Judging by a leaked 2010 roadmap for LG, future handsets will continue to enjoy the limelight as the LG Stage has been revealed.

A rectangular touch device sharing a lot aesthetically with the popular Arena, the Stage appeared amongst a number of new devices including the LG Wine 2, Wine Junior and Cookie 2.

With the Arena, LG Cookie KP500 and LG Cookie KP501 shipping millions of units each, it comes as no surprise that the Korean manufacturer wishes this touchscreen success to continue in the new year.

The LG concept store spans over 130 square metres, and is guaranteed to be a treat for consumers looking for a one-stop shop in gadgets, mobile phones, home entertainment and appliances.

“We are marking another milestone in the history of LG Electronics Philippines by opening our first-ever LG Concept Store. In line with our vision of growth here in the Philippines, this is just a first glimpse at what we have planned and you can definitely expect to see more exciting things lined up for both our business partners and consumers in the next coming months,” stated Raymond Hernandez, Corporate Marketing Head of LG Electronics Philippines.

(L-R) LG Electronics Philippines Managing Director, Seung Chul Lee with Senior VP of Robinsons Retail Robina Gokongwei-Pe and General Manager of Robinsons Appliance, Ryan Bennette Sison at the first ever LG Concept Store opening at the 3rd Level of Robinson’s Galleria, Ortigas.

Jealous of all your Mac owning mates and their hundreds of pointless iPhone apps?

Give your LG Arena a taste of the cool Apple iPhone theme for the LG KM900 Arena.

The icons will look a whole lot fruitier, but unfortunately it doesn’t enable you to download applications or become as conceited as your iPhone owning friends…

Don’t forget to unzip the files before transferring them, either by Bluetooth or USB cable provided.

From Know Your Mobile

You want to get your hands on the new LG Arena? Well it’s time to get your directing hat on and megaphone out, as LG are looking for budding Spielbergs and Tarantinos in the making to remake their classic Boogie Baby video!

Simply remix your own images, music and special effects to this silent version of the ad using whatever skills you have to hand, and send it to them for a chance to win!

May we suggest a contemporary gothic horror? Those babies are scary….

If you don’t win, don’t worry as there are plenty of LG Arena deals around for the cash-strapped indie movie maker.

The Sony Playstation 3 is the sophisticated gentleman of this generation’s console war.

This generation’s console war has been a tough fight, but it’s not over yet. Who’s going to win? The PS3, the Xbox 360 or the Wii?

Show your allegiance with this Sony Playstation 3 theme for the LG Arena KM900. It features wallpapers just as sleek as the console itself, plus a ringtone of the PS3 start up sound. Give your Arena a full makeover with this PS3 theme. It’s free to download.

Simply click on the link below to download the ps3_arena.zip file onto your computer.

Unzip these files and transfer to your LG Arena KM900 using Bluetooth or the cable provided in the box.

PS3 theme on LG Arena KM900.

Source: Know Your Mobile

Now that this high-end touchphone has been out for a little while, the price of the LG KM900 Arena has gone from being a device purely for the premium owner to something a little more competitive. To find the best from the pick of mobile phone deals, a good place to go is Omio.com.

They have a great comparison table of all the LG Arena deals accross the major networks and retailers, and also have a wide selection of free gift offers and cashback incentives for those eager to make their money go a little further.

The Arena, as with a number of LG phones these days, runs on the S-Class user interface yet is not a smartphone in the traditional sense of offering applications, updates and a level of customisation.

The LG Application Store has launched just recently in the Far East, but the programs available on it are only for Windows Mobile, more of a legitimate smart phone format as opposed to the proprietary platform.

However, with a lot of retailers discounting the handset heavily, you are likely to pick up a bargain on pay monthly, prepat and SIM-free deals alike.

We knew that the S-Class user interface on the Arena was a joy to use, but now the beautiful and intuitive design has been officially recognised, with an iF Communication Design Award.

Winning the Gold in the ‘Product Interfaces’ Category, the S-Class 3D interface was one of only 30 winners from a field of over 1,300.

“Through recognition from this prestigious organization, LG has once again proven its design expertise and innovation not only in physical appearance but also in user interface,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “LG will continue to lead with products that enhance the user experience.”

The S-Class UI is now on a range of LG handsets, including the LG Viewty Smart GC900 and LG GD900 Crystal.

Well, LG are running a competition to win one of the amazing touch devices every day!

With a five megapixel camera, DivX support, Dolby Mobile built in and 8GB of storage, the LG Arena KM900 is cutting edge by all accounts!

No quiz questions, no 0898 numbers, simply head over to the brand new S-Class website and download the 3D Widget to your desktop.

Each day, LG will pick one lucky downloader from its virtual hat and award a free LG Arena handset.

Another way to win is by playing the 3D game on the LG Arena site. Go there now! Win some free touchscreen goodness!

Source: Electric Pig

From the original top sellers like the LG Prada and 6 million selling LG Viewty, up to the present with the bargain LG Cookie, S-Class UI-driven LG Arena and forthcoming LG Viewty Smart, these handsets broke records due to their mass market price points and intuitive user interfaces.

Between LG and onslaught of the Tocco, Omnia and Pixon and recently released Samsung i8910 HD and Samsung Tocco Ultra, the two Korean giants have gone on to sell 20 million touch phones.

It’s worth noting that Apple has sold 13 million iPhones alone, and with a revamp around the corner the pioneers of mass market touch phones are set to stay ahead of the game!

Source: Tech Radar

A decent, long and detailed LG Arena review here, courtesy of mobile phone comparison site Omio!

Read it here!

Short version: 5 stars!