Most people in the tech world and smartphone enthusiasts were waiting avidly yesterday for the official Samsung announcement of the Galaxy S3 (S III). We’ve brought readers plenty of information about this new flagship device since the big event last night but it seems another new kid on the block, the LG Optimus LTE2 could outdo the Galaxy S3.
Initial impressions of the Galaxy S3 were good although in comments to our post on the official specs some felt the design let it down while others had hoped for even more high-end specs. We also spoke about how it would be competition for the iPhone 5 when it is finally launched but the Galaxy S3 could have more competition than expected from devices such as the LG Optimus LTE 2.
The Optimus LTE 2 has just been announced by LG, eager not to be left out of the smartphone action and from what we can see of the specs and features so far this one could really give the Galaxy S3 a run for its money and in some ways even outdoes it. GSMArena gives details on the Optimus LTE 2 from LG and design-wise its looking very favorable with a stylish glass and metal casing rather than the plastic look of the Galaxy S3. The Optimus LTE 2 will also have 2GB of RAM, a smartphone first and something that many people had hoped for on the Galaxy S3. However the Galaxy S3 only arrived with 1GB of RAM.
First impressions of the Galaxy S3’s 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display with resolution of 1280 x 720 were positive but the Optimus LTE 2 will feature a TrueHD IPS display, likely to be 720p. The main difference is that the Galaxy S3 display is a PenTile RGBG layout whereas the Optimus LTE 2 will have a standard RGBG subpixel layout, which GSM Arena feels could outdo the display of the Galaxy S3.
Additional LG Optimus LTE 2 highlights are LTE connectivity, wireless charging, a voice-operated camera, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a 2150mAh battery. The processor has not yet been confirmed but it’s likely to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core as on the US version of the HTC One X, certainly no slouch. Other specs are still to be announced but on what we’ve heard so far about the Optimus LTE 2 it has many inclusions that people had hoped to see on the Galaxy S3, plus what looks to be a beautiful design.
As a brief recap on the Galaxy S3 we’ll remind you that at least one variant has an Exynos quad-core processor, (maybe dual-core Snapdragon S4 for US version), 1GB of RAM, 16/32GB internal storage expandable to 64GB with microSD, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, NFC and it will feature LTE connectivity in the US.
The LG Optimus LTE 2 is due for release in Korea in mid-May with other international regions to follow at some point. The Galaxy S3 will be released in Europe by late May but those in the US will have to wait until later in the summer. We have to say that the Galaxy S3 certainly looks notable enough but the LG Optimus LTE 2 has come along and surprised us and we think it will impress many of you too.
We’d like to know what you think about the LG Optimus LTE 2 and whether you think it could be a match for the Galaxy S3. Had you already made up your mind to purchase the Galaxy S3? Could this news about the upcoming LG phone persuade you to wait until you’ve heard more about it before making a choice? Let us know with your comments.
