"Targeting Global Market with Quad Cameras on Mid-Range Phones"… LG Draws Sword with 'K Series'

Launch of region-specific model with premium core features
K61 to be released as 'Q61' in Korea in the second half
Overseas release from Q2... aiming for 2nd place market share in South America

The practical smartphone K series from LG Electronics is equipped with a quad camera. From the left, Huh Joon-seok, Head of LG Electronics Camera Development Office; Lee Yong-soon, Head of MC Product Planning; and Kim Jong-wook, Senior Staff. The devices are K41S, K61 (Q61), and K51S, respectively.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jinju Han] LG Electronics has put all its efforts into global expansion by equipping three mid-range smartphones with quad cameras. According to LG Electronics' product planning team, these are the "highest resolution cameras among mid-range smartphones."

On the 20th, at the LG Twin Towers office in Yeouido, Seoul, Lee Yong-soon, head of the MC Product Planning Team, said, "The most important focus while planning for Latin America and Europe was the camera," adding, "This is the first time a mid-range model has been equipped with a quad camera."

◆ "Best camera performance among mid-range phones" = LG Electronics has been using a strategy of releasing region-specific models since this year. The K41S, K51S, and K61 are mid-range phones targeting Latin America and Europe. The K61 will be released domestically in the second half of this year under the model name 'Q61.' All K series models are equipped with four (quad) cameras.

The main camera of the Q61 boasts 48 million pixels, outperforming the V50s (13 million pixels). It is also a significant improvement compared to the Q51 (13 million pixels). Heo Jun-seok, head of LG Electronics' Camera Development Office, explained, "While more cameras are generally better, we have almost reached the limit. The K series includes standard, wide-angle, and macro cameras, allowing users to select the functions they want."

These products will be launched from the second quarter in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Central Africa. Kim Jong-wook, senior MC product planner, explained, "Targeting users who enjoy selfies and videos, we expanded the screen size to 6.5 inches while keeping the thickness slim and improving battery capacity compared to previous models."

◆ Strategy to expand flagship specifications to mid-range phones = The K series also draws attention with its display. The back of the Q61 features a V-shaped pattern that reflects diagonal prisms depending on the angle.

Senior planner Kim said, "Unlike Korean consumers who have high standards, consumers in Europe and Latin America prefer one or two strong premium elements, so we designed the 'look and feel' to appear like a premium product. We paid attention to design elements such as reducing the front bezel, applying a pattern on the punch-hole display's back."

According to market research firm Counterpoint, LG Electronics' global smartphone market share fell to 2% last year. During the same period, in the South American market, LG ranked fourth (4.4% market share), trailing Samsung Electronics, Motorola, and Huawei. Heo said, "The large screen and quad camera received a good response in the market, so we increased the color options from two to three. Since our product is more competitive than others, our goal is to raise market share to second place in Latin America."

Despite the global supply chain being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, LG plans to accelerate its global launch. Heo said, "Due to COVID-19, communication with ODM companies has been difficult, making it challenging to meet the planned launch schedule in the second quarter. However, the emphasis on the large screen and camera has received a positive response, so expectations are high."