Event Coverage

CommunicAsia 2009 - Showfloor Coverage (Updated!)

By Seow Tein Hee & Kenny Yeo - 16 Jun 2009

LG - Going Beyond Aesthetics

LG - Going Beyond Aesthetics

CommunicAsia has always been one of the best places to catch up on the biggest news in the mobile industry. As per our annual tradition, we scour the halls of the Singapore Expo to discover what's new and interesting that's coming our way in the second half of 2009. Our first stop for the day landed us at the LG press conference and its product showcase at the crowded LG booth.

During the press conference, LG revealed familiar products such as the LG Arena that visited in our labs recently, to new offerings such as the updated LG Viewty Smart GC900 and the LG Joy GM730. The highlight of the day, landed on the S-Class user interface that's been utilized on these newly mentioned devices. Since the Joy GM730 is also their first phone to use the Windows Mobile 6.1 platform in conjunction with their S-Class user interface as the main skin, LG also showcased how this combination brings a new level of user interactivity to the user.

 Dr. John Park (third from left) was on hand to answer some of our questions regarding the newly launched LG Application Store and its plans for the Google Android platform on its LG lineup.

 The LG Joy GM730 sports the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS, with a touch of S-Class UI on it. The device is slated for an update to the new Windows Mobile 6.5 OS when it's available in the market.

Along the line of applications, LG is launching the GM730 with its upcoming LG Application Store. We need not explain what the Application Store is, but the real question lies in how the LG Application Store will be differentiating itself from the competition such as Apple's App Store, Nokia's Ovi Store, Google's Android Market and the upcoming Windows Mobile Marketplace. Dr. John Park, Vice President, Head of New Business Development, mentioned that LG is looking closely to work with the telecoms companies to provide an all-round experience for consumers to enjoy the full extent of the LG Application Store. For paid applications (apps), LG has also mentioned that it will support credit card payments, and doesn't rule out the possibility of roping in the telecoms companies to create a convenient avenue to pay for the downloaded apps via their monthly phone bills.

On the mobile operating systems perspective, LG has also mentioned that there will be three upcoming Android devices from them in the following months. These devices may also sport the S-Class UI to create a unique experience for the users on the Android platform (not confirmed at the point of writing). For the LG GM730 that will be launched on the Windows Mobile 6.1 platform, Dr. John Park has also mentioned that it will be upgradable to Windows Mobile 6.5 when the OS is made available in the market.

 

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