In a classic case of putting the horse before the cart, LG already has several Quick View cases for the next iteration of its highly cumbersome phablet, the Vu 3. Over the last 48 hours things have move really fast in that we not only have a good idea of all that the Vu 3 will pack but we also have some accessories to match. It is not something new for LG though. They did the same with the G2. The G2’s cases were available way before it was officially announced. Mark you they are not cases from third party vendors waiting to make a kill as soon as the device is announced. No, they are from LG itself and they haven’t been leaked by an insider. Maybe it is how LG does its things.
LG recently dropped the use of the word ‘Optimus’ from its flagship G devices and it seems the trend will continue with the Vu 3 since it is expected to be simply called LG Vu 3 and not Optimus Vu as the others before it have been known.
The spec sheet, save for that weird 4:3 screen aspect ratio is pretty much what you’ll expect of a device expected to go on sale in 2013 so there’s you usual Snapdragon 800 SoC and being a phablet a stylus is also expected to accompany the phablet whose form factor is obviously inspired by clay slabs. The display won’t stretch limits as we have seen rivals Samsung, Sony and Huawei do with their phablets and will only be 5.2 inches. 13 megapixels on the main shooters should do just fine. The device is also rumoured to have LTE-Advanced since it will be launched firstly in the Korean market and will be available in other markets thereafter. The LG Vu 3 is expected to be much cheaper than other phablets currently in the market like the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and the fresh Samsung Galaxy Note 3. As such, expect it to have some trade-offs like 2 GB of RAM and not 3 GB as found on the Note 3. Going by the G2 also expect LG to bundle a lot of its own features like Knock On and other software enhancements through its ugly Optimus UI.
While personally I have never liked the queer shape of the Vu (never mind that 4:3 aspect ratio of the display), it seems LG will be sticking around with this device for a while. This is the third iteration and there are no signs that the Koreans are slowing down or even giving up. Let’s see if this device will surprise us and be a hit. The Optimus Vu managed to cross the 10 million mark so who says this one won’t? With the good job done on the G2 (save for the controversial back buttons) maybe LG has finally found a way to wow us with fantastic design not just ridiculously awkward device models.
The Galaxy Note 3 goes on sale in most markets from September 25th. It is believed that LG is targeting that time to announce its cheaper phablet so expect the Vu 3 to be ready for you by early October. Models numbers known as of now are all for Korean carriers. These include F300k for KT Telecom, F300l for LGU+ telecom and F300s for SK Telecom.
How much will it cost? Being touted as an affordable tablet, it should cost at least 465 pounds.
