Back in black
We suspect LG won't be the only mobile phone maker that can't wait the month and a half until MWC to show off some of its new mobile shiny things. As CES opens, LG has blurted out no less than three press releases, including a new Android handset.
The LG Optimus black is not pushing the OS boundaries - it runs Android 2.2 - but it does have a four inch ‘NOVA' display, which LG claims to be ‘dramatically brighter'. This is clearly an attack at Samsung's acclaimed AMOLED screen - as featured in the popular Galaxy S - and LG claims the NOVA screen uses half the power of AMOLED.
"We are excited to introduce this stylish new Android smartphone and expect the LG Optimus Black to play a key role in the mobile market," said Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile. "LG Optimus Black reflects our core strengths of advanced technology, in both display and design, offering the world's brightest screen and the world's slimmest design in an attractive and smart package."
In keeping with the display innovation theme, LG is also demonstrating a 4.3 inch display that offers glasses-free 3D for mobile devices, which uses an applied parallax barrier technology, don't you know. This applies a bunch of slits to the front of the display, which make the left and right eyes see different images, creating an illusion of depth and a 3D effect.
There will also be the first ever demonstration of Wi-Fi Direct, which claims to offer hotspot-free Wi-Fi connectivity, on the Optimus Black. This technology promises the easy sharing of data between devices at the push of a button, and seems to have as much in common with Bluetooth as Wi-Fi.
LG would only commit to the first half of this year for the hard launch of the Optimus Black, which will come with Wi-Fi Direct capability. There was no mention of timescales for the 3D display.
