LG Smartphones May Be Coming To An End On April 5 | Screen Rant - Screen Rant

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Rumors of LG exiting the smartphone business have been circulating for some time now, and thanks to a new report out of Korea, the company could be announcing its departure from the smartphone market as early as April 5. One of Android's greatest strengths is the wide variety of devices that run the software, and for years, LG was at the forefront of that charge. The company is responsible for making traditional and unconventional handsets alike, with both types helping LG stand out from the competition.

In recent years, however, LG's grasp on the smartphone landscape has slipped away. While LG has tried to regain market share with devices like the LG Velvet, LG Wing, and a rollable phone that was supposed to launch this year, nothing the company has done has come with any meaningful success. After losing $4.5 billion in the past five years, LG is ready to call it quits.

According to The Korea Times, LG has decided to end its smartphone operations and will make an announcement about this decision on Monday, April 5. It's said that LG has been in talks with other companies to try and sell its mobile division, but failed to strike a deal with anyone. Per industry sources that spoke with The Korea Times, "LG has considered various options such as a sale, split sales or pulling out of the smartphone business, but decided recently to pull out of the business."

What Will Happen To The Smartphone Market Without LG

LG has been making smartphones since 2006, with the LG Prada being the first-ever phone to have a capacitive touchscreen — something that's taken for granted on modern smartphones today. LG is also the first company that made ultra-wide cameras a mainstream feature in the industry, which is now an expected component on flagships and budget devices alike. Combine all of that with some of LG's more experimental ventures, and it's safe to say the company has had a big impact on the entire industry — regardless if the company's sales numbers were representative of that.

That's what makes the news of LG leaving its smartphone business so noteworthy. Even if LG phones aren't top of mind for a lot of people in 2021, the influence of LG is still felt in other devices to this very day. Why? Because LG was willing to take risks and try something new. That's not to say smartphone innovation will completely die with LG's departure, but someone else is going to need to pick up its torch and be willing to take risks every now and then.

While LG has yet to confirm this news or make any comment on The Korea Times' report, all signs have been pointing to this being true. This isn't the first report that's suggested LG has been trying to sell its smartphone business, and now with an actual date being suggested, things seem to be falling in place for LG to make it official.

Next: New T-Mobile & Google Deal Explained: What It Means For Android Users

Source: The Korea Times

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About The Author

Joseph Maring (136 Articles Published)

Joe has been actively writing and talking about consumer tech since 2012. His biggest passion lies with smartphones, but he's happy to talk your ear off about just about anything with a CPU. He lives in Kalamazoo, MI with his wife, two cats, and pit bull/boxer mix.