LG set to harness mobile handset growth

Leading industry analyst Gartner predicts that nearly 70 percent of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. With the unveiling of its new flagship camera phones, LG is poised to harness this growth, consolidating its reputation as the innovation leader in handset design and functionality.

"The Gartner report suggests that by mid-2005, it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two mega pixels," said C H Lee, President, LG Electronics Gulf FZE. "We have to ask ourselves what the value proposition is for camera phones.
Portability, spontaneity and ease of use are enriching the lives of end users to a degree never before achieved in photography. The core technologies of pixel, lens and packaging are being developed at an extraordinary rate to match both the performance and the supply expectations of a mature digital imaging market. Realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways, we have introduced more design features, like rotating screens and viewfinders, MP3 functionalities and easier controls to send picture messages in our new product line up."

To meet market demand, LG's new LG T5100 is a dual screen, rotating clamshell style phone featuring an integrated 1.3 mega-pixel camera with flash functionality and video capability. Compact in design, the T5100 boasts a large 262,000 colour internal screen and a 65,536 colour external screen. The integrated MP3 player allows music files, stored on the phone's internal memory, to be played through the phone's loudspeaker, or an attached stereo headset.

Other phones launched in the region include the LG L1100, a tri-band camera phone suitable for global roaming with an attractive clamshell design. It is also GPRS and WAP enabled with integrated VGA quality camera with five picture resolutions, MMS multimedia messaging, voice memo recorder (for records up to 90 seconds in 3 x 30 second recordings), Java engine and voice control. The inside screen has an active matrix TFT type of LCD screen with a resolution of 128 x 160 pixels; this screen is also capable of reproducing 65,536 different colours and up to seven lines of text.

The LG C1100 is a clamshell phone with mirror front and LCD call indicator, as well as a blue keypad backlight. Available features include MMS and EMS capabilities and a 65,536 colour screen ideal for displaying wallpapers and viewing pictures and messages. The G5600 is a bar type camera phone with a large TFT display and rich multimedia features; the dual colour F2100 clamshell phone, created with music lovers in mind, has 3D stereo speakers for incredible sound; and the G1600 phone features polyphonic ring tones, seven different user groups, GUI (Graphic User Interface), WAP and voice memo.

"Although LG Electronics began its GSM handset business only in 2000, the division has posted a hefty growth rate of 100 percent every year. Our telecommunication and handset business has boosted its sales of handsets from 6.9 million in 2000 to 44 million last year, we are now the fifth largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world with seven percent global market share. LG is targeting sales of US $ 300 million in handsets in the Middle East and Africa region this year; globally we expect to register a 50 percent growth to seize the No. 3 spot in handsets in two years. Within five years, LG wants half of its sales to come from handsets, up from 28% in 2004," Lee added.

Commenting on UAE market, Mr. A. J. Al Sayegh, Chairman Al Sayegh Brothers Trading said, "Dealers estimated that between 1.5-2 million mobile phone handsets were sold in the country last year with a value of nearly Dh 2 billion ($545 million). The introduction of camera phones has strengthened competition among major phone makers vying to grab a bigger share of the UAE market and other Arab countries."