LG sells over 3 mln units of G2 in 2013: analysts

South Korean tech giant LG Electronics Inc. likely sold more than 3 million units of its latest flagship smartphone, the LG G2, around the globe since its launch in August, according to analysts here Monday.

The firm is estimated to have sold more than 2 million units of the model in the fourth quarter following its official announcement that it sold 1 million units between August and September, analysts said.

"Although we cannot reveal specific data, the sales of (the LG G2) is gathering ground smoothly," an official from the company said, implying that the model likely met its 3 million target for the year.

Sales in the domestic market accounted for around 900,000 units, raising optimism that it will soon reach the numerically significant 1 million by the first quarter of 2014, analysts added.

The 5.2-inch smartphone by the world's third-largest smartphone maker debuted in August to take on its rivals around the globe, including Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple Inc.

The LG G2, the first device rolled out by LG Electronics after it dropped its Optimus brand, uses a quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system, 13-megapixel rear camera and 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, and it comes with 2 gigabytes of RAM.

The LG G2 places all the buttons on the rear of the device, making it the first smartphone to be completely devoid of side buttons.

Despite the robust sales of its flagship model, however, analysts said the company is anticipated to post an operating loss in the fourth quarter of 2013, due mainly to increased spending in marketing costs for its smartphones.

LG Electronics' operating profit rose 27 percent on-year in the July-September period to 217 billion won ($205.8 million), which is a 54.6 percent decline from the previous quarter, it said in a regulatory filing. (Yonhap News)