14 DAY TRIAL // Introduced almost four months ago during the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, the LG Optimus Black has just been released in South Korea.
Also known as LG-KU5900, the smartphone hits the shelves one day after the 'grandiose' launch of Samsung's Galaxy S II.
Although the phone might be overshadowed by Samsung's flagship Android smartphone, the Optimus Black provides consumers with a different kind of experience.
While not the fastest on the market, the Optimus Black promises users a longer battery time and unparalleled energy efficiency.
The Optimus Black's 'pièce de résistance' is the 4.0-inch NOVA display, which is touted as one of the brightest on the mobile market.
According to the manufacturer, the Optimus Black's display is capable of emitting 700 nits (candela per square meter) and it features 16 million colors support, 480 x 800 pixels resolution, as well as accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate and proximity sensor for auto turn-off.
On the inside, LG preferred a Texas Instruments processor instead of the 'usual' Qualcomm's Snapdragon CPUs, thus the smartphone is powered by the TI OMAP 3630 1 GHz processor.
The device runs the Android 2.2 Froyo platform, along with LG's Optimus 2.0 and Gesture 2.0 user-friendly interfaces.
Although the manufacturer hasn't mentioned a specific timeline, the phone's software is upgradable to version 2.3 Gingerbread.
In terms of connectivity, the phone prides itself with the latest technologies, such as HSDPA, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA function, Wi-Fi Direct-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR support.
LG has yet to announce if the Korean Optimus Black will be delivered with an extra back cover included in the sales package.
In this regard, the handset manufacturer announced earlier this year a partnership with the Keith Haring Foundation that will see the American pop star’s artwork featured on the Optimus Black.
For consumers this means that they will be able to purchase specially designed Keith Haring back covers for their Optimus Black handsets.