Rumor: LG is working on the Vu 3, could reveal all in September

LG’s next major smartphone release could be the successor to its Optimus Vu II smartphone/tablet hybrid, if the latest rumors prove to be correct. The news comes from Asia Economic, a Korean publication, where it’s claimed the Vu 3 will do battle with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 next month.

The Optimus Vu II never made it far outside LG’s home country, unlike the original Vu, which was rebranded the LG Intuition and launched on the Verizon network last September. It’s not clear what LG’s plans for the Vu 3 are yet, but as it has made an effort to release the newly announced LG G2 further afield, perhaps it will do the same with its phablet?

However, from the leaked spec, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between the two devices. The Vu 3’s screen is said to be increased in size to 5.2-inches, the same as the G2, but it’ll keep the same, slightly weird, 4:3 aspect ratio. The resolution could be increased to 1280 x 960, an improvement over the Intuition’s 1024 x 768 panel.

The good news is LG may use the Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor inside the Vu 3, the same chip found in the G2, and we’re guessing the same 13-megapixel camera too. The Korean report also notes the Vu 3 will connect to the country’s new LTE-Advanced network. As for the operating system, it’ll be Android, but whether it’ll be a repeat of the G2’s 4.2.2 or an upgrade to 4.3 probably won’t become known until the launch.

So when will this be? It’s rumored to be during the IFA Show in Berlin next month, which is certainly not a coincidence, as it’s where Samsung will launch the Galaxy Note 3. Judging by the leaks, the Note 3’s specs could soundly beat the Vu 3, so if LG is planning a wider release for it, the price had better be competitive.

Andy's fascination with mobile tech began in the 90s, at a time when SMS messages were considered cutting edge, but it would be a decade before he would put finger-to-keyboard as a technology writer. In the interim he wrote about travel, formulated strong opinions about films and owned a series of audacious cars.

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