To say that the Chocolate was a hit for LG would be similar to saying the PlayStation 2 went over well for Sony. Indeed, the outfit's best selling handset ever (21 million units worldwide) holds a special place in the hearts of suits and shareholders alike, so it's hardly a shock to see the company issuing a next-generation version of the device. Slated to fall into LG's Black Label series, the phone -- which is simply dubbed the 'second generation LG Chocolate' for now -- will be fully unveiled in August, with bits and pieces to be strategically dropped during the run-up. The only real hint at features that we're given is the following: "The new LG Chocolate will be a disruptive force in conventional mobile screens in an effort to maximize usability while inheriting the original minimalist-inspired style and iconic design of its predecessor." Haptics? OLED? A portal into the future? Only time will tell.

Update: The typically reliable Tweakers.net has come through with a few more details, namely that this here phone will become the first of its kind with a 21:9 aspect ratio display (much like Philips' 56-inch Cinema HDTV). We're also told that the model number will be BL-40, the screen resolution will be pegged at 800 x 345, the display itself will be over 3-inches diagonally, the inbuilt camera will be 5 megapixels and HSDPA will be included. Now, if only we knew how the UI would handle...

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Sitting pretty as the number three cell maker in the world would make many of the bigger names happy -- not to mention the usurped Sony Ericsson and Motorola a bit green -- but not LG, as it's now gunning for spot number two. In an interview with Yonhap, LG's president of its mobile business, Ahn Seung-kwon, stated that the company hoped to bump Samsung to the wayside by 2012 with the help of a serious new set and a premium brand. While the gaudiness of really expensive handsets disturbs us at times, we'll admit that mention that LG's looking at a foray into the über high end of the spectrum -- with the likes of Nokia's Vertu -- piques our curiosity a good deal. And what about that serious new set we mentioned? Apparently in Q4 of this year, LG will launch a new Black Label-branded device to compete directly with iPhone, which when coupled with dreams of more success from yet another Prada device (and if we're super fortunate, some more Transformers-branded stuff) is part of the master scheme to start down the path. Will they crack it? Well, if we were betting types, we'd lean towards not likely as long as the Samsung juggernaut's standing in the way -- but we're all for watching them try.

LG's KF750 was just announced official-like by the non-rioting folks at Lucky Goldstar. With it, we get the official specs courtesy of, uh, Photography Blog. Why is a site for digital photogs carrying a cellphone press release, you ask? Easy, this one's got a 5 megapixel camera with face recognition and the ability to shoot DivX video at 120fps. A member of LG's Black Label series, the 11.8-mm slider is the thinnest 5 megapixel cameraphone on the market. Unfortunately the press release is heavy on fluff and light on specs so we can only tell you that it'll also be sporting a touch-screen, suite of mobile Google apps, and Bluetooth when it makes its European debut sometime this year, presumably, for an unknown price.

Update: A few more details are rolling in: 2.4-inch display, haptic feedback, and available in May.

[Via Stuff.tv and Digital-Lifestyles]

Read -- Secret micro site (so secret it's currently down)
Read -- Press release

Great news, Mr. and Mrs. Tighty Pants: carrying five megapixels in your pocket is about to become a little less obvious! The latest member of LG's storied Black Label line -- other alumni being the Chocolate and the Shine -- is starting to break cover, and for what the slider might lack in sheer visual distinction, it makes up in technical prowess. The as-yet-unnamed slider promises to be the thinnest 5 megapixel cameraphone in the world when it launches, featuring a reinforced glass touchscreen up front (just a little Glimmer-esque, if you ask us) and a shell constructed from carbon fiber. Other than that, LG's being a little stingy with details at this point, saying that it'll unveil the handset's name later this month -- hopefully along with pricing and a full spec sheet. The phone will hit Europe first with a number of other launches across the globe thereafter, finally hitting LG's own South Korea in the second half.

[Via T3]

As if the original Shine wasn't hot enough, LG is bringing a Titanium Black edition to those across the pond in hopes of wrangling a few more customers who have an eye for anything covered in metallic grey. A member of the coveted Black Label series, this handset won't deviate feature-wise one iota from the original, but the classy all-metal exterior should catch quite a few eyes regardless. You'll still find the two-megapixel camera, scroll wheel control scheme, media player, Bluetooth, and compatibility with GPRS and EDGE networks, and while pricing details on this sexy handset are currently unavailable, those dwelling in the UK can expect it to land late this year, while those in France, Netherlands, and Austria should receive it sometime thereafter.

[Via UnwiredView]

In what's likely the first salvo of a forthcoming big-ass marketing blitz, Verizon has gone live with its site promoting the VX8500, their carrier-exclusive rendition of LG's KG800 "Chocolate" phone. The first Chocolate and its siblings are fairly ubiquitous now in Europe and Asia, but we've yet to see any of them stateside, so Verizon would probably like nothing more than to see the VX8500 spark RAZR-like pandemonium when it drops in the next few months. The site's being coy about specs for now -- in fact, the only thing you can do is look at the phone and sign up for a release notification -- but as we previously reported, the phone looks to be packing a 1.3 megapixel camera, microSD slot, and a handful of physical changes (like the circular d-pad) that should make it more music-friendly than the original.

[Via phoneArena]

LG is really running with the checkerboard keypad theme these days as details are beginning to emerge on the KG99, a candybar with fairly obvious Chocolate roots. No word on whether the phone falls into LG's Black Label category, but at 95 x 52 x 9.9mm, it seems chic enough for the task. Specs are unconfirmed at this point, but the phone is reported to sport triband GSM (sorry yanks, no 850), a 220 x 176 display, microSD slot, Bluetooth, and an FM radio. Now granted, as a fashion phone, we may not be the KG99's target demographic, but the specs still feel a bit weak to us -- we're going to wait a few weeks and see what else is in the checkerboard pipeline.

[Via Slashphone]

LG continues to grow its chic "Black Label" series of phones, and a keen reader in Brazil appears to have captured one of the next devices to be graced with the name. We don't know much about this diminutive GSM candybar -- apparently codenamed "Agis" -- but frankly, we don't think it will catch many eyes when it hits the streets. Besides the rather plain appearance, the Agis will be rocking a music player and camera. We know that's not much information for you to chew on, but it's rumored to be coming in the next couple quarters, so you shouldn't have to wait long to get the full rundown.

[Thanks, Henrique]

Update: Our trusty readers have pointed out that the Agis looks essentially like the LG KG320, plus or minus some minor differences in the keypad. Thanks to everyone who pointed this out.

We've seen this phone floating around recently, and now LG has officially launched the KG810, a clamshell in the mold of their sought-after KG800 Chocolate slider. When we skim the spec sheet, we can't find much to complain about -- quad-band GSM, 128MB of internal flash, 1.3 megapixel camera, built-in FM tuner, and of course the heat-sensitive controls made famous by the Chocolate. According to Digital-lifestyles.info, LG is curiously insisting that the KG810 is not a member of their recently-launched "Black Label" fashion series, of which the KG800 is the founding device, but we like this diminutive flip just the same. No word on a US launch, but we can lust from afar.