LG expanded its smartphone lineup with a new range of L series targeted toward emerging markets where demand for affordable handsets remains high.
LG Electronics, the renowned smartphone maker, is still celebrating the success of its 2014 flagship smartphone, the G3. But that hasn't stopped the Korean tech giant from expanding its smartphone lineup with focus toward budget-conscious consumers. LG kicked off the latest L series with two smartly-priced and feature-packed smartphones, L Fino and L Bello. These new smartphones squeeze in some of the G3-exclusive features to stand out in the crowded mid-range smartphone market.
LG L Fino features slightly lowered specs compared to L Bello but both smartphones are powered by Qualcomm's quad-core processor and G3's premium UX features. The move comes a week after LG promised to bring its flagship features in some of the low-end and mid-range smartphones. L Fino and L Bello are the first two smartphones besides the G3 to support its unique QuickCircle case and other features like Touch & Shoot, Gesture Shot, Front Camera Light and Knock Code.
"With their competitive specs and accessible pricing, we have high hopes for the L Fino and L Bello to continue our successful expansion into emerging markets," Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG said in a press release, Thursday. "Our newest L Series smartphones represent the best of LG in design, hardware and UX as well as our commitment to bringing best smartphone experience to 3G customers as many as possible."
Design
The LG L Fino and L Bello show some similarities with G3 in terms of design. With the company's flagship Arc shaped design, both smartphones feature thin bezels, rear volume rocker keys and power button. The metallic polished finish looks classy, and is fingerprint-proof adding more essence to the smartphones' design. The LG logo is placed at the bottom on the front and takes the center in the back.
Under the hood
LG hasn't emphasized much on the specs as it did for the UX software features borrowed from G3. The L Bello is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor while the L Fino sports a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and a 1GB RAM for both phones. An 8-megapixel rear-facing camera is the same on both models but the L Bello gets a 1MP front shooter compared to L Fino's VGA camera.
The L Bello sports a 5-inch IPS display with a screen resolution of 854x480 pixels and 196ppi. It packs internal storage up to 8GB and a 2,540mAh battery. There is no LTE option but support 3G network, which is the standard in most emerging markets.
Comparatively, the L Fino has a 4.5-inch display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution and 207ppi, 4GB internal storage and a 1,900mAh battery. Both phones run Google's Android 4.4.2 KitKat OS right out of the box.
Availability
LG did not mark the pricing of L Fino and L Bello but promised to begin sales in key markets in Latin America starting this month, with Europe, Asia and other countries to follow the feat. The smartphones will be available in white, black and gold colors with L Fino to get red and green color options. The availability of all colors will vary by market.
