Canadian Motorola Moto G (2013), Moto X (2014), LG G3 and HTC One M7 recieving Android 5.0 Lollipop

Looks like it's Lollipop week as not one or two or three but four devices from three different manufacturers nonetheless have started receiving their upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop.

This morning we got word from our friends at LG that the G3 would start getting the upgrade starting today.

“Bringing the new Lollipop Android update to LG G3 users has been a top priority for us,” said Eunice Lee, Brand Manager of Mobile Communications, LG Canada. “LG is committed to providing our customers with the best mobile experience, and the Lollipop upgrade is a key part of that innovative experience. The new Android OS brings a refreshed interface to the LG G3 that complements its existing design and enhances the device’s functionality. We believe that our customers will find great value in the Lollipop upgrade.”

On the side of Motorola, the Moto G (first gen) from Virgin, TELUS, Koodo, Videotron, WIND and the unlocked retail version should all have started receiving the update as of yesterday. The LTE version from Rogers, Fido and Videotron however are not part of this initial rollout.

The Moto X second gen from WIND is also getting a second attempt at a Lollipop upgrade after the last attempt cause some devices to be bricked. No word yet on the original Moto X, as Motorola is stated to be needing more time due to the custom X8 Compute platform SoC used in the original Moto X.

Lastly, one of our readers has informed us (later confirmed by MobileSyrup) that the HTC One M7 has also started start getting it's rollout to Lollipop as well. (Thanks Alex!)

If you're one of the owners of these devices let us know how the update process goes!

LG G3 officially arriving in Canada on August 1st

After LG announced its latest flagship handset last month there was little doubt in our mind that it would make its way to Canadian shelves. Yesterday, we got confirmation from our friends at LG that the G3 will in fact be headed to Bell, MTS, Rogers, Sasktel and Videotron on August 1st.

We are a bit surprised to see TELUS not on the list of launch carriers given that the G2 was available to its customers. Here's a refresher of the specs:

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 801 (up to 2.5GHz Quad-Core)
• Display: 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS (2560 x 1440, 538ppi)
• Memory: 16/32MB eMMC ROM / 2/3GB DDR3 RAM / microSD slot (128GB max)
• Camera: Rear 13.0MP with OIS+ and Laser Auto Focus / Front 2.1MP
• Battery: 3,000mAh (removable)
• Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• Size: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm
• Weight: 149g
• Network: 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps (3G)
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth Smart Ready (Apt-X), NFC, SlimPort, A-GPS/Glonass, USB 2.0
• Colour: Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet, Burgundy Red
• Other: Smart Keyboard, Smart Notice, Knock CodeTM , Guest Mode, etc.

Check out the Press release after the break.

LG officially announces the G3

LG wasn't going to stay idle while Samsung, Sony and HTC were going to push their 2014 flagships. Today, they announced their flagship for 2014, the LG G3. Without surprising many, the G3 falls inline with jsut about every spec leak that we've seen in the past few months.

Specs include:

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 801 (up to 2.5GHz Quad-Core)
• Display: 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS (2560 x 1440, 538ppi)
• Memory: 16/32MB eMMC ROM / 2/3GB DDR3 RAM / microSD slot (128GB max)
• Camera: Rear 13.0MP with OIS+ and Laser Auto Focus / Front 2.1MP
• Battery: 3,000mAh (removable)
• Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• Size: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm
• Weight: 149g
• Network: 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps (3G)
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth Smart Ready (Apt-X), NFC, SlimPort, A-GPS/Glonass, USB 2.0
• Colour: Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet, Burgundy Red
• Other: Smart Keyboard, Smart Notice, Knock CodeTM , Guest Mode, etc.

Interestingly, RAM will depend on on the storage option chosen. The 16GB will come with 2GB of RAM while the 32GB comes with 3GB of RAM.  Sadly, the metallic looking back is in fact plastic but we'll reserve judgement till we have our hand on the phone. LG did make some significant changes compared to the G2 by including a removable battery and expandable microSD storage which seems to be making a big comeback in 2014. 

The 5.5 inch display seems to be clearly in phablet territory but with such tiny bezels LG has the footprint of the phone in the range of other flagships. At 1440p, the density is at a retina demolishing 538ppi, we'll see if the potential diminishing returns of the DPI increases clearity on the display.

Overall, this very solid hardware paired with what LG calls "simplified" software makes for a very compelling choice on paper.

No word on Canadian availability, but considering how the G2 was widely available to several carriers in Canada we expect the same of the G3.