FC-PPG.
GET A SMARTER SOCIAL LIFE • Powered by Android • Access an exciting world of over 38,000 apps via Android Market • Facebook and Twitter built-in • Instant messaging and email built-in • 3.5mm headphone jack • Sleek and slim design TM GT540 www.lg.com/uk/mobile Android is a registered trademark of Google, Inc. Google, The Google logo and Android Market are trademarks of Google, Inc. All other products and servcies mentioned may belong to their respective trademark owners.
Contents 02 Introduction 04 Phone features 10 LG InTouch Max GW620 Pocket Phone Guides 01-PPG.indd 1 Pocket Phone Guide to Android 12 LG Optimus GT540 14 Say it with apps 24 Tips and tricks 31 Operator deals 32 Why switch? Pocket Phone Guides are published by MOBILE CHOICE Editor: Natasha Stokes 0207 440 3883 Sales: Richard Hemmings 0207 440 3822 All material in this publication is covered by copyright.
Introduction lessly d n e d n future o use a t e y h t s a s i E e ndroid A , e l b is guid h T . s e adapta – e best rtphon h a t m e s s f o o ho ou to c y of it t p l u e o h t l s l o wi t the m e g d n a What’s it all about? Android is so in right now. Whether it’s the ballooning number of mostly free apps or just how easy it is to personalise, more and more manufacturers are launching phones that run on this incredibly easy to use, yet powerful operating system (OS).
Pocket Phone Guides weeks. In fact, the platform designed by search giant Google is growing so fast, analysts believe it will overtake iPhone and BlackBerry by 2012. But which Android phone is right for you? LG is the most recent manufacturer to have joined the Android arena – and it is looking to win on cost and camera. Its InTouch Max GW620 (page 10) is a smartphone aimed at first-timers, and LG keeps it cost efficient with its latest – the higher end Optimus GT540 (page 12). 02-003_PPG.
Phone features g new n i k n a p is your s t o g w? Th e o v ’ n t u a o h So y one. W h egins, p b d y i l o l r a e And king e fun r a h t m e f r o e s is wh ek way e l s f o mpler s i s n o s t e h n ti wit ily rou a d r u yo Calendar Customisation is key in Google Calendar, with the ability to view your agenda in a monthly, weekly or daily format. You’ll receive reminders of upcoming events that will pop up in the notifications bar at the top of the screen.
Pocket Phone Guides Google Mail Android phones are pretty savvy when it comes to any email account, but with Gmail, it really excels. Push email alerts you to new messages as soon as they arrive in your inbox, and your phone will auto-complete any addresses you’ve mailed before. Word documents, MP3s and PDFs can all be read on your Android 04-009_PPG.indd 15 phone.
Contact sync Android phones are some of the most people-centric devices on the market, with the know-how to sync contacts from Outlook, Google Mail and several social networking sites. The beauty of this is that all your contact information for one individual is kept in one place.
04-009_PPG.indd 17 More people are using their phones to browse the internet, be it for the latest news, football scores or even a spot of online banking; and the Google Android platform excels at web. Both the LG InTouch Max GW620 and the LG Optimus GT540 boast HSDPA and Wi-Fi for fast, reliable surfing. The browser on both is also full HTML, providing a PC-like web experience – as opposed to a mobile-optimised browser, which often cuts text and images.
Apps Expand your phone even further with these smart add-ons With more than 50,000 apps available to download from the Android Market, consumers are spoilt for choice. Whether you’re after games, social networking, entertainment or even business-focused apps, there’s something for everyone. Just tap the Market icon – it’ll already be on your home screen – and you can search for specific apps, or just browse through categories including productivity, lifestyle and utility.
This handy app provides short videos that guide you through a variety of recipes, detailing the ingredients required, how to make it, and the amounts you’ll need, depending on how many people you’re cooking for. Pocket Phone Guides Cooking Capsules Taster Express News Pop this widget on your home screen to follow the latest headlines. It covers sources such as AFP and the Press Association, and you can ‘favourite’ topics like politics or entertainment for a more personalised feed. 04-009_PPG.
Android phones droid, n A o t comer w e Max n h a c e u r ’ o u If yo G’s InT L t ERTY u o W Q k c y e l d ch that is frien r e h d T . n 0 u o GW62 at all-r e r g a is earth e h t t phone s co won’t LG InTouch Max GW620 This is one of the most socially oriented Android phones around. Here’s how to get the most out of it Linkbook™ LG’s pre-loaded app syncs with Facebook, Twitter and Bebo, so you can view the news feed from all three, as well as post updates, comment on friends’ posts and exchange messages.
A-GPS provides a quick location fix, and Google Maps offers walk/drive directions and a places-of-interest feature Five-megapixel camera with auto-focus, flash, geo-tagging and face detection. Photos Easy to use, five line QWERTY keyboard with dedicated number symbols Messaging Three-inch touch-screen for web browsing, plus HSDPA and Wi-Fi for high-speed internet anywhere Internet A 3.5mm audio jack, so you can use your own headphones Music Navigation The Android Market has 50,000+ apps.
Android phones ndroid A y l d n er frie h t o timus p n O A G , the L rking o w t phone e ln a socia s i 0 4 having s a GT5 l l e sw guru, a name a cool LG Optimus GT540 The stylish Optimus GT540 is LG’s second in its growing Android range, but what’s so great about Android anyway? ■ Google Sync Log in once, and your Android phone is forever synced with Gmail, Google Calendar and Gtalk, for real-time email, appointment and instant message alerts ■ Android Market Over 50,000 apps to completely personalis
The 3.5mm audio jack is positioned at the top of the phone, making it easier to plug and unplug your own set of cans while the phone is in your pocket. Colour Available in black and silver. Video The full-featured player supports MP4, DivX and WMV files. Screen The pièce de résistance, the three-inch resistive touch- screen, sparkles into life and Pocket Phone Guides 12-013-PPG.indd 2 Music can be viewed in landscape or portrait, depending on which way you hold the phone.
Say it with apps ed s pack i t e k r arket oid Ma r M d e n h A t t The just hi o s re are , e s p H . p a g n h ki wit art loo t s all free d – n s a e t n i r ico r favou u o f o some Social networking Facebook This app notifies you of new messages, event invites, friend requests and wall posts. You can also check out the news feed, comment on friends’ posts, and upload photos from your phone camera to Facebook. 14 14-023_PPG.
Pocket Phone Guides Foursquare Collect badges such as ‘Local’, ‘Explorer’ or ‘Bender’ when you check in to lots of places in this city-wide social network. If you’re the most frequent visitor to a place, you’ll become ‘mayor’, and participating venues could offer you cool discounts. Twidroid Twidroid is way better than using Twitter via the browser, as it lets you easily retweet, reply and post updates. Once you download it, you’ll have the option to post photos on your Android phone to Twitter.
Lifestyle ShopSavvy One of the first Android apps, ShopSavvy lets you use your phone’s camera to scan barcodes for product prices. It’ll then search for online or nearby shops that sell that product more cheaply. 16 14-023_PPG.
Wikipedia and GPS power this augmented-reality application that provides you with Wiki-sourced information, video and nearby points of interest, based on your current surroundings. 14-023_PPG.indd 17 E-ventr lite Invite multiple friends to a party in one go. Just create an event and add people from your buddy list. They’ll need to have the app too, but that’s not too hard, since it’s also on the iPhone and BlackBerry.
Productivity TripIt If you’re planning a trip, you’ll want TripIt. Just upload emails from travel agents, airlines or hotel bookings, and it’ll automatically create your personal itinerary. 18 14-023_PPG.
Great ideas come and go – but not if you jot them down. Note Everything lets you write, record or take pictures of things you need to do, use or buy. You can even scan barcodes of products to price-check. 14-023_PPG.indd 19 Tube Status The notoriously fallible Tube just got a little easier to handle. Tube Status has live updates on the state of the railway lines, and also includes a handy map of the system.
Entertainment Google Sky Map Ever wanted to wax lyrical on the constellations? Aim your phone at the night skies and this app will overlay a star map and info about the stars you see. 20 14-023_PPG.
Cinema buffs need this app, which gives you film times, cinema locations, previews and trailers of just about every available film, plus reviews from aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. 14-023_PPG.indd 21 Meridian Turn your Android phone into a multimedia machine with this beefy music and video player. You can tag media, use gestures to launch features, subtitle videos and search for song lyrics.
Utility Keep your phone in tip-top shape SMS Popup With SMS Popup, you’ll no longer have to jump out of your current app to deal with texts. This app displays a preview of new messages at the top of any screen, and you can hit delete, close and reply direct from the preview box. 22 14-023_PPG.
You’ll want to back up your media files and apps, and Astro lets you do all that, and uninstall unwanted programs. Then, if you switch phones, you won’t have to download those cherry-picked apps again. 14-023_PPG.indd 23 Toggle Settings (Android 1.5 only) Perfect for the LG InTouch Max GW620, this puts settings widgets on the home screen to adjust Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G and ring volume.
Tips and tricks Themes and styles Want a phone that looks like no one else’s? Download customisation apps to jazz up your home screen and pick up dozens of new-look skins and themes. Check out some of our favourite looks. aHome with Chinese Culture skin Free Lite version; $4.99 full version. Skins and icon packs are free-$1 Open Home with Moon Dust skin Free Lite version; $3.99 full version. Skins and icon packs are free-$0.99 dxTop with SteamPunk skin Free Lite version; $2.99 full version.
There are a couple of tricks you can use to move lots of contacts at once, as well as sync calendars – so that, for example, you can get work appointments onto your phone’s calendar. Moxier Sync Pre-loaded onto your LG InTouch Max GW620 or LG Optimus GT540, this app syncs your Gmail with your work email (if it’s a Microsoft Exchange account). Log in with your work email details once, and it will automatically sync contacts, calendar, notes and tasks, without you having to lift a finger again.
Camera If the number one thing you want to do with your photos is show ’em to your friends, LG has your number. Both the Optimus GT540 and InTouch Max GW620 are great social networking phones, with built-in features to share photos direct from the phone via social networks, email, or any new photo-friendly apps you download. Here are three cool places to share your snaps. 3banana A memo app that lets you save reminders as text or photos, and back it all up online. You can also add tags and GPS locations.
Post your photos on any, some or all of your social networks and blogs in one go. Supports Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Picasa, Blogger, Foursquare and more. Pocket Phone Guides Pixelpipe Panoramio 24-031_PPG.indd 17 Take pictures on your travels and upload them with tips and routes to this online community, which displays usergenerated photos of any place in the world.
Video Watching it, recording it and sharing it – everything you need to turn your Android phone into a media machine from video player to a remote control app mVideoPlayer For the ultimate movie phone, download mVideoPlayer for your Android device. It organises all your video by album, so if you have a lot of TV series, they’ll be saved together in a single folder. It supports MP4 and WAV files – and if you’re moving your video library from iTunes, it supports M4V files too.
Your Android phone is also a full-blown music player, so get to grips with what it can do, and download the best apps to get the right listening experience. Last.fm The original online radio is a freely available app with more than 6.5 million songs in its database. Just fire up the app and stream dozens of genre stations, or create your own. Be sure you’re in a Wi-Fi zone, though – streaming can really rack up data charges over 3G. 24-031_PPG.
Maps and GPS With Google Maps already installed, your Android phone is a great sat nav, providing you with global maps, walking and driving directions, and live traffic information. Here are a few tricks to get even more out of its mapping features. Hit ‘search’ You don’t need to know what you’re looking for to find it – for example, type in ‘dim sum’, and Google Maps will mark several places it identifies with the tasty Chinese food. Or try ‘Boots’ to find the closest branch.
k in at c o l c s phone d i riffs. o r a t d y n l A d ien LG dget fr u an get b c e u m o o y s t ut wha o ators k r c e e p o Ch r e majo h t m o fr Optimus GT540* The Optimus GT540 launches in May, and, unlike the InTouch Max GW620, will be available both on contract and prepay. You can get it in black or silver variants with final pricing and availability TBC. Check www.lge.com/uk/ mobile for the latest details and future Android phones.
Why switch? Reasons to buy an Android phone So you’ve read about the apps, you’ve checked out the phones - but are you sure you want to plonk those pounds down for an Android of your own? Here are four reasons we’d recommend an LG Android phone. Customisation Like the idea of being able to design your home screen just the way you want? Android phones are the most customisable of all of the smartphone operating systems.
UPDATE FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE Android is a registered trademark of Google, Inc. Google, the Google logo and Android Market are trademarks of Google, Inc. All other products and services mentioned may belong to their respective trademark owners. Stay on top of your tweets with Twidroid, a free app available on Android Market.™ It lets you update your Twitter feed, and see what your friends are saying, wherever you are.
BC-PPG.indd 1 The Pocket Phone Guides are brought to you by www.mobilechoiceuk.
