Brand LG Series Optimus | ||
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Compatible networks GSM/GPRS/EDGE Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900)UMTS/HSPA tri-band (900/1700/2100)HSDPA 7.2 Mbit/sGPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32-48 kbit/sCDMA EVDO Rev. A (800/1900-Global, 1800-Korea LG U+ Variant Korean Pcs) First released October 31, 2010 (2010-10-31) Related |
The LG Optimus One is an entry-level series of touch-screen smartphones manufactured by LG Electronics, Inc. It was released running the Android 2.2 Froyo, and later LG released software to upgrade it to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Cyanogenmod 7.2 supports the phone. Although the basic physical form factor of each variant is the same, the variants have differences in hard button shape and layout, the form of the metal side bezel and the user interfaces added by LG or various carriers. Versions of the Optimus One exist that operate on various frequency bands and either GSM or CDMA-based network protocols. They may also feature one or more variations in hardware, such as a faster processor, the addition of a physical keyboard, a modem with higher theoretical speeds, or a better digital camera.
Contents
- Variants
- Primary configuration
- LG Optimus Chat
- LG Optimus Chic
- LG Optimus Net
- LG Optimus Pro
- LG Optimus Elite
- Android 23 Gingerbread
- Root access and custom ROM Installation
- References
Since sales first began in mid-November 2010, LG has released ten variants, though some differ very little from others. The Optimus One line is the first LG smartphone line to sell more than 1 million units. As of December 10, 2010 more than 2 million units have been sold worldwide, with 1.3 million units sold in North America, 450,000 units sold in South Korea, 200,000 units sold in Europe and 50,000 units sold in Asia and the CIS.
The internal name of the Optimus One during product development was "Thunder".
Variants
Because of the different technologies used by wireless operators in the United States, many variants of the LG Optimus One exist, usually replacing the word "One" with a single letter representing the carrier. For example, the LG Optimus M is offered exclusively by MetroPCS, while the LG Optimus T is only available at T-Mobile USA.
Primary configuration
The Optimus One P500 was the first version offered for sale, with sales beginning in South Korea in mid-November 2010. This GSM version of the phone is sold by wireless communications service providers in Asia, Europe and Canada.
In Canada, the LG Optimus One (P500h) is sold by Telus Mobility since December 2010 and its brand Koodo Mobile since February 2011, with UMTS frequency at 850, 1900, and 2100 MHz.
In Turkey, a matte black variant is sold as the LG Optimus One (P503).
Walmart Family Mobile released the LG Optimus One (P504) in charcoal in September 2011.
LG Optimus Chat
The LG Optimus Chat features a physical keyboard and a smaller, 2.8-inch touchscreen.
LG Optimus Chic
The LG Optimus Chic features a camera with a higher 5 megapixel (MP) resolution and a modem with faster upload speeds of 2 Mbit/s instead of 0.35 Mbit/s.
LG Optimus Net
After clearing out and discontinuing the LG Optimus Chic due to poor sales, Bell Mobility released the LG Optimus Net on October 27, 2011. The Net is equipped with a faster 800 MHz processor, but features a slower HSPA+ modem with 3.6 Mbit/s download speeds, compared to the Optimus One and Chic's 600 MHz processor and 7.2 Mbit/s HSPA+ download speeds. It also features the same 3.15 megapixel (MP) camera as the Optimus One, but this resolution is lower than the Optimus Chic's 5 MP camera.
LG Optimus Pro
The LG Optimus Pro is a variant of the Optimus Net, featuring a physical QWERTY keyboard, a 3 MP camera, a 2.8" screen, and Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
LG Optimus Elite
Released exclusively for the Australian network Optus, the LG Optimus Elite features a 3.5 inch screen, 5 MP camera with flash, and a dual-core processor.
Android 2.3 Gingerbread
On December 8, 2010 LG announced that it would need to study the Gingerbread Compatibility Definition Document and the public branch open source code before it could determine if the Optimus One series could be upgraded to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. However, on December 9, 2010, LG stated that it will update Optimus One devices to Android 2.3, but a date for the upgrade was not specified. Responding to a question posted on LG India's Facebook page on March 16, 2011, an LG representative initially stated that the 2.3 update will be available in late May via the Android Market, but hours later added that the upgrade is not confirmed and the information was subject to change.
The following details the history of the Gingerbread update rollout:
Root access and custom ROM Installation
A variety of custom ROM images exist for the P500, notably Cyanogenmod 7.2 . First Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Images are available at xda-developers, yet these still have video playback performance issues due to missing libraries for hardware assisted decoding. It is also possible to run Android 4.4.1 (KitKat) on this phone. LG has released two different Baseband driver versions, the one commonly referred to as "old baseband" was shipped with the official Android 2.2 ROM images, while the "new baseband" is shipped with the official Android 2.3 ROMs. Depending on the custom ROM one wants to use, the matching baseband has to be installed on the device (for instance the official Cyanogenmod 7.2 ROM-Image uses the new baseband, the unofficial Cyanogenmod 7.1 Image requires the old one). The easiest way to change between baseband versions is to install the corresponding official firmware. To be able to install custom ROM images one has to get root access to the phone, voiding warranty in the process. The Android 2.2 firmware shipped by LG suffers a severe security vulnerability that can be exploited for this purpose by an app named Gingerbreak. On the official Android 2.3 ROM images rooting by an Android App does not seem to work, yet with a PC connected by USB, SuperOneClick and the Android Debug Bridge one can get root access as well. The easiest way to install a custom ROM from the SD-Card is to flash it through ClockworkMod recovery.
As of 2012 the official CyanogenMod 7.2 ROM has been reported as fully functional.