LG Unveils New Flagship Smartphone

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — LG Electronics will launch the Optimus G smartphone next week in South Korea, pinning hope on the new Android device to help revive its loss-making mobile business.

LG said Tuesday that the Optimus G will go on sale in Japan next month and in the U.S. in November.

LG Display, a supplier of Apple Inc., and other LG-affiliated companies collaborated to put together the premium phone, which LG hopes will steal attention from Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones.

Once having claimed the world’s third-largest handset maker, LG slid to the world’s No. 5 mobile phone maker during the three months ending in June as China-based ZTE Corp. gained ground in low-end smartphones.

LG added new video-related features to the Optimus G, such as multitasking while playing videos.