LG takes on the phablet with the Optimus Vu (photos)
LG storms into Mobile World Congress with a heavy portfolio of new Android smartphones. The biggest of all is the Optimus with a 5-inch screen that borders on tablet territory.
Kent German
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
BARCELONA, Spain--If you needed any more proof that LG and Samsung had an intense rivalry, look no further than LG's new Optimus Vu. Just over a month after Samsung brought its part phone, part tablet Galaxy Note to CES, LG decided to bring a similar device to Mobile World Congress.
Like the Galaxy Note, the Optimus Vu has a 5-inch display that overshadows any other Android smartphone on the market. The 4:3 aspect ratio is ideal for e-books and browsing the Web. Even when you start on the mobile version of a Web site (like CNET), there's plenty of room to view the full version. And with LTE support, Web pages will load that much faster.
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The Optimus Vu also is designed for use stylus. It's thicker than the Galaxy Note's basic stylus, which gives it a nice feel in the hand.
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To create a note, tap the related icon on the home screen. Your previous notes will be saved in a bookshelf-like design.
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There are various styles of notes including ruled notebook paper seen here. If the stylus isn't your thing, you can use the virtual keyboard.
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To activate the stylus on other features, press the button on the phone's top end between the Micro-USB port and the 3.5mm headset jack. Also up top is the power control.
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After pressing the button you can draw on the display while using other features like the Web browser.
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You can write in multiple colors and pen styles.
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After writing on a Web page, you can send it as an e-mail attachment.
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When in camera mode, the whole screen becomes your viewfinder.
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The Optimus Vu's main camera is 8 megapixels, and there's a second 1.3-megapixel shooter above the display. With the larger screen, the photo gallery looked quite nice.
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Maps are another feature that benefit from a larger display. For some reason, though, all of the Optimus Vus on display thought they were at CES.
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The main menu has a standard grid design with icons. Though the Optimus Vu only runs Gingerbread, it has a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and it supports LTE networks.
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The keyboard also is what you'd expect from an Android device.
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You can make a call using the alphanumeric keypad. That is, if you want to walk around with a 5-inch device next to your head.
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Even with its large size, the Optmus Vu has a slim 8.5mm profile. As long as your pocket is big enough, it slips right in.
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On the rear side of the Optimus Vu, you'll find the main camera lens and the LED flash.
