LG opens mobile application store

The world’s third largest mobile handset manufacturer, LG Electronics, has today opened a mobile applications store for the company’s products.

The store, which has opened in a beta format today, is now available in Asian countries, including Singapore and Malaysia, with Australia also able to access the store. LG expects the store to open in the rest of the world by the end of the year, but has no immediate plans for a US launch.

The store already has 1,400 apps available for its phones running the Windows Mobile operating software, while up to 100 of those applications will be completely free.

The apps range from entertainment programs to apps enhancing productivity in the workplace, with customers able to browse by “Bestseller” and “Customer Top Rated” apps, similar to rival application stores.

Skott Ahn, chief executive of LG Electronics mobile communications, said in a statement that the company will continue to invest heavily in the smartphone industry.

“As the trend has shown, the appeal of smartphones 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.”

But Ahn maintained the store was not “a new or separate business model”, perhaps conceding that it can not compete with the size and popularity of Apple’s App Store.

“It’s an added-value service that comes with LG’s high-end phone and smartphone ownership. And unlike other mobile phone online stores, LG’s intention is not to censor the type of applications that are available to our customers but only to ensure that they meet the high standards for quality and compatibility.”

The company’s decision to keep the store outside of the US market may be a testament to the iPhone and BlackBerry’s dominance in that sector, while the mobile application market itself has begun to see more competitors.

Apple’s App Store is now a year old, and has recorded over one billion downloads with 50,000 apps available. The BlackBerry App World, while still beaten by Apple, has over 2,000 programs in its store, with the Nokia Ovi Store also gaining popularity with about 20,000 programs available.