LG

LG is a South Korean conglomerate consisting of many companies, each dealing with a very different branch. Best known is LG Electronics, which is responsible for all consumer electronics including televisions, mobile phones, tablets and smart watches.

LG Electronics history

Believe it or not but 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. Lucky-Goldstar was renamed LG in 1995, which is also when the slogan "Live's Good" was born. LG's logo consists of the letter 'L' and 'G' placed in such a way that they form a smiley face laughing.

LG series

Although LG has been making mobile phones for some time now, it has only been releasing smartphones since 2010. LG uses Google's Android operating system for its smartphones. LG has categorised its product portfolio into the following series, which usually consist of a single letter followed by a number;

• V - Large premium and high-end flagships
• G - High-end flagships
• Q - Premium mid-range models
• K - Mid-range models

The company previously said goodbye to the X, L and F series. The Stylus series that came with a pen have also not been made for some time. LG briefly used the Optimus name from 2010 to 2013 but eventually dropped it. Meanwhile, the company has started using a new name again; ThinQ. This addition is given to products that have AI (artificial intelligence) capabilities.

Tragic Android updates

LG is often criticised for being late with Android updates. They are ranked number one when it comes to slow updater of Android phones. This is despite changes by Google to roll out Android update faster and LG setting up a separate department for this purpose. For the top models, an update usually comes but there is usually a long wait for it. If you are considering an LG phone with Android and consider fast updates important, this is something to take into consideration.

Own screens

LG, because it also makes its own displays (LG Display), sometimes manages to release interesting phone models. Think of the LG G Flex from 2013 with a curved display. It was also the first with a Quad HD display in a mobile; the G3. Much criticised as overkill when it was announced, it is now a commonly seen resolution in high-end phones. Also, LG is one of the few manufacturers that can make OLED screens known for their high contrast values.

LG Smartwatches

Besides phones, LG also makes a line of its own smartwatches. The first one even came out in 2008; the GD910. Back then, it was not very practical because of its short battery life. Since 2014, LG has been releasing a new line of smart watches under the name G Watch. It said goodbye to that G back in 2015. From then on, it became simply LG Watch.

End of LG phones

In early 2021, LG announced it would stop making and selling mobile phones. The reason was said to be declining revenues. LG did still promise to upgrade existing phones and provide security updates. However, one can wonder how much priority it puts 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.