The LG G8 Has a Vibrating OLED Screen For a Speaker (arstechnica.com) 53
LG's next upcoming flagship smartphone is the LG G8, which is expected to debut at Mobile World Congress at the end of the month. While much of the phone is similar to last year's model, LG yesterday announced some news on the phone's audio capabilities. "The phone uses the same 'Crystal Sound OLED' branding that LG has used on some of its TVs before; this means that the entire display will vibrate to work as a speaker, which was previously rumored," reports The Verge. "The news also confirms that the G8 will be the first flagship G-series phone not to use an LCD." From the report: The G8 still has a bottom-facing speaker for louder use cases like speakerphone calls, and LG says this can be paired with the top part of the screen for 2-channel stereo sound. Elsewhere, the signature quad DAC from LG's recent flagship phones returns -- which means there'll be a headphone jack -- as does the "Boombox Speaker" functionality that produces surprisingly bassy sound when the phone is placed on a table. LG has already confirmed that the G8 will have a front-facing 3D camera with a time-of-flight sensor, while rumors suggest there could be an optional second screen accessory.
LG is the worst. (Score:5, Interesting)
Sure would be nice if they could release OS/security updates as quickly as new hardware. LG is the worst.
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LG is the worst.
The digitizer failed on my Nexus 4 (LG E960). How much more rapidly will this cause the digitizer to fail on these devices?
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yep; i bought previous lg flagship... never again
the hardware was great but even simple android security updates lagged months behind release and after two years they stopped releasing updates at all
Just in time for Valentine's Day... (Score:2)
My phone has this. (Score:3)
The Kyocera Hydro Vibe [kyoceramobile.com], I bought in 2015, has a vibrating screen instead of a regular ear speaker and it's not super, but I believe it helps with its water-proof certification [Certified waterproof for IPX5, and IPX7. Immersible for up to 30 minutes in up to 3.28 feet (1 meter).]. For best results, you need to hold the phone FIRMLY against your ear (experimenting for best placement). It does also have a rear speaker for speaker-phone use -- as well as a freaking headphone jack -- and they work great.
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For best results, you need to hold the phone FIRMLY against your ear (experimenting for best placement).
Strange, I would have thought the advantage of using the screen as speaker was better and louder sound, since it has the whole screen area to vibrate (like a ribbon speaker)... I guess it doesn't travel enough to really get very loud.
Most modern phones are equally waterproof with speakers, so if it's not really got a sound quality advantage I wonder why they are sticking with that approach?
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It might be hard to believe this, but the materials that modern speakers are made of these days are very close to the theoretical optimal balance between durability and flexibility. They're doing this because they can make the phone tougher by sacrificing some sound quality. My concern is just that any video with too much bass is gonna blur the screen, so they've actually in one fell swoop sabotaged both the viewing quality and the listening quality with a cost-cutting feature they're gonna be able to tri
Re: My phone has this. (Score:1)
It definitely have a greater area but the weight vs area and range of motion may be crap vs mylar or whatever.
It's my speaker and ... (Score:3)
... I can wear it anywhere I want to.
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I like small speakers,
I like tall speakers.
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This new TV will be "speaker of the house."
My smartphone has BOTH a Vibrator AND a Speaker! (Score:4, Interesting)
Seriously, these so called "flagships" are worse than much older phones in most of the criteria that matter to me.
Re: My smartphone has BOTH a Vibrator AND a Speake (Score:1)
They have better cameras for once which matter for me.
More ram, faster, better displays, water and dust resistant, faster.
Where they fail is having glass and price.
Exploit coming to an LG phone near you: (Score:3)
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Actually that's *exactly* how resonant frequency works - there's just a limiting factor to consider - damping, or how effectively the item in question can shed the energy it's receiving. At non-resonant frequencies internal destructive interference provides its own damping, but that's dramatically reduced or eliminated at resonant frequencies
Fluids are generally great dampers - they'll convert vibrational energy into internal turbulence, and thence heat. Which is why the Earth doesn't shatter, it's basica
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LOL, you actually consider the Earth to be some solid mass of all the same material or something? Hilarious.
Have to admit, though, you write pretty close to an adult, for a 4th grader.
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Goodluck.
Genuine innovation (Score:1)
Genuine innovation. Why can't Apple with all its riches and self described innovative genius, come with anything the least bit interesting?
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Who did it before?
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There's at least one example listed near the top of this discussion
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So, done once before for the purpose of waterproofing. Now, done by LG for the purpose of having good audio quality (which the Kyocera did not) while saving front panel space. Why is that not genuine innovation?
Sure beats round corners :)
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Sure does. But that's an awful low bar to cross.
Mostly I was just making sure you didn't overlook a comment with a possible answer.
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It's never Apple, according to Apple.
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It's never Apple, according to Apple.
And Apple astroturfers make me sick. How Apple of you.
versus LG android customizations (Score:3)
While I like LG hardware as a reasonable price-feature middle ground (currently using a V35), their customized Android negates any real enthusiasm.Volume button doesn't work on lock screen? Can't set a temporary DND? Worlds most baffling settings menu? Literally a dozen useless apps that can't be uninstalled redundant with native Android, except with less features and poorer interface? Spastic colors? I"m not interested in rooting my own version, why can't LG figure this out?
Every time I buy an LG phone I promise myself I won't by another one. And about every 5 years I forget that promise only to make it again.
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Volume button doesn't work on lock screen?
That's a feature, one that prevents you from missing calls because while in your pocket/purse the volume doesn't go down.
It's locked, things shouldn't be allowed to changed while locked.