LG Electronics in Korea has announced a new budget smartphone/phablet, the LG G Stylo, with size, specs, and pen input implementation to challenge the Samsung Galaxy Note, at a considerably lower price point. For some readers – me included – this could be the portable writing and productivity platform of their bargain-basement dreams.
The new device offers a 5.7 inch HD IPS display, with Android 5.0 Lollipop as the OS, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 CPU. Spokesperson Cho Jun-Ho, president of LG Electronics, stressed that “for consumers who prefer a large screen smartphone the G Stylo is focused on providing affordability compared to high performance products” (presumably implying the Samsung Galaxy Note). The announcement also emphasizes the enhanced touchscreen sensors to support the input from the rubber-tipped stylus, although other reports suggest that this is a plain capacitive stylus like any off-the-shelf version, without the Samsung S Pen’s advanced digitization features. Other specs include Bluetooth 4.1, 802.11 a, b, g and n Wi-Fi, NFC, microSD card expansion, and a slightly unorthodox 1.5GB RAM/8GB ROM storage capacity.
The exact price of this ostensibly bargain platform isn’t completely clear at this stage from the Korean report, but indications are that the price point will be around $460. For comparison, Best Buy is currently offering the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 unlocked for $649.99.
