14 DAY TRIAL // South Korean mobile phone maker LG Electronics has made official its largest Android-based smartphone to date, the LG Optimus Vu.
The new device packs a 5-inch IPS display capable of delivering a 1024 x 768 pixels resolution and a 4:3 aspect ratio.
The mobile phone was spotted on the web a few weeks ago, when LG published a teaser page for it, and was expected to make an official appearance at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month.
However, it appears that the handset vendor has decided to unveil the phone a bit earlier, and all of the necessary details on it are now available.
In addition to the large, rather unusual screen, the new LG Optimus Vu also features a fast 1.5GHz dual-core application processor, along with 1GB of RAM. It measures 139.6 x 90.4 x 8.5 mm (5.49 x 3.55 x 0.33 inches).
The handset also sports support for LTE networks, along with 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, and HDMI capabilities were also included into the mix, along with a 2,080 mAh battery.
LG has packed the Optimus Vu with 32GB of internal memory, but there’s no mentioning of a microSD memory card slot for expanding it.
The Android mobile phone also comes with an 8-megapixel photo snapper on the back, with support for HD video recording, as well as with a 1.3MP camera on the front, enabling users to make video calls.
Moreover, the same as the other large handset in the world, the Samsung Galaxy Note (boasting a 5.3-inch screen), the Optimus Vu was packed with a pen for taking notes, called “Rubberdium” in this case.
The smartphone was made official with Google’s Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system on board, but should receive an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in the not-too-distant future.
The handset is set to make an appearance at the MWC 2012 too, and should arrive on shelves in South Korea in March, on the airwaves of LG U+ and SK Telecom. No details on the phone’s pricing have been offered for the time being, nor on its release in other markets.
