LG to launch first Android mobile in Q4

LG has announced its first Android mobile, the LG-GW620, featuring a three inch touchscreen and slide out QWERTY keypad. Up until now, all LG smartphones have used the Windows Mobile OS.

The company says it’s designed to appeal to people ‘who use their handsets for email and social networking, keeping them connected to their work or personal communities’. The phone joins the growing list of Android wins, including Motorola’s first Android-based smartphone, Cliq, which was announced last week and devices from Samsung and HTC.

“The LG-GW620 will appeal to first-time smartphone customers by offering a new and different kind of user experience,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications. “Our objective is to provide a wide selection of smartphones to satisfy the diverse preferences of today’s consumers. This Android phone is just one of many smartphone models we plan to introduce worldwide in the years ahead.”

Few technical details of the new phone were released by the company other than to say full specs will be revealed when the LG-GW620 launches in the fourth quarter of this year in select European markets. Earlier this month, LG announced it plans to introduce a minimum of 13 new smartphones over the next 16 months that will use Microsoft’s Windows Mobile including the new 6.5 version, which launches in October.