LG Electronics launched the beta version of their online
applications store, today. Their news release claims that all apps will be “bug-free,” and that it is independent from their handset business. There are free downloads available mostly for Windows Mobile phones.
“LG’s intention is not to
censor the type of applications that are available to our customers but
only to ensure that they meet the high standards for quality and
compatibility,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.
The LG Application Store
(http://www.lgapplication.com) will first be introduced in Asia and then expanded to 24 countries. It’s currently open for Asia and Australia.
LG expects to offer up to
2,000 applications on its site by the end of year with at least 100
programs available free of charge to LG handset users.
The LG Mobile Developer
Network (http://developer.lgmobile.com), helped feed apps to the store.. The number of applications is
expected to expand even further over time as developers will be given
added incentives. At the website, developers can develop and share
widgets and test their applications through Virtual Developer Lab (VDL)
and Over-The-Air (OTA) downloads. Currently the website supports Java
SDK and for widgets, it will support VDL, OTA downloads by the end of
the year.
The LG Application Store’s beta launch coincides with the
introduction of the LG-GM730, the newest LG smartphone which has been
showcased during CommunicAsia in Singapore last month. To access the LG
Application Store, users can either visit www.lgapplication.com and
download applications to a computer or directly access the shop from
LG-GM730 by flicking horizontally on the “Quick Key Box” at the bottom
of the home screen and tapping the App icon. More feature phones from
LG will be able to access the LG Application Store in the future.