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LG Intuition |
Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) will launch the LTE-powered LG Intuition "phablet," its first device in the larger-than-a -smartphone-but-smaller-than-a-tablet category, giving LG a rare win over larger rival Samsung Electronics.
The Intuition, which will go on sale Sept. 10 for $199.99 with new two-year contract, is an LTE version of the Optimus Vu phablet LG unveiled at Mobile World Congress in February. The gadget runs on Android 4.0 and sports a 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Snapdragon S4 processors, 1 GB of RAM, a 5-inch screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, 8-megapixel camera and 1.3-mepaixel front-facing camera and mobile hotspot capability.
LG's gadget is also aimed at business users, and features the Polaris Office app, which allows users to view, create, edit and share documents, spreadsheets and presentations, as well as the QuickMemo app, which allows customers to draw or write messages with an included Rubberdium pen or with their finger.
For LG, the support of Verizon, the nation's largest wireless carrier, for one of its premier devices, is a major win. LG is getting Verizon's support before the arrival of Samsung's Galaxy Note II, which is expected to be sold by U.S. carriers later this year. So far the original Galaxy Note, which is being sold by AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) and T-Mobile USA, has been the most visible and successful phablet.
The phablet category will hit its stride over the next few years, reaching 208 million units in 2015, according to a May forecast from ABI Research. ABI defines phablets as devices with a touchscreen size between 4.6 and 5.5 inches. The research firm predicts that global shipments of phablets will increase by a factor of 10 in 2012 compared to 2011.
In other phablet news, The Verge published a picture of a mysterious HTC device, which could be the company's first phablet and may be sold by Verizon. Rumors have persisted that HTC will soon unveil a 5-inch device with a 1080p screen.
For more:
- see this release
- see this The Verge article
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