LG Electronics touchscreen phones reached 7 million units at the end of the second quarter, five quarters after LG launched the world’s first full touchscreen handset, the Prada Phone by LG.
Of LG’s touch-based phones, the Viewty, a professional camera phone, is its top seller, surpassing 2 million units. The phone has a 5.0-megapixel camera and easy touchscreen interface that allows for easy editing of photos. Runners up include Venus, and Voyager, the first handset to incorporate both a full touchscreen and a QWERTY keyboard. These phones sold 1.6 and 1.3 million units respectively. The Prada Phone by LG was also a strong seller, even at its original premium price.
Increasing sales of touchscreen phones were a strong driver for LG’s overall profits. The average selling price of the 7 million touchscreen phones that LG sold was USD 530.
The company’s brand recognition in the U.K. grew to 91.4 percent in 2007 versus 80 percent in 2005, according to internal research measuring unaided brand awareness. During the same period in the U.S., where LG launched a number of touchscreen phones including Voyager, Venus and Vu, LG’s brand recognition rose to 83.1 percent from 65.1 percent.