LG unveils the Optimus Vu, 5-inch Android phone with stylus

Not waiting for the Mobile World Congress later this month, LG unveiled their response to the Samsung Galaxy Note, the 5-inch LG Optimus Vu.

The LG Optimus Vu being demoed alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note (middle)

The LG Optimus Vu has a 5-inch IPS display as opposed to the Note’s 5.3-inch Super AMOLED one. What’s unique with this one is its 1024 x 768 resolution giving it a 4:3 display compared to the typical 16:9 or 16:10 display we often see in smartphones and tablets. This makes the Optimus Vu wider, looks squarish even, than your typical 5-inch phone. Although 4:3 is not ideal for watching widescreen videos, it’s a good resolution for browsing, reading books and composing documents.

Powering the Optimus Vu is a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660 processor with Adreno 220 GPU. It also has a 32GB internal storage, 8 megapixel camera, 1.3 megapixel front camera, LTE, HDMI, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct and T-DMB and a 2,080 mAh battery. It runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread but I’m sure it’s also in LG’s plan for ICS update. There’s also the dedicated Rubberdium pen if you want to jot down notes or do some doodling.

The LG Optimus Vu and its wide profile

I guess 5-inch is a viable size for smartphones moving forward. We had the Dell Streak, the Samsung Galaxy Note and this new LG Optimus Vu. We don’t have a price for the LG Optimus Vu yet as it has just been revealed in Korea. We’ll keep you posted if it lands here and under what configuration.

LG Optimus Vu Specs:

• 1.5GHz Dual-Core Processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8660)
• Adreno 220 GPU
• 5-inch (1024×768) IPS Display
• 32GB eMMC and 1GB DDR2
• 8MP with AF LED Flash (rear) and 1.3MP (front)
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP
• NFC
• HSDPA, LTE
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• 2,080mAh
• 139.6 x 90.4 x 8.5mm