By I-Hsien Sherwood (i.sherwood@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Apr 11, 2013 03:32 PM EDT

The LG Optimus G Pro smartphone could debut in the United States as early as May 10 on AT&T, according to an unnamed source.

"A source familiar with launch plans for the device tells us that the U.S. model will feature a 5.5-inch screen like the Korean version, as opposed to the 5.0-inch Japanese variant," AndroidCentral writes.

If true, that means the Optimus G Pro will be available just a week and a half after the Samsung Galaxy S4.

With its huge screen and long battery life, the G Pro has been positioned more as a competitor to the Galaxy Note 2, Samsung's own 5.5-inch phone/tablet hybrid.

But the specs of the Optimus G Pro are impressive, comparable to the version of the Galaxy S4 that will be available in the United States. Consumers looking for more screen real estate should look carefully at it, since there are few other options for a screen this size with power behind it.

Samsung has a line of large, mid-range phones coming at the end of May, but they can't compete with the G Pro's processing power. And the Galaxy Note 3 isn't due to be revealing until September.

The Galaxy S4 has a slight edge on specs, since its own Snapdragon 600 runs at 1.9GHz, the screen has ever-so-slightly more resolution, and it will come with Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean standard.

Still, its screen is a full half-inch smaller, and sometimes size matters.

The LG Optimus G Pro features a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 5.5-inch Full-HD 1920x1080 IPS display with 440 ppi, a 13-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video, 32GB of internal storage, an SD card slot for up to 64GB more, a huge 3000 mAh Li-Po battery and runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.

Check back for the latest information on the LG Optimus G Pro as it becomes available.