The first offical photo of LG's new 5.5-inch handset, the LG Optimus G Pro, has hit the internet ahead of an official release at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The LG Optimus G Pro will go toe-to-toe with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for the hearts and minds of those looking for a larger handset. And the impressive internal specs aren't to be sniffed at either. For starters, the 5.5-inch display is a Full HD 1,920 x 1,080p - something we've come to expect from 2013 handsets like the Sony Xperia Z.

Under the hood is a 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor and 2GB of RAM, while storage comes in at 32GB with the option of microSD expansion.

We can also expect Jelly Bean as standard, as well as a 13MP rear-facing camera and a 2MP camera for video calling. The massive 3,140mAh battery should last a decent interval and the Optimus G Pro is fully LTE capable.

Taking the fight squarely to Samsung, the Optimus G Pro has already been revealed in Japan - and will receive its official European debut at the MWC event in Barcelona.