LG Mobile’s European VP Kim Won spoke with All About Phones, a Dutch site, in relation to a wide variety of topics ranging from the new Nexus phone phone, stock Android and a possible Android tablet from LG.
The topic that seemed to raise the interest of most sites was in relation to the Nexus line of phones. The most recent rumour for the next Nexus phone originated from the Korean times reporting that LG was already working on a new Nexus phone with Google, however Mr Won advised that LG does not have the Nexus 5 in production, stating that :
The Nexus 4 was a great success despite the production problems for us and Google. However we do not need such a marketing success again.
Mr Won went further to comment on stock Android devices such as the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition.
We have no plans to provide our devices like Samsung that has now done. This has no added value for us without our own skins.
The comments on the Nexus program and the LG Android skin appears to have been mis-interpreted, with TheVerge contacting LG for clarification and advised in an update to their original post :
Kim Won’s statements regarding the company’s interest in the Nexus program have been misinterpreted. While LG isn’t currently working on a “Nexus 5,” that doesn’t mean it would turn down the opportunity to work with Google again.
Kim was instead referring to the company’s mobile business as a whole: he believes LG’s own offerings are strong enough that it doesn’t “need Nexus” to be successful.
This talk of stock Android and Nexus phones certainly overshadowed the fact that despite LG advising last year that they would not be moving into the Android tablet space, that they are indeed in the process of working on one. No further information was provided, so we’ll have to wait for an update on this device.
Mr Won also spoke on the staggered release of their flagship phone the Optimus G. The phone which was released in Korea in September last year before rolling out in a staggered released to the US, before hitting Australia and finally Europe, led to many seeing it as being overshadowed by other smart phones that were released in the meantime. Mr Won advised that its next flagship smartphone will be available worldwide simultaneously stating
The Optimus G went this wrong and the costs were too high to still do this this, but it was the intention to simultaneously everywhere to bring him.
It was a pretty interesting read, the original text is in Dutch, but this is where Google Translate comes into play. The Nexus 4 is a great phone – aside from the fragile front and back – and the Optimus G is a great device as well, albeit about 6 months too late, proving that LG can indeed make an excellent product. The fact that LG has acknowledged this is fantastic and hopefully we can expect to see the successor to the Optimus G in a more timely fashion.
They claim they don’t need Nexus to be successful. I sure hope they’re right, LG have never been known to make quality phones. This was a rare opportunity for them. It’s given them a new name.