LG Star dual-core Tegra 2 smartphone gets the hands-on treatment from GSM-Israel

By Phil Nickinson
last updated

It's kind of fitting, actually, that the LG Star makes an appearance during the holiday season, and in Israel, no less. But such is the case with the 4-inch dual-core Tegra 2 monster. GSM -Israel got their hands on the unannounced device (model LGP990) and have given it some serious video treatment. Front-facing and rear 8MP cameras? Check. HDMI out? Check. LG's custom UI? Yep. It's running Android 2.2 Froyo -- not Gingerbread, but that's not much of a surprise because we're all waiting on Gingerbread.

Other nuggets we glean from the video (it's in Hebrew, and we're a little rusty on that language): LG's got its own Facebook app, the Star towers over the iPhone 4 (Apple's really going to have to up that screen size someday), and the browser loads as fast (if not faster) than mobile Safari, the test page loads just as fast, and Flash is as smooth as it's ever been. Video's after the break. It's a sight to behold, folks. [GSM-Israel via Engadget]

YouTube link for mobile viewing

Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson
20 Comments
  • Well, it's LG... lol plus, how long will we have to wait for that custom UI to get on top of gingerbread for your precious dual core to work?
  • I just watched a guy handle a cell phone for 7 minutes while speaking a language I don't understand...I need a meeting.
  • The UI looks like TouchWiz and the phone itself looks like a Samsung Vibrant for the most part. Not a bad looking phone and with a dual-core Tegra 2 processor? I hope it or a similar phone comes to the States soon! Or at least the Nexus S...
  • Wow. The icons, dock, and page indicators look almost exactly like the ones from TouchWiz. If you're going to copy a UI LG, at least choose a good one.
  • Actually this UI is called LG S-Class and it was introduced in Asia long before TouchWiz was designed(2 years ago). So if there is anyone who stole a design than its obviously Samsung.
  • Yeah I guess I can see a resemblance to the old S-Class UI, but this version changed the contacts icon to orange, added labels below the icons, and added a number to the screen indicator, all features that were not in the old S-Class UI but are in TouchWiz. Maybe they are both copying each other. Samsung copied first and now LG.
  • Wow same here, definitely looks like Touchwiz even the top indicator. I bet they didnt want to bother creating a new UI and asked samsung for help. The bottom capacitance buttons also look identical to the Vibrants. Not a bad looking phone though, definitely better shaped than my ovaley vibrant.
  • Wow, it looked superfast to me. I had the X for a while, and it was laggy at times. I so hope the Olympus is fast like this thing.
  • at first glance, i thought it was another Samsung phone....until i see the big LG.
  • That guy should clear his throat before he starts recording, instead of clearing it throughout the entire video :)
    Phone looks sweet, skin not so much.
  • Is that a full size HDMI port or not?
  • why dose that ui look like touchwiz wow lg good for you.
  • wow thats cool i wonder how long i have to wait to buy a tegra2 phone.
    I need to upgrade too.
  • Not a bad looking phone at all... the big shocker for me is that it's an LG! I've had bad experiences with them and their cheap looking phones... and would be scared to touch one of the Optimus line phones, but I think I'd give the Star a good shakedown try...
  • wtf LG. I used the current LG skin for a little while on my Captivate and it's much better looking, much smoother and imo has better features than to Touchwiz.
  • I live in Israel, so trust me, I know Hebrew.
    Accroding to the video, this thing can record in Full HD, its expected to ship out with 2.3 and they estimate its a normal Amoled screen.
    The speaker its sterephone, The built quality is better then the Galaxy S,It loaded a site faster then the iPhone 4 and HDMI.
    The rest you probaly understood yourself already.
  • Indeed as Hagaix said they "clearly" (I don't mean that offensively if he is speaking gibberish to you nothing much is clear) but he clearly says that it is going to have Android 2.3 but for this test phone it has 2.2.
  • That UI has been floating around for years in the east, I don't think Samsung was the original designer trying to copy of the iOS UI. Anyways I liked LG's other UI, one you find on the Optomis One or Ally as it looks alot more Android-like than this UI but this device has potential nontheless.
  • It's kind of fitting, actually, that the LG Star makes an appearance during the holiday season, and in Israel, no less. Holiday season? I don't get it. What does a star have to do with Hanukkah and Kwanzaa? Oooh, I get it, you mean the forbidden "C" word.
  • Do other phones like this for android have Google printed on it like this one has? I never knowticed large google print before on other phones phones although im a noob to android.Perhaps this is the new nexus/google phone & the samsung people think is the new nexus isnt.
    I am a techie for sure been one for a while and cant wait to get a new smartphone & the tegra2 is interesting.
    Should i wait for a couple months or buy now lol?