The LG Optimus Vu is the company's answer to the Samsung Galaxy Note. While the Android-powered Vu features "only" a 5-inch display, compared to the Note's 5.3-inch unit, the 4:3 aspect ratio of the Vu makes it seem like a much larger, and more unwieldy device. On top of that, the Vu's stylus comes across as an entirely "me too" addition, working on any capacitive touchscreen device and not having a storage silo on the Vu itself.

The Optimus Vu features a unique 4:3 aspect ratio display, not unlike the display seen on the 4-inch Pantech Pocket. The Vu's IPS display measures 5 inches diagonally and packs a 1024 x 768 pixel resolution. Thanks to the large screen and unique aspect ratio, the Vu is very wide when held in portrait mode, measuring 90.4mm across. It is 139.6mm tall and a scant 8.5mm (0.34in) thick, which according to LG makes it one of the slimmest LTE phones on the market.

Our friends over at MobileBurn are in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress 2012, where they had the chance to go hands-on with the 5-inch Optimus Vu:

Under the hood, the Vu has a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of DDR2 RAM. There is 32GB of internal storage and the Vu is fueled by a 2,080mAh battery. An 8 megapixel camera with LED flash is found on back, and a 1.3 megapixel camera is up front. Disappointingly, the Vu will launch with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, though LG promises that it is already working on an Ice Cream Sandwich update.

Apart from the massive display, the other feature that draws instant comparisons between the Vu and Samsung's Galaxy Note is the included Rubberdium pen that lets the user jot notes or draw on the Vu's display. In addition, LG built-in easy screen shot captures with its its QuickClip hotkey. The Vu also supports HDMI out and DLNA content sharing.

LG expects to have the Optimus Vu launching in Korea soon, with other 4G LTE markets like the US and Canada still pending an official launch date.