LG announces Stylus 2 for MWC in budget-model push

LG Electronics has announced another mid-range phone -- this time armed with a stylus -- that will go on display at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

The 5.7-inch phablet weighs 145 grams, is 7.4m thick, and includes a stylus with a nano-coated fiber end-point to increase sensitivity. Unlike its predecessor's rubber stylus, the new nano-coated pen tip will give the feel of writing with a fountain pen, LG said.

Features optimized for the use of stylus include a menu that automatically pops up when users pull the stylus, and the ability to write on the screen while turned off.

LG said it will be "reasonably priced" but did not announce exact figures.

It will roll out in March in South Korea and the US, with Europe and Asia getting it at a later date.

The South Korean tech giant earlier this week revealed the X series, which will also be heading to the global tradeshow, as will the hotly-anticipated G5, the name of which was confirmed when it announced a quick cover for the phone last week.

LG, during its fourth quarter announcement, said it will "tap into the quickly expanding budget phone market".

The tech giant sold 59.7 million smartphones last year, with 34.5 million of them LTE enabled. The midrange market is an important one to defend as it fights to get back into the black and compete against Chinese vendors Xiaomi, Huawei, and Lenovo, who are expanding quickly in the low- to mid-end segment.