LG phones look doomed as LG V60 sequel ‘indefinitely’ delayed

LG phones look doomed equally LG V60 sequel 'indefinitely' delayed

(Paradigm credit: Tom's Guide)

We're apace approaching the one-year anniversary of the LG V60's release, which in the smartphone world, normally means that a successor is about to debut. But a new study claims that's not going to be the case, casting further incertitude on LG's future in the smartphone business organisation.

Chosun, a South Korean publication, claims that LG and wireless operators have decided not to field test the planned successor to the LG V60, code-named Rainbow. That telephone was to have featured a Snapdragon 888 organisation-on-flake while also calculation back up for a stylus. Simply now, it sounds like plans to introduce that phone take been scrapped entirely.

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LG declined to comment on the story to Android Authority, which followed up on the Chosun report.

All told, it's another sign that LG could be looking for a way out of its coin-losing smartphone business organisation, where the electronics giant finds itself unable to challenge market leaders like Apple tree and Samsung. Earlier this year, reports surfaced that LG was considering an exit from the smartphone marketplace, something an LG spokesperson confirmed to us at the time.

"I can confirm that LG Electronics is exploring a variety of options in light of the headwinds facing our mobile business," the spokesperson told Tom's Guide back in January. "Any additional comments would be speculation."

Well, that speculation's going to increment with this latest report, with a lot of the focus turning toward LG'south foldable phone plans. At CES in January, LG showed off the LG Rollable, a phone with an expandable screen that essentially converts a handset into a tablet. During that CES keynote, LG had said the LG Rollable would debut in 2021, though speculation well-nigh the company's interest in standing to make smartphones has manifestly raised questions about that launch.

For what it's worth, LG has denied other reports out of Korea casting doubt on the LG Rollable'southward future. "I tin firmly deny that any such decision on future mobile products has been finalized," an LG spokesperson told The Verge in Feb following a report in Yonhap News that the rollable phone project was on concur.

It could be that the apparent cancellation of an LG V60 successor volition have no touch on on LG's efforts to introduce a phone with a rollable display. As nice every bit the LG V60 was — we particularly appreciated the long-lasting battery in our LG V60 review — it was a pretty conventional telephone. Albeit a phone with an optional secondary screen accessory that could attach to the device. Perhaps LG thinks it would be improve served by putting its smartphone efforts into devices with innovative designs like the LG Rollable, rather than introducing successors to phones that failed to distinguish themselves from the balance of the Android crowd.

LG has certainly tried to detect a way to make its phones stand up out in contempo years, highlighted by terminal spring's LG Velvet release. Those phones dropped the blastoff-numeric naming convention that'due south come up to ascertain most handsets while putting an emphasis on design. But while nosotros gave the LG Velvet a generally favorable review, that new approach hasn't reversed LG's smartphone fortunes.

Possibly the LG Rollable will. Or possibly information technology will end upwards like the LG V60 successor manifestly has — another project the Korean-company spikes as information technology moves closer to exiting smartphones for skillful.

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Philip Michaels is a senior editor at Tom'south Guide. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics and quondam movies. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.