LG Electronics announced Thursday two new smartphone offerings for the budget-conscious crowd: the L Bello and the L Fino.
Looking very much like the LG G3, the L Bello and L Fino will be officially unveiled in September at the IFA 2014 trade show in Berlin. Given the balance between price and specs, the L Series smartphones are aimed at first-time smartphone users and teenagers, specifically those in emerging markets.
"With their competitive specs and accessible pricing, we have high hopes for the L Fino and L Bello to continue our successful expansion into emerging markets. Our newest L Series smartphones represent the best of LG in design, hardware and UX as well as our commitment to bringing best smartphone experience to 3G customers as many as possible," said LG Electronics CEO and president, Dr. Jong-seok Park.
The L Bello is a five-incher with an IPS display, 1GB RAM, a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 8GB internal memory and a 2,540 mAh battery. The L Fino, on the other hand, features a 4.5-inch IPS display with 1GB RAM, a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 4GB internal memory and a 1,900mAh battery. Both will run Android KitKat 4.4.2 out of the box.
With research showing that cameras are highly valued in smartphones by first-timers and teenage users, LG designed the L Bello and L Fino to make taking pictures as fun and as easy as possible. There's the company's signature Rear Key button design that makes holding the smartphones comfortably and this feature is complemented by 8MP rear cameras for both L Series models. For front cameras, the L Bello comes with a 1MP camera while the L Fino uses a VGA camera.
Users can also take advantage of the Touch & Shoot feature that allows for intuitive snapshots by making it possible to tap anywhere on the display to quickly take a picture, focusing and shooting in one step. To start a three-second countdown before a picture is taken, users can also utilize the Gesture Shot feature by simply opening and closing a hand in front of the camera's lens. Love taking those selfies? The L Bello and L Fino also come with a Front Camera Light feature that reduces the preview screen size while adding a bright white background to provide softer lighting conditions.
Both L Series smartphones will also include QuickCircle cases that allow easy access to most frequently used functions like text messaging, calls and cameras without having to open the cover.
The LG L Bello and L Fino will first roll out within the month in key areas in Latin America, with other markets to follow. It is expected to retail under $200 without a contract.
