LG Electronics, South Korea’s No. 2 maker of handsets, provided a teaser Tuesday of what looks to be its first flip-style smartphone.
LG’s website showed a dim image of a flip-style handset dubbed the “LG Wine Smart.” If released, the Wine lineup will become the oldest existing handset brand in South Korea.
First launched in 2007, LG’s Wine series has been one of the key brands in the local handset market. The latest model, Wine Phone 5, came out in April 2012 and ran on the second-generation network.
Industry sources said LG has sold around 5 million units of the past five models of the Wine phone in South Korea.
Last year, Samsung Electronics Co., LG’s larger rival, unveiled the Galaxy Golden, a dual-screen smartphone that targets people who want traditional flip phones without giving up too many smartphone features.
LG did not reveal specific features of the model, including the release date, although company sources said it will be available locally in September. (Yonhap)
