The Optimus LTE II smartphone from LG, which is offering
2GB RAM LTE connectivity, will be available in Korea
starting this week, the company announced today.
The Optimus LTE II smartphone, which costs 935,000 won
($804) without subsidies, will be released by all three
mobile carriers in South Korea this week. Park
Jong-seok, president of LG's mobile business, said
Thursday the new model is for South Korean users only
but similar iterations would be released overseas.
The Optimus LTE II's 2GB DDR RAM is offering an
optimized environment for multitasking and running large
applications. The device has a 4.7-inch True HD IPS
display as bright as 550 nits with a resolution of 1280
x 720 pixels. It is powered by a Dual-Core Qual-comm
one-chip solution, which incorporates both the LTE modem
and Application Processor (AP).
The smartphone is also equipped with a removable
2,150mAh battery that is the largest currently available
on a LTE smartphone in the 4- to 5-inch display
category.
The LG Optimus LTE II also cmomes with a new feature
that allows users to select the best shot among multiple
images take with the phone's camera, just before the
shutter button is depressed. And the Voice Shutter
feature allows users to take photos using only their
voice.
The new User Interface (UI) on Optimus LTE II offers a
diverse range of t features such as face recognition
unlocking, widget size control and easy-to-organize
folder management. Furthermore, Optimus LTE II comes
with the Quick Memo feature - first debuted on the
Optimus Vu: - that allows for quick note-taking from any
screen without opening a separate application.
Users will also benefit from the most current Android
4.0 OS (Ice Cream Sandwich) on the Optimus LTE II.
Another feature only available for Opitmus LTE II is the
optional magnetic induction wireless charging system,
sold separately. The smartphone can be recharged by
placing the device on the wireless battery charging pad.
The system has been recognized by the Wireless Power
Consortium with its "Qi" (pronounced chee) logo,
assuring interoperability with all other Qi devices.
The Optimus LTE II is available through all three Korean
carriers this week. Availability in markets outside of
Korea will be announced at a future date.
LG, which is recuperating from massive losses in its
mobile business since 2010, is betting on the
introduction of a faster LTE mobile network around the
world to boost smartphone sales.
LG was overtaken by Apple last year. Sales of LG's
low-end phones were hit by Chinese competitors while its
top-end lineup could not compete with the Galaxy series
of smartphones by Samsung or Apple's iPhones.
LG said it is aiming for smartphones to make up 44
percent of its mobile phone sales in 2012, compared with
23 percent in 2011.
Shortages of mobile chips made by Qualcomm,
however, remain a potential roadblock in achieving its
smartphone sales goal.
"It is one of the issues that are giving headaches,"
Park said. "All industry is experiencing the shortages."
In the meantime, LG's rival Samsung will also fit 2GB of
RAM in its Japanese vesion of the Samsung Galaxy S III
smartphone. The Japanese variant of the GS III runs the
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 'Krait' dual-core SoC, which is
compatible with Japan?s NTT Docomo 4G LTE network.
While it is unlikely that other markets will receive the
1GB RAM upgrade, the Galaxy S III will have more than
enough power for users. Like the HTC One X, which is
offered with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor on 3G
networks and the same dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor
for 4G LTE networks, the Galaxy S III follows suit.
Samsung's Japanese model will continue to centre on a
4.8-inch 1280x720 Super AMOLED HD display. It will be
offered in 16, 32 and 64GB versions with a large
2,100mAh battery. It runs Android 4.0 with Samsung?s
latest TouchWiz overlay.
LG Optimus LTE II specifications:
- Chipset: 1.5GHz Dual-Core (Qualcomm MSM8960)
- Display: 4.7-inch True HD IPS Display (1280 x 720)
- Memory: 2GB DDR RAM, 16GB Internal Storage, Micro SD
support (up to 32GB)
- Camera: 8MP rear-facing, 1.3MP front-facing
- OS: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
- Battery: 2,150 mAh SiO+, Wireless Charging Support
Available
- Other: WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 LE, MHL,
NFC, USB 2.0 HS, DLNA