LG will Unleash 20 Android Phones by Year-end
By Phil Goldstein
LG is going to release 20 smartphones running on Google's Android platform by year-end as part of a wider effort to increase its smartphone presence.
Though LG is still the world's No. 3 handset maker by market share, it has struggled to gain a foothold in the fast-growing smartphone market. Like its larger South Korean rival Samsung, LG has been eclipsed in smartphones by the likes of Apple and HTC.
The Android push is significant because LG had previously committed significant resources and attention to building smartphones running on Microsoft's Windows platform. LG has said previously that it plans to have around half of its smartphones running on Android this year, though the company is also expected to be a strong supporter of Windows Phone 7 when the platform launches later this year. The figure of 20 Android phones is also significant from a competitive perspective--that is the number of smartphones Motorola is expected to release this year, most of which are expected to be running Android.
According to unnamed sources cited by the Korea Times, LG's handset division is going to have a "disappointing" second quarter. An LG spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. LG had a less-than-stellar first quarter, with sluggish sales and margins. LG CFO David Jung said in April that improving the company's mobile business was a "top priority." He said the company plans to introduce more competitive handsets, though LG will take "a bit more time" to improve profitability. [FierceWireless]
Microsoft, LG to Collaborate on Converged Devices
By Phil Goldstein
Microsoft and LG announced a memorandum of understanding that ties the two companies further together on mobile devices.The agreement calls for greater collaboration on research and development, marketing, applications and services in the converged mobile devices space.Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that in the face of increasing competition in the mobile devices space, it made sense for both companies to pursue an aggressive, forward-looking strategy.
"At the end of the day, the only way to really move forward is to continue to push new technology, new products and new innovations that have the opportunity to help all of our customers, improve businesses, their lives and reduce cost," he said.Microsoft also plans to invest $60 million in South Korea over the next three years, in different economic areas, including training and business development. [FierceWireless]
LG's Handset Division Ships 23M Phones in Q3
By Phil Goldstein
In the face of a sharp company-wide decline in net profit, LG said its handset division posted sales of $3.306 billion in the third quarter, up 40.8 percent from a year ago, and a profit of $2.93 million.The company as a whole however, known as LG Electronics, posted a decline in net profit of 93 percent, but the handset division was a bright spot. The handset unit accounted for 45 percent of total company revenue, up from 38 percent last year.
The handset division, fourth in terms of global shipments and Asia's second-largest maker of handsets, shipped 23 million units in the quarter, up 5 percent year-on-year, but down 17 percent from the second quarter of 2008, which it blamed on slower sales in India and emerging markets.
The company said that because of demand for some its higher-end handsets like the Secret and Viewty, operating profit for the division came in 11.5 percent.The company said it expected shipments to grow in the fourth quarter and for the division to reach a 2008 goal of shipping 100 million units. [FierceWireless]
Smartphones: 8 Killer iPhone 3G Alternatives
Apple's iPhone 3G may be hogging the headlines, but there is a slew of other smartphones from HTC, Samsung, RIM, Nokia, LG, and GPS-maker Garmin, that can offer the same, if not better features.
By Marin Perez InformationWeek
While the iPhone 3G has undoubtedly been a hit -- with over 1 million sold in three days -- it's not for everyone. Gripes are piling up about the mandatory AT&T (NYSE: T) service, the camera, the lack of a physical keyboard, and some of the decisions made behind the Apple App Store.
Fortunately, there are multiple handsets that can provide similar, if not better experiences than Apple's latest smartphone.
While the iPhone 3G's enterprise capabilities are a highly-touted, some IT departments may still be nervous about it. But, those departments are likely to have experience with BlackBerrys, and Research in Motion is readying its next generation of smartphones.
1. BlackBerry Bold
The BlackBerry Bold is generating much pre-launch buzz due to its snazzy redesign, integrated Wi-Fi, 3G-network capabilities, and assisted GPS. Fitting for a RIM (NSDQ: RIMM) device, the handset will have a full, physical QWERTY keyboard that will make shooting off e-mails a breeze. The Bold, reviewed here, is expected to be released in August or September.
2. HTC Touch Pro
If you're a fan of touch-screen interface but still need a physical keyboard, the HTC Touch Pro may be your next smartphone. The Windows Mobile handset uses the TouchFlo interface to navigate programs, browse through the Web, and flip through photos and contacts. It also packs a slide-out, five-row QWERTY keyboard for composing e-mails, and editing documents.
The Touch Pro also has Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth support, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and 3G-network capabilities. HTC's Touch Diamond also packs in all these features, but it ditches the physical keyboard.
3. LG Voyager
If a physical keyboard is your desire, reach for the LG Voyager, which also has a touch interface. While not necessarily a "smartphone," -- it's not able to add independent apps -- the Voyager does have a 3G data connection, an HTML Web browser, a digital player for music and videos, and a microSD memory slot that holds up to 8 GB of storage. Corporate e-mail capability is not native to the device, but can be achieved using the Voyager's RemoSync application.
4. LG Dare
Another option for Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless subscribers is the LG Dare, which is clearly aimed at the casual market, but has features and a design that may make mobile professionals look twice. This small touch-screen phone has a large screen with haptic (touch) feedback, and the handset sports a stylish finish.
It also packs a full HTML browser that uses Verizon's EVDO Rev. A network, a microSD slot, and Bluetooth capabilities. The phone also bests the iPhone with a 3.2-megapixel Shneider-Kreuznach certified lens, face-detecting technology, and video-recording capabilities.
Read more - InformationWeek
LG Has Sold 7 Million Touchscreen Phones by End Q2
LG Electronics says that it had sold 7 million touchscreen based mobile phones by the end of the second quarter. This comes just five quarters after LG launched its first full touchscreen handset, the Prada Phone by LG.
Of LG’s touch-based phones, the Viewty, a 5 megapixel camera phone, is its top seller, surpassing 2 million units. Runners up include Venus, based around LG’s intuitive touch-sensitive InteractPad, and Voyager, the first handset to incorporate both a full touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard. These phones sold 1.6 and 1.3 million units respectively.
Increasing sales of touchscreen phones were a strong driver for LG’s overall profits. The average selling price of the 7 million touchscreen phones that LG sold was US$530. Especially important to LG’s overall success were high sales of premium models including Viewty, Voyager and Venus in both Europe and North America.
The company also says that the growth of touchscreen phone sales also played an important role in advancing its brand equity. The company’s brand recognition in the UK soared to 91.4 percent in 2007 versus 80 percent in 2005, according to internal research measuring unaided brand awareness. During the same period in the USA, where LG launched a number of touchscreen phones including Voyager, Venus and Vu, LG’s brand recognition rose to 83.1 percent from 65.1 percent.
Future Growth Expected
“We were a true pioneer in touchscreen phones, applying for a total of 49 patents while developing the Prada Phone by LG,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President & CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “From the beginning we have worked to create phones that are extremely easy to use despite their myriad features. This is why our touchscreen phones have been so well received around the world. As the market for touchscreen phones continues to grow we will also continue our research in this area to create even more innovative products.”
According to a recent study by Strategy Analytics, the global touchscreen handset market will reach 125 million units by 2010, a more than four-fold increase of 2007’s 30 million units. This is why LG Electronics’ leadership in touchscreen phones is so important and is a key to the company’s future success. [Cellular News]
Report: LG Overtakes Sony Ericsson in Worldwide Market Share
By Teresa von Fuchs
According to the latest report from Gartner, LG overtook Sony Ericsson during the first quarter of 2008 to become the fourth largest handset maker worldwide.
The research firm reported that Sony Ericsson sold 22.1 million units in the quarter, while LG sold 23.6 million; Sony Ericsson’s market share for the quarter is 7.5%, while LG grabbed 8% of the worldwide market.
Nokia continued to dominate the worldwide market, selling 115.2 million handsets during the quarter and increasing its market share to 39.1%, up from 35.5% for the same period last year. Samsung held its place at second, increasing its market share to 14.4% from 12.4% and selling 42.4 million handsets. Motorola's share slipped to 10.2% compared with 18.4% for the same quarter last year.
In another report, IDC found that Research In Motion (RIM) sold the most smartphones in the United States for the first quarter of 2008, more than doubling the nearest competitor's market share. For the first quarter, RIM’s market share jumped to 44.5% from 35.1% in the quarter previous. According to IDC, RIM has successfully broadened its customer base beyond simply business professionals.
While the iPhone was still in second place in the U.S. smartphone market, Apple's market share dropped from 26.7% the previous quarter to 19.2%. Palm held its place at third; increasing its share to 13.4%, up from 7.9% in the fourth quarter. Samsung was fourth with 8.6% of the U.S. smartphone market. [WirelessWeek]
Open Mobile Video Coalition Completes Mobile DTV Technical Trial
The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), an industry association representing over 850 commercial and public TV stations in advancing mobile digital broadcast technology, announced today that it has concluded technical trials and evaluations. The Independent Demonstration of Viability (IDOV) trials for proposed digital Mobile/Handheld (M/H) technologies were conducted in close cooperation with engineering experts from the Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV).
Responding to a request for a broadcast industry perspective, the OMVC Technical Advisory Group, led by Sterling Davis of Cox Broadcasting, has submitted an extensive report to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) for its M/H digital television (DTV) standard-setting process.
The IDOV trials and the OMVC recommendation are crucial milestones in enabling mobile DTV as a major consumer benefit of next year's digital broadcast transition. OMVC recommends that ATSC maintain momentum by quickly setting an open mobile DTV standard in time for the federally mandated digital broadcast transition in February 2009.
"Growing collaboration on the mobile broadcast TV vision promises further consumer value from the transition to digital broadcast television," said Brandon Burgess, President of the OMVC and CEO of ION Media Networks. "In only nine months, we have facilitated broad-based industry collaboration, putting us on track for a mobile ATSC DTV standard in time for the February 2009 digital transition."
OMVC applauds this week's agreement between LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics, the providers of the two leading ATSC-compliant mobile DTV systems submitted for the IDOV trials. Based on the technical results, the OMVC believes the LG-Samsung joint approach points to a standard centered on LG's "Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld" (MPHTM) transmission technology as the baseline of the "physical layer" platform, augmented with features from Samsung's "Advanced VSB" (A-VSB) technology. Such an approach should find broad support from participants, as well as third-party manufacturers and content providers interested in a single open mobile digital U.S. broadcast standard.
"Agreement on a standard takes our industry to the next level in the development and rollout of products and services, and the OMVC remains fully committed to the ATSC's current planned schedule of adopting a final standard by July of 2009," said Anne Schelle, Executive Director of the OMVC. "Next we'll be focused on consumer trials with the goal of realizing mobile DTV for consumers as soon as possible."
The OMVC initiated the IDOV trials at ATSC's request to assist with the technical information needed to adopt a standard for mobile broadcast technology. ATSC is the recognized standard-setting body for this technology. Laboratory and field trials were conducted during February, March and April of 2008 in the San Francisco Bay area and Las Vegas. OMVC worked with MSTV to conduct the trials, and participating television broadcasters volunteered the use of their facilities. More than 140 hours and 1,000 miles of mobile data were collected across the two trial areas.
"We are very grateful to our partners without whom the technical trials would not have been possible," added Mr. Burgess. "On behalf of OMVC's members, we would especially like to thank NAB's David Rehr, MSTV's David Donovan, APTS's Mark Erstling, as well as the ATSC for their support and hard work. We also want to recognize Dr. Woo Paik of LG and Dr. J.W. Park of Samsung for their commitment to jointly advancing the consumer value and reach of U.S. digital TV broadcasting through mobility."
The OMVC report concludes that mobility for digital broadcasting in compliance with existing ATSC DTV standards is viable. The IDOV trials demonstrated full-motion mobile DTV at pedestrian and highway speeds; they also showed that mobile reception can be achieved as much as 40 miles from the transmitter, and that mobile DTV does not interfere with the regular FCC-compliant primary digital television broadcasts.
As ATSC moves toward finalizing technical specifications this summer, the OMVC will continue to assist with incorporating broadcasting industry considerations into the technical framework. In addition, the group will conduct consumer trials later this year in an integrated collaboration among OMVC, LG and Samsung. Further details on these trials will be announced in coming months.
After the ATSC Candidate Standard is approved in October, the group will work toward pursuing full standardization and product development to reach the ultimate goal of introducing commercial mobile DTV services to the consumer marketplace in 2009. Bringing products and services to market in this timeframe will enable broadcasters to meet consumer demand for mobile DTV and improve utilization of their digital TV infrastructure investment. [FierceWireless]
Samsung, LG to Develop Joint Standard For North American Mobile TV Market
Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Co., South Korea's world-class electronics manufacturers, said today they agreed to jointly develop a mobile television technology aimed at becoming the industry standard in the North American market.
Executives from the two companies signed a deal for the joint standard at a hotel in Seoul, the companies said, adding that they plan to forward their proposal to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC).
The ATSC is an international group, established in 1982, that develops technology standards for digital television that are used in the United States and have also been adopted by Canada.
The ATSC's U.S. office is scheduled to pick a mobile television standard in the first half of 2009 for the U.S., following examinations of candidate technologies by the Open Mobile Video Coalition, an alliance of U.S. broadcasters committed to the development of mobile digital television.
The joint effort is expected to combine LG's technology, dubbed the Mobile Pedestrian Handheld (MPH), and Samsung's A-VSB, also known as advanced-vestigial sideband, according to the companies.
"We will step up our effort to provide a technology that will benefit both consumers and broadcasters," said Park Jong-woo, head of Samsung Electronics' digital media division.
Samsung and LG are the world's second and fifth-largest handset makers, respectively, and compete in many areas of electronic goods, including televisions and household appliances. [FierceWireless]
Touchscreen Trend Affects Keypad Crowd
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this week, Digit Wireless seemed happy that the industry is currently obsessed with touchscreen technology for mobile devices. That's not because Digit makes touchscreen technology -- far from it.
Digit Wireless is the company behind fastap technology, which is an approach to keypad design that integrates a raised set of alpha keys and a lowered set of number keys, supported by error prevention software.
Fastap-enabled handsets are geared toward that middle 70 percent -- not the emerging market crowd or the BlackBerry toting heavy data user. Even before the release and success of the iPhone, buttonless touchscreen phones have been capturing the consumer eye. As this trend continues to rise, new phones are being announced that call into question the suvival of buttons on future phones.
Digit Wireless says it has seen a lot of interest since the launch of the iPhone, because consumers, carriers and handset makers are once again looking to provide a better user interface for handsets and touchscreens are too expensive for the mid-range user.
Digit Wireless' new CEO Robert Blumenthal said that touch screen feature phones are sometime limited by the technology. "The Prada phone, for example, is too sensitive," he said. Blumenthal and other Digit executives agree, however, that fastap is targeted at the middle 70 percent of wireless subscribers: Not the upper 15 percent or bottom 15 percent. – [Brian/FierceWireless]
LG-KE850 Prada
The handset is a mere 12 mm thin (just shy of Samsung's Ultra Thin 10.7 mm phone) with a 3.0 inch wide LCD screen, a 2.0 megapixel camera and an MP3 player. It boasts USB v. 2, EDGE tri-band, BlueTooth 2.0 and GPRS connectability. One of the breakout features of the phone is that it's "buttonless," meaning is makes use of a touchscreen (no stylus.)
On top of the hardware specs, the LG KE850 PRADA comes with a comprehensive set of software. As you might expect, there's a multimedia player capable of playing MP3, AAC, WMA and RealAudio sound files, plus MPEG4, H.263 and H.264 video.
The KE850 has a web browser with Adobe/Macromedia Flash support, a document viewer (supporting text, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat file types), plus an email client and messaging applications.
Samsung Giorgio Armani
The tri-band handset features a 3-megapixel camera, 2.6-inch 262K color QVGA touchscreen LCD, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support, microSD expansion and more. Most notably, the device features "haptics," which means that users can feel an immediate mild vibration when they touch icons on the display.
The Armani phone's interface is similar to the menus on the Ultra Smart F700. A three by four grid, each column and row is lit by a band of color that highlights your choice, creating a cross effect. The phone uses haptic feedback, buzzing slightly to indicate it has accepted your input, and the screen seemed very receptive to our touch. We would have liked some scrolling effects, perhaps a tracking cross that followed us as we dragged our finger from choice to choice, but the menu is still quite luscious.
HTC Touch
The compact HTC Touch features an advanced touch screen that lets you operate the smart phone with your fingertips. The Windows Mobile 6 smart phone also has an updated interface, integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and a 2-megapixel camera.
It's not quite multi-touch like the iPhone, though it does offer "a new and unique way of controlling touch screen-based devices by recognizing and responding to the sweep of a finger across the screen," according to HTC's press release. What's more, TouchFLO automatically distinguishes between stylus and finger input and will act accordingly.
Apple iPhone 
Apple iPhone has been at the center of technology circle discussions since its announcement in early January 2007. The touchscreen device is an AT&T-serviced phone fused with an iPod, multimedia center, email and Internet connection and most major features common to smartphones.
It is a sweet, glorious specs of the 11.6 millimeter device that include a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 touchscreen display with multi-touch support and a proximity sensor to turn off the screen when it's close to your face, 2 megapixel cam, 4GB or 8 GB of storage, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR and A2DP, WiFi that automatically engages when in range, and quad-band GSM radio with EDGE. Amazingly, it somehow runs OS X with support for Widgets, Google Maps, and Safari, and iTunes with CoverFlow out of the gate.
More Flexible LG KF600 With InteractPad
New in line is the European debut of the LG KF600. The LG KF600's InteractPad and virtual menu keys show the exact keys users need to complete the task at hand eliminating distractions.
More flexible than standard hardware keys, the KF600 eliminates the need to memorize which key performs what function. The virtual keys are also larger and better spaced than physical keys, improving accuracy.
The InteractPad, a small touch-sensitive display beneath the main screen that is used for navigation, is an ideal interface for controlling multimedia features like the KF600's digital audio player, camera and video camera. Since its controls are not tied to physical buttons, each of these functions has a custom interface that makes it intuitive to use.
The unique about the LG KF600 does not lie in its form factor, design or size. It is a normal slider with decent dimensions. Its true beauty is in the seamless dual display setup on the front panel.
The display in the lower part of the front panel is a smaller, touch-sensitive one and is used for navigation. The user interface of the LG KF600 takes full advantage of the eight graphic themes designed by graffiti artists Keith Haring, that can remarkably change the look and feel of the device.
The LG KF600 multimedia capabilities include a 3 megapixel camera, MP3 player, video recording and FM radio. The handset offers Bluetooth 2.0 and a microSD card slot. The tri-band slider, with EDGE support but no HSDPA, features a 262K-color 2" QVGA display, the InteractPad is 1.5" 262K-color with a resolution of 240 x 176 pixels. The LG KF600 will be available in pastel pink, shiny pink, wine red and titan.
The InteractPad which changes interface depending on the application being used. When you taking photos with the devices 3 MP camera, the InteractPad becomes a photo editor/zoom, or a game controller when playing a mobile game. The KF600 will also feature GPRS and EDGE connectivity, a 240×320 QVGA main display, Bluetooth, and USB 2.0 support. /PR
GSMA Selects LG Handsets to Lead ‘Horizon Phone’ Campaign
The GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade association for the mobile industry, just announced that a panel comprising of nine operators has selected two mobile phones developed by LG Electronics as the winning products to spearhead its GSMA’s Horizon Phone initiative. The initiative aims to provide a range of multi-band Mobile Broadband handsets that will support HSPA and meet the needs of customers around the world.
Last year, the GSMA and several operators established an 850 User Group to promote more widespread adoption of the 850MHz spectrum along with other dominant frequencies. This lead to the creation of the Horizon Phone initiative. In the first phase of this initiative, a competition amongst handset vendors was launched to produce a portfolio of 850/1900/2100 MHz tri-band HSPA mobile phones that could be launched into the global market.
“The GSMA’s Horizon Phone initiative will help operators to establish the 850 MHz spectrum as an integral 3G frequency band, which will lead to greater scale economies, more cost effective communications and greater choice of products for users,” said Craig Ehrlich, Chairman of the GSMA. “We congratulate LG as the selected supplier for the Horizon Series of phones.”
To judge the competition, a panel of experts from nine leading operators including Ancel, AT&T, Cable & Wireless International, Entel PCS, Rogers Wireless, Telecom Personal, Telefonica Moviles, Telenor and Telstra worked together on the requirements and specifications needed by their customers to meet the new demand for ubiquitous Mobile Broadband. Handset vendors were then invited to submit proposals for tri-band HSPA handsets operating at 850/1900/2100 MHz, as well as conventional GSM bands.
LG Electronics was chosen as the winner for two of its handsets, the LG-KM560/LG-CM560 and LG-KP330/LG-CP330. Both phones run on high-speed 3G networks (HSPA) at 850/1900/2100 MHz as well as on GSM at 850/900/1800/1900 MHz. The handsets were selected for their style, performance, and competitive pricing to meet operator’s market requirements.
“The selection of LG’s HSPA phones for the GSM Association’s Horizon Phone initiative demonstrates that operators have recognized LG’s strong commitment to advanced technologies and business practices in the 3G sector,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “LG will continue to provide new and better 3G phones that customers want, based on our cutting-edge technologies and high standard of quality.”
LG’s winning handsets will be endorsed and promoted by the GSMA as part of the GSMA Horizon Series. The GSMA Horizon Series will encompass a range of different handset models at attractive prices supporting the most popular frequencies used around the world.
"With the GSMA we have played a lead role in the Horizon Phone competition. Our experience shows the 850 MHz spectrum can provide superior in-building coverage penetration compared to the conventional higher frequency bands and expansive low-cost 3GSM and wireless broadband coverage to the more lightly populated areas of the world," said Sol Trujillo, Chief Executive Officer of Telstra Corporation Ltd.
LG-KM560 Specification:
- Network - HSDPA 3.6/ UMTS 850 /1900 / 2100
- Band - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
- Battery - Li-Ion 900 mAh
- Dimensions - 102.5 x 49.5 x 16.55 mm
- Main Screen - 240 x 320 pixel / 2.2” / 262K
- Sub Screen - 128 x 160 / 1.3’’ / 65K
- Camera - 1.3MP FF
- Camera Feature - VGA (optional)
- Memory - 128MB(TBD) / Micro SD
- Bluetooth - V2.0 A2DP
- USB - V2.0 FS
- Ringtones - 72 Polyphonic
- Audio Codecs - MP3 /AAC / AAC+ / EAAC+
- Video Codecs - MPEG4 /H.263 / H.264 / WM / RM
- Browser - WAP 2.0 / xHTML
- JAVA - Yes
- Messaging - SMS, EMS, MMS, IM, E-mail
- Chipset - QCT MSM6281
- Other - Teleca 3.x Professional Browser
LG’s Sprint Xohm WiMAX Smart Phone
Could this be the first smart phone for Sprint's Xohm WiMAX system? This sleek, Windows Mobile device -- about the size and shape of LG's Prada fashion phone -- could very easily run both Sprint's WiMAX and CDMA EVDO systems in tandem.
The Windows Mobile 6 smart phone is based on a Qualcomm MSM7200 chipset (which typically has a 400 Mhz processor) and has 128 MB RAM. It's running Windows Mobile 6 Professional, with a 320x240 touch screen. The LG rep promised "seamless handoff" between CDMA or GSM and WiMAX. Needless to say, this isn't on any Sprint roadmap that's been made public.
Sprint’s Barry West told investors at a Clearwire demonstration today that the company’s Xohm network, based on 802.16e-2005 (Mobile WiMAX), is averaging 3-5 Mbps performance in the downlink and 1-2 Mbps in the uplink. He further reiterated that the company expects to offer commercial services of Xohm in three initial US markets — Baltimore, Washington DC, and Chicago — during the second quarter of 2008.
While the current brand new high-technology smartphone from LG Mobile, the LG-KS20 is now available in major European countries. The latest High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) smartphone, the LG-KS20 launched on November 2007. The phone’s full touchscreen gives it unparalleled usability and a top download speed of HSDPA 3.6 Mbps enables to an enriched internet experience.
Pursuing high technology along with LG ‘Viewty’ Phone (LG-KU990), LG-KS20 is expected to be the first product strategically launched from the line of the next generation High Technology Category products.
Compatible with highly advanced HSDPA networks, LG-KS20 allows users to enjoy the full benefits of 3.6Mbps high speed mobile internet, including downloading of music, video clips and Windows Live content, as well as push e-mail. HSDPA technologies receive data at 3.6Mbps, which is the speed of over 7 times faster than the widely-used WCDMA phones.
The phone is also equipped with a host of other advanced features such as WiFi connectivity, natural handwriting recognition, 128MB internal memory, Micro SD external memory and Bluetooth 2.0, and is powered by the Windows Mobile 6.
LG Electronics - Universal Wireless Rear Kit
Universal Wireless Rear Kit (ACC97WK) - A wireless rear speaker kit, the ACC97WK eliminates wires from the main unit allowing for convenient speaker placement options. It is compatible with both LG and some non-LG home theater systems. The unit's digital Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum transmission technology ensures reliable high-quality audio performance in any home environment.
CES honored the LG Electronics Universal Wireless Rear Speaker Kit (ACC97WK) which frees you from the shackles of all those evilwires! This wireless kit is compatible with both LG and non LG products and allows for convenient speaker placement options.
Technical Details
- Digital 2.4 GHz Carrier Frequency
- Up to 100 Feet Transmission Range
- 8ms System Delay
- Built-in RF Antenna
- 2 Color (Blue/Red) Power LED
LG Shine - Minimalist Design, Maximum Functionality
LG's Shine is for those who were born to shine because LG has created the perfect blend of minimalist design and maximum functionality. When idle, Shine has a unique, reflective mirror finish, but once it is active the screen comes alive and is viewable from all angles.
Inside the elegant stainless steel body, Shine packs in a music player, a 2.0 megapixel camera, video share and Bluetooth capabilities, a full array of messaging options, and more.
Shine - a sliding slice of 13mm loveliness made of brushed aluminium, studded with a 2-megapixel camera (with flash), 1gb of onboard memory (expandable with an as-yet-unknown memory card) and a 2.2″ QVGA display that turns into a mirror when inactive. I’ll give you a couple of minutes to hit the jump, look at the pictures and wipe the drool from your chin.
The overall design of the body is very clean, with the left side and the bottom of the phone completely free of any buttons. The strap hole and battery cover release keys are found on the top, whereas the power and headphone jack, volume control, camera shutter, and music shortcut keys are all located on the right side. The microSD memory card slot is hidden under the battery cover but, despite this, hot swapping of the card is supported.
The camera module, located on the back of the phone, comes with an LED flash and a small mirror for self-portrait photos. Near the camera, you can see the company name and the text 'Schneider-Kreuznach,' the company that makes the camera's lens, engraved and matched perfectly with the rest of the metal.
The brushed finish on the back of the device does not attract fingerprints as much as the glossy front. The finish also gives the device a more macho look, making it more appealing to style-conscious executives.
Recycled Handset Shipments to Exceed 100 Million Units in 2012
Shipments of recycled handsets (old handsets recycled for reuse) are expected to exceed 100 million units in 2012, according to a recent study from ABI Research. Shorter handset replacement periods, growing demand for low-cost handsets in emerging markets, regulatory requirements, and growing consumer awareness are key factors driving the market for recycled handsets.
ABI Research industry analyst Shailendra Pandey says, “Mobile phone recycling companies such as ReCellular, Fonebak, and Eazyfone are witnessing good market growth, but increasing consumer awareness and retrieving used handsets at affordable prices are still key challenges. Also, the ASP of used handsets falls rapidly, so these handsets need to be handled at the lowest possible cost to ensure decent margins on their resale.”
Handset vendors including Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and LG are concentrating more on designing and manufacturing mobile phones to ensure that they are easily recyclable and contain a minimum of hazardous elements. This is being complimented by the efforts of mobile operators, retailers, recycling companies, charities and various take-back schemes, resulting in more users starting to return their old, no longer used handsets for recycling.
ABI Research expects the market for recycled handsets to grow steadily in the next five years, generating over $3 billion in revenue in 2012. Having these handsets in their portfolios can help mobile operators and MVNOs in optimizing customer profitability by better management of subscriber acquisition costs. They can use recycled handsets to address low ARPU subscribers and use new expensive handsets to target the high ARPU customers.
ABI Research’s recent study "Handset Recycling and Refurbishment" focuses on the growing market for recycled and refurbished handsets and the associated opportunities and challenges for handset vendors, mobile operators, recycling companies and retailers. It discusses the high level business and marketing issues, and critical considerations for addressing this market. It also provides detailed shipments and revenue forecasts for recycled and refurbished handsets as well as ethical disposal of handsets from 2005 to 2012. [ABI Research]
LG Sells More Than 15 Million Chocolate Phones
LG announced that by the end of this month it will have sold 15 million Chocolate handsets worldwide. As of April, LG had sold 10 million Chocolate handsets. The phone has been released in about 100 countries around the world and most of these markets have seen a decline in sales for the handset.
However, some markets, like Japan, Central America, the Middle East and Africa are still seeing an uptick in sales since the phone launched later in those markets.
The "Chocolate" phone also available in China for $495. The tiny slider phone features a 2-inch QVGA display, 512MB of on-board memory and a 1.3-MP camera.
Verizon Wireless has launched a new version of LG's Chocolate handset: Blue Ice. The phone sports similar features to old models of the phone, like vibration feedback on the touch-sensitive keypad, navigation wheel with classic red trace motion lighting as well as a microSD memory card slot that supports up to 4 GB of memory.
Chocolate by LG in Blue Ice is available today for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and new two-year customer agreement at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores within Circuit City. It will be available at Verizon Wireless stores and online come December 7.
Prada Phone is Verizon's iPhone-killer
A recent USA Today article claimed that AT&T has a five year exclusive contract with Apple for the iPhone, during which time Apple cannot make a CDMA version of the handset. In the same article, Verizon Wireless COO Denny Strigle says, "We do have a very good response in the mill. You'll see that from us in the late summer." 
The Street predicts that the LG Prada phone, the KE 850, is Verizon's response. A Verizon Wireless representative, however, says "We have several music devices coming" including the LG Prada, "but there are others." The Prada phone is just as pricey as the iPhone: $600 (the iPhone is expected to be $500), but Verizon Wireless could subsidize the Prada, a move AT&T has already rejected for the iPhone.
AT&T's five-year exclusive arrangement with Apple to sell the iPod-inspired iPhone is seen as a potentially big threat to the continued growth at Verizon Wireless.
Verizon and AT&T have ridden solid gains in wireless users to 52-week highs this month. But if the iPhone is a hit, AT&T stands to win many new customers when the phone hits the market, stealing momentum and lucrative users from Verizon.
Verizon can stem some of the defections if it has its own supersleek iPhone imitation.
Ponsel Baru LG Dilengkapi Fitur Google & Yahoo
Tak berapa lama lagi, para pengguna ponsel akan ditawari setidaknya 10 ponsel LG yang sudah diinstal peranti lunak dari Google. Nantinya, jutaan ponsel LG yang baru akan memiliki kemampuan untuk mengakses berbagai layanan Google, seperti Google Maps, Gmail Mobile dan Blogger Mobile, cukup dengan menekan sebuah ikon di menu aplikasi.
"Perangkat bergerak LG, dikombinasikan dengan Google, akan menyediakan bagi para konsumen akses yang mudah ke berbagai layanan Internet kesukaan mereka meskipun tanpa menggunakan komputer PC. Karenanya, hal itu juga akan semakin memudahkan mereka tetap terhubung meskipun sedang di luar kantor atau dalam perjalanan,” ujar Paul Bae, vice president, perencanaan produk LG Electronics Mobile Communications Co.
Perjanjian kerjasama antara LG dan Google ini telah ditandatangani oleh kedua belah pihak pada pameran 3GSM di Spanyol bulan lalu. Ponsel-ponsel pertama yang akan dikapalkan pada kuartal kedua tahun ini akan memasuki pasar Amerika Utara, Eropa dan Asia.
Selain dengan Google, LG juga bekerjasama dengan Yahoo. Nantinya ponsel-ponsel LG jenis tertentu akan mampu mengakses layanan Yahoo, termasuk Yahoo Go untuk Mobile 2.0, Yahoo Mail dan Yahoo Messenger. LG memang bukan perusahaan pertama yang bekerjasama dengan Google dan Yahoo.
Sebelumnya, Motorola Inc. juga telah menjalin kerjasama dengan kedua perusahaan konten dan penyedia layanan mesin pencari papan atas ini. Pesaing LG, Samsung Electronics Co. belum lama ini telah mengumumkan perjanjian yang sama dengan Google yang berbasis di Mountain View, California.
Menurut data IDC, tahun 2006 LG telah mengapalkan tak kurang dari 64,4 juta ponsel, atau naik 17,3 persen dibandingkan tahun 2005. Dengan jumlah pengapalan sebesar itu, menunjukkan bahwa LG menguasai sekitar 6,3 perrsen pangsa pasar ponsel dunia.
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