LG says mobile market holding up, launching Android phones

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2009

SINGAPORE (AFP) — LG Electronics Inc. said Tuesday that the mobile phone market was holding up despite the global slump and announced plans to launch three models powered by Google's Android operating system this year.

"The market is actually holding up versus last year... I think the recession impact is less than what we expected last year," said Chang Ma, the Korean giant's vice president of marketing strategy for mobile communications.

In an interview with Dow Jones Newswires, Ma said LG, the world's third largest mobile phone maker in shipment terms, was eyeing 10 percent market share this year.

"If you figure the market is about 1.1 billion, then our sales volume is supposed to be 110 million," he said.

In 2008, it shipped 100.7 million handsets...