LG Electronics announced plans to release three new Windows Mobile devices, which is the start of what it called its "most aggressive smartphone strategy to date." That aggressive strategy includes the release of 13 new Windows Mobile phones by the end of 2010.

The devices will run on the new WinMo 6.5 OS, and LG said they will target various market segments. One will be a full-touchscreen device, another will have a touch-slider interface with a Qwerty keyboard and a third will be a candy-bar phone with a Qwerty keyboard. The company said the phones are initially destined for the United States, Europe and Asia, but did not give any more specifics on pricing or availability.

The company made a deal with Microsoft in February to make WinMo its primary smartphone platform. LG hasn't been very aggressive in the smartphone market to date. Last week, Microsoft said that WinMo 6.5 phones will be available beginning Oct. 6., and said the upgraded operating system would have an improved user interface and access to its Windows Marketplace for Mobile application storefront.

In June, LG said it wants to become the world's No. 2 handset maker by 2010 (the company in the second quarter ranked third, with 11.2 percent of the global market, behind Samsung's 19.7 percent, according to iSuppli). LG said it would release about 80 handset models globally in 2009, and 12 would be high-end models.

For more:
- see this Reuters article
- see this release

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