LG's 5.1 megapixel OZ: a Casio W53CA hides behind the curtain

Well lookie here, LG just announced a followup to its LH2300 Touch Web phone. This one's for the twisty-fold clamshell fans -- a design which makes it look positively Japanese superphone-like. In fact, we're pretty sure it's just the Casio W53CA with LG branding and new Hello UI for Korean consumption. Interesting given that Korea certainly isn't lacking in mega-spec'd phones. Anyway, given the Exilim underpinnings it's no surprise to find a 5.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, 28-mm lens, color correction, 9-point auto focus, and built-in anti-shake technology bunged into the backside. The LCD measures 2.8-inches (down from the LH2300's 3-inch LCD) yet still manages the same 800 x 480 pixel resolution for DMB television and landscape or portrait web browsing. Inside the little 18.9-mm thin handset you'll find 4GB NAND / 1GB SDRAM and microSD expansion for all your snaps and VGA / 30fps video. Coming to a 3G, CDMA network near you in April... just long as you live in South Korea or Japan.

Gallery: LG's 5.1 megapixel OZ

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[Lance @ Mar 25th 2008 2:27AM]

How come western countries rarely get any good camera phones? I'm not just talking 16 trillion MP cameras but actual quality in the cameras.

oh well

[OneLove @ Mar 25th 2008 10:51AM]

talk to your service provider. lol.

[Ace b @ Mar 25th 2008 2:31AM]

is there any way i could import this?Since it's cdma it would work on verizon,rite?

[Jamar @ Mar 25th 2008 10:57AM]

Have fun digging for the ESN. It's not on the back of the phone; in Korea phones are identified by MIN/MDN instead, which are cross-referenced to a central database to get the ESN. You can find it by digging in BitPIM or something similar, though.

Oh, and it's made for LG Telecom, a 1700MHz carrier (Korea uses 800MHz and 1700MHz). Do you live in the right coverage area?

[yui @ Mar 25th 2008 2:39AM]

Casio's "out-dated" 2007 summer lineup finally find it way to rebirth in Korea...
perhaps Mitsubishi / SonyEricsson japan should have their "out-dated" NTT DoCoMo mobile to sell internationally, and many of us would be happy to buy actually!!!

[arumi @ Mar 25th 2008 5:30AM]

Really? When you compare Korean and Japanese cellphones, Korean phones look better (and smaller) and seem to be more feature packed than its Japanese counterparts.

[sam @ Mar 25th 2008 2:44AM]

posts like this remind me that i'm wasting my time when i read engadget.

[derX @ Mar 25th 2008 3:01AM]

Comments like this remind me that i'm wasting my time when i read engadget.

[sam @ Mar 25th 2008 3:08AM]

Thats fucking brilliant on so many levels...

[Dr. Evil @ Mar 25th 2008 12:57PM]

Comments like this remind me that i'm wasting my time when i read.

[mosquared @ Mar 25th 2008 3:09AM]

I love this phone! Actually I have the Casio version here in Japan and I love it so much. Its gonna be sad thou when I have to return to the states and won't be able to use this phone anymore. . . Has everything anyone could possibly want :(

[dave @ Mar 25th 2008 3:34AM]

I want this in Canada... I'm tired of the death grip the "big three " phone companies have on us . As I'm with telus, it would be cool to at least have a decent selection of phones

[Eh @ Mar 25th 2008 3:40AM]

So this phone can capture 30fps video plus 5mp camera, gets tv, has an 800x480 screen, and 3G? I can see why apple decided not to use 3G because of battery concerns, clearly battery technology just isnt there yet.

[yui @ Mar 25th 2008 5:46AM]

i am using Toshiba 920T (800x480 screen, 3G, 1-seg TV, GPS, 3.2MP auto focus camera) and the battery could last more than 2 days for normal use - I suppose battery life is acceptable.

[comscier @ Mar 25th 2008 4:03AM]

If you want a japanese phone, search, there are some models that includes a gsm module or was introduced in another country other japan. (those are the ones most likely to include the gsm module)

and it must also be hacked, in order to use it, in most case, most of the function won't be available. (mp3s, videos, phone

[comscier @ Mar 25th 2008 4:05AM]

Something wrong with my comments. continue here

[james bozeman @ Mar 25th 2008 4:43AM]

So why is everyone so crazy about the iPhone and other random shit when these types of phones are specced way higher and are ultra common in Japan and even Korea?

Better yet, why the hell haven't cell phone companies released these phones over here?

[Chris @ Mar 25th 2008 7:17AM]

Because for some, specs aren't the only part of the picture. There was nary a mention of the UI for this phone other than it's a "Hello UI", whatever that means. I don't care how many features it has, if I have to bend over backwards to use them then I won't use them.

[Chad Little @ Mar 25th 2008 6:35AM]

Why use a model with a missing tooth?

[Phoenix @ Mar 25th 2008 6:52AM]

she looks... scary. Seriously scary.

[Cory @ Mar 25th 2008 7:30AM]

You Koreans rule half of Korea.

(Copyright © 2008 RectalX All rights reserved.)

[Peeping Tom @ Mar 25th 2008 8:09AM]

She has man hands.

[stromm @ Mar 26th 2008 10:25AM]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the reason we don't get phones like this over here is subsidizing. US phone companies give discounts on phones for long-term contracts. Overseas, phones are bought at full retail price and yet people still buy new phones more often than here in the US. There's just more of a revolving market overseas than in the US. Here, most people just want a working phone and stable service. There, most people want the latest, greatest, status symbol phone.