LG goes global with Optimus G

Firm to release new smartphone through Japan’s NTT DoCoMo


LG Electronics is going global with its new flagship smartphone Optimus G as it announced plans Wednesday to begin selling the gadget in the U.S. and Japan next month.

The 4.7-inch smartphone, which was the first to be equipped with Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon S4 processor, is seen by industry observers as the handset to decide the fate of LG.

Equipped with the True High Definition IPS Plus display and a 13-megapixel camera on the back, the handset is a product jointly worked on by four LG affiliates ― LG Chem, LG Display and LG Innotek along with LG Electronics.

“We’re planning to secure the leading edge in the global LTE smartphone industry by putting priority on the innovative hardware and user experience of the Optimus G,” said LG’s mobile chief Park Jong-seok.

Company officials said the smartphone will be launching on Nov. 2 through both AT&T in the U.S. and KDDI in Japan. LG also said it started taking pre-orders from AT&T subscribers on Wednesday.

The firm has already dived into the Japanese market by accepting pre-orders for the smartphone through the country’s top mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo last week. It will begin selling the device through the carrier on Friday.

The Optimus G will also be introduced in the U.S. market through Sprint by mid-November and in Canada next month through mobile carriers Rogers, Bell and Telus, according to LG officials.

LG’s new smartphone, which was dubbed its new flagship smartphone by the company’s mobile head Park, is considered to be the firm’s attempt to regain its position in the global handset market.

LG, once a major stakeholder when the mobile phone market was dominated by feature phones, has seen losses in profit and reputation due to its weak presence in the smartphone industry.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)