Competition is heating up in the phablet arena as South Korea's LG issued another challenger to current leader Samsung, revealing via Facebook the quad-core Galaxy Note 2 look-alike Optimus G Pro.

Like its leading rival, the Optimus G Pro is set to captivate phablet fans with its 5.5-inch screen attraction, matching the same window appeal of the Note 2 and beaming out a 1080p screen resolution for Full HD viewing experience.

This handset is actually a version of the earlier announced Japanese release but experts are expecting considerable bump ups on the specs department.

It's fairly safe to assume that the phone is designed to unleash the wow factor bearing the following powerful features: the latest Android JellyBean, a quad-core 1.7GHz processor (possibly Snapdragon S4 Pro), 2GB of RAM, a 13Mp main camera, 32GB of space inside and the power to add up more memory via the microSD expansion slot.

As with current smartphone standard, the Optimus G Pro will be unveiled with a 4G-LTE chip, providing users super-fast wireless internet connection.

And for longer hours of operation, LG will likely include a 3140mAh battery with the new Galaxy Note 2 contender.

Pointing to the upcoming handset's main appeal, LG underscored the deployment of a curved glass with the G Pro, enabling it to radiate the so-called '2.5D' effect.

Images of the Optimus G Pro have emerged earlier with indications that the device is set for initial release in South Korea.

Now LG is declaring that selected markets will have a taste of its new phablet, hinting too that unveiling will take place via the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month. At this point, it is a given that the Optimus G Pro will come in shiny black and white variants, basing on the pics previewed by LG's Facebook page.

Its market debut is expected to face stiff competition as it is widely believed that the Galaxy Note 3 will be unboxed by Samsung later this month, using the same 2013 MWC platform for the much-awaited staging.