LG ships first phone with HTML5 browser

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LG ships first phone with HTML5 browser

GD880 Mini comes with Phantom, a step closer to Google's vision

By CAROLINE GABRIEL

Published: 8 April, 2010

According to Google, in the near future we will no longer need downloadable apps and widgets on our phones, but instead will do everything in the browser - all our data in the cloud, our content streamed not stored, rich media handled without plug-ins. The secret will be new browser technologies that make web apps run quickly and efficiently even on small devices and slow connections - and the chief among these is HTML5. Now LG has launched the first handset to offer an HTML5 browser.

The Korean firm, once best known for low end CDMA handsets, is now putting itself in the vanguard of almost every new mobile technology out there, from Windows Phone 7 to Atom phones to the latest browsers. Its latest breakthrough is the GD880 Mini, which sports its new Phantom browser, which is fully HTML5 compatible and based on the WebKit standard. It also illustrates how the browser is becoming a key competitive weapon as vendors and operators try to differentiate themselves via their user experiences. Nokia, Apple, Samsung and others are creating their own browsers for their high end web devices, which could squeeze browser specialists like Opera at the high end - though in the mass market, Opera is gaining huge uptake among carriers.

LG is not going as far as Samsung, with its bada and TouchWiz environments, in creating its own software experience, but its S-Class UI and now Phantom do offer a differentiated look and feel for its proprietary and open OS models. Despite not being an Android phone, the GD880 Mini is, browser apart, heavily Google dominated. It supports Google Latitude, Maps, Calendar, Gmail and even the new social networking app Buzz.

The handset has been somewhat delayed - it was supposed to ship in Europe in March, but will now arrive next week in the major markets. Other features include a 3.2-inch WVGA touchscreen display, HSDPA, Wi-Fi and A-GPS. There is also the almost mandatory single-point social networking hub, integrating Buzz, Facebook and others; plus 5-megapixel autofocus camera, LG Air Sync and 3.5mm headset jack.