In a move to compete with the slowly-growing phablet market, LG has decided to launch one of their own smartphone-and-tablet hybrids. The LG Optimus Vu II, as it’s called, has a 5-inch display with 4:3 aspect ratio, which is something we don’t normally see these days from an Android device. LG hopes to compete with Samsung‘s upcoming Galaxy Note II phablet head on with this new device.

We heard about the Optimus Vu II a month ago when LG officially announced it, but details and specs were pretty sparse at that point in time. This time around, we get to hear more about it. While the device isn’t a huge jump from its predecessor, there are some slight improvements that make it better than the original Optimus Vu.

The Vu II comes with a Qualcomm S4 MSM8960 processor clocked at 1.5GHz and packs 2GB of RAM (doubled from the original Optimus Vu). It also has a slightly larger 2150mAh removable battery, an 8MP rear camera with a 1.3MP front-facing camera, NFC capabilities, an IR blaster with a QRemote app for use as universal remote control, and a “One Key” feature that helps you locate your device if it comes up missing.

The Optimus Vu II runs off Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and there’s no word whether or not it will get Jelly Bean any time soon. The device will be launching in South Korea for 966,900 won ($864) in black, white and pink colors. No word yet on when the Optimus Vu II will be making its way to the states. Hopefully it’s only a matter of time.

[via SlashGear]