Why LG's Optimus Vu is a Big Miss

LG has launched its Galaxy Note Competitor, the Optimus Vu. If you ask me it is a big miss. The hardware is decent enough, with a 1.5 GHz quad core processor on a Tegra 3 Chipset, 1 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage, it has the same specifications as a HTC One X or LG's own Optimus 4X HD P880. 

But one specification makes it a big miss. Android applications originally were design around HVGA screens with a 320 x 480 resolution.  These displays have a 3:4 aspect ration known as standard definition. 

Since late 2009, top Android moved to WVGA displays with a 480 x 800 resolution. This resolution has a 16:9.6 aspect ratio. Since 2011, Android devices have been moving to qHD and HD displays with 540 x 960 and 720 x 1280. This is the industry standard "HD" resolution. So why in 2012, will LG launch a device a 5-inch device with a 768 x 1024 display? This uses the old 3:4 aspect ratio.

While the LG Optimus Vu has a big 5-inch display, but play a HD content with the screen on portrait mode, and 20% of the vertical display wont be used. Game optimized for HD displays, should similarly not use all of the display either.

The use of a 3:4 aspect ration display also makes the device very wide. Apple's 4-inch iPhone 5 is a trim 58.6 mm wide. Sony's 4.3-inch Xperia acro S has a wider 66 mm girth.  Samsung's 4.8-inch Galaxy S III is all of 70.8 mm wide. Samsung monster phone, the Galaxy Note II keeps the 5.5-inch display in a case which is a massive 80.5 mm wide.

The LG Optimus Vu? Well it is 90.4 mm wide. Yikes!

The Optimus Vu is not priced badly for what it offers. With a suggested retail price of Php27,900 and an expected street price of 24-25K. With a standard HD display it should have proved to be an interesting device. But in its current design, it will work best as a very small tablet.