LG made one of the best first-generation Windows Phone devices in the Optimus 7, and proved that despite its reputation it wasn’t just a low-cost phone OEM. Now that we have the Optimus G and an assured influx of new devices for the next few quarters, LG plans to take back some of the market share lost to Samsung, Sony, HTC and Motorola over the last few years.
According to the Korea Times, LG intends to sell at least 75 million devices this year, charting a course for greater profitability after a tepidly successful 2013. With an impending sequel to the Optimus G and rumours of a larger 5.5-inch “phablet” in the works, the bulk of the company’s sales will be smartphones — likely 45 million — with a shrinking number of “dumb” devices rounding out the mix.
There is also a distinct possibility that LG could return to creating Windows Phones this year as WP8 gains popularity among mainstream consumers. Picking up on Nokia’s momentum, LG plans to release its first Windows Phone device since the classy Optimus 7 and ill-fated Optimus Quantum, a device with a fantastic slide-out QWERTY keyboard. In fact, the Optimus Quantum was the first Windows Phone I ever purchased, though it was released at a time when most apps were not landscape-compatible.
Though the return to Windows Phone is likely a long-term play and a means to diversity its Android-heavy portfolio, LG is confident that 2013 will be the most profitable year for its growing mobile division. When we spoke to company representatives at CES last week, there was a palpable excitement for the coming months, as they promised great things to come.
Source: Korea Times
Via: UnwiredView
