LG has announced a mid-tier handset based on its flagship G3 smartphone. The G3 Beat retains the same styling as its bigger brother in a slightly slimmer package that's also easier on the wallet.

The new phone carries a 5-inch HD IPS display operating at 1,280 x 720 pixels (294 PPI) versus the larger 5.5-inch screen on the original. Under the hood is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor operating at 1.2GHz alongside 1GB of RAM and 8GB of flash storage that's expandable via microSD card.

Around back is an 8-megapixel camera with laser auto focus while a 1.3-megapixel shooter graces the front for selfies. The handset supports 4G LTE network connectivity as well as 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPU/Glonass, NFC and USB 2.0. The Beat will run Android version 4.4.2 KitKat out of the box.

The phone measures 137.7 x 69.6 x 10.3mm and weighs in at 134g. It'll be available in metallic black, silk white and shine gold and will be powered by a 2,540mAh removable battery. 

The LG G3 Beat is available starting today in South Korea and will begin a global rollout from Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries in the weeks that follow. Interestingly enough, the phone is being branded as the LG G3 s outside of South Korea.

No word yet on pricing nor do we know when / if it'll eventually arrive on US shores.