LG debuts Optimus smartphone series, Froyo-powered 'One' and 'Chic' arriving first
By Darren Murph 
posted July 5th 2010 10:13AM
posted July 5th 2010 10:13AM
OPTIMUS SERIES: LG'S MOST ADVANCED SMART DEVICES
Line-up of Smartphones and Tablet Devices Integrate the Latest in Mobile Technology
BERKSHIRE,UK, JULY 5, 2010 -- LG Electronics (LG) today unveiled its upcoming LG Optimus Series, a line-up of innovative smart devices featuring the latest in mobile technology that will spearhead the company's newest campaign to highlight LG's ability to simplify consumers' information-dominated lives.
LG Optimus, meaning 'best' in Latin, will be comprised of devices running on a range of operating systems as well as Android Tablet PCs. By offering a variety of choice in operating systems and incorporating smart technologies, LG prioritises consumer choice as a key strategy for expanding its footprint in the mobile industry. The smartphones and tablet devices range from entry to premium level, with various features to meet the diverse needs of all customers. As part of its aggressive strategy to grow its share of the global smartphone market, LG will be introducing approximately 10 new smart devices worldwide in the second half of this year under the LG Optimus label.
"The LG Optimus Series is aimed at challenging the notion that one device can meet the needs of many," said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "At LG, we believe in providing people with many different choices because our customers are not all alike. We want to provide devices that suit all needs and simplify people's lives."
The LG Optimus Series is the result of extensive consumer research and development that delved into the way people gather information in today's digital age. According to a consumer survey conducted by LG, ease of finding information is the top motivator in considering a smartphone purchase. The research also looked into what consumers liked and disliked about some of today's most popular communications devices. Not surprisingly, user friendliness and fast response time were high on consumers' lists.
The two android-powered smartphones in the pipeline -- LG Optimus One with Google™ and LG Optimus Chic -- incorporate the speedy Android Platform 2.2 (Froyo).
LG Optimus One with Google™ offers the latest in Google™ mobile features and connects seamlessly to the world. Its ability to connect effortlessly to Google's Android Market™ delivers an unfiltered and genuine smartphone user experience. Also, a convenient user interface and diverse multimedia options ensure a mobile environment that makes this device one of the easiest to use on the market.
The LG Optimus Chic caters to fashion aficionados with its tasteful design incorporating soft and smooth lines. The handset's sleek curves set a new standard for smartphone design, challenging the perception that advanced Android devices need to appeal to a hardcore tech crowd to gain widespread acceptance.
Beyond smartphones, LG will be introducing its first tablet device later this year. Running on the Android Platform, LG's tablet will deliver vastly superior performance than other similar devices currently on the market while still managing to be thinner and lighter than competing devices.
INB4 iPhone comparison.
@pintonion Ah, who am I kidding?
Of course someone will compare it.
After the LG Ally.... my confidence in LG is one percent above zero.
@Plazmic Flame Did you just reply on me to make sure that your comment is on the first page?
@pintonion
I like the one on the left, those buttons are beautiful...
@Plazmic Flame -1
@pintonion +1
@pintonion
The one on the right looks just Like a galaxy x variant and like a iPhone. The other two are more oringal
@pintonion
Scratch that the middle one looks like a touch diamond 2
@pintonion
Uprank for outing post hijackers
@Plazmic Flame Yeah, well, you can doubt all you want. There are two things that will rule the day here, the specs & the release date. If LG can produce a lot of these gadgets at various price points, the quicker the better, they will be doing what at least gadget enthusiast have been asking for...vanilla + current OS. Yes, there is more to it than just that, but LG will be able to get more than one form factor correct, so give them the benefit of the doubt.
The good news, even if you don't like this device it will probably do well enough that more OEMs start to follow suit and ditch their UI for vanilla in order to get part of this market segment.
@Plazmic Flame what was wrong with the Ally?
It was a great mid-range phone with a great keyboard.
Back on topic. I like the one on the right. Either way... they look better than there old device.
@pintonion
I did. Everyone does until Engadget changes it. lol
IMHO there is too much real estate that is not a screen. They are rather large
@EggoEspada The one on the right is rather snazzy, I agree.
@okok only Apple Fanboys bought i
at least android phones can take calls............
@pintonion
Are they allowed to call such phones "Optimus" ???
They cannot capture the power and leadership that the real Optimus exudes.
Also, I bet they won't be able to use that name either after the lawsuit with Hasbro.
@shadowj0 sure they can.
Hasbro havent invented 'optimus'. Optimus is a word, thats been around for, i'd say, at least 2000 years. It actually means 'best' in latin.
@pintonion I do that all the time, comment on the first comment to get it on page 1, but there were 2 comments when that guy posted so I don't think he would need to do that
booked my droid X today :)
will be getting it on 15th.. . wooohooo !!!
@uckApple ¨buttons¨ ha ha ha....
Man I swear I saw the girl on the right on another engadget entry.
Going crazy or de'ja'vu?
I believe by "one" they mean prime, "optimus prime" anyways the middle one is ugly, square + wasted space, the phone looks like if the phone is 4 inches tall, the screen would be 2 inches tall
The android army grows mightier every day!
@newjaruz The Borg collective will assimilate you.
Looking good! I Like!
weak designs
@NoOrdinaryMSFT
they look like LG's typical safety designs.
none of them are appealing enough :(
but the models....ah...they are a different story :D
LG is not understanding the importance of having big screens on their smartphones.
@iantolee The one on the left is a 3.8" screen. Great size IMO.
Now I like the fact that they are not making any custom UI.
@Moze
you need to look carefully at the drawer thingy,,
@iantolee If it's the only thing they changed, then fine with me.
Does LG have their own android skin or will this be vanilla?
@nostradukemas Its stock. I don't think they have made a custom UI for their Android phones. Only thing they did however was added a custom launcher, but was still stock, which is what others should be doing as well.
Woah!! Those Korean Chic's are hot.... so is that Andriod Chic too. (:
@Sniggih
well hello, LovelyGirl(s)
These phones are kind of ugly (IMO -- of course).
I'd like to see a phone that's ALL screen -- maximum 4mm bezel all around. The ear-speaker could be on the top bezel like the EVO, or there could be tiny perforations in the screen itself (very cool). The standard android hardware buttons would cease to exist with only a power button on the right hand side.
BRAVO, LG!
Very smart of you to stop wasting time and money skinning Android like others do, and just become the brand that always ships the new Android versions FIRST! At least, I hope it will continue like that.
Now hopefully those phones are top quality in hardware as well, otherwise just being first with latest Android version won't help you that much.
I'd like to know how google picks their Android 2.2 release partners. 2.2 must be coming out soon for more then N1 with all this talk of unreased phones getting it stock.
YAYS... LG has released another range of $%^& handsets.
hmmm. I would tap those girls ^_^
S Korean market only, I presume? I think the previous lineup, Optimus Q and Z, are S Korea only.
I like these new kind of docks.
But seriously, nice phones :]
Ugly phones, Ugly girls.... The more I look at it, the more I loose confidence in Google. Damn I was so positive about Android and now all I see is Iphone and Bada power... Kinda suck.
Seriously guys, these phones are just more of the same. There shouldn't be more than 10 android phones in upper, middle and lower classes. This is just too much. All of these phones will have 1 cool stuff and 3/4 horrible flaws.
@aeonys A lot of these phones are for different countries and different carriers. If you really look at it, its a good amount for each carrier, manufacturer and consumer.
Google has no control how manufacturers make their devices hardware wise. But if you mean UI wise, thats where Gingerbread comes from. Froyo (for great features for Android) and Gingerbread (revamp of Android's UI) will change everything for Android, so no need to lose faith in them. :)
@EggoEspada
Dude, Except for notification and multitasking iOS UI is simple and good from the begginning (ok widgets too lack).
Have you looked at bada on youtube? it's an impressive OS! It combines all the best from iOS with all the best from Android and WebOS. It's just shocking that Google canno't get the things right from first time.
I have hopes for Gingerbread, but how long until it really reaches mainstream ? I'm pretty sure it won't until the later half of 2011 and by then Apple will have a cloud itunes (how big is this?!) 300.000 apps, a new iPhone that makes calls and will start taking preorders for Verizon, Sprint and t-Mobile Iphones 5, An iPad 2 will be out and Samsung will decide to keep all its SA screen for its Bada phones.
I'm telling you I got a bad feeling about this!
@aeonys I have seen Bada, there are things I like about it, though not completely polished and the blue irks me. Who do you know that gets it right from the start though? As long as they go down the right path, which they seem to be. The Android Marketplace is growing more and more, and now with Adobe Air, so many developers Android. Android defiently has a future and has been already predicted that "Android will pass Apple’s iOS system by 2012 to become the world’s second-most-popular mobile operating system behind Nokia’s Symbian". Some things other have over Android, but its safe to say theres a big future for it.
So you can wait and see how well this will all play out, and with Gingerbread there should be more ease of use and elegance with Android and better updates for all phones to be able to get in a more appropriate time-frame.
@aeonys So you dare saying that.. the girls are "ugly" and it's Google fault right?
I fail to follow your logic completely. Beside, these girls aren't that bad. Or maybe you're just a new kind of troll. Bada fanboi troll. God lords, woot lol
Anyone have any ideo of the spec, whats the screen size, please not the usual LG 3.2", hopefully a proper 3.5 or 3.8" screen size.
@Newwales "The Optimus One “with Google” will be one of the first Optimus handsets to hit the market and will include: an OMAP3630 processor, 3.8-inch display, HD camera, HDMI/DNLA support, and Android 2.2." -BGR
The Optimus One (one on the left) sounds pretty damn awesome.
Wish I could get it, but I know it wont come to the states. :(