LG bolsters smartphone range

LG has added two more Android devices to its smartphone line. The Optimus Pro and the Optimus Net
LG Electronics added two more Android devices to its smartphone line, Optimus Pro and Optimus Net, which it said offer “a different mix of features and technology for different segments of the market.” Optimus Pro is the first in the line with a portrait bar QWERTY keypad, alongside a 2.8-inch touchscreen. It also includes dedicated hotkeys for email and scheduler tasks. Optimus Net has a 3.2-inch touchscreen and features the LG Social+ widget, which integrates feeds from multiple social networking portals. Depending on the market, specifications for the Optimus Net will vary: in Europe, “some” will be NFC-capable; the North American device will include a QWERTY keypad; and the Brazil, China, Asia and CIS version will have dual-SIM support. Both devices are powered by the latest version of the Android OS for smartphones, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

It was reported recently that LG had cut its 2011 smartphone shipment targets, as its handset division heads for its fourth consecutive quarterly loss. The company has been unable to capitalise on growth in the smartphone market (and a weakening performance from Nokia) at the same rate as some of its rivals, including South Korean counterpart Samsung, which is expected to become the world’s largest smartphone vendor by volume in the near future. The company noted that while its performance is “gradually improving,” it is still facing a “fast changing external market environment.”

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