LG LU2300 Android handset gets photos, 'April or May' release date?
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted April 6th 2010 12:00PM
posted April 6th 2010 12:00PM
Actual, honest-to-goodness photos of what is presumably the Korea-only LG LU2300 handset popped up on a site in the SK recently, and like a family pet that plays professional sports (guess who watched Air Bud last night?) it's certainly captured the imagination of the Android-lovin' world at large. The thing is said to sport a 3.5-inch (800 x 480) AMOLED capacitive touch screen, Android 2.1, landscape mode slide keyboard, support for DivX files, a 5 megapixel (720p video) camera with geo-tagging, WiFi, GPS, DMB tuner and -- last but not least -- a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. The stats are consistent with what we've heard before, and now we have a possible release date: April or May. What we don't have, however, is any reason to believe rumors that this is going to be released in the states as the C710 Aloha. Although we might be skeptical, we understand the inherent wish-fulfillment: this is one sexy phone, and we'd certainly like to see it become available here. See another photo for yourself after the break.
South Korea ONLY?!?
Come on! That looks perfect... slide-out keyboard, Android 2.1, and a previous LG phone of mine was solid as a rock.
Bring it.
@Hazdaz Besides the fact that Samsung is known for bad quality (I'm willing to gamble on them right now, but I've been known to back some long shots that blew up), is there a reason this would be sexier than the Galaxy S pro with a slideout?
Also, if this came stateside, I'd take a safer bet and say the DMB would be ditched, while parlaying that with the fact that the Galaxy S might get a DMB in SK if it isn't already in the mix.
@juanvaldez I just read "liking that android skin" in a post and will say that more than partially answers my question. I understand the Bada/Touchwizz complaints.
@juanvaldez
Isn't the Galaxy S going to be Sprint (or T-Mo)? I figure the more phones that are released with GOOD keyboards (not shit ones like the Droid) the more chances that at least one of them would land on Verizon.
I can hope, can't I? :(
@Hazdaz
Haha, finally some focus on the international stage.
I'm sorry to tell you Americans, but the world doesn't revolve around you yet. As long as you're not sharing the latest and greatest with the rest of the world, there's no reason for the rest of the world to share the latest and greatest with you.
I'm mostly kidding - I'm just holding a grudge for having to go out of my way to import a Nexus One.
@Hazdaz Well, as far as I know the Galaxy S didn't have any US carriers announced but part of the beauty and remaining questions revolved around the fact that it had the ability to go to a few (I think they are using a quad-band, but this is where my cellular knowledge is super-slim so I can't even bother to recall correctly if I had cared too much in the first place). I do think you're right though and I do think even if Galaxy hit Verizon for you this landing elsewhere would please some of that carriers base, so I am with ya.
The one thing about where Galaxy goes, most people seem to think Sprint would be the worst place due to the similarly timed EVO and since Galaxy wont utilize 4G I see it having a bigger disadvantage there than if they both hit any other carrier simultaneously. So, if it has the right radio chip I'd say Verizon has plenty of hope because I'm sure Samsung wouldn't not duking it out with EVO and not being stuck on #4. Good luck.
@juanvaldez Reading Divx HD, on a few Korean blogs. So, I'm predicting an unannounced form of video-out cross your fingers on HDMI,
@juanvaldez and no once notices what has happened to the photographers skin? Looks like this things causes a crazy red rash!!! Oh Nozzzzzz..... :P
@Hazdaz If stock android looks more appealing/functional than your incarnation of it, you have failed. Anyway it still does looks great. http://bit.ly/lg-u2300-series
Would be nice to see this stateside.
@Darkseider yep agree...especially when it has eclair on it. I use the nexus one and I must say this...its one hell of a sexy device and being funcional at the same time. Somehing that sexy useful and now with a qwerty slide-out keyboard its gonna rock. And btw...soft keyboard on N1 is great an so are the suggestive words that it gives...I for one don't miss a hard keyboard.
@viditbhargava
Yeah I liked/needed the hard board on the Droid, but now that they have speech to text, I don't fond myself using either much.
Now if swype put the mic button on their keyboard, that would be perfect.
Wow.... all that AND a slideout qwerty keyboard?
SNES nirvana all the way...
The qwerty seems to be in a totally different league of the Droid's.... then again I bet the phone isn't as slim as the Droid...
@TareG It looks more like Touch Pro 2 keyboard, which is perfection. But honestly, I was in the "lol, Droid keyboard" camp, then I switched to Verizon and got a Droid and I have no real issue with it at all.
I'm liking that Android skin.
This is definitely a form factor we need packin' Android in the States. Even though I'm hella partial to HTC devices, LG does make some rock solid product.
I love every aspect of the phone except for the D-Pad on the slide-out. Why are companies wasting this precious space, people would rather have a full QWERTY keyboard that is roomy than a crammed QWERTY just to incorporate a useless D-Pad.
@GJ27 how about even a trackpad instead of a dpad, would make it the perfect pc replacement. quake 3 etc..
@GJ27
That D-pad is not so useless when you're rooting, thats the only time i've actually used it well that and trying to play nes games upside down
@GJ27
Have you seen the top 20 paid games in android market... I'll give you one guess what half of them are..
@GJ27 The d-pad is useful for games, but not so much when it is on the right. Put the d-pad on the left for nerd's sake!
No back or menu buttons?
HTC Desire killer?
So many new phones coming out, so no one has buyer remorse?
@teco221
I think buyers remorse is a natural thing w/ techies, and I like this model more than the only get a retooled model every june(apple)
@normanb20 I whole heartedly agree. Buyer's remorse is probably the most common happening for tech people. I'm not even close to being super tech and I'm frequently saying to myself, "Damn it. I should have held out for that." Or, "I just got this and now THAT gets released?!" It's like Murphy's Law.
@KidRobotXXIV
Murphys law is "what can go wrong will."
Moore's law applies to new/outdated tech in 6 month to 1 year increments.
Not sure which one you were referring to.
poor LG. when will they learn..
Seeing shots like this makes me happy to know no one can modify Win7.
Looks promising. 4" screen is too big, 3.5" sounds about right.
@person5e9
3.5 is a size hardware makers are trying not to use, so as to not get sued by sir Steve. Anyways, less bezel, bigger screen FTW!
The keyboard definitely looks nice. What's the circular area on the front? Is that an optical trackpad? Why have a trackpad at all next to the keyboard when you have a touchscreen? Seems like more area for the keys would be preferred.
I don't know about the fluorescent elements in the UI. Hopefully that could be changed. I wonder about the size. It looks a little thick. If it's as thin as the Droid, I can see this being a hit.
@matthewdlyons
Looks considerably thicker than a Droid in the photos.
Everyone rips on the Droid's keyboard, but they forget how thin it is for a qwerty slide out. I think they sacrificed alot (including the usability of the keyboard) for thickness.
I for one wouldn't mind a slightly thicker phone for a more usable keyboard, but within reason.
No such thing as too much android. :)
Looks like that thing has Helix Launcher standard!
Only gives rise to the occassion that HTC should include DivX support and 720p video recording to the HTC Desire quickly ;)
what is wrong with that dudes hand, is it some skin rash from excessive use?? now that phone lost my respect :P
DivX? Grrrrrrrrr
Why has DivX not been ported to any other Android phones despite having been on the Galaxy for close to FIVE months now??????
Come on XDA, what is the hold up??????
ooooo chiclet style keyboard on a cell phone!
Dear LG, motorola, etc,
If stock android looks more appealing/functional than your incarnation of it, you have failed.