In a sense, this is why Samsung and LG had a great head start on their own turf.
ENGADGET: Editorial: HTC's departure from South Korea proves a tough fight for foreign brands
The two carriers recently rolled out brightly hued versions of some popular handsets, including a red LG Shine, a pink BlackBerry Pearl and a purple Samsung Gleam.
Of the well-known handset brands only LG, a South Korean electronics giant, sells phones with MediaTek chips inside.
Some consumers assume LG is a subsidiary of other electronics makers, say analysts.
What, other than the Apple brand and aesthetic, will convince users to go with an Apple TV over an LG or a Samsung?
FORBES: Why Apple Needs to Sell More than Just a Television Set with the Apple TV
The Spectrum 2 by LG creates a unique wireless experience thanks to an ecosystem of features and accessories, allowing customers to avoid cables.
ENGADGET: LG Spectrum 2 made official for Verizon, brings Optimus LTE II to the US for $100
Going with Android would have put Nokia in direct competition with not only Samsung and HTC, but also Sony, LG and a horde of handset manufacturers in the emerging markets.
FORBES: Nokia's Bet On Windows Phone Looks Like A Good One So Far
To push LG as a world-class brand, Boden is playing up pricey, iconic products, like its Venus, Voyager and Viewty phones, and its LG60 and PG60 HDTVs, which will launch in April.
Refreshes for a couple of the carrier's early LTE phones debut in October, when the Thunderbolt gets pushed aside by the virile HTC Vigor and LG gets a redo with the Revolution 2.
ENGADGET: Verizon Wireless year-end roadmap leaks, Android and LTE spotted on the horizon?
With LG predicting a 3D television market in excess of 30 million units by 2012 and Samsung busily promoting its related world's firsts, you'd better believe that these powerful South Korean "chaebols" have their government's full support when it comes to delivering 3D content.
ENGADGET: Korean 3D television broadcasts in Full HD just weeks away
Lucid2 by LG features a compact, stylish design that makes it easy to grip and is equipped with a big, bright 4.3-inch qHD Advanced High Performance (AH) In-Plane-Switching (IPS) display that enhances the viewing experience for watching videos, reading eBooks and browsing the web in stunning clarity and natural color.
Now, armed with some flashy phones, its first tablet and a new mobile division chief, LG is mounting a comeback.
FORBES: LG Targets One Million Tablets, 30 Million Smartphones In Comeback
That's the potential of a smartphone from LG, which has a large 4.3-inch touchscreen capable of displaying three-dimensional images without the need for special glasses.
In keeping with South Korea's own evolution into a highly skilled and innovative economy, LG has come a long way from the Lucky Goldstar days (since 1995 the initials have instead stood for Life's Good).
For a little backstory, rumors are currently circulating that LG is producing a smartphone of epic proportions that's known as the Optimus G, which is said to wield a quad-core processor, a 4.7-inch IPS True HD display, 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera.
ENGADGET: Qualcomm confirms its role in LG superphone with quad-core Snapdragon S4
Prepaid customers who choose a smartphone like the LG Thrive must choose a data package in order to use data services.
"The 4K display market is still in its infancy but it was important for LG to claim a stake in this space, " said the chief executive of LG Electronics Home Entertainment, Havis Kwon.
Using NCVM (Non-Conductive Vapor Metallization) technology, an innovative coating process that produces a colorful metallic veneer, LG Aurora notebooks have a pellucid, glossy exterior that provides genuine value to customers through improved scratch resistance and a strengthened cover.
ENGADGET: LG unveils S430, S530 Aurora laptops for people who like muted hues
"LG is building a brand that is synonymous with great picture quality, " said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company.
ENGADGET: LG's 55-inch OLED HDTV ships in Korea next week, has 100 pre-orders so far
When LG switched from a traditional structure--a network of companies with a web of cross- shareholdings under family control--to an American-style holding company, LG Corp.
Lee was previously a senior researcher at LG where he worked on a printed AMOLED television.
Using the all-new LG WCP-300 Wireless Charging Pad, featuring a sleek, low-profile compact and portable design, users can charge Lucid2 by LG wirelessly when paired with a Wireless Charging Standard Battery Cover.
According to Korea Times, citing a source familiar with the matter, LG is building both a smart watch and a product similar to Google Glass.
Having LG Electronics supporting Google TV could be a major win for the TV-centric platform, but LG is also hedging its bets by supporting a rival consortium with TD Vision (which owns the Philips brand) and which seems to have support from Sharp Electronics.
Meanwhile growth in the smartphone market helped Korea's LG Electronics to a third-quarter profit.
After breaking through with its Chocolate phone, LG has built a reputation for design and accessible technology.
Lastly, LG Chem developed a high-density 2, 100mAh battery that provides more power capacity and prolonged charging cycles.
ENGADGET: LG Optimus G revealed: 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, ICS, LTE, 4.7-inch screen with in-cell touch
The Dare, also from LG, is a stylish iPhone lookalike that likewise uses a virtual keyboard on its screen.
应用推荐