LG Launches another application store

LG has just announced its own mobile application store in beta and says its not intended to be "a new or separate business model."

In a press release on their site today, LG says the beta version of its application site will be rolled out beginning in Asia before spreading across 24 countries by the end of the year. Skott Ahn, CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company, said, “As we’ve announced earlier, LG is planning to invest heavily in the smart phone market going forward, with ten smart phones being introduced this year alone” Apparently all apps available on the store will be ‘rigorously tested’ to ensure a ‘bug-free’ experience. Sounds familiar (Apple – hint, hint) although there's no word if we’ll see the same restrictions set on apps on the LG store. As for the amount of apps available at launch, the company says, "LG expects to offer up to 2,000 applications on its site by the end of year with at least 100 programs available free of charge to LG handset users.” And get ready for it: “As the trend has shown, the appeal of smart phones is in the diversity and usefulness of the applications. Opening our own Application Store will allow us to offer the best content and applications for our devices so that LG phone owners will get the best possible ownership experience.”