Dubai: LG, the world’s fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer, is building on its success with the G series and is keen to increase its sales volume this year with newer models to be launched this year.
The South Korean company sold 47.7 million smartphones last year, witnessing a year-on-year growth of 81.1 per cent.
“Our sales volume in the Gulf grew just below 50 per cent last year, which is below my expectation,” D.Y. Kim, president of LG Electronics Gulf, told ‘Gulf News’ after launching the premium 5.5-inch G3 smartphone in Dubai on Wednesday. “With the new models to be launched this year with new features, we are confident of achieving 50 per cent year-on-year growth this year.”
Kim said LG’s global sales target this year is 100 million units and added that the G3 is an upgrade to the G2 with a host of upgraded features that include the industry’s first Laser Auto Focus and Quad HD display which is four times the resolution of normal HD and has a resolution two times higher than that of a full HD display.
The rear key feature, introduced by LG on the G2 for the first time in the industry, continues to anchor LG’s design, with a newly designed power key and volume buttons.
The phone will be available in the first week of July but the price is not yet fixed, according to Sungsoo Hong, mobile division head at LG Electronics Gulf.
Sungsoo said it will have the same price range as Samsung S5. The S5 is priced at Dh2,899 for the 32GB LTE device while the S5 (LTE) 16GB is priced at Dh2,699.
“We have tied up with telecom operators — du and etisalat — in the UAE for bundled data offers,” Hong said.
LG has tied up with McAfee to offer smart security features like the Kill Switch that lets users disable their phone remotely in the event of theft or loss.
According to Ramon Llamas, research manager at International Data Corporation, the company’s success can be directly attributed to its revived portfolio from a year ago, which featured more large-screen and high-end models, including the Nexus 5 and its G series.
With a resolution of 538 pixels per inch (ppi), it has the best handset display in the market right now when compared to Samsung Galaxy S5’s 432ppi, HTC One M8’s 441ppi and Apple iPhone 5S’ 326ppi.
LG, which was supposed to launch its Life Band Touch and Heart Rate earphones in the UAE in early second quarter of this year, has delayed the launch.
When asked, Kim said that the delay was due to regulatory issues. The devices are likely to be launched in September or October. The G watch, the first smartwatch from LG, will also be launched during the same period. It will run on any Android devices.
