The Korea Herald

지나쌤

LG hopes to expand global smartphone market share

By Korea Herald

Published : Aug. 20, 2012 - 20:30

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LG Electronics said Monday that it will expand the global launch of its flagship smartphone Optimus Vu in a bid to widen its presence in other nations.

The company said that it will roll out the gadget in Europe next month and then launch it in the Commonwealth of Independent States, Asia and Latin America.

The move takes place after the firm released the 5-inch display smartphone in Japan earlier this month, which was the first overseas launch.

What is different from the gadget launched in Japan is that the Optimus Vu up for release in September is equipped with NVIDIA’s latest quad-core processor that upgrades the speed and functionality of the gadget.

The mobile processor is also embedded with a battery-saver core function, which cuts down on battery use during voice calls, listening to music, playing videos and sending emails, according to company officials.

Going a step further, it also has added a “quick memo” feature which enables users to take notes with either its stylus or a finger at any time such as when they are online or browsing the Web.

“We expect it to receive a favorable response in overseas markets for its outstanding readability and differentiated user experience,” said LG’s mobile chief Park Jong-seok. “We will target the premium 5-inch smartphone market with the Optimus Vu taking the lead in the effort.”

Since being launched in Korea in March, it has topped 500,000 units in total sales, making public appearances through multiple media outlets, including placement in popular Korean dramas.

In a related effort, LG announced its expansion of marketing base last month, introducing its smartphone Optimus L-Series ― mid-tier Optimus L3 and L5 as well as the premium Optimus L7 ― through television commercials to about 54 countries in Europe, Latin America, Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East and Africa.

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