LG Optimus Vu

Launched in 2012, the LG Optimus Vu introduced several groundbreaking features at a time when the phablet segment was still in its nascent stages. With a screen size of 5 inch, the device stood out in a sea of 4-inch and the 3.5-inch iPhone and created its own niche.

With a resolution of 1024 x 768, the Optimus Vu was tailored to offer a large screen real estate. With a pixel density of 256PPI, the device was LG s answer to the first Galaxy Note. Another hardware achievement for the handset was the inclusion of Nvidia s Tegra 3 CPU, which at the time was touted as being one of the best in the business.

Targeted at the high-end segment, Tegra 3 came with a quad-core Cortex A9 CPU clocked at 1.5GHz, and a custom GeForce GPU that claimed to be in a class of its own. That statement was found to be true, although the Tegra 3 never really took off as Nvidia was unable to reign in excessive battery usage.

Other hardware on offer with the Optimus Vu included 1GB RAM, and while LG decided to not include a microSD card slot, the device came with 32GB of built-in storage as standard. In terms of the camera, the Optimus Vu offered an 8MP shooter at the back with autofocus and LED flash, and a 1.3MP camera at the front.

Software-wise, the device debuted with Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, although LG eventually tolled out of the update to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Connectivity on the device was in the form of Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi Direct, MHL, micro-USB 2.0 and NFC. The device also offered a 2,600mAh battery.

Although LG did not manage to achieve a lot of success with the Optimus Vu, the phone paved the way for the South Korean manufacturer s future offerings in the phablet segment.