Dual-core LG Optimus 2X: the Android smartphone to beat (for now)

By Ben Patterson ben Patterson – Thu Dec 16, 1:12 pm ET

LG's well-leaked 4-inch Android smartphone has finally broken cover, boasting such mouth-watering features as full-on 1080p playback and recording, dual cameras and — best of all — a dual-core processor, the first of its kind for a smartphone. When will it arrive in the U.S.? Good question.
There are a couple of sour notes about the Optimus 2X that we should hit first, beginning with the fact that for now, it doesn't have a U.S. release date. LG says the 2X will go on sale in Korea next month, with Europe and Asia "to follow." As for North America, well … still up in the air.

Also, the Optimux 2X won't be shipping with "Gingerbread," the latest and greatest version of Android — not a huge surprise, really, given that the just-released Nexus S is the only Gingerbread Android phone for now. Instead, the 2X will arrive with the next best thing, Android 2.2 "Froyo," and LG promises an update to Android 2.3 "in due course."
Moving back to the good stuff, though: We find that the Optimux 2X will come with a 4-inch WVGA display, the same size as on Samsung's "Galaxy S" Android phones, along with two cameras: a 1.3-megapixel lens in front for video chat, and an 8MP snapper in back capable of 1080p-quality video capture.
Speaking of 1080p, LG claims the Optimus 2X will be able to handle 1080p video playback along with HDMI "mirroring," meaning users can transmit 1080p video to an external monitor via the phone's HDMI output while following along on the handset's display. Cool.
Other features on the upcoming Optimus include a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope (naturally), as well as DLNA (short for Digital Living Network Alliance) media sharing with compatible PCs, TVs and other devices on your home network.
Perhaps the Optimus 2X's key feature is the processor that's humming under the hood: a dual-core, 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 "system-on-a-chip," the first of its kind to arrive in a smartphone — or, at least, the first of its kind to be announced in a smartphone.
The new dual-core processor promises zippier performance than we've seen on even the fastest single-core 1GHz handsets, especially when it comes to multitasking and handling 1080p video.
But what about battery life? LG has yet to speculate on how long the Optimus 2X's 1,500 mAh battery will keep its dual-core engine running.
Don't expect LG to stand alone in the land of dual-core handsets for long. Samsung has already been chirping about its own dual-core processor, code-named "Orion," that's slated to replace the "Hummingbird" chip that's powering its current crop of Galaxy S smartphones. Other handset manufacturers are sure to follow.
In other words, that 1GHz smartphone in your pocket (and in mine, too)? So yesterday, my friend.

Related: Press release [LG]

— Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News.