It seems like mobile phone makers are in a race to get the success of Apple’s App store by launching their own online application stores. LG Electronics is launching an online application store for mobile phones with an initial focus on Asia and plans to expand the service to 24 other countries.
The company said that the new app store will provide 1,400 applications and 100 free programmes for LG handset users. The store will also support 15 languages, reported Reuters.
The company said that the new service will be offered initially in Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. The company also plans to expand to Europe and South America and expects to offer up to 2,000 applications on its site by the end of 2009.
The company said that it is working with content providers to ensure that all software undergo quality testing before they are available for download.
Skott Ahn, CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, said: “As the trend has shown, the appeal of smartphones is in the diversity and usefulness of the applications. Opening our own Application Store will allow us to offer the best content and applications for our devices so that LG phone owners will get the best possible ownership experience.”
The LG Application Store’s beta launch coincides with the introduction of the LG-GM730, the newest LG smartphone which has been showcased at CommunicAsia in Singapore last month.
