It's now been made official that LG's mobile division is coming to an end, but for existing users of LG's Android phones, what exactly does the future hold? This is something that's on a lot of people's minds right now, because as of April 5, 2021, LG Mobile is now in the process of being shut down. Following years of poor sales and millions in lost money, LG has decided to call it quits.
There have been months of back-to-back rumors suggesting that LG was on its way out of the smartphone world, so while the company's confirmation of all this didn't exactly come as a surprise, it is still a big loss for the tech world as a whole. Not only does LG's departure create uncertainty in the mobile industry as a whole, but it also raises a lot of questions about what current LG smartphone users have to expect over the coming weeks and months. Thankfully, LG has already addressed many of the top questions head-on.
In addition to LG's press release announcing the news, the company also shared an official FAQ to answer some of the most common questions its customers likely have. In regards to warranties and repairs, nothing is changing for the time being. LG says it will "fully honor" any limited warranties for its products and will continue to provide replacement parts "in accordance with applicable regulations and contractual obligations." On the flip side, if someone wants to go out and purchase a new LG phone in spite of this news, LG notes that any existing inventory vendors already have will remain available. However, once things start going out of stock, don't expect them to be replenished.
LG Android Phones Will Keep Getting Software Updates (For Now)
In addition to warranty support, another big talking point is that of software updates. LG says that software updates will still be released "for selected models" and that the Android 11 update is currently being worked on for these devices. LG says that Android 12 will be made available to its phones "based on the same criteria and process" it uses to determine Android 11 eligibility, but there's also the stipulation that "OS upgrade plans are subject to change." It would be great if LG is still able to deliver Android 11 and Android 12 to as many of its existing phones as possible, but given the company's previous track record when it comes to software support, don't be surprised if things don't go according to plan.
On a semi-related note, any personal information for LG smartphone users will still be maintained for a short period according to LG's privacy policy. However, LG does note that all personal user information "will be safely destroyed at the end of the retention period." Furthermore, while LG's Qlens and LG Mirror Drive applications will be shutting down soon, most of the company's other mobile services/apps will remain operational even after LG Mobile is shut down for good.
In short, anyone with an LG smartphone won't notice any major changes in the short term. People can keep using LG phones like they've been doing, those phones will continue to work like normal, and LG is temporarily maintaining a level of hardware and software support for all of those people. That will change in the coming months, however, so don't be surprised as these things do eventually start shutting down for good.