Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has today unveiled the LG Optimus G Pro, a successor to the flagship Optimus G, which offers a much-improved display, a faster processor, and a bigger battery. The device comes just four months after the Optimus G was announced, and it aims to compete with the latest crop of smartphones that pack a full high-definition 1080p display, such as the HTC Droid DNA, and the Sony Xperia Z.

Like those two handsets, the Optimus G Pro’s 1080p display measures 5 inches diagonally, and boasts 440 pixels-per-inch. That’s a significant improvement over the Optimus G’s display, which is just 4.7 inches in size and offers 312 pixels-per-inch. There are plenty of improvements on the inside, too.

The Pro is also packing a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage — which is expandable via the microSDXC card slot. It offers 4G LTE connectivity, a 3,000 mAh battery, and a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera. The device comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean — not 4.2 Jelly Bean — pre-installed.

The Pro is a little thicker than its predecessor, measuring 10mm. But with a bigger battery and better specifications, a little extra thickness may not be such a bad tradeoff. Having said that, the device is more than 2mm thicker than the new Xperia Z, which is also waterproof and dust-proof.

The Optimus G Pro will make its debut in Japan this April. Although that’s still several months away, those who have only just adopted the Optimus G are likely to be disappointed that it already has a successor on the way. It’s unclear when the device will reach markets outside of Japan, however.

• SourceNTT DoCoMo
• ViaEngadget