LG ends smartphone production, the company announced today in an official press release. The company noted they’re closing their entire mobile business division, saying the move is a “strategic decision to exit the incredibly competitive mobile phone sector.”
The company will shift focus to a variety of growth areas and sectors that they believe will position themselves better as a brand, namely: electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, artificial intelligence and business-to-business solutions, as well as platforms and services.
LG nixing their smartphone production isn’t that surprising considering the weeks of rumors since this year’s all-digital Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where LG showed off new phones but had none ready to ship in 2021. LG noted their target date for shutting down their mobile phone division is July 31st, 2021.
A surprising twist after LG ends smartphone production is that they’ll “leverage its mobile expertise and develop mobility-related technologies such as 6G”, when it’s worth noting most average consumers are just now getting onto the 5G train.
As with any manufacturer discontinuing products that consumers are still using, LG notes that whether you currently own an LG phone or are still looking to pick a recent one up, they’ll remain available for sale (for now) and the company will still support them with software updates and support. They just won’t put out any new phones from now onwards.
The world of smartphones has been intensely competitive, with big names like Apple and Samsung pretty much dominating the iOS and Android duopoly. While Apple obviously retains full control over the iOS world, Samsung has been usually the go-to brand for Android adopters, or the oddball gaming smartphones too.
While iPhones and Samsung phones have been offered at heavy discounts at carriers, LG was typically never included in the deals. LG did make attempts at offering innovative smartphones to help make their brand stand out, ranging from modular phones, leather-clad phones, even selfie focused camera phones and flexile display phones.
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