center in Hong Kong, which is set to be the company's first outside of the U.S., the Chinese-language Hong Kong Economic Times reported Monday, citing three unnamed sources.

The report said the Hong Kong government had earlier been persuading Apple to establish a data center in Hong Kong, after Google Inc. began constructing such a facility in the city last year. Construction for such data centers usually take one to two years.

The report didn't say when the Cupertino, Calif.-based company could establish a data center in the territory.

Data centers, which house computer, telecommunications and storage systems, typically include backup power supplies and security devices.

Hong Kong: Samsung to launch Galaxy S3, Wednesday.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Hong Kong: Samsung to launch Galaxy S3, Wednesday.

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's leading mobile phone maker, said Monday that it will release next week the much anticipated Galaxy S III in Hong Kong, the most important test market for mainland China, in a bid to grab the attention of tech-savvy consumers here.

Samsung Electronics unveiled its Galaxy S III at an event earlier this month. The company plans to sell the device in 145 countries. 

The South Korean electronics giant expects to sell 180,000 units of the latest version of its flagship smartphone series in Hong Kong within the first five weeks following the launch next Wednesday, Samsung officials said. 

The company saw 10 million units of the predecessor Galaxy S II sold in five months after the launch in April last year. 

According to market analysts, software changes in the Galaxy S III marked the greatest improvement over previous Galaxy S smartphones. 

Samsung introduced new functions in the latest phone, including Smart Stay, S Voice, Direct Call and AllShare Cast. 

Last quarter, Samsung Electronics saw its earnings surge 81.3 percent from a year earlier, fueled by strong sales of the Galaxy series smartphones.

It also rose to become the world's top mobile phone maker in the same quarter, replacing Nokia Corp., according to market researcher IHS iSuppli. Samsung shipped 92 million handsets during the first three months of this year.                                

LTE: Hong Kong: China Mobile to launch LTE services.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

LTE: Hong Kong: China Mobile to launch LTE services.

China Mobile Hong Kong will launch LTE services next week, stating that “by the end of 2012, CMHK plans to scale up its 4G LTE coverage to a level on par with its current network, while indoor coverage will be up to 80 percent.”

 It has also launched a cross-border data plan, for customers using its network both in Hong Kong and in mainland China.