LG Introduces Several Touch Screen Mobile Phones (TechWeb)
By Elena MalykhinaInformationWeek Mon Feb 11, 5:28 PM ET
LG Electronics on Monday introduced five new mobile phones at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, many of which utilize touch screen technology and come with high-quality digital cameras.
LG said it wants build on the momentum for touch screen phones, such as the Prada, which the company launched last year. "The adaptability of touch screens makes them a crucial element in creating more intuitive user interfaces. We see touch screens as a growing trend in the mobile industry," said Skott Ahn, president and CEO of LG Mobile Communications, in a statement.
The KF700 combines three separate input methods: a touch screen that's optimized for each of the phone's features, a shortcut dial for switching between applications, and a sliding alphanumeric keypad. The phone comes with a full Web browser, media players, and widgets.
The KF600 features an InteractPad that replaces physical buttons with virtual navigation keys, which are customized for specific phone functions. For example, the InteractPad makes it easier to find the phone's 3-megapixel camera, MP3 player, or video recorder, according to LG.
The Viewty serves the purpose of a professional camera phone with capabilities that include manual focus, an image stabilizer, and indoor or night shooting. It has a 5-megapixel camera and can record video of up to 120 frames per second. The video can be uploaded to YouTube directly from the phone, LG said. The Viewty also has a touch screen that users can write on top of with a stylus.
LG also has updated its KS20 smartphone, which now comes with full Internet browsing, music, video, and 3G capabilities. The slim, Windows Mobile 6-powered smartphone is capable of achieving data speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps and can be used for videoconferencing. It has dual cameras and a touch screen.
Then there's the KF510, which was first unveiled last week. The slim, stylish phone houses a tactile user interface that interacts with users as they touch the keys. LG provided additional details this week, saying that the KF510 will feature a smart camera with image stabilization, flash, and red eye reduction.
LG is riding an up-and-coming trend by rolling out touch screen enabled phones. MultiMedia Intelligence predicts that the number of phones with touch screens will reach almost 200 million by 2011.