LG Electronics has completely ended its smartphone business after 30 years. After starting the mobile phone business in 1995, it has concluded all aspects of hardware (HW), software (SW), and after-service (AS), and has stopped all support, including official AS.
According to industry sources on the 30th, LG Electronics has terminated official mobile phone AS as of this day. It has suspended the supply of new parts and has gradually reduced AS operations at service centers in key regions. Now, users of LG Electronics mobile phones will no longer be able to receive repairs or technical support through official channels, and while repairs may be possible at some private AS centers, maintenance is expected to be difficult due to the suspension of parts supply.
Additionally, LG Electronics has ended support for mobile software upgrades (FOTA) and Android operating system (OS) upgrades, and has also stopped the use of basic applications such as LG Health, remote unlocking, and LG Mobile Switch. The installation of new apps has become impossible, making it difficult to expect the smartphone to fulfill its role.
LG Electronics officially declared its withdrawal from the mobile phone business in July 2021. Once a leader in the feature phone market with products like the Chocolate Phone and Prada Phone, the company failed to stand out in the smartphone era, resulting in a cumulative loss of about 5 trillion won due to continuous poor performance.
Currently, LG Electronics' smartphone market share is only in the 1% range domestically and has hardly been accounted for in official statistics since its exit from the business. According to a report by the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI), LG Electronics' domestic smartphone market share is estimated at 2.1% as of 2023.
The exit of LG Electronics from the mobile phone business was already a foreseen step, and its impact on the industry is expected to be limited. Most LG smartphone users have already transitioned to other brands, and major manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and Apple have quickly absorbed the vacancy, completing the market reorganization.