SINGAPORE, JUNE 16 2009 – South Korean electronics giant LG Electronics will follow the likes of Apple and Nokia, and open an online application store next month.
The online portal will make its debut in Asia, before hitting other regions over the course of the year.
The store, which is expected to host some 1,400 applications, will start off supporting just two LG mobile devices, the KS20 and upcoming GM730, which is also due for release in July.
John Park, vice president, head of new business development, mobile communications company, LG Electronics, said the upcoming LG application store would focus heavily on telco relationships, when asked how LG planned to differentiate its application store from the competition.
“The user relationship with the operator is very important. We will work closely with the carriers, as some have plans to launch their own application stores,” said Park. “Convenience is also very important when it comes to billing. We will look at accepting payment by credit card for the application store and also cooperate with the telcos to ensure users’ billing convenience.”
LG Electronics saw a 38 per cent increase in handset volume sales in Asia from 2007 to 2008. The company’s global market share jumped 1.9 per cent to 9.9 per cent in the first quarter of this year, with some 26.5 million units shipped, according to research firm Gartner.
The company also announced plans to launch three devices based on Google’s open source Android platform in the second half of the year, in different geographical regions, with more scheduled for 2010.
