LG
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LG is a South Korean conglomerate consisting of many companies, each operating in a completely different industry. The best-known is LG Electronics, which is responsible for all consumer electronics, including televisions, cell phones, tablets, and smartwatches.
LG Electronics History
Believe it or not, LG Electronics has only existed in its current form since 1995. Before that, it was known as GoldStar. That company was founded in 1958 after the Korean War and merged with Lak Hui (pronounced “Lucky”) in 1983. In 1995, Lucky-Goldstar was renamed LG, and that’s when the slogan “Life’s Good” was introduced. The LG logo consists of the letters “L” and “G” arranged to form a smiling face.
LG Series
Although LG has been manufacturing mobile phones for some time, it has only been releasing smartphones since 2010. LG uses Google’s Android operating system for its smartphones. LG has organized its product portfolio into the following series, which typically consist of a single letter followed by a number:
- V - Large premium and high-end flagship models
- G - High-end flagship models
- Q - Premium mid-range models
- K - Mid-range models
The company had previously phased out the X, L, and F series. The Stylus series, which came with a stylus, has also been discontinued for some time. LG briefly used the name Optimus from 2010 to 2013 but eventually dropped it. Meanwhile, the company has introduced a new name: ThinQ. This designation is applied to products equipped with the necessary AI (artificial intelligence).
Slow Android Updates
LG is often criticized for being slow to release Android updates. It ranks number one when it comes to slow Android phone updates. This is despite changes made by Google to speed up the rollout of Android updates and LG’s establishment of a separate department dedicated to this task. Top-of-the-line models usually do receive updates, but the wait is typically quite long. If you’re considering an LG phone running Android and value fast updates, this is something to keep in mind.
In-house displays
Because LG also manufactures its own displays (LG Display), it is sometimes able to release interesting phone models. Take, for example, the LG G Flex from 2013, which featured a curved display. It was also the first to feature a Quad HD display in a smartphone: the G3. Although widely criticized as overkill at the time of its announcement, this resolution is now common in high-end phones. LG is also one of the few manufacturers capable of producing OLED screens, which are known for their high contrast ratios.
LG Smartwatches
In addition to phones, LG also produces its own line of smartwatches. The first one was actually released in 2008: the GD910. At the time, it wasn’t very practical due to its short battery life. Since 2014, LG has been releasing a new line of smartwatches under the name G Watch. The “G” was dropped in 2015. From then on, it was simply called the LG Watch.
The End of LG Phones
In early 2021, LG announced it would stop manufacturing and selling mobile phones. The reason cited was declining revenue. LG did promise to continue upgrading existing phones and providing security updates. However, one might wonder how much priority it actually places on this. LG was active in the phone market for years and released some gems that inspired the rest of the industry to make better phones.
