LG Optimus Vu 5-inch behemoth stomping to Europe next month

Start exercising those palm muscles, folks -- LG's hand-stretching Optimus Vu smart phone is stomping its way to Europe next month, Engadget reports.

Sporting an all-new quad-core processor, the tough-to-pronounce Optimus Vu will be arriving in just a few weeks. Nevertheless the timing is unfortunate for LG, as Samsung is expected to unveil a follow-up to the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note at the end of August.

The Optimus Vu has one trick up its sleeve that I haven't seen elsewhere -- its massive 1,024x768 screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio, meaning it's a lot wider than you'd perhaps expect a smart phone to be. LG reckons that makes the Vu ideal for ebooks and web browsing, but it does make it almost painfully broad.

I've been hands-on with the Optimus Vu already, when it was unveiled at Mobile World Congress earlier this year. For a glimpse at quite how monolithic this mobile is, check out the preview video below.

While smart phones that make it to Europe usually land in the UK, I've asked LG for confirmation on whether the Vu will be docking on our fair shores. I'll let you know as soon as I hear something. Likewise there's no word on pricing yet, but if the Vu wants to make an impression, I think it needs to come with a low price tag.

If it can undercut the Galaxy Note and its anticipated sequel, the Vu could become the enormo-phone of choice for those shopping on a budget. The new Tegra 3 processor could bump up the price, however. Fingers crossed, eh?

One final bit of rum news is that the Vu (is that 'view' or 'voo'?) will arriving running Android Ice Cream Sandwich, rather than Jelly Bean, which is the latest version.

Are you tempted by the Optimus Vu? Would you rather own a Galaxy Note 2, or are massive phones merely a gimmick? Tell me in the comments or on our Facebook wall.