LG Optimus Vu may arrive stateside in a few weeks
The 5-inch LG smartphone and tablet combination is expected to hit a U.S. carrier, complete with 4G in the third quarter.
The 5-inch LG Optimus Vu could arrive at a U.S. wireless provider in the next few weeks, fresh with support for a 4G LTE network.
An LG press release (translated) indicates that the Android smartphone is due stateside at some point in the third quarter. LG doesn't discuss carrier specifics, but recent signs indicate Verizon will be up first.
Initially announced back in February at Mobile World Congress, the Optimus Vu is meant to be a direct competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Note. Though it sports some popular Android features like the dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 8-megapixel camera, and 32GB internal storage, the Optimus Vu's awkward 4:3 aspect ratio and 1,024x768-pixel resolution aren't up to par with the Galaxy Note and, presumably, its successor.
I'll be most anxious to see if LG and Verizon announce the Optimus Vu with Android 2.3 Gingerbread or Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Should they opt for the 2.3 experience found in the international version, I see the carrier having a tough time moving the handset. And with but a few weeks left in the quarter, we should have some news to share in short order.