LG launches Optimus G Pro in India at Rs 42,500 with 13 MP full HD camera

LG Electronics Ltd. launched its mobile device Optimus G Pro in India, Thursday.The device costs 42,500 rupees ($708).Optimus G Pro has a 5.5 inch high-definition display. The device has a 13 megapixel rear camera which supports high-definition video recording. It has an internal memory of 32 gigabytes and can be extended to 64 gigabytes using a memory card. The device runs on Jelly Bean, the latest version of Google's Android mobile software.

The device supports fourth-generation telecommunication networks that provide the fastest Internet speeds.

Some analysts say that the device has the potential to bring LG back on track in the Indian market if well promoted.

LG isn’t among the top-selling handset makers in India mainly because it hasn’t been successful in explaining the features of its devices to potential customers, said Tarun Pathak, analyst at Cybermedia Research. Their phones are on a par with best-selling brands such as Samsung and Nokia , but the company’s marketing strategy has not been as effective as its competitors, Mr. Pathak said.

“Their devices have always been very good in terms of price and specifications,” he added.

“We are confident that the smartphone will find a large following as it sets a new benchmark with a perfect screen size of 5.5 -inch display that provides an ultimate consumer experience,” said Soon Kwon, managing director of LG India.

The Optimus G Pro is classed as a phablet, a hybrid of a phone and tablet device with screen sizes ranging from five to seven inches.

The hybrid devices are gradually gaining popularity in India as telecom operators have started offering high-speed Internet on them.

According to U.S.-based research firm Strategy Analytics, eight million phablets will be sold in India this year, eight times more than in 2012.

Some analysts say phablets are a better bet than tablets as they can be used as a phone (to make calls) and a tablet to search the Web so that consumers only need to carry one device.

LG’s latest offering enters a busy market dominated by Samsung’s Galaxy Note, Note 2 and the S4 that launched in India in April.

Other phablets available in India include Sony Corp' s Xperia Z and ZTE’s Grand Memo. Local Indian mobile companies like Micromax, Spice and Lava have also launched their own hybrid mobile devices.

LG unveiled the new device during the Mobile World Congress, the annual gathering of executives in the mobile industry, in Barcelona in February.

LG has already launched the device in South Korea and Hong Kong. The device was launched in the U.S. at $200 in May.

The India launch follows a rush of smartphones and hybrid devices into the Indian market in recent months.

Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer Huwaei Technologies Co. launched its phablet with a 6.1 inch screen for 24,900 rupees ($248) in India in June. Taiwanese technology firm AsusTek launched Fonepad, its supersized smartphone in April.

Recently, Google partnered with LG to launch its flagship mobile Nexus 4.  The phone was launched in India in May.

LG launches Optimus G Pro : Key Specifaication

CPU: Qualcomm Snapragon 1.7 GHz Quad-Core 600

Dimensions: 150.2 (L) x 76.1 (W) x9.4 (D) 174g

Operating System: Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean)/ Optimus UI3.0

Display: 13.97cm (5.5")

Camera: 13MP Full HD Auto Focus, LED Flas