The End of LG Smartphones

LG was once a big name in the smartphone market, but ultimately decided to 'stop playing' in 2021. The South Korean conglomerate cited the "fiercely competitive" nature of the global smartphone sector as the reason behind its decision to exit the market.

 

Looking at the current situation, it is clear that LG was right when it called the smartphone market a 'hyper-competitive' world. Even Apple, owner of one of the two most popular mobile platforms on the planet, is struggling to keep up with the wave of innovative AI.

LG has sold off its remaining inventory and shifted its focus to other business areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, AI, B2B solutions and mobile-related technologies such as 6G.

 

However, the Korean manufacturer is not leaving its users alone. The company has promised three Android updates for its high-end devices launched in 2019 and later, including the G series, V series, VELVET and Wing. Meanwhile, some models launched in 2020 such as the LG Stylo and K series will only receive two years of updates.

LG also announced that it will officially shut down all services supporting its mobile device ecosystem at 00:00 KST (Korean Standard Time) on June 30, 2025. If you live in other parts of the world, this corresponds to:

 

1. 11:00 a.m. ET (Eastern Time) / 8:00 a.m. PT (Pacific Time) June 29
2. 16:00 BST (British Summer Time)/15:00 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) on 29 June
3. 17:00 June 29 Vietnam time (GMT+7)

LG will be discontinuing the LG Electronics Mobile Phone Software Upgrade (FOTA) and Update Center (Application Service) services after this date, and the LG Bridge for PC tool will also be discontinued. This desktop application allows you to back up data via USB and install software updates.

LG also said it will delete user personal information collected for the services as soon as they are discontinued.

While not as big as Samsung or Apple, LG has made its own innovations in the smartphone market. The LG G3 was the first smartphone to launch with a QHD display and laser autofocus in 2014. The LG G Flex and G Flex 2 made waves online thanks to their curved displays and flagship specs.

Also worth mentioning is the LG Wing, launched in 2020, a unique smartphone with two screens that can rotate perpendicular to each other. The device is equipped with dual compass sensors, dual accelerometer sensors, and dual gyroscope sensors to support the "Gimbal Mode" camera feature, providing the same functionality as a mechanical gimbal.

Recently, there were reports that LG might collaborate with Samsung to develop an AI smartphone. If true, this would be a highly anticipated combination of the two Korean technology giants.