LG's Touchscreen Leadership Drives Handset Sales

LG Electronics, a worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications, continues its leadership in touchscreen phones, which are coming to dominate the market for high-end handsets. The company announced that it sales of these touchscreen phones reached 7 million units at the end of the second quarter. This comes just five quarters after LG launched the world’s first full touchscreen handset, the Prada Phone by LG.

Of LG’s touch-based phones, the Viewty, a professional-level camera phone, is its top seller, surpassing 2 million units. The phone’s popularity lies in its sharp 5.0-megapixel camera and easy touchscreen interface that allows for easy editing of photos. Runners up include Venus, based around LG’s intuitive touch-sensitive InteractPad™, and Voyager, the first handset to incorporate both a full touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard. These phones sold 1.6 and 1.3 million units respectively. The Prada Phone by LG was also a strong seller, even at its original premium price.

Touchscreens Leading LG’s business and brand

Increasing sales of touchscreen phones were a strong driver for LG’s overall profits. The average selling price of the 7 million touchscreen phones that LG sold was USD 530. Especially important to LG’s overall success were high sales of premium models including Viewty, Voyager and Venus in both Europe and North America.

The growth of touchscreen phone sales also played an important role in advancing LG’s brand equity. The company’s brand recognition in the U.K. soared to 91.4 percent in 2007 versus 80 percent in 2005, according to internal research measuring unaided brand awareness. During the same period in the U.S., where LG launched a number of touchscreen phones including Voyager, Venus and Vu, LG’s brand recognition rose to 83.1 percent from 65.1 percent.

Future Growth Expected

“We were a true pioneer in touchscreen phones, applying for a total of 49 patents while developing the Prada Phone by LG,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President & CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “From the beginning we have worked to create phones that are extremely easy to use despite their myriad features. This is why our touchscreen phones have been so well received around the world. As the market for touchscreen phones continues to grow we will also continue our research in this area to create even more innovative products.”

According to a recent study by Strategy Analytics, the global touchscreen handset market will reach 125 million units by 2010, a more than four-fold increase of 2007’s 30 million units. This is why LG Electronics’ leadership in touchscreen phones is so important and is a key to the company’s future success.