Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>LG, one of the oldest and major players in the smartphone industry has another first to its name – this time for becoming the first major company to exit the <keyword id="809669" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Smartphone-Business">smartphone business</keyword>.</li><li>The news of LG’s exit came following weeks of speculation and an unsuccessful attempt to sell the smartphone division to Vietnam’s Vingroup.</li><li>We take a look at LG’s often bold and experimental streak of innovations in the mobile phone industry, dating back to its entry in 2002.</li></ul><keyword id="61562" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="LG-Electronics">LG Electronics</keyword>, the South Korean giant – has exited the smartphone industry following weeks of speculation. LG’s exit makes it the first major player to quit the smartphone business amid mounting losses. According to a statement <a href="http://www.lgnewsroom.com/2021/04/lg-to-close-mobile-phone-business-worldwide/">issued</a> by the company, LG will complete the winding down of its smartphone business by July 31, this year. It will continue to sell the existing inventory of phones even after shutting shop, until stocks last. Earlier, a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lg-elec-smartphones-idUSKBN2BS032">Reuters</a> report confirmed LG’s exit, stating that LG’s smartphone division had been making losses for the last 6 years – totaling to $4.5 billion in the time. The report also adds that LG tried to sell the smartphone division to Vietnam’s Vingroup before talks fell through. LG has a notable presence in the US, with a market share of 9% in the December 2020 quarter, according to <a href="https://www.counterpointresearch.com/us-market-smartphone-share/">Counterpoint Research</a>. Its exit will allow Apple and Samsung to gobble up even more market share. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The end of an innovative smartphone brand" comment="subhead" text="The end of an innovative smartphone brand">The end of an innovative smartphone brand</cmsannotation> LG has been known for coming up with really good innovations. Some of these include being amongst the first companies to launch phones with ultra wide angle cameras that let you capture a much wider scene when compared to regular cameras. Apart from that, LG was also the first to come up with high-resolution Quad HD displays, phones with two selfie cameras or the wacky phones with two displays – like the <a href="https://www.lg.com/in/mobile-phones/lg-lmf100emw">LG Wing</a>. But beyond that, LG had been plagued by several issues in its <keyword id="6354775" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Smartphones">smartphones</keyword> – both hardware and software – contributing to the brand’s decline over the last few years. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="A look back at the two decades of LG smartphones and mobiles" comment="subhead" text="A look back at the two decades of LG smartphones and mobiles">A look back at the two decades of LG smartphones and mobiles</cmsannotation> 2002 – LG enters the mobile phone business with B1200, a candybar phone 2003 – LG G7030 launched with two displays 2003 – LG G7070 flip phone launched with a swiveling display and a 0.3MP camera 2006 – LG KE600 launched with a 2MP camera and a circular button for call management 2006 – LG Prada became the first phone with a capacitive touchscreen, months before the launch of the iPhone 2008 – LG launched the first full touchscreen phone with a 8MP camera 2009 – LG GW620, the company's first Android smartphone, launched 2009 – LG New Chocolate with a 21:9 display launched – a decade before these screens became popular 2011 – LG Optimus 2X launched with the world’s first phone with a dual core processor 2012 – Nexus 4 launched with flagship features at an affordable price 2013 – LG launched the G Flex smartphone, a phone that could actually bend to a certain extent 2013 – LG delivered another fan-favourite in the form of the Nexus 5 2015 – LG V10 launched with a secondary display to show notifications 2018 – LG V40 ThinQ launched - it was the first phone with telephoto and ultrawide angle camera 2020 – LG goes bold with the Wing 5G launch – a phone with two displays that can swivel 2021 – LG exits the smartphone industry after 6 years of losses SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/lg-posts-robust-home-appliance-sales-mobile-biz-in-deep-red/articleshow/80585683.cms">LG posts robust home appliance sales, mobile biz in deep red</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/lg-wing-swivel-phone-and-velvet-dual-screen-phone-launched-in-india/articleshow/78910057.cms">LG Wing swivel phone and Velvet dual screen phone launched in India</a>

LG Electronics exits the smartphone business – here’s how its mobile fortunes swayed over the last two decades

<ul><li><keyword id="9173880" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="android-12" source="Orion">Android 12</keyword> is now available on eligible Google Pixel devices.</li><li>Samsung is testing the OneUI 4 based on Android 12 on Galaxy S21 series phones.</li><li>Most flagship devices are expected to get the update by December 2021.</li></ul>Android 12 arrived on eligible Google Pixel devices earlier last month and it is expected on other Android flagships by the end of the year. The likes of Samsung and OnePlus are testing betas of their <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/how-to-download-android-12-beta-update-on-samsung-galaxy-s21-series-smartphones/articleshow/86254446.cms">OS based on Android 12</a> on their flagship phones. According to a report in <a href="https://www.androidcentral.com/when-will-my-phone-get-android-12">Android Central</a>, the newly launched smartphones from top Android phone makers are expected to get the Android 12 in the next couple of months, while the older devices will get it sometime in the first half of next year. While there are no official dates from the companies yet, these are the expected timeline of stable Android 12 release on phones from ASUS, Google, LG, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Samsung and Xiaomi based on older Android releases in previous years. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="ASUS" comment="subhead" text="ASUS">ASUS</cmsannotation> <ul><li>The ASUS Zenfone 8 and the Zenfone 8 Flip are expected to get the Android 12 stable version by the end of the year.</li><li>ROG Phone 5, ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, ROG Phone 5s and ROG Phone 5s Pro are expected to get the update in the first three months of 2022.</li><li>The Zenfone 7 and Zenfone 7 Pro should get the latest Android update before the first half of 2022.</li><li>ROG Phone 3 and ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition should get the latest Android update before the first half of 2022.</li></ul><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="OnePlus" comment="subhead" text="OnePlus">OnePlus</cmsannotation> <ul><li>The OnePlus 9 series is expected to get the update by the end of the year.</li><li>The other updates are expected to roll-out on devices in 2022 in the following order: OnePlus 8 series, OnePlus 9R, 8T, Nord 2, Nord CE, Nord, and the OnePlus 7T/7 series.</li></ul><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Oppo" comment="subhead" text="Oppo">Oppo</cmsannotation> Oppo has launched the ColorOS 12 beta on Find X3 series phones in certain territories. The company is expected to bring the Android 12 update to all phones that were released in 2021 and 2020 and most phones that launched in 2019. Oppo is yet to share its timeline of when its phones will get the Android 12 update, however, we do have the roadmap for ColorOS 12 beta release on its phones. <ul><li>The Find X3 series got it in October.</li><li>The Find X2 series and Reno 6 series are expected to get it in November, 2021.</li><li>The Reno 5 series, K9, A95 and Ace 2 series are expected to get ColorOS 12 beta by December, 2021. </li></ul><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Realme" comment="subhead" text="Realme">Realme</cmsannotation> Plenty of Realme phones will have the Android 12 update, with some even getting early access with beta release. Here is the expected timeline. <ul><li>December 2021: Realme GT Master Edition, Realme GT Neo 2 5G, Realme X7 Max and Realme 8 Pro.</li><li>First quarter of 2022: Realme X7 Pro, Realme X50 Pro 5G, Realme 8 4G, Realme 8i, Realme 7 Pro, Realme Narzo 50A, Realme Narzo 30, Realme C25 and Realme C25s.</li><li>Second quarter of 2022: Realme X7, Realme X3, Realme K3 SuperZoom, Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G, Realme Narzo 30 5G, Realme 8s and Realme 7 5G.</li></ul><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Samsung" comment="subhead" text="Samsung">Samsung</cmsannotation> Samsung OneUI 4.0 beta based on Android 12 arrived on Samsung Galaxy S21 series phones. The stable version of the same is expected on the Galaxy S21 series devices by the end of the year. While there are plenty of eligible Samsung devices getting the update, we are yet to hear the official timelines from the company itself. These phones from Samsung are eligible for the Android 12 update. <ul><li>Galaxy S series: For the Galaxy S21 series, the Android 12 beta update rolled out last month. These other S series devices will get the rollout soon: the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, S20 Ultra, S20+ 5G, S20+, S20 5G, S20 and S10 5G, S10+, S10, S10e, S10 Lite.</li><li>Galaxy Note series: Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G, Note20 Ultra, Note20 5G, Note20, Note10+ 5G, Note10+, Note10 5G, Note10 and Note10 Lite.</li><li>Galaxy Foldable devices: Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, Z Fold2, Z Flip 5G, Z Flip, Fold 5G and Fold.</li><li>Galaxy A series: Galaxy A71 5G, A71, A51 5G, A51 and A90 5G.</li><li>Galaxy Tab S series: Galaxy Tab S7+ 5G, Tab S7+, Tab S7 5G3, Tab S7, Tab S6 5G4, Tab S6, Tab S6 Lite.</li></ul><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Xiaomi" comment="subhead" text="Xiaomi">Xiaomi</cmsannotation> Currently, few Xiaomi devices are eligible for Android 12 beta including Mi 11, Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11i, and Mi 11 Pro. While Xiaomi has not given a timeline for all eligible devices. The following devices with Mi, Redmi and Poco branding are expected to get the latest Android update: Xiaomi Mi 11 / Mi 11 Pro / Mi 11 Ultra / Mi 11i / Mi 11 Lite, Xiaomi Mi 11T / Mi 11T Pro Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 / Mi Mix Fold, Xiaomi Mi 10 / Mi 10 Pro / Mi 10 Youth / Mi 10i / Mi 10s, Xiaomi Mi 10T / Mi 10T Pro / Mi 10T Lite, Redmi 10 / Redmi 10 Prime, Redmi Note 10 series, Redmi Note 9 series, Redmi Note 8 2021, Redmi K40 series, Redmi K30 series, Redmi 10X series, POCO F3, POCO F2 Pro, POCO X3 / X3 Pro, POCO X2, POCO M3 / M3 Pro, POCO M2 / M2 Pro and POCO C3. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="LG" comment="subhead" text="LG">LG</cmsannotation> The LG phones that will get the latest Android 12 update include LG Wing, LG Velvet, LG V50S, LG V50, LG G8, LG Q31, LG Q52 and LG Q92. However, there is no expected timeline on when the Android 12 update will be available. Generally, LG phones have got delayed updates. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Motorola" comment="subhead" text="Motorola">Motorola</cmsannotation> Only a few Motorola devices will get the Android 12 update. This includes most devices that launched on Android 11 and only two devices with Android 10 out-of-the-box get the update. These devices include Motorola RAZR 5G, Motorola Edge+ (2020), Motorola Edge (2021), Motorola Edge 20, Edge 20 Pro, Edge 20 Lite, Moto G10, Power Moto G20, Moto G30, Moto G40, Moto G50, Moto G60 and Moto G100. The roadmap of the Android 12 release is yet to be officially announced, but it is expected to happen soon. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Nokia" comment="subhead" text="Nokia">Nokia</cmsannotation> Nokia XR20 is expected to see Android 12 beta release soon while the other devices that will get the latest Android update include Nokia X20, Nokia X10, Nokia G50, Nokia G20, Nokia G10, Nokia 8.3 5G, Nokia 8 V 5G UW, Nokia 5.4, Nokia 5.3, Nokia 1.3, Nokia 2.4 and Nokia 3.4. While the XR20 is expected to get the update first, the others may get it late in 2022. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/how-to-customize-and-match-icons-to-your-wallpaper-on-android-12/articleshow/87508731.cms">How to customise and match icons to your wallpaper on Android 12</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-starts-enabling-2-step-verification-for-users/articleshow/87598039.cms">Google starts enabling 2-step verification for users</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/qualcomm-snapdragon-898-5g-chipset-launch-date-specs-features/slidelist/87583210.cms">Everything we know about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 898 5G chipset</a>

Android 12 to roll-out on these devices: Here’s when your phone may get the update

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">APGoogle CEO Sundar Pichai.</div></div></div>Google is reportedly working on developing its own smartphone, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/06/26/google-to-step-up-smartphone-wars-with-release-of-own-handset/">according to The Telegraph</a>.Right now the company licenses the Nexus line of phones with companies like LG and Huawei, but The Telegraph says that Google wants to develop the smartphones itself in future.Owning its own line of smartphones would allow Google to control everything about the Android ecosystem. It already manages the software through Android, which it lets other manufacturers use on their devices. But The Telegraph suggests that Google wants to go one step further.There's no clear timeline for when Google will release its own smartphones, but The Telegraph says the phones are expected to be released by the end of the year.Google declined to comment when contacted by The Telegraph. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/inmates-word-phone-call-tech-prison-2016-6">Cutting edge tech discovered a popular word inmates say during phone calls - and prison officials were surprised</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="NqYWU1NDE6yFKjm-eit4LT2hwERUaNjV" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Google is reportedly working on its own line of smartphones

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="reevued.com" title_caption="This is not a screen made of graphene. It's a flexible display concept from Samsung. " class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/533eacca6da811bc090e8dac-960/samsungflexible.png"></a><a href="http://reevued.com/?cat=11">reevued.com</a>This is not a screen made of graphene. It's a flexible display concept from Samsung. </div></div>Smartphones have changed a lot since they began to creep into the industry about seven years ago, but researchers are working with a material that could once again shake up the way our phones look and feel.
And today's biggest tech companies can't wait to get their hands on it. 
Graphene is a super thin, flexible material that's capable of conducting electricity. In a sense, it's sort of like a high-tech version of cling wrap, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-15/samsung-apple-smartphone-battleground-is-single-atom-thick-tech.html">as Bloomberg describes it</a>. Graphene is particularly valuable in the tech industry because it solves a lot of the design problems electronics makers struggle with.
So far, graphene has been flaunted as a "wonder material" that could make far-fetched concepts such as foldable phones a reality. 
Since the material is 1 million times thinner than a sheet of paper, it could easily be used to make smartphones much sleeker than they are today. It's flexible nature also makes it an attractive option for wearable computing devices. Reports have also suggested that it could even deliver internet 100 times faster on your smartphone.
Samsung has already locked in 38 patents pertaining to the use of graphene in the United States, with 17 other applications pending, according to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-15/samsung-apple-smartphone-battleground-is-single-atom-thick-tech.html">Bloomberg</a>. Apple has at least two pending patent applications involving graphene.
<h2>How Thin Can You Make Something?</h2>
The sheer number of patents, however, isn't always indicative of whether or not one company will succeed over another in a given area. Samsung typically invests in new display and component technologies, while Apple is known for commercializing new technology, as Avi Greengart, research director for consumer platforms and devices at Current Analysis, points out.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/uclmaps/8536981794/in/photolist-8GUuL9-8XSYxJ-e1oggh-fpwAry-dY5729-dw116B-dM9CCY-fS7Wd8-e1hAR4-8XPVxt-e11g9D-dJGJCG-8GUuKS-8GUuKY-ft7Zba-dTsjYC-ft7ZL6-8XPVwr-bPgmKn-8CMXjt-gpojmR-8CMXh2-8CMXiK-8Q89tL-8Q891w-8Q89js-8Q88Do-8Q88Uh-8Q89bf-8Q52MZ-8XSYBs-8Q51Vk-8Q88G7-8CMMLv-8CQTgb-8CMMJK-8CQThA-8CMMHH-8CMXi2-jaPN4p-bvAd6G-bmwjnC-bs9H55-bJuZE4-gFUqbn-gpnVRT-aE1Qvz-8KxnFa-fV1vQs-aKQJGX">Flickr/ UCL Mathematical and Physical Sciences</a>A rendering of quantum hydrogen on graphene</div></div>Graphene could be particularly valuable to Apple since the company is always focused on making its products thinner.
"Any technology that will enable you to shave even a portion of a millimeter off a phone will be very useful for Apple's designers," Greengart said in an interview with Business Insider. "This is an element of design that's very important to them-how thin can you make something?"
If a material like graphene is commercialized for use in smartphones, manufacturers such as Apple wouldn't have to cut corners on other internal components to keep devices slimmer. 
"You could increase the battery size and have the same overall product thickness," Greengart said. "Anything that gives design more flexibility is something that Apple is going to want."
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image">SamsungSamsung Galaxy Round</div></div>For Samsung, the value in commercializing graphene is a bit clearer. The company has been flaunting its flexible smartphone displays for years, but has yet to produce them at high enough quantities for mainstream products.
Graphene could potentially change that, making the company's rough product timeline of releasing fully foldable gadgets by 2016 a reality.
Both Samsung and LG have already released their first consumer-ready device with a curved display-the Galaxy Round and G Flex respectively. The benefits of these devices, however, aren't immediately clear.
"The curved screen we've seen on smartphones haven't added much to the smartphone other than the novelty factor," Greengart said. 
Displays that are curved or flexible are the useful when they're implemented in devices that couldn't exist without being rounded, such as wearable devices. Greengart cited Samsung's newest fitness tracker, the Gear Fit, as an example. 
"The Gear Fit's display curves around your wrist in a way that flat displays don't," he said. "If Apple is indeed working on wearable tech, then [graphene] would definitely be interesting to them."
<h2>The Challenges</h2>
Graphene hasn't been used in mobile devices yet because it still hasn't been commercialized. So far, it's been difficult to manufacture on such a large scale, leaving researchers with the choice of producing high-quality batches in small quantities or lower-grade graphene in large amounts, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/make-graphene-in-your-kitchen-2014-4">as the AFP reported</a>. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image">Steve Kovach/Business InsiderSamsung Gear Fit</div></div>This could all change very soon as scientists and researchers are discovering new ways to commercialize graphene.
Last month, Samsung announced that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/graphene-for-smartphones-2014-4">it had made a breakthrough</a> in using the material at a larger scale in electronics.
The company said that it had found a way to enable a single crystal of graphene to retain its electrical and mechanical properties across a large area.
A team of researchers from England and Ireland have also said they uncovered a way to create graphene using a blender and powdered graphite.
It's unclear exactly how valuable graphene will be to the smartphone industry until it's actually produced on a massive scale. But if it's the "wonder material" that people believe it is, the substance could be a game changer.
"It depends on how well it works and whether or not it can be commercialized in volume," Greengart said. "Once those are proven, I think this definitely looks like a promising technology that could enable more wearables or simply thinner and better smartphones."

Researchers Are Testing A 'Wonder Material' That Could Make Your Smartphone Better Than Ever

Thomson ReutersPanasonic focused on auto tech during CES in January,Panasonic, like many companies today, is betting big on auto tech becoming a massive cash cow in the next decade.New alliances are forming almost every day as companies without a traditional foothold in the automotive space try to get a slice of the pie.Google is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/waymo-alphabet-google-self-driving-car-company-fiat-chrysler-minivan-photos-2016-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">working with</a> Fiat Chrysler on self-driving cars while making <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-volvo-partner-to-disrupt-car-infotainment-systems-2017-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">next-generation display</a> systems for Volvo; new software startups like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/otonomo-selling-car-data-2017-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Otonomo</a> are shelling out their services to major companies like Daimler; and BMW is partnering with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bmw-delphi-self-driving-car-partners-2017-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">companies like Intel</a> on data collection.Panasonic is just one of many players collaborating with the auto industry to focus on vehicles of the future."Our business has evolved over a period of time, especially in the recent past of going from purely a consumer business to a B2B business," Tom Gebhardt, chairman and CEO of Panasonic's North American operations, told Business Insider."There's a number of reasons for that: The commoditization of consumer products [and] the unfavorability in some of the cost models led us to look for better values in-vehicle technologies," he continued.<h2>Working with Tesla and Google</h2>PanasonicTom Gebhardt, chairman and CEO of Panasonic's North American operations.Prior to taking over Panasonic's North American division in April, Gebhardt led the company's automotive division for five years. Placing an executive with several years of automotive expertise at the helm of North American operations says something about the company's pivot from consumer electronics to auto tech.That larger cultural shift came from Panasonic President Kazuhiro Tsuga when he took over in 2012. As <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelschuman/2016/06/01/saving-panasonic-kazuhiro-tsuga-plans-more-for-the-consumer-electronics-giant/#31f1fdd3544e" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Forbes</a> details in a 2016 profile, Tsuga was key to transitioning Panasonic from its failing plasma TV business to other revenue streams, like in-flight entertainment systems in planes and electric cars.Panasonic isn't stretching too far from its roots when it comes to this kind of vehicle tech. Gebhardt noted that Panasonic had a presence in the car radio business starting in 2008, giving it a natural introduction to multimedia displays with its electronics background.Gebhardt said Panasonic is channeling resources toward digital cockpits and vehicle entertainment systems as self-driving vehicles become more in reach."If the scenario says the car drives itself, it's similar to sitting in an airplane seat because you're no longer actively driving," he said. "We see that as an evolution of the space that's quite interesting going forward that has infinite possibilities for us."ScreenshotFiat Chrysler's portal concept.As an extension of that plan, Panasonic recently worked with Fiat Chrysler on its semi-autonomous <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fiat-chrysler-minivan-concept-car-ces-2017-photos-features-2017-1?utm_source=hearst&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=allverticals#/#with-a-dc-fast-charger-fca-said-the-electric-minivan-concept-can-charge-up-to-150-miles-in-just-20-minutes-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Portal concept car</a> shown off at CES in January. The concept featured electronics like an OLED touchscreen with facial and voice recognition.Panasonic sees itself playing a role in fully autonomous cars as well by developing mobile offices or televisions specifically for self-driving cars, Gebhardt said.Perhaps more notable is Panasonic's relationship with Telsa.As one of the largest battery manufacturers in the world, competing with the likes of LG Chem and Samsung SDI, Panasonic had an easy entry into the electric vehicle space. The company plans to invest $1.6 billion in Tesla's Gigafactory."The future is definitely electric, no question in my mind, it's more of, 'what is the future timeline?' Is it 10 years, 15 years, 40 years?" Gebhardt said. "We don't see an alternative more interesting that, it's just a matter of what the adoption hits at the scale that makes this a slam dunk."<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F9ON-8rSnM&amp;feature=youtu.be">YouTube/Matthew Roberts</a>Tesla's massive battery plant, the Gigafactory, in Sparks, Nevada.But, there are hurdles to overcome in both these spaces.From the connected vehicle side, consumer adoption of infotainment systems is still lagging. J.D. Power led a 2016 study that found that more than 50% of car owners <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/people-opt-to-use-cell-phones-over-infotainment-consoles-in-cars-2017-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">never used</a> their in-vehicle displays after 90 days of purchase, preferring the ease of using their smartphones.But the tech is still in its first-generation, Gebhardt said, adding adoption will improve with the technology.Google's new Android display, for example, will integrate its smart voice assistant to encourage usage while driving."Any time you're dealing with a first generation product, a user is not going to be overly comfortable," he said.As for electric cars, vehicle adoption in the US is still tepid, and global sales hover at 1%.Gebhardt acknowledged adoption is slow in the US, particularly due to low gas prices - a trend that is likely to persist if Trump comes through on his promise to roll back fuel emissions standards. He said, however, that this is likely a "short-term problem."While the US market is slow to progress, there's still hope when it comes to China, which is making a concerted effort to incentivize battery-powered vehicles.China "being the largest car market in the world has a big influence on what will happen," Gebhardt said. "If they adopt in a big way, that changes the balance of where electric is today versus where it will be going."Panasonic has made some heavy investments in nascent areas, but expects to see a return on investment soon. Tsuga recently said Panasonic is expecting an increase in net profit in fiscal year 2017, its first gain in two years, because of new bets on transit, <a href="http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Panasonic-targets-high-growth-return-on-investment?page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nikkei Asian Review</a> reported."We're pretty bullish on the fact that this is a space that will continue to grow and there's value there," Gebhardt said.Get the latest Tesla stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/TSLA-Quote"> here.</a> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/electric-carnio-ep9-set-record-nuerburgring-track-2017-5">An electric car just set a record on the infamous Nürburgring track</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Panasonic is making a massive bet on electric cars - here's why the CEO says it's a 'slam dunk' investment

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>In the spring of 2012 the startup Pebble wasn't much more than a few people with a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android">Kickstarter page</a>.But the vision laid out there proved there was a hunger for a viable smartwatch, even if it did come from a company no one had heard of before. (Over 68,000 people donated to the project.) And this was a year before the news even leaked that <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/disruptions-apple-is-said-to-be-developing-a-curved-glass-smart-watch/">Apple was working on a watch of its own</a> and everyone from LG to Motorola scrambled to beat Apple to market. Samsung alone launched six smartwatch models within a year and they were all duds.But Pebble was there first, and it was doing it better than some of the biggest names in tech.The company's newest device is the Pebble Time, a smartwatch that works with both the iPhone and Android phones. It's the first Pebble with a color screen. It's waterproof. Its battery lasts longer than any other smartwatch. And it starts at $199, or $150 cheaper than the cheapest Apple Watch.The Pebble Time is far from perfect, but then again, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-watch-review-2015-5">so is the Apple Watch</a>. The question today is whether or not you want a smartwatch - no one really needs one - and the Pebble Time is a good option if you don't want to spend a fortune.<h2>How it works</h2>The Pebble Time connects to your Android phone or iPhone using Bluetooth. There's a companion app stored on your phone for managing basic settings, installing apps, and changing the customizable watch faces.Unlike the Apple Watch's sharp, full-color touchscreen, the Pebble Time can only show limited colors on its "e-paper" display. It's kind of like looking at a children's picture book. The screen looks dated, but the upside is you get several days of usage on a single charge and it always stays on. Pebble claims the Time lasts up to seven days, but I only got a little over four days out of a charge. Still, that's four times longer than the Apple Watch's battery can last.Once you're all set up, the Pebble Time mirrors all the notifications that hit your phone. If you don't want to receive a certain type of notification, you'll have to switch it off in your phone's settings. I tested the Time with an iPhone, which doesn't allow you to interact with notifications like you can on the Apple Watch. Instead, you can only glance at incoming texts, tweets, news alerts, etc. You have to go back to the phone if you want to respond or get more information.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>The Pebble companion app on your phone doubles as an app store, which has a bunch of third-party apps and customizable watch faces that you download to your Time. Most of the apps are pretty bad, either dopey games or useless utilities like battery monitors. But I did find a few diamonds in the rough like Foursquare's Swarm app, which lets you check into locations from the Time.I also liked Misfit, an app that unlocks the Time's fitness-tracking capabilities, but the Time is limited compared to other fitness trackers. You'll need to install multiple apps from different developers like RunKeeper in order to get the most out of the Time as a fitness trackers. And, of course, the Pebble Time doesn't come equipped with a built-in heart rate monitor like the Apple Watch, which is a key piece of technology for measuring how hard you're working during exercise.But for the most part, I didn't use too many apps on the Time. As is the case with the Apple Watch, most Pebble developers haven't figured out how to simplify their apps and make them useful for a tiny screen. The watch is best used to quickly glance at the time and incoming notifications.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Finally, there's the timeline view, which you access by pressing the bottom right button on the watch. The timeline shows you upcoming events in your calendar, and third-party apps can integrate with it by letting you "pin" upcoming events. For example, the ESPN app plugs into the timeline so you can check when your favorite team is playing next.<h2>It's not a looker</h2>My biggest complaint with the Pebble Time is the way it looks.It's made of plastic with four chunky buttons that bulge out from the sides. The bezel around the screen is really wide too, so it feels like the watch is taking up a lot of unnecessary space on your wrist. Pebble also has the Time Steel, which costs $50 more and has a nicer-looking metal casing, but I'm still not crazy about the overall design.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>The Pebble Time's design makes me feel like I'm using a kid's toy, something you'd get out of a cereal box or as a prize at a carnival, not a serious piece of technology. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who will dig the look - thousands of people have already preordered the Time without even seeing it in person - but I don't. If I'm going to spend $200 or more on something that's strapped to my body and in plain view all day, I want it to look good too.But the upside to the design, especially for watch enthusiasts, is you can swap out the bands with any standard watch band. Pebble may not give you something beautiful right out of the box, but at least you can customize it a bit to distract from that.<h2>Ahead of its time</h2>Design quirks aside, I think Pebble has pulled off something none of the big companies exploring smartwatches have been able to do. The company understands the philosophy behind the smartwatch better than anyone else.The Time acts as a watch first and foremost, and there are layers of "smart" stuff - apps, notifications, fitness tracking - beneath that. Pebble isn't trying to cram the smartphone experience into a tiny screen on your wrist. It built a watch that happens to do a few other things pretty well.My biggest criticism with the Apple Watch is that it does too much and is best used when you strip out or ignore a lot of its features. The Pebble Time may seem limited and simple out of the box, but that's its greatest advantage.<h2>Some bugs</h2>I tested a near-final version of the Pebble software, but there were still a few bugs. The most recent software update causes my Time to randomly unpair itself from my iPhone, forcing me to restart the watch in order to get it to connect again. I also couldn't get the music controller, which lets you play, pause, and skip tracks you're listening to on your phone, to work. Pebble tells me these bugs will be ironed out in time for the product's public launch.<h2>Should you get one?</h2>Smartwatches are still in their infancy. The question today isn't really which one you should buy, but whether or not you should buy one at all.I've been wearing a smartwatch for the past month - first the Apple Watch, and now the Pebble Time - and I'm starting to see the value. I let a colleague borrow my Pebble Time the other day so he could shoot a video demo. As I left my office to grab lunch, I found myself glancing at my wrist several times to check the time, weather, and any missed notifications out of habit.I think that's the real advantage to smartwatches, at least in the near term. The wrist is a natural location to turn to in order to see what's going on. For decades, that just meant the time, but today we carry around a computer in our pocket that's constantly pinging us with alerts. A smartwatch is the perfect filter for those nuggets of information, and I've enjoyed using one.If you have an Android phone, the Pebble Time is easily the best smartwatch you can buy today, much better than Google's Android Wear watches. iPhone owners will get a better experience out of the Apple Watch, but the Pebble Time makes a decent companion to the iPhone if you don't want to spend too much and can look past the awkward design. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pebble-time-apple-watch-2015-5">The new Pebble is out - here's how it stacks up to the Apple Watch</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="NzOXJidToEEFs6q7GwvR62whwvedfNfR" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

You Searched For "lg smartphone timeline" and got 6 results

LG Electronics exits the smartphone business – here’s how its mobile fortunes swayed over the last two decades

Rounak Jain

Android 12 to roll-out on these devices: Here’s when your phone may get the update

Shadab Rabbani

Google is reportedly working on its own line of smartphones

James Cook

Researchers Are Testing A 'Wonder Material' That Could Make Your Smartphone Better Than Ever

Lisa Eadicicco

Panasonic is making a massive bet on electric cars - here's why the CEO says it's a 'slam dunk' investment

Danielle Muoio

REVIEW: The new Pebble smartwatch

Steve Kovach

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides