U.S. phablet lovers, who are waiting to get their hands on the next-generation Galaxy Note smartphone, now also have the opportunity to play with yet another monster-sized phablet. LG is the credited with manufacturing the new phablet.
According to Unwired View, LG will be releasing its 5-inch Optimus Vu in the U.S. by the end of September. While the report has not confirmed the network for the LG smartphone, earlier reports indicate that the phone will run on Verizon.
Optimus Vu is doing good business in South Korea and has already crossed 500,000 units.
The LG smartphone is expected to sport a 5-inch display with 1024 x 768 pixels (4:3 aspect ratio), Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear camera, and 32GB of internal memory.
The LG phablet is coming at a time when Samsung is expected to extend its Note family by releasing Note 2 and Apple will be unveiling its rumored next-generation iPhone. How would the Optimus Vu fare? Which existing and upcoming smartphone will be its main rival? Here's a round-up of the top five competing devices.
1. Galaxy Note
Galaxy Note, the original phablet, is one of Samsung's biggest successes in 2012.
The original Note comes with a giant 5.3-inches display, 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megaoixel front camera for video calling, 1.5 GHz Scorpion dual-core processor, 16GB storage, 1 GB RAM, S Pen stylus, and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Li-Ion 2500 mAh, and AT&T's 4G LTE connectivity. Samsung sold 5 million Galaxy notes within a few months of its release and the phablet is still among Samsung's bestsellers.
2. Galaxy S3
Optimus Vu's biggest competitor would be Samsung's latest release Galaxy S3, which has been touted as the best smartphone of this year with a 4.8-inch device powered by Android's latest Ice Cream Sandwich, a quad-core Exynos application processor (region specific) and 16/32/64GB internal memory. It also packs in a LTE connection (region specific), NFC technology, an 8-megapixel camera with zero-lag shutter speed and a monstrous 2100mah removable battery. The phone also features the "S software features," which are based on a concept of "human interaction" and introduces innovative features like S Voice, Smart Stay, S Beam, Pop Up play, Direct Call, Smart Alert, Social Tag, AllShare Media, and more.
Galaxy S3 has already won the title of "Best Android Smartphone" from most of the eminent tech reviewers. Moreover, per recent report from French newspaper Les Echos, the Korean giant has already sold 6.5 million units of Galaxy S3 in the second quarter and will be selling as many as 15 million units in the following quarter.
3. HTC One X
While the Taiwanese smartphone maker said that the HTC One X smartphone did not sell as expected, it is still one of the best smartphones available in the market. The device features a mammoth 4.7-inch HD display with 1280 x 720 pixel (720p) resolution, it is slim and light built and has a 2.75-inch width, 0.36-inch thickness, and weighs 4.6 ounces. Qualcomm's next-generation Snapdragon S4 CPU, a 1.5-GHz dual-core chip, 1GB RAM, ULP GeForce GPU, 16GB of internal storage, 8-megapixel primary camera with HTC's "Image Chip," Beat audio, and Sense 4.0 UI all pack a mean punch. HTC One X poses a great threat to Optimus Vu phablet. No wonder, experts call the One X, the king of Android.
4. iPhone 5
While the existing smartphones are there to pose serious threats to the LG phablet, some great smartphones are expected to be launched in September. One of them is certainly Apple's iPhone 5 which is already the most-awaited phone of the year and is expected to be the biggest hit. While all the features of the phone are still rumored, the release date of the phone is anticipated to be Sept. 12. Sources claim that the next-generation iPhone will come with a 4-inch Retina display with 16:9 Aspect Ratio and will feature a unibody design. The phone is also expected to pack in A6 or "a variation of the A5X's S5L8945X architecture" processor, 1GB RAM, iOS 6 operating system, 3D GUI, 3D camera, NFC feature, and iWallet app.
5. Galaxy Note 2
One of the biggest threats that is coming Vu's way is the Galaxy Note 2, the next-gen Note phablet which is slated for an Aug 29. release. If rumors are to be believed, Samsung will pack in a 5.5-inch display with high resolution, a quad-core processor, 1.5 GB of RAM, and a 13-megapixel primary camera with an enhanced sensor. The device is expected to have a sturdier build to improve shock resistance and will likely offer improved battery life. It is also expected to and will run the ICS OS and will eventually get the Jelly Bean update.
