Newly leaked LG G4 renders give us multiple new angles to check out

@OnLeaks is back with more LG G4 renders for us to drool over. These new shots give us a look at not just the rear that we saw yesterday, but also the front and sides. It still looks just like an LG G3, folks, save for a bit more of a hump to protect the camera on the rear.

The leakster confirmed that the device does have a slight curve not just in its chassis, but also in the display itself. It’s not as profound an effect as it is on the curvaceous LG G Flex 2, but it’s there.

Otherwise, everything else looks pretty ordinary. Specs for the LG G4 are still largely unconfirmed at this time, but we’re expecting a display size anywhere between 5.2 and 5.7 inches, a Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM and a megapixel count between 16.0 and 20.7 for its rear camera (and we’re told that sensor will once again be supported by a laser-assisted autofocus).

More interesting than what it looks like is when it’ll launch. Unfortunately that bit of information is still yet to be revealed, but it won’t be long as LG is said to be looking to lift the curtains up at some point in April. We’ll have to see if they’ll be fast enough to make it to market before Samsung and HTC’s latest options gain too much momentum.

Groupon To Go is an upcoming online ordering platform that looks to give GrubHub, OrderUp a run for their money

Groupon was all the rage when it launched back in 2008, one of the internet’s first daily deals sites that offered up discounted gift certificates on local food or activities. A few years later, the company began to fizzle out, reporting quarterly losses in the millions of dollars range.

Recently, we’ve seen Groupon branch out its business into new areas with a new app called Snap by Groupon that rewards shoppers with real cash instead of coupons. But it appears that’s not all Groupon has up their sleeve, with a new online ordering platform called “Groupon To Go” set to kick off sometime in the near future.

It doesn’t appear Groupon has made anything official yet, but the landing site is already live. There aren’t any deals populating it quite yet, but we discovered Groupon is already hiring To Go management positions in the Chicago area and recently picked up a trademark for their service so we’d imagine it’s coming very soon.

Once launched, Groupon To Go will let users search for local businesses offering up delivery in their area. It’s not too unlike services like GrubHub or OrderUp with Groupon acting as the middle man by digitizing participating restaurants’ menus and giving them their own business page on Groupon.com.

Once orders are received, Groupon will send them to businesses either by fax, email, or through their online merchant center. If restaurants want to further drive business, they can even create deals that will be broadcasted across Groupon’s online site, email news letters, and mobile apps.

It’s an interesting entry into the food delivery market and with Groupon’s already huge user base, should be enticing to both customers and businesses alike. We expect to learn more once the service officially launches, but in the meantime, you can watch their promo video for business on Vimeo.

Sprint’s new All-In plans give you a standard $80 monthly rate no matter which smartphone you buy

Sprint today had a couple of new plans to announce. The first is All-In, which is the company’s new pricing structure that makes it easy to understand and buy new smartphones and service. Sprint’s fuel against competing carriers is that those fancy “ all you can eat” plans are often advertised without mentioning the other monthly charges tacked on, such as Verizon’s infamous access fee, or the cost of paying for your smartphone.

The idea is that you get one easy-to-understand monthly rate for the cost of service + buying your smartphone, no matter which smartphone you buy. The starting rate is for unlimited talk, text and data + per month for covering the cost of your device off-contract, which amounts to a smooth per month.

That’s the idea. The reality is as follows (as noted in the fine print that they never want you to read):

• You can only choose between the 32GB Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9, LG G4 or iPhone 6, with no further options hinted to be on the horizon.


• There is a one-time activation fee, but there are no other upfront costs.


• The per month smartphone payment is considered a “lease.”


• If you can’t go the full 24 months, you have to give the phone back and pay the remainder of the lease period.


• Sprint notes you have the option to “purchase” the phone at the end of the 24 month leasing period or at time of termination, but we’re not yet sure if any previous payments made through leasing will go toward that. We’ll reach out to confirm.


• Note that you also have the option of simply continuing to pay the per month lease beyond 24 months.


• Sprint says the “offer” for the plan ends August 6th, so this pricing may not even be a permanent option.

That’s just what we know from the fine print, but it doesn’t sound all that amazing on paper (sure does make for a sweet way to advertise, though). We’ll be looking to clarify every nook and cranny of this new plan and we’ll be sure to update you on anything we hear.

Regardless, Sprint is excited about it — so much so, in fact, that they’ve teamed up with David Beckham to advertise it. Nothing like having one of the most famous men in sports talking up your new plans.

Also on tap is a new plan in conjunction with Best Buy. It’s the Best Buy One Family Plan, which gives you and another soul unlimited everything for a cool 0 per month. That doesn’t include any possible smartphone payments, and adding more people will add an additional per month per line. Not amazing, but not bad.

Both the All-In and Best Buy One Family plans (only available when upgrading or buying new service at Best Buy Mobile) are available starting today. Be sure to consider your options carefully before jumping in!

Android One is struggling, but Google won’t give up on it

Google made Android One to get phones into “the next 1 billion” people’s hands, but that plan seems to be a lot harder than it sounds on paper. The company’s vice president of product management Caesar Sengupta spoke with the Economic Times following reports that Android One smartphones have sold less than 1 million units in India combined since its September launch.

The number is alarming considering India was the biggest target market for Android One and there’s a wide variety of affordable options available. So what’s the issue?

Google believes they didn’t effectively hurdle the distribution obstacles, noting that the devices weren’t readily available in all mainstream channels. Whether that be featuring Android One prominently throughout electronics stores, making the devices available from an easy online source or making sure every carrier had Android One phones to offer, Google feels they have to tackle that problem if they really want the program to take off.

Another issue is increased competition. OEMs are starting to introduce powerful smartphones at very affordable price points, and people will just as soon spend the extra money to get a phone that could potentially go a lot further than an Android One phone could. Sengupta also pointed to a study that showed smartphone buyers going from their first to second phone are more inclined to go with something more expensive, likely due to the eventual realization that ultra-affordable smartphones are too limited for modern usage.

Despite the struggles, Google is reluctant to pull the plug on it. The company reiterates that Android One is now in 7 different countries with options from dozens of manufacturers, with more coming along the way (including some options from known names like ASUS and HTC).

They also mention Android One is less about volume and more about the idea of pushing affordable, yet capable smartphones. That’s not unlike the way they do business on the high-end side of the scale with the Nexus line, so Google would like to think they’re on their way to achieving their goal even without the gaudy numbers to back it up.