AT&T will sell LG's flagship Optimus G phone
The Optimus G is part of a packed lineup at AT&T. In its announcement today, however, the carrier provided no pricing or availability information.
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AT&T said today that it plans to sell LG's flagship
The Optimus G is one of the first phones to run Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon processor, allowing it to handle complex tasks such as pinch-to-zooming a high-definition video clip as its running, or working in a second application with video playing in the background.
AT&T didn't provide information on pricing or availability.
Along with a 1.5 gigahertz quad-core Snapdragon processor, the Optimus G is packed with 2 gigabytes of RAM, 32GB of storage, which can be expanded to 80GB with a micro SD card, and a 2,100 mAh Li-Polymer battery. It also has an 8-megapixel camera with no shutter lag, and the ability to capture live shots from video. The phone has a 4.7-inch True HD IPS Plus display. Like all of AT&T's other high-end phones, it can connect to AT&T's 4G LTE network.
LG has previously said that the Optimus G would sell in the U.S. in the fourth quarter. It's unclear whether AT&T is the only U.S. carrier that will offer the device.
LG has struggled to make a mark in the U.S. with its smartphones, and the Optimus G has a rough road ahead of it. While the phone's specifications are impressive, it will debut alongside a wave of new smartphones just at AT&T alone. In fact, the carrier has been unveiling a series of phones since Friday, including devices from Samsung Electronics and Sony.
LG has already promised to give it a strong push, but it remains to be seen how much support AT&T will provide, considering it has to juggle marketing for a number of different products, including Apple's
One bright spot is AT&T's decision to allow LG to keep the Optimus name intact. LG has attempted emulate rival Samsung in its bid to build a smartphone brand like the Galaxy S3, but has been thwarted in the U.S., where many of its phones have their names changed. That has hurt LG's ability to create a consistent name for itself.
Perhaps that changes with the Optimus G.
