Reports have emerged that LG is to return to the Windows Phone market with at least one new handset this year. Sources from its homeland in South Korea claim it "has some new smartphones in the works that will run Microsoft's Windows Phone 8".

The source - a senior executive from one of LG's local partners - told The Korea Times that LG is to ramp up smartphone production in 2013, hoping to sell 75 million handsets in the process. Last year, the company sold 55 million - dramatically lower than local rival Samsung, which sold over 100 million Galaxy S phones alone.

As well as the new Windows Phone 8 phone(s), LG is to release "quite a number of Optimus phones". The company has been consistently tipped to announce the Optimus G2 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month - at which Pocket-lint will be in attendance - but new reports suggest it may wait until the autumn for a full launch.

There are also rumours that LG is the preferred partner for Google to continue with Nexus handsets. Speculation mounts that the Korean manufacturer is to make a Nexus 5 5-inch handset for the software giant for release this year.