LG is going to release 20 smartphones this year, with a strong focus on devices running on Google's Android platform as part of a wider effort to increase its smartphone presence.
Though LG is still the world's No. 3 handset maker by market share, it has struggled to gain a foothold in the fast-growing smartphone market. Like its larger South Korean rival Samsung, LG has been eclipsed in smartphones by the likes of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and HTC.
The Android push is significant because LG had previously committed significant resources and attention to building smartphones running on Microsoft's Windows platform. LG has said previously that it plans to have around half of its smartphones running on Android this year, though the company is also expected to be a strong supporter of Windows Phone 7 when the platform launches later this year.
According to unnamed sources cited by the Korea Times, LG's handset division is going to have a "disappointing" second quarter. An LG spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. LG had a less-than-stellar first quarter, with sluggish sales and margins. LG CFO David Jung said in April that improving the company's mobile business was a "top priority." He said the company plans to introduce more competitive handsets, though LG will take "a bit more time" to improve profitability.
For more:
- see this Korea Times article
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Editor's Note, June 14, 2010: An earlier version of this article stated that LG will release 20 Android smartphones by the end of 2010. According to LG spokeswoman Sally Lee, that information, first reported in a Korea Times article, is incorrect. LG will release 20 smartphones this year, with Android phones expoected to take up more than half of the company's 2010 smartphone releases.