LG’s bringing its flagship Optimus G to the U.S. (but it doesn’t stand a chance)

Earlier today, LG announced that its flagship Optimus G smartphone will head to the U.S. later this year.

In terms of features, the Optimus G has it all. With a 4.7-inch HD display, 4G LTE support, a quad-core Snapdragon S4  processor, and a 13-megapixel camera, the device is clearly a powerful, high-end device.

But one thing the Optimus G doesn’t have is any real chance to make a dent in the smartphone market.

Expected in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of this year, the Optimus G will enter this holiday season bumping shoulders with smartphone heavyweights like the iPhone 5, Galaxy Note II, Motorola Razr HD, and Nokia’s updated Lumia devices.

As a result, there’s really no place for the Optimus G in the smartphone market’s high end. And because the device’s top-notch features prevent it from being priced cheap (it’ll run for roughly $900 in South Korea), the low end is out of reach as well.

Aside from pricing concerns, the larger, more significant problem is branding. LG simply doesn’t command the same consumer mind share that Apple and Samsung possess. And it’s that deficiency that’s going to have the greatest impact on sales of the Optmus G this holiday season.

LG is late to the party, and all the seats are taken.