LG Optimus L9 Packs Big Screen, Big Battery And Clever Translator

LG has announced its latest Android smartphone, the Optimus L9, delivering a sizable 4.7-inch IPS display and Ice Cream Sandwich for the budget to midrange market. Slotting in beneath the LG Optimus G revealed yesterday, the Optimus L9 has a 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, running the company's customized reskin of Android 4.0.

There's also a 5-megapixel main camera on the back, and a VGA-resolution front facing camera for video calls. LG isn't talking screen resolution right now, but it has used an IPS panel which should offer broader viewing angles and improved brightness over regular LCD.

Otherwise, there's 4GB of onboard storage and a high-density 2,510 mAh battery using the company's SiO+ technology; no actual runtime figures, beyond an "all day long" prediction, however. LG manages to squeeze that into a 131.9 x 68.2 x 9.1 mm and 125g casing with a few metallic highlights to help the L9 look as though it's worth more than it is.

As for software, there's an on-screen keyboard that can change layout depending on whether you're using it right- or left-handed, along with QMemoTM for recording notes (with handwriting support, though there's no included stylus). QTranslator uses OCR and either online translation tools or – useful if you're roaming abroad with no data connection – a local dictionary to convert foreign text to your native language in real-time.

LG isn't talking price or release date for the L9, but we're expecting to hear more about it at IFA 2012 this week.