LG to Launch Four New Android Phones

Brian P. Rubin -

As 2015’s edition of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona approaches, smartphone news is hitting a fever pitch. Such is the case with LG, which announced today its intention to unveil four new midrange Android handsets – two of which featuring curved displays – once MWC gets underway. The four handsets’ names are the LG Magna, Spirit, Leon, and Joy…and here are the specifications:

LG Magna Specifications:

  • Display: 5.0-inch HD (294 ppi)
  • Chipset: 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz Quad-Core*
  • Camera: Rear 8MP / Front 5MP
  • Memory: 8GB / 1GB
  • Battery: 2,540mAh (removable)
  • OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop
  • Network: LTE Cat. 4 / HSPA+ 21Mbps
  • Size: 139.7 x 69.9 x 10.2mm

LG Spirit Specifications:

  • Display: 4.7-inch HD (312 ppi)
  • Chipset: 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz Quad-Core*
  • Camera: Rear 8MP or 5MP* / Front 1MP
  • Memory: 8GB / 1GB
  • Battery: 2,100mAh (removable)
  • OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop
  • Network: LTE Cat. 4 / HSPA+ 21Mbps
  • Size: 133.3 x 66.1 x 9.9mm

LG Leon Specifications:

  • Display: 4.5-inch FWVGA (220 ppi)
  • Chipset: 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz Quad-Core*
  • Camera: Rear 8MP or 5MP* / Front VGA
  • Memory: 8GB / 1GB
  • Battery: 1,900mAh (removable)
  • OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop
  • Network: LTE Cat. 4 / HSPA+ 21Mbps
  • Size: 129.9 x 64.9 x 10.9mm

LG Joy Specifications:

  • Display: 4.0-inch WVGA (233 ppi)
  • Chipset: 1.2GHz Quad-Core / 1.2GHz Dual-Core*
  • Camera: Rear 5MP / Front VGA
  • Memory: 8GB or 4GB* / 1GB or 512MB*
  • OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop / Android 4.4 KitKat
  • Battery: 1,900mAh (removable)
  • Network: LTE Cat. 4 / HSPA+ 21Mbps
  • Size: 122.7 x 64.0 x 11.9mm

The Magna and Spirit will sport the curved body and displays, apparently so they will “fit more comfortably in [the] palm of one’s hand.” But what’s most interesting about all four of these phones is that not a single one of them exceeds the 5-inch display size, making them, well, normal sized smartphones. In the age of the phablet, that’s kind of a big deal.

None of these phones’ specs will knock anyone’s socks off, but maybe that’s the point. Each phone has more than enough power to get the job done, and LG might be making a very smart move here by positioning its new line of phones as a budget-conscious alternative to the offerings from the bigger phone companies.

On the other hand, Samsung ran into plenty of trouble over the last few quarters employing this very same strategy. It released phone after phone, which offered little in the way of exclusive features. And it raises the question: why make four different midrange phones that do little to differentiate from each other? We’ll see how LG fares this year with this strategy.

[Source: LG Newsroom]