LG launching Galaxy S3 rival Optimus G at Rs 30,990

LG is all set to launch its erstwhile flagship smartphone Optimus G in India at an event in Mumbai on February 27. This device is pitted against the current market leaderSamsung Galaxy S III and is the basis for the highly popular Google Nexus 4. India will be among the first countries outside the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea, as the device is yet to hit Europe as well as other major markets. The phone is available on online retail sites in the country at Rs 30,990 even before its launch. 
The LG Optimus G comes with a 4.7-inch True HD IPS touch-screen that supports resolution of 1280x768p and 318ppi pixel density. This smartphone runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and packs a 1.5GHz quad-core processor under the hood, supported by 2GB RAM. It has 32GB in-built memory and does not support microSD expansion. 

A highlight of LG Optimus G is its 13MP rear camera with LED flash, since most rivals (including Galaxy S III) come with an 8MP sensor. On the front panel of LG's new phone in India is a 1.3MP unit. Connectivity features in the device include 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB 2.0. It is powered by a 2,100mAh battery and comes with Dolby mobile sound enhancement technology. 

LG in January announced that the sales of Optimus G clocked 1 million units within four months of launch in just four markets. It recently said it aims to increase smartphone shipments in 2013 by 52% and attain sales of 40 million units this year. 

Despite the new launch, LG will find its presence lacking in the top rung as new smartphones that boast of better features and are priced higher have already hit India. While Nokia and HTC rolled out their top-of-the-line smartphones Lumia 920 and Butterfly in India in January, BlackBerryannounced the launch of its Z10 earlier this week. Sources say that Sony is also gearing up to launch its flagship Xperia Z in the country next week at a price of approximately Rs 45,000. In this space, Apple and Samsung have previously launched leading devices like iPhone 5 and Galaxy Not II, respectively. LG's new flagship smartphone, Optimus G Pro, has been officially announced in South Korea but there is no word on its arrival in India.