Telecom Lead Asia: LG Electronics has sold more than 10 million units of Optimus L-Series smartphones.
At the 2012 Mobile World Con-gress (MWC), LG unveiled L-Series handsets such as Optimus L3 (3.2-inch display), Optimus L5 (4.0-inch display), Optimus L7 (4.3-inch display).
LG’s recent addition in L-Series was Optimus L9 (4.7-inch display).
“This milestone demonstrates the importance of delivering smartphones with stylish design, comparative size of display and enhanced UX features,” said Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. “Whereas other manufacturers are putting all their eggs into a one-size-fits-all phone, our strategy is to develop mobile products for all types of customers according to their individual needs and lifestyles.”
All the models in the L-Series — Optimus L3, Optimus L5, Optimus L7 and Optimus L9 — are available in over 50 markets worldwide.
Recently, LG Electronics reported a lower quarterly profit as its mobile phone division sank to a loss, underlining the challenges for its smartphone business as it struggles with competition from Apple and Samsung.
The South Korean company said its April-June net income totaled $138 million on revenue of 12.9 trillion won.
Quarterly income was up nearly 50 per cent from a year earlier but fell 35 per cent from the previous three months.
LG, which was unseated by Apple in 2011 as the world’s No. 3 mobile phone maker by sales, blamed its lower profit on the mobile division’s 57 billion won quarterly operating loss.
Basic handset sales declined while expenses to promote its new smartphones went up.
The mobile business of LG is being squeezed in both the premium and low-end markets. ZTE and Huawei are increasing low-cost smartphone sales while Apple and Samsung Electronics leave little room for a third player in the top-end market, AP reported.
LG’s mobile division lost nearly 1 trillion won in 2010 and 2011 combined as its Optimus smartphone series failed to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy phone and Apple’s iPhone.
