LG Android tablet delayed

LG will likely delay the unveiling of a tablet computer until next year to focus on offering handsets that can rival Apple iPhone, an LG official said.

LG will probably introduce the product running on Google Android operating system at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, said the official, who asked not to be identified because the plan has not been announced. While the hardware is ready, LG is still working on the devices software, the official said. The company said in July it planned to sell its first tablet computer during the fourth quarter.

In the past month, the South Korean electronics maker replaced its chief executive officer and overhauled management after LG failure to capture the booming demand for smartphones led to a record loss at its main handset business. LG aims to sell 10 million units of Optimus One smartphones before it takes on Samsung Electronics Research In Motion and Apples iPad in the tablet market.

"The company may not fully enjoy the expected boom of tablet computers next year" said Im Jeong Jae, a fund manager in Seoul at Shinhan BNP Paribas Asset Management which oversees $28 billion of assets. "Now is the best time to launch such a product to become top-tier sellers."