LG joins the Quad-core bandwagon, launches Optimus 4X HD in India; Dual-core L5 also hits market

After HTC and Samsung, LG has launched its first Quad-core smartphone offering in the Indian market. The new device called Optimus 4X HD, is powered by a 1.5 GHz Quad-core and will cost Rs 34,990. LG has also launched another smartphone called L5, but this one belongs to the entry-level smartphone segment. Both mobiles were first displayed at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year. Let us take a look at the devices.

LG Optimus 4X HD (Rs 34,990)

This one has a 4.7 inch HD-IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display (720×1280 pixel resolution) and runs on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system (no clarity on a Jelly Bean update, as of now). It is powered by a 1.5 GHz Quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, has 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory that can be expanded up to 32 GB.

It comes with an 8 MP auto-focus rear camera with LED flash that can record full HD videos (1080p) at 30 fps and a front-facing 1.3 MP camera for video calling. On the connectivity front, the device comes with Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi hotspot) and 3G. It also sports a microUSB port and comes with A-GPS support, Near Field Communication (NFC) and stereo FM radio with RDS.

The device measures 132.4mm x 68.1mm x 8.9mm and weighs 133 gm. It has a 2,150mAh battery that the company claims will provide up to 9 hours of talk time and 700 hours of standby time. The Optimus 4X HD will be available in white and black.

The smartphone's prime competitors will be Samsung and HTC. Both these manufacturers already have their own Quad-core offerings in the market. Samsung's Galaxy SIII is available for Rs 35,530 while HTC's One X costs Rs 32,996 .

All three have almost identical screen sizes (only the SIII screen is 0.1 inch bigger) and run on the same Android ICS operating system. So we guess it will ultimately boil down to which one gets the Jelly Bean update first (our bet is Samsung). They all have 1 GB RAM and 8 MP rear cameras (with LED flash) that can record full HD videos. While HTC is the thinnest of the three at 8.6 mm, it is also the lightest at 130 gm. The NFC is a common feature among these three and the pricing doesn't vary too much. All in all, it would be best if you give all three a spin before deciding on which one to purchase. However, we would tilt the balance slightly in favour of the Korean giant, considering the fact that LG has not been a hot seller in the recent times and Samsung has already proven its mettle with Galaxy SII.

Also, we must mention Apple's iPhone 4S in this context. After all, anyone looking to buy a top-of-the-line smartphone 'cannot' afford to ignore the iOS device although it is costlier than these devices and has a dual-core processor.

LG Optimus L5 (Rs 13,199)

This one comes with a 4 inch capacitive touchscreen display (320x480 pixel resolution) and like its older sibling, runs on the latest Android ICS OS. It is powered by an 800 MHz Qualcomm Cortex-A5 dual-core processor (yup, no Quad-core here), has 512 MB RAM and 4 GB internal memory that can be further expanded up to 32 GB with the help of a microSD card.

L5 features a 5 MP auto-focus rear camera with LED flash that can also record videos but there is no front-facing camera. On the connectivity front, the device comes with Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi hotspot) and 3G, and also has a micro USB 2.0 port and a microSD port.

The device measures 118.3mm x 66.5mm x 9.5mm and weighs 125 gm. It has a 1,500mAh battery that the company claims will provide 10 hours of talk time. L5 is available in white and black, have A-GPS support and a stereo FM radio.

(Edited by Sanghamitra Mandal)