LG in aggressive 3G mobile phone push

LG Electronics, a South Korean maker of electronic products, will market its third-generation (3G) mobile phones aggressively to Asia, the Middle East and South Africa this year.
These markets are quickening their adoption of the 3G technology, which promises services like video calls and faster Internet connection.

Last year, LG sold a total of 4.7 million mobile phones in Asia and it plans to increase that by more than 100 per cent to 9.5 million this year.

In Middle East countries and South Africa, the group expects to sell four million units this year from about 1.7 million last year.

Vice-president for Asia, Middle East and Africa business, Bo H. Choi, said LG is pushing for its Black Label series to establish LG's premium brand image.

Last year, its first Black Label series mobile, LG Chocolate, won a number of design awards like the Design for Asia Award grand prize, If Design Award and Design Team of The Year Award from Red Dot.

"The award recognises LG breakthrough design that suits the consumer lifestyle which is the brand image we are pushing for," he said at a media briefing in Seoul recently.

LG hosted 70 journalists from 12 countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa who were given a first-hand look at its plant facility, product technologies and design centres.

Besides Seoul, the group also has design centres in Tokyo, Beijing, New Delhi, Milan and New Jersey.

Bo said LG is investing heavily in technologies to achieve its aim of becoming the world's top three mobile phone company within the next three years.

LG recently forged a partnership with renowned fashion brand, Prada, and produced a full touch screen interface for the fashion house, called Prada Phone, under its Black Label series.

"Prada is a brand we want to work and be associated with. This partnership with Prada is an important link to us - where an old brand and a young brand like us merge to leverage on each other's brand name and technology," Bo said.

LG targets to sell 78 million units of mobile phones worldwide this year, a 21 per cent increase from 64.4 million units last year.

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