LG introduced the Optimus Pad LTE earlier this year and after a less-than-enthusiastic reception for its second Android tablet the company is ready to leave this market behind. Speaking to Bloomberg in an interview published today, LG spokesman Ken Hong said that his company has "decided to put all new tablet development on the back burner for the time being," and will focus on smartphones instead.
Hong's comments come just hours after Microsoft announced it would be entering the market with its own hardware, the Surface tablet. Admittedly, though, LG was not a big player to begin with so the decision is hardly shocking. When pressed on how LG might feel about Microsoft competing with long-time OEM partners, Hong said he doesn't see "Surface competing with anything we're focusing on at the moment."
LG is currently trying to turn around its mobile-phone business after losing the spot as third largest handset maker in the world to Apple earlier this year. Their most recent Optimus 4x HD is garnering positive reviews around the web and the upcoming Optimus LTE2 looks promising.
LG is one of the world's biggest electronics OEMs out there, producing its own TVs and home appliances. The company also makes Windows-based laptops, but is not among the top five vendors, and says it remains open to making devices using Microsoft' Windows Phone operating system.