The Smartphone keeps getting smarter and the just announced LG eXpo is no exception. Featuring a 1 GHz processor, the design combines a slide out QWERTY keypad, external touchscreen, 5.0 megapixel camera and fingerprint recognition with the option of a snap-on mobile projector to serve up what looks to be a powerful mobile office tool.
LG is partnering with AT&T in the U.S. where the phone will run on the company's High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 Mbps technology, which AT&T says will be rolled-out in "25 of the nation’s 30 largest markets by the end of 2010."
Although the phone integrated projector is not a new, this is the first device in North America with the capacity to support an optical integrated pico projector.
The Projector unit snaps onto the back of the handset, allowing the user to share presentations, slideshows and online data directly from the phone. The projection distance is quoted at "as far as eight feet" but there's no exact details on resolution at this stage.
The handset eliminates the need to remember pin codes with its “Smart Sensor” fingerprint recognition feature. Considering the amount of often sensitive information stored on Smartphones, this security feature should make a user feel more at ease.
The Smart Sensor complements the touchscreen user interface of the eXpo by also providing precise cursor control for text editing, 4-way menu navigation, and a turbo-scroll feature for rapid browsing of long emails, contact lists or websites. There's also support for an RSS Viewer, Podcast and a GPS.
The 5.0 megapixel camera features a built-in auto flash and the LG eXpo can support up to a 16GB removable microSD memory card for music and photo storage.
All of this functionality is packed into a 4.45” (H) x 2.24” (W) x 0.648” (D) unit weighing 1.8 ounces (without the add-on projector).
The LG eXpo will be available online December 7 with AT&T announcing pricing from around $200 on a two-year $69.99 plan.