LG unveils hybrid device Optimus Vu

 

It's half smartphone, half tablet and will rival the Galaxy Note.

South Korean mobile maker LG has launched a new device that resembles a smartphone and tablet hybrid. The LG Optimus Vu combines a tablet-like interface - including handheld stylus - with smartphone portability.

Compared to its closest rival, the Samsung Galaxy Note, the Optimus Vu is shorter and fatter in size at just 140mm x 90mm, compared with the Galaxy Note's 147mm x 83mm. It comes equipped with a powerful 1.5GHz dual processor and 32GB memory.

Dr Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Mobile Communications, said: “The Optimus Vu was designed to maximise what customers could do with a smartphone.

“By offering an optimal 4:3 ratio viewing experience, 5in display combined with superfast LTE technology, Optimus Vu is just one example of what we can achieve when we combine our best technology with customer needs.”

The LG Optimus Vu comes with an eight-megapixel camera and will initially run on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, though an update to Google's latest release Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is already in the works.

In November last year, Samsung - South Korea's largest company, ahead of LG - released its Galaxy Note tablet, which boasts similar features to the Galaxy S II smartphone but is built more like a palm computer, with stylus control and a 5in display.

LG will be launching the Optimus Vu in March, though exact release dates are yet to be announced. More details are expected to emerge at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona next week.

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