3 LG Optimus Phones: Will It Help Korean Tech Firm Go Beyond 5th Place in Global Mobile Phone Sales?

Gartner's third quarter report for 2012 released on Thursday showed that South Korean tech firm LG remained in fifth place in overall global mobile phone sales by vendors.

LG was also in fifth spot for the July quarter, although when compared with the same third quarter in 2011, the company's sales actually contracted to 14 million units from 21 million, while its market share shrank to 3.3 per cent from 4.8 per cent.

Reckoned from the first quarter, LG has sold 116.7 million mobile phones in 2012 which corresponds to a market share of 8.4%.

However, for the smartphone segment, LG enjoyed a 59 per cent jump in sales compared to a year ago and 23 per cent improvement compared to the second quarter, which allowed LG to swing back to profit.

Like other tech firms that want to get out of the shadow of industry giants Samsung and Apple, LG has launched new smartphones designed to capture a larger slice of the smartphone and mobile phone pie.

LG mobile devices are made for GSM networks and CDMA networks worldwide. The newly launched LG Optimus phones run on Android OS, and are aimed to help users navigate through daily life.

LG Optimus G

This is one of the most powerful smartphone Optimus units available with its 1.5GHz quad-core, 2GB of RAM, and 4.7" ZeroGap touchscreen with HD display. With such specs, the unit's selling points are that it will give user speed, performance, and viewing pleasure in one phone.

For multitaskers, this Optimus unit has the Qslide Function which lets the user view and interact with two difference applications or tasks by simply sliding the transparency, removing the need to go return to the homescreen just to switch between these tasks.

When it comes to energy, LG ensured that the high-speed processor will not eat up battery life within few hours of multitasking such as gaming and playing HD videos. It features a 2,100mAh battery which performs like it is brand new even with hundreds of the charges.

LG Optimus Plus

It belongs to the Gingerbread list of Android OS 2.3, and offers simple and user-friendly functions as well as a nice display and interactive applications.

It has Swype keyboard option, 7 customisable home screens with Optimus Plus shortcuts to apps, favourites, and widgets, preloaded Google applications, 5.0MP camera with flash, bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Google Play for more applications.

LG Optimus Elite

Powered by the Android 2.3 Gingerbread with 3.5" touchscreen display and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, this Optimus unit is recommended for users fond of visiting social sites and using Google Play.

Its QuickMemo allows the user to capture any screen image, make notes with it, and share it online by text, email, and social sites.

With the release of the Gartner third quarter report, the Android Authority said that since LG and the other smaller smartphone manufacturers outside of Apple, Samsung and HTC are not profiting from their smartphone sales, it makes sense for Google to pick LG to manufacture the newly released Nexus 4.

However, Hong Sung-ho, analyst at I'm Investment & Securities, said that while LG would not earn double-digit profit margin in mobile phone the way Apple and Samsung do, the Gartner report is proof that LG could stand out among its second-tier peers.

At the Wednesday briefing, LG said it plans to boost marketing spending to overcome the tech firm's weak branding in smartphones.