LG phones are officially dead — here's what happens next

(Image credit: Tom'southward Guide)

LG smartphones are no more, as the Korean visitor announced Mon (April 5) that it will be shutting down its mobile phone business organization. The move, OK'd by the electronics giant'due south board of directors, ends months of speculation about the fate of LG smartphones.

LG devices won't immediately disappear from store shelves; instead, the visitor plans to allow electric current supplies dwindle without replacing any inventory. Existing LG phones volition continue to receive back up, with the exact length of that support to vary based on region.

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In the U.S., LG tells us that it plans to honor the standard limited warranties that came with the visitor's phones and tablets. That means it will provide service parts through the end of that warranty or longer if that's required past the state where you alive. LG says it will provide additional after-sales support for certain models. Additionally, LG is honoring any extended warranties for customers who've registered their eligible device.

As for Bone upgrades, LG says that will depend on which models, with more than details to come.

Besides up in the air is what happens to devices on the drawing lath for LG but non yet in stores. We're thinking specifically of the LG Rollable, a telephone with an expandable screen that LG showed off at this yr's CES merchandise bear witness. LG had announced plans to ship its rollable phone this year, only apparently that launch is at present scrapped. We're still waiting to hear if LG volition spin off that product line to a competitor — none of that was actually addressed in the LG statement announcing the closure of the phone business concern.

"Core technologies adult during the ii decades of LG'due south mobile business organisation operations will also be retained and applied to existing and hereafter products," was all the visitor said in its statement announcing the mobile concern closure.

LG says it plans to finish winding downwards its interest with smartphones by July 31.

It'south non hard to figure out why LG is exiting the smartphone business organization. The business concern was a money-loser for LG as it never could emerge from the shadow cast past leading players Apple tree and Samsung, nor could it stave off increased contest from Chinese phone makers like Huawei and Oppo.

We spoke to Tuong Nguyen, a senior principal analyst at Gartner last week when the LG mobile business organisation shutdown was nevertheless a rumor. Nguyen noted that even at LG's peak, the company had less than a x% share of the global smartphone market place. As of the finish of 2020, that had dipped to 2%.

With LG pulling resources from smartphone development, the company says it will instead focus on electrical vehicle parts, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, AI, and business-facing products. Its mobile efforts going forrard will include work with technologies related to the evolution of 6G wireless networking.

Philip Michaels is a senior editor at Tom's Guide. He has strong opinions about Apple tree, the Oakland Athletics and erstwhile movies. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.