By It’s always a good day when we hear about new features being added to smartphones through the advent of software. LG is bringing us some new goods to look forward to in the LG Optimus G Pro with “Smart Video,” a feature that will use eye-recognition technology to automatically pause and resume video when the device’s front-facing camera notices your eyes look away and turn back.
Sticking with camera-driven features, LG is also announcing Dual Camera, a feature that will allow users to take photos with the front-facing camera and the rear camera simultaneously. It sounds like a bit of a novelty feature in practice, but the idea is that “users can now be a part of the story, not just observers.”
Both of these features are going to be part of a bigger “value pack” software upgrade headed to the Optimus G Pro later on. Other features in that upgrade include the following:
- Magic Remote Pad and Text Keypad via the QRemote function. These new options for QRemote work specifically with LG Smart TVs to enhance convenience when using Optimus G Pro as a remote control for LG Smart TVs.
- The Smart LED Lighting outlining the home button of the Optimus G Pro will be upgraded so users can customize the colors to correspond to their favorite contacts. The flashing of the LED in different colors will allow users to identify the source of incoming calls, missed calls, unread messages and emails.
- Video Pause/Resume allows the user to stop and start in record mode for one continuous video file.
- The first Color Emoticons in an Android smartphone for more personalized text messages.
It all sounds good to me. The value pack upgrade will head to the Korean version of the Optimus G Pro first starting next month, and LG has also promised other premium handsets of theirs — which we assume would include the original Optimus G — would receive much of the same. Read on for full press details.
EYE RECOGNITION TO BRING NEW LEVEL OF ENTERTAINMENT CONVENIENCE TO LG SMARTPHONE
Technology to Debut in Smart Video Feature in Optimus G ProSEOUL, Mar. 14, 2013 — Smart Video, a new multimedia UX feature from LG Electronics (LG), will be unveiled for the first time in the Optimus G Pro. Smart Video takes viewing videos on mobile devices to a whole new level of convenience with eye recognition that eliminates the need to manually control playback during the viewing experience.
Through the implementation of advanced eye recognition technology, Smart Video recognizes the position of the viewer’s eyes and automatically plays or stops the video without any manual input from the user. When the viewer’s eyes are no longer focused on the smartphone display, the front camera recognizes this and immediately pauses the video automatically. Once the user’s gaze returns to the smartphone, the video resumes playback from the point last viewed.
In addition to the Smart Video feature, Optimus G Pro will also be equipped with the world’s first Dual Camera function. The Dual Camera feature is an extension of the Dual Recording feature which debuted on the Optimus G Pro introduced in the Korean market last month. Dual Camera simultaneously captures photographs using both the front and back cameras for a picture-in-picture composition. Users can now be a part of the story, not just observers.
“LG is continuously innovating to offer creative ways to offer a user experience that adds value to our customers,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Elec-tronics Mobile Communications Company. “It’s the positive UX that will differentiate smartphones in 2013 and beyond, not only cutting-edge hardware specs.”
The Smart Video and Dual Camera features will be introduced as a part of the Value Pack upgrade which will be offered for the Optimus G Pro in the Korean market next month. These features will also be made available for some LG premium smartphones in the future.Other features in the Value Pack upgrade include:
• Magic Remote Pad and Text Keypad via the QRemote function. These new options for QRemote work specifically with LG
Smart TVs to enhance convenience when using Optimus G Pro as a remote control for LG Smart TVs.
• The Smart LED Lighting outlining the home button of the Optimus G Pro will be upgraded so users can customize the colors
to correspond to their favorite contacts. The flashing of the LED in different colors will allow users to identify the source of
incoming calls, missed calls, unread messages and emails.
• Video Pause/Resume allows the user to stop and start in record mode for one continuous video file.
• The first Color Emoticons in an Android smartphone for more personalized text messages.# # #
About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company
The LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a global leader and innovator in mobile communications. With its breakthrough technologies and innovative designs, LG continues to establish a number of benchmarks in the smartphone market, while also helping create a better lifestyle for consumers by delivering a wholly enhanced smartphone experience. As a leader in 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, LG continues its commitment to developing groundbreaking LTE technologies and fulfilling consumer demands with differentiated LTE devices of the highest quality, all of which are based on the company’s wealth of LTE patents and technical knowledge. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.
Does anybody else feel like they’re kinda copying Samsung?
No. Everyone will need to have the same features to even be accepted as ‘Smart’ phones… Anyways Ive liked LGs build quality and design aesthetics more than Samsungs. Not to mention the superior display technology LG uses..
I’ve personally only had 1 product by LG that lasted more than a few months, my computer monitor. I’ve never really had an urge to buy their stuff but the recent N4 makes me think I should give them another chance.
LG tvs and washers aren’t half bad.
Did you feel like Samsung kinda copying someone last year? Well, they didn’t failed terribly.
How are they copying Samsung ? Samsung downturn have any of these features? The colour dependent home button and notification light will be copied by Samsung guaranteed. And also the dual camera video.
Ok quick question
who makes the chromebook pixel?
What’s better about LG’s display tech?
Well the IPS display LG uses on say the Optimus G versus the AMOLED display Samsung uses on the S3. They are about the same resolution, LG has I think 48 extra pixel, and the screen sizes differ by only 0.1 inch. (G has a 4.7′ while S3 has 4.8′) are a good comparison (Nexus 4 has the same display as the G). If you can get your hands on both of them, do an intensive test of various HD images.. You will notice the IPS is consistently brighter, reproduces colours more accurately, and the images to my eye seem a tiny bit sharper, but this could simply be because LGs display is slightly more dense in pixel, or it could be an optical illusion, I tend to think the oversaturation of colours in the AMOLED makes lines appear less pronounced.. anyways the IPS is also less power consuming, AND has better viewing angles (not that these really matter too much though).The IPS is better at producing bright vibrant whites, while the AMOLED is better at producing deep high contrast blacks. Some people tend to ‘like’ the AMOLEDs over saturation.. I personally dont, In case cases (whitewashed photos) it might be an advantage, but in most cases I think the accuracy would be better appreciated. Im sure Ive missed a few things, and I might not be 100% accurate, Ive spent more time with the IPS displays than the AMOLED, most of my friends used to have S3s, so in comparison to those I always found my display much nicer, now that theyre all migrating to Nexus 4s we have the same displays :P
Also as a sidenote: Apples ‘retina’ displays in their iPhone 5 are produced by LG (as well as some of their later iPhone 4 models, not sure if this is only the 4S or both 4 and 4S… Their iPad retina displays are also manufactured at least in part by LG, Im honestly not sure about their macbook displays, though if I were to hazard a guess, it would be LG (after that it would be Sharp, or Samsung, or Panasonic or someone else) (These are what most people define as the standard for high quality displays, though honestly I scoff at that.. I dont think the iPhone 5 or the iPad have very impressive displays today)
Are ANY U.S. carriers going to carry any of LG’s latest smartphone???
Nobody but LG is making 4.3-4.5 screen smartphones except LG, Samsung keeps pushing screen sizes higher and higher. . .
LG design team discussion – “Let’s swap the MENU and BACK capacitive buttons, to differentiate our phone from the GS3” LMAO!