LG Electronics today unveiled a raft of ambitious plans for its mobile business, including a goal of selling 140 million units in 2010.

Plans also include details of a concerted drive into the global smartphone market in an effort to become one of the top two mobile device manufacturers in the world by 2012.

LG is aiming to sell a total of 140 million mobile handsets in 2010, a 20 percent increase year-on-year. Although the company is looking to increase its presence globally this year ? it opened about 100 mobile retail stores in the developing world in 2009 ? it plans a particular strong push into the Korean and North American markets where it wants to be recognized as a provider of innovative, customized smartphones. By widening its range to include devices from the inventive and practical to the luxurious and chic, LG promises to be a vigorous, highly competitive presence in the mobile world this year.

Preparations for achieving its 2012 goal, which will give LG a double-digit share in the smartphone marketplace, are already well underway. Last year LG established a special smartphone business division and boosted its smartphone R&D workforce by an unprecedented 30 percent. This year, LG plans to unveil about 20 smartphones based on operating systems including Android, Windows Mobile and Linux. Hopes are especially high for Android phones, which, with their user-friendly and open-access OS, are expected to make up more than half of all LG?s new smartphone releases. In the first half of 2010, LG will focus on producing easy-to-use smartphones aimed squarely at first-time owners before moving into premium handsets with cutting-edge designs later in the year. Through these efforts the company is confident it can introduce its first 10-million-unit smartphone sometime this year.

With the 3 Screen Service, set for release this year, users will be able to view identical content on their handsets, PCs and TVs without converting to different formats. LG will unveil one of its innovations in February with the launch of a device supporting 3-Way Sync technology, which will allow seamless viewing of all mobile, PC and web content over a wireless network. LG is also hard at work with some of the world?s top content developers to ensure there is no shortage of fun and practical applications for its smartphones.

"We are facing another revolutionary change in the mobile industry thanks to the rapid growth of smartphones and demand for more content and better services," said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "We will continue to make breakthroughs in 2010 as we strive to maintain our trendsetter status and become one of the global top two by 2012."