LG’s own take on the “phablet” known as the LG Optimus Vu has been re-branded and confirmed for Verizon Wireless. Now after countless rumors and leaks suggesting it would arrive for Verizon, this weekend the folks at Engadget received some rather compelling screenshots for a September 6th release date.
For those unaware, the Optimus Vu rocks that odd 5-inch 4:3 aspect ratio display, has an included stylus like the Galaxy Note, and runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The specs have been improved to a Qualcomm 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and of course Verizon Wireless 4G LTE speeds.
The image above is another gathered by the source, and confirms that the Intuition will be launching as a web-only special starting this Thursday, September 6th, then will hit all retail stores from Big Red starting on the 10th of the month. The 6th is also the silent rollout of the Samsung Galaxy Stellar 4G LTE if other recent leaks are correct. Previous rumors had the device coming on the 12th but now we aren’t so sure.
We haven’t heard much from Verizon or LG regarding this device but surely it is coming soon. With Verizon these leaks or details can always change on a moments notice so until we hear from the big guys themselves we won’t be holding our breath. Sadly this device comes to the US rather late after being available internationally for a few months already. Samsung just announced their Galaxy Note II that clearly dominates the Intuition in all areas. Hopefully that will also be coming to Verizon but we’ll have to wait and see.
If this LG phablet is something you’re interested in you’ll want to stay tuned for further details.
[device id=3086]
this thing looks perfect for anyone who wants to blend the inconvenience of carrying a phone that doesn’t fit in your pocket with the inconvenience of viewing media on a too small screen with the wrong aspect ratio
please tell me this isn’t the only 5″ device Verizon will be releasing this fall
Verizon should release the Galaxy Note 2.
Launch on 9/6 fail on 9/7 lol
I played with this in Berlin and here are my observations as to why this phone will fail:
1) Ugh! So FUGLY! You have to see it in person to see how ugly it is. Shame on LG for such ugly first impression.
2) Simply too wide. Unless you have a big hand, it’s hard to hold. Just go test it yourself. You will see it’s very uncomfortable and unnatural to your hand.
3) Display aspect ratio is 4:3 (analog TV), not 16:9 (HDTV). LG said 4:3 is better for reading e-books but frankly, if I wanted to read a book, I would get a cheaper Kindle/Nook or Nexus 7 or Galaxy Tab. If I view movies and TV shows on this phone, I get black bars on top and bottom of screen to mimic 16:9 ratio. LG is the only company that is going backward in time.
4) No microSD slot!!! If this phone is meant to be good for reading, why remove microSD slot for people to access own/downloaded content? No microSD slot defeats the purpose of buying this type of phone.
5) Poor battery life (2080mAh vs. Galaxy Note II’s 3100mAh). LG’s most common complaint has been its short battery life and this phone is no different. How can they say it’s good for reading books when your battery won’t last long enough?6) Android OS version is the older Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0), not the newer Jelly Bean (4.1) that other manufacturers are putting. And knowing LG, you won’t be getting an upgrade any soon and perhaps never. Why would I want an older OS version for the same price as other options?
7) Stylus and NFC tags are gimmicky and useless. They wouldn’t have made difference to users if they were not included in the box. After a few weeks, most people won’t be using them.
Conclusion: LG must have failed to test this phone with potential users because it falls short on every dimension – design, look & feel, usability, technical specs, price. LG keeps missing the mark and no wonder they have become a laughing stock in the smartphone industry.
What an absolute piece of garbage. The LG phone is so badly designed that the stylus it ships with does not fit in the phone. SO you have to carry your phone and stylus separately in your pocket. The LG phone is a polished turd compared to the Galaxy Note 2. Verizon must think their customers are morons to buy this half baked POS.