LG's 'Other' Smartphone OS ...
LG is currently working on a series of smartphones that will feature neither Android nor Windows Phone 8 as operating system. Unfortunately, no details were provided on the new OS, although both Ubuntu and Firefox OS were mentioned as possible candidates.
>> LG debuts new Android tablet, smartphones with 'other' OS
Marc Mouthaan
Hardware.Info (UK)
29 May 2013
uk.hardware.info
At a press conference of LG's smartphone division, which Hardware.Info attended, several interesting facts were provided on the company's strategy for the mobile segment. European marketing manager Won Kim was surprisingly open when answering questions from attendees and even let on to some new details. The most interesting news is that LG is currently working on a series of smartphones that will feature neither Android nor Windows Phone 8 as operating system. Unfortunately, no details were provided on the new OS, although both Ubuntu and Firefox OS were mentioned as possible candidates.
LG is of the opinion that Android and iOS won't live forever, which in itself isn't that strange a thought. Nevertheless, it's still a remarkable announcement; thus far LG's been struggling to keep up with Samsung and Apple, the two largest players in the mobile market. The manufacturer is convinced that there's a consumer need for more options and is currently aiming to fill the fourth or even the third position.
LG has quite some catching up to do to reach that point though, but seems quite decided in reaching its goal. The Optimus G-series is to be the line with flashy high-end smartphones, while the L-devices will ofer a cost-conscious alternative and differentiate themselves by offering IPS-technology at an affordable price point. With the Optimus G, the company got off on the wrong foot though: although the smartphone was quite popular under the name Nexus 4, production issues from a supplier caused the Optimus G to be available much later than expected.
Since LG produces the plastic casing, battery, screen and circuit board, it's quite possible that the supplier was actually part of the company itself, but it's also an option that Qualcomm couldn't meet the demands for its S4 Pro SoC. LG has tight connections with Qualcomm and claims to be one of the first to have had access to the S4 Pro.
LG's Optimus G will be available in Europe at a later time as well, but Won Kim states this isn't caused by supply issues but rather a simple strategic decision: the company doesn't consider the phone a suited flagship model for the European market and expects more success in Asia and America. For Europe, a different handset is in the works, which will be released later this year. LG's Optimus G Pro won't hit Europe until August and is to compete with Samsung's Galaxy Note 2. The comparison is a bit skewed though, as Samsung's phone has been available for quite some time and might even see a successor in August. Nevertheless, the two devices have quite some similarities so it seems logical to compare the two. We'll take this into account in our review of the device.
The LG Optimus G Pro
LG's has had a leading role in the development of LTE for several years now. The manufacturer even designed its own LTE chip for use in future affordable devices. It has also shown working examples of features such as Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and demonstrated a multiradio chip, which allows for seamless switching between 2/3G and 4G networks, even during calls. That's quite a feat, given the fact that LTE is fundamentally different to say 3G technology. As such, LG has high expectations of its future LTE devices.
Aside from the new Optimus smartphones, LG will also introduce another tablet after a brief hiatus from that market segment. The tablet will be based on Android, but the version, size and release window haven't been mentioned yet. To a colleague of the website Allaboutphones.nl LG stated that it won't be developing the Nexus 5 for Google, possibly because that task circulates between several of the Android smartphone developers, but also because a Google product is less suited to market its own brand and implementation of Android. LG did reveal a white version of the Nexus 4, although a release date for that phone is still up in the air.
Like Samsung for instance, LG is convinced of the necessity to offer useful features in its smartphones to set itself apart from its competition. The form factor isn't yet suited for that, the company spokesman reveals.The Optimus G Pro can have its screen displayed on a compatible television or monitor through Miracast. Another option is that two of the phones are linked, showing the contents of one phone on the other. One example of this functionality is multiplayer gaming, which would allow you to take turns without watching the other player make his move. Video conferencing with up to four people is also possible, although it's likely to require a fast LTE connection. The music video app that's bundled with the smartphone is gimmicky at best. LG is working on its own cloud service for Optimus users and while it may have potential, it's not yet sure what the service will add to the plethora of existing cloud services. Extra storage, automatic back-ups and online processing are all welcome features. ###
- Eric - |
