Manufacturers of more than 85% of the world's mobile phones now license Symbian OS

3GSM World Congress, Cannes, France – 23 February 2004 – LG Electronics and Symbian Limited announce today that LG Electronics, the world’s fifth largest mobile phone manufacturer, has signed an agreement to license Symbian OS as its platform for development of smartphones for 2.5G and 3G networks worldwide.

The world leader in CDMA mobile phones, LG Electronics is also a significant supplier of GSM mobile phones to major European network service providers including Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile as well as the USA’s largest GSM operator, Cingular.

LG Electronics joins all other major mobile phone manufacturers in licensing Symbian OS for use as a platform for the development of data-enabled, advanced mobile phones. Symbian OS licensees now account for over 85% of worldwide mobile phone sales. In 2003, more than 6.67million phones based on Symbian OS were shipped worldwide.

Yong E. Shin, Vice President and Head of UMTS Handset Laboratory, LG Electronics, said:
"We have chosen to license the market-leading Symbian OS smartphone platform to enable LG Electronics to develop exciting, highly differentiated smartphones for LG’s network operator customers worldwide. Symbian OS is a market-proven, leading-edge technology whose stability makes it a robust platform for the development of innovative products that provide a compelling experience for mobile users in worldwide markets."


David Levin, Chief Executive, Symbian, said:
“We are delighted to welcome LG Electronics, one of the world’s largest handset manufacturers and a leader in CDMA technology markets, as a Symbian OS licensee. LG Electronics has a well-earned reputation for the excellence of its technology, particularly in UMTS and an impressive growth record in mobile technology markets around the world, particularly in the USA. We very much look forward to working with LG Electronics as Symbian continues to fulfil its commitment to serving markets across Asia.”