Orange to launch LG Watch Phone in August

The LG Watch Phone features a 1.43in display and comes with a Bluetooth headset

The long-awaited LG Watch Phone will hit the UK in August, courtesy of mobile operator Orange.

The LG GD910 was originally announced in December last year, and showcased at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The tiny device features a 1.43in touch-screen display, and comes with a Bluetooth headset to avoid having to rely on the inbuilt speaker.

LG has included voice dialling to avoid having to type out numbers or contacts on the small screen.

Orange said that the Watch Phone will be available for a limited period, at an "exclusive" price point on a pay-as-you-go tariff, but has not confirmed what that price will be. Rumours surfaced in February that the device would cost as much as £1,000.

"The Watch Phone is the must-have gadget of 2009. It's handcrafted, exclusively limited, and will turn heads on the high street," said Tom Alexander, chief executive at Orange UK.

The LG device is just the first of a range of innovative multimedia phones from Orange, according to Alexander, and the company is set to unveil at least three more high-end devices before the end of the year.

"We have secured some of the most original and innovative devices available. The Watch Phone is the first of these, all focused on bringing a 21st century experience to our 21st century customers," he said.

Orange has not yet specified the exact date of the Watch Phone launch, nor whether the device will be available on contract.