LG Electronics Shows Off Something for Everyone at CES

by Michelle Maisto??í

The Quantum is the first LG phone to run Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 7 OS, which it pairs with a 1GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera with HD video capabilities and gaming for the Xbox Live. ??í

The Vortex, for the Verizon Wireless network, features a 3.2-inch touch screen with tactile feedback, WiFi connectivity, a 3.2-megapixel camera and the ability to act as a 3G mobile hot spot.

The Optimus T, for T-Mobile, features Voice Actions for Android, which enables users to speak commands such as sending a text or e-mail, pulling up directions via Google Maps, or listening to music.

The Optimus S is a Sprint ID phone, meaning users can download packets that customize the phone with themed widgets, ringtones and wallpaper. It’s also the only Sprint ID phone with Android 2.2 to act as a hot spot.

The Optimus U, for U.S. Cellular, offers first-time smartphone owners Android 2.2, Swype gestures for fast texting, a 3.2-megapixel camera and the ability to act as a WiFi hot spot.

The MetroPCS-bound Optimus M is rather slick and silver, where the other Optimus phones are round and soft. Expect quick access to the Android Market, which is now 100,000-plus applications strong.??í

The socially inclined Neon II features a touch screen, a slide-out QWERTY keypad and AT&T’s Social Net, which streams together data from a number of social networks and news sites into a single application.

The Octane, headed for Verizon, opens on a hinge to reveal a four-row QWERTY keypad. There’s a 3.2-megapixel camera and support for Web browsing, Visual Voicemail and V Cast Music with Rhapsody voice commands.

The second-generation of the LG Cosmos, the Cosmos Touch for Verizon Wireless features a 2.8-inch WQVGA touch screen, a slide-out four-row QWERTY keypad and three customizable home screens.??í

The brushed-metal HBM-810 Bluetooth headset can be slipped into a user’s ear or parked in a speakerphone cradle—ideal when the user’s alone—that also charges via solar power.??í

The HBS-700 wireless stereo Bluetooth headset features “intuitive controls”??ífor tasks such as answering calls and skipping songs. The battery status is also highlighted on the headset, to prevent the chance of running low.

The Wireless Charging Pad lets users drop and go instead of plugging in. Tactile feedback indicates that the charging has begun, and LED lights indicate charging status. An average smartphone fully charges in 2 hours.

The LG USBConnect Adrenaline is a wireless modem for connecting to AT&T’s EDGE, HSPA and—someday—its LTE-based 4G network. It’s compatible with multiple operating systems.

With the LG VL600, users can connect to the newly launched Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, currently live in 38 cities and 60 airports. As with the Adrenaline, the VL600 features a protective USB flip cover.