Do you remember this phone that had a projector on it back in 2009?

My oh my, look at how far we've come in the last decade. The evolution of the smartphone has been iterative, as devices continually become better designed, achieve outstanding quality with their cameras, offer longer battery life, and much more. Even with all of the advancements we've seen in roughly the last ten years, there have been several smartphones that were considered too ahead for their time.

Case in point, the 2009 released Window Mobile powered LG eXpo. Do you happen to remember this peculiar smartphone, which interestingly enough, also featured a pico projector? If you don't, it's no surprise because it was at the tail end of Microsoft's Window Mobile platform, which was on its deathbed by then – quickly being overtaken by Google's Android.

For LG, it flaunted an unconventional design, a landscape QWERTY form factor that was rarely coughed up by the Korean maker. In fact, its build quality and design were on par to what the HTC Touch Pro2 offered, which was saying a lot because LG's designs back then were never really astounding. In addition to that, it was also ahead of its time because it was also one of the few to also pack a useful finger print sensor. Beyond that, the specs of the LG eXpo were considered high-end for its time – consisting of 3.2-inch 480 x 800 WVGA display, 5-megapixel rear camera, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 processor.



Diversifying its arsenal, there was also an add-on pico projector that turned it into a mobile projector perfect for watching videos, conducting presentations, or just sharing other content. With its versatile QWERTY keyboard, it truly was a mobile computer to some degree with that pico projector. Today's smartphones offer desktop-esque experiences, like what we get from Samsung DeX, but the LG eXpo had everything you needed on the go!

Unfortunately, the LG eXpo never garnered the acclaim it deserved for being so ahead of its time. Part of that could be the fault of Windows Mobile, as the platform was dying due to its antiquated performance in comparison to the rise of Android and iOS as being the modern mobile platforms. Still, when you factor in its high-end features, built-in fingerprint scanner, and add-on pico projector, the LG eXpo will forever be one of those phones that was just too advance for its time.

What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below!

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