LG Optimus LTE Tag: Control your phone settings with NFC stickers

There’s something refreshing going on over at LG. First the crazy looking Optimus Vu and now the innovative Optimus LTE Tag, announced yesterday, with its NFC stickers.

Similar to Sony’s Smart Tags, LG’s Tag+ system uses NFC tags/stickers to change your phone’s settings. For example, place a pre-defined NFC tag on your car’s dashboard and swipe it to launch your phone’s GPS and Bluetooth app. When you get to the office, swipe another tag to mute your phone and turn on Wi-Fi.

To the delight of your 3 year old, the LTE Tag comes with sheets of both pre-defined and blank NFC stickers which can be customised to perform various actions.

Confirmed details from LG include a 4.3-inch IPS LCD display with WVGA (800 x 480) resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, rear-facing 5MP (AF-LED Flash) & front-facing 1.3MP camera, 16GB onboard memory, 1700 mAh battery, MHL port and DLNA support.

Priced at 800,000 won ($710, €540), the handset will launch in South Korea with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but LG did promise an eventual upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The Optimus LTE, released in October last year, is currently available in the US, Canada, Japan, and South Korea so we might see the LTE Tag coming to other markets too.

We look forward to seeing more announcements like these as MWC draws near.

Check out the full press release below.

OPTIMUS LTE TAG FROM LG OFFERS NFC, BUT WITH A TWIST
Unique Tag+ Feature Allows for User Customization
Without The Hassle of Fiddling with Phone Settings

SEOUL, Feb. 20, 2012 – LG today announced its newest addition to its LTE smartphone line-up for the Korean market, the Optimus LTE Tag. Coming on the heels of impressive sales of its Optimus LTE, the world’s first HD LTE smartphone, the Optimus LTE Tag advances LG’s vision of offering the most diverse collection of LTE devices for all types of customers.

“Our goal is to offer the widest variety of LTE smartphones in the industry in 2012,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. “The Optimus LTE Tag isn’t just a cosmetically-enhanced version of Optimus LTE, it offers a truly innovative feature which we think really makes a smartphone smarter.”

The Optimus LTE Tag gets its name from a unique new feature, LG Tag+, which uses NFC (Near Field Communication) to communicate with special stickers or “tags” that can be programmed to automatically change the phone’s settings. Swiping a tag upon entering the office could put the Optimus LTE Tag in silent mode and activate Wi-Fi. A tag on the car dashboard could be programmed to turn on Bluetooth, GPS and raise the volume. The options are limitless.

With Slim and sleek design, the Optimus LTE Tag is available in white. Running a 1.2GHz Dual-Core processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread (with the option to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich later) and 4.3-inch IPS display, the Optimus LTE Tag is the ideal multimedia environment.

Key Specifications:

• Chipset: 1.2GHz Dure-Core processor
• Display: 4.3-inch (800 x 480) IPS
• Memory: 16GB eMMC
• Camera: 5.0MP with AF-LED Flash (Rear) & 1.3MP (Front)
• OS: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
• Battery: 1,700mAh
• Others: LG Tag+, MHL(Mobile High Definition Link), DLNA(Digital Living Network Alliance)