Among the top tier handset-makers, the two Korean brands have consistently outperformed the market during the downturn, and LG is targeting ambitious growth of 20% in unit terms, both for the current year and 2010.
However, Skott Ahn, CEO of LG Mobile Communications, is well aware of the key cellphone challenge of 2010 - the shift of the smartphone from being a premium device to a mass market, keenly-priced one.
Though LG, with its traditional strength in the midrange, should be well-positioned, it has lagged behind rivals in delivering strong models that sport open operating systems and applications platforms - its real killer phones still run its own proprietary system.
However, it will benefit from its experience of creating the economics and supply chain to prosper in the low-margin reaches of the industry - and many observers expect its profit patterns to be better than those of most competitors.
This is because, while Android and Symbian phones may look increasingly alike, and will be forced to compete on price, LG is currently strong in creating highly differentiated handsets for which certain user groups will pay a higher price - even if they are not open OS.
The new Chocolate 2 (BL40) hopes to be one of those, with its innovative widescreen being heavily marketed in Europe, though the US has so far only given a carrier deal to the lower end Chocolate Touch (launching at Verizon Wireless this month).