LG promises Android updates for three years despite ending production

LG wants to provide Android updates for its phones (like the G8 ThinQ pictured here) for three years after purchase, even after it stops making phones. — dpa

Who wants to buy something from a company that has thrown in the towel and says it’s not going to manufacture this product anymore?

That’s what LG’s recently shuttered smartphone department is worried you’ll think about its devices, many of which are premium devices with top hardware and features.

The company is now promising three years of Android updates to all users of its latest smartphones, in an effort to calm the nerves of anyone who has just bought, or was considering buying, a flagship phone like the LG Wing or V60.

Earlier in April, LG announced that it would largely withdraw from the smartphone market by the end of July 2021, confirming widespread rumours amid struggling sales.

Although the company held just a small percentage of the smartphone market share, it was credited with numerous innovative features, including double tap to wake and the tall screen format widespread in phones today.

LG’s “three-year pledge” for Android updates is based on the year of purchase, LG says. It applies to phones launched from 2019 onwards, and includes the G series, V series, the LG Velvet and the LG Wing, which will get three updates.

Some 2020 models like the LG K-series are expected to get two updates. There is no date yet for a release of Android 12 and Android 13. – dpa