LG: Optimus G “planned for release in Australia in early 2013″

Just as we expected, LG will be announcing the Optimus G in early 2013. In a press release sent out today, the Korean OEM has made it clear that their flagship phone will be launching in Korea next week, globally in Q4 2012 and in Australia in early 2013. So, if you’re looking for a christmas present then you’re out of luck.

LG Optimus G will go on sale in Korea starting next week followed by other key global markets in quarter 4 this year and is planned for release in Australia in early 2013.

If you’re interested in check out our full take on the LG Optimus G then head over to our summary piece. Just remember though, the Australian version won’t be seeing the same 13 MP camera as the international variant. We’ll be getting an 8 megapixel shooter.

This means that the launch isn’t yet 100%, but it is planned for early 2013. This opens a spot for the Galaxy Note II to claim the last spot on Telstra’s 4G LTE phone offerings for 2012, though.

Here’s the full press release:

LG TO CHANGE MARKET DYNAMICS WITH LAUNCH OF OPTIMUS G

LG’s New Flagship LTE Device Offers Superior

User Experience for “Living Without Boundaries”

SYDNEY, Sep. 18, 2012 – Today LG announced the global launch of the Optimus G, a new premium flagship device offering a unique User Experience (UX) supported by innovative hardware performance. The powerful hardware included in the Optimus G allows for the possibility of such a creative and engaging UX which will enable Optimus G users to “live without boundaries.”

The Optimus G encompasses groundbreaking design and technology, with a powerful quad-core processor – Snapdragon™ S4 Pro – as its base. It incorporates industry leading technologies for enhanced viewing and longer battery life with a beautiful sleek design and innovative UX. The offerings in the Optimus G will provide users an experience currently unavailable on any other smartphone.

“The Optimus G is a premium, groundbreaking device; not only in the history of LG, but also in the smartphoneindustry,” says Ben Glimmerveen, Head of LG’s Mobile Communication. “With the Optimus G, users will be able to benefit from a feature packed device that will keep them at the forefront of design and technology innovation.”

New Form of Cross-Tasking and Engaging UX

With a reliable and speedy performance, LG’s Optimus G doesn’t solely enable multi-tasking but “cross-tasking” of activities without limitations. If multi-tasking applies to running various applications at the same time, cross-tasking applies to complex tasks that can be completed simultaneously without having to compromise other tasks. Some new UX features that will be added into the Optimus G to showcase its cross-tasking and engaging capabilities are:

• QSlide Function - shows two different screens simultaneously on one display. As it doesn’t show a part of the screen but the entire screen of both functions, the user can complete two tasks concurrently – such as sending a text message or searching the web while watching a video;
• Live Zooming - enhances the video-watching experience as users can zoom in up to five times while the video is being streamed, such as during a close-up of your favourite band while watching a recorded video from a recent concert;
• Dual Screen Dual Play - not only allows mirroring between the smartphone and a TV, it also has the ability to display different content on each screen wirelessly. For example, a slide presentation can be displayed on the TV while the Optimus G shows the accompanying speaking notes;
• QuickMemo - allows users to write, draw, or jot a memo with their finger directly on the captured screen for sharing instantly with others as an attachment or a URL. The QuickMemo function can also be used as an overlay feature – like jotting down a number using the QuickMemo and directly dialing the number while the number is on the top layer;
• Screen Zooming - allows for the zooming in and out of lists in music player, email, text messages and photo gallery. It also offers the ability to change the font size and screen layout;
• Application Link - launches preset applications (email, calendar, weather, etc) when the alarm is turned off – making your preparation time in the morning a little faster as all the information is already prepared on your screen;
• Icon Personaliser - allows users the ability to customise icons by editing size and adding images so the most frequently used apps can be easily accessible.

In addition, the Optimus G includes some innovative camera features, all utilising one of the industry’s highest resolution cameras at 8MP (13MP camera version in Korea). Users will have the opportunity to capture their favourite scenes with:

• Time Catch Shot - enables the user to choose the best among various shots taken before the shutter button is pressed;
• Cheese Shutter - takes photos easily with voice activation command just by saying cheese, LG, or smile;
• Smart Shutter - senses camera vibration or the movement of the subject and adjusts the shutter speed for the best shot;
• Low Light Shot Noise Reduction - employs a light monitoring system that activates when the camera is used in a low-light situation for the least amount of noise.

Design Masterpiece with Timeless Value

Inheriting LG’s design DNA and heritage, the Optimus G incorporates a blend of delicate design and technology with a completely black unibody form. For this classic look, LG developed and patented the Crystal Reflection process, which is applied to the back of the Optimus G with real glass for a luxurious look and feel. Crystal Reflection gives the Optimus G’s back cover the ability to display different patterns depending on the viewing angle and lighting. Also, the intricate polarised pattern, which sparkles under the surface, creates an eye-catching three-dimensional illusion. And finally, laser cutting gives the Optimus G a clean finish with metallic highlights.

Unparalleled Technologies for Ultimate UX

The elegant yet sleek design and the imaginative UX experience displayed in the new Optimus G were possible thanks to a collection of technologies from industry-leading developers in their field.

Optimus G complements the enhanced UX features with speed and power from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon™ S4Pro Quad-Core processor. The state-of-the-art technologies such as the Zerogap Touch and True HD ^IPSPlusDisplay from LG Innotek and LG Display work together to offer a slim, sharp and clear viewing experience. The new battery from LG Chem has a longer life of 800 cycles, a significant improvement over existing mobile phone batteries. An ultra-high-resolution, compact 8MP camera is employed in the Optimus G to offer the sharpest photos without pixelation – even when creating extra-large prints.

LG Optimus G will go on sale in Korea starting next week followed by other key global markets in quarter 4 this year and is planned for release in Australia in early 2013.

Key Specifications:

Ÿ   Chipset: 1.5GHz Krait CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor

Quad-Core and LTE

Ÿ   Operating System: Android Jellybean (2012 launch software is ICS)

Ÿ   Network: 2G / 3G / LTE

Ÿ   Display: 4.7-inch WXGA True HD ^IPSPlus (1280 x 768 pixels) / 15:9 ratio

Ÿ   Memory: 32GB

Ÿ   RAM: 2GB DDR

Ÿ   Camera:  8.0MP rear / 1.3MP front

Ÿ   Battery: 2,100mAh (570Wh/L) / Talk time: 15 hours / Standby: 335 hours

Ÿ   Size: 131.9 x 68.9 x 8.45mm

Ÿ   Weight: 145g

Ÿ   Other: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, USB2.0 HS, A-GPS, MHL and DLNA, NFC