LG this week announced that the Optimus G — a 4.7-inch, quad core smartphone with 2GB of RAM and Android Jelly Bean — would go on sale in Korea next week. The manufacturer then announced that Australia would be getting it, too. ‘Oh great!’, said I. ‘When will we get it?’, I asked. The answer took me a little by surprise.
“Early 2013,” LG told us. Yes, that’s next year for those playing at home.
Here’s how LG is planning to launch it around the world:
Availability: LG Optimus G will go on sale in Korea starting next week followed by other key global markets in quarter 4 this year and is planned for release in Australia in early 2013.
What is LG doing? Walking the thing to Australia? Carrier pigeon, perhaps?
A flagship, 4G-enabled, Android-powered smartphone (with Jelly Bean no less) has a place in the Australian sales charts — probably near the top — but with devices like the Nokia Lumia 920, the HTC 8S and HTC 8X and the other 20 or so devices coming out between now and then, the LG Optimus G risks launching with a fizzle and sliding into irrelevance quicker than you can say Windows Phone 8.
I really hope LG changes its mind and sticks it on Aussie shelves ASAP. It actually sounds like a great phone.