With the announcement that LG is shutting down its mobile business, many users are left wondering what the future of device support for their LG phones looks like. Experts say some users could see themselves footing the bill for repairs once the warranty phase is up. “LG is bound by law to provide technical support as long as warranty coverages are active,” Stacey Kane, business development lead of EasyMerchant, explained in an email to Lifewire. “However, in other countries where companies are only obliged to make good on their warranty services up to a given period after their liquidation, LG users may be faced [with covering] their own expenses for the repair of their units by employing the help of independent technicians.”
Buyer’s Remorse
LG has been clear in its promises to provide support—including operating system updates—to its devices following the final closure of its smartphone division. The company expects to finish the process in July of 2021, and plans to continue selling its latest line of devices until stock is depleted. While stock will be available for some time, experts warn that purchasing an LG device right now is a bit of a gamble. LG, itself, even states that it only will provide support for an unknown period of time, which can be affected greatly by the region in which you purchased the device. Because of this, those in the United States could have longer or shorter support times than users picking up a device in another country, like India. Furthermore, Kane says customers shouldn’t rely on LG for technical support and repairs, as the warranties on these devices often can be limiting. For most LG phones, that warranty period is roughly one year, and often won’t apply to repairs of key components like the antennas in your phone, unless those issues are caused by a manufacturer defect. You previously could extend the warranty another year by registering, but it’s unclear if that option still will be available after the closure.
Future Updates
Another point of contention to take into account when determining what to do about your current LG device—or if you’re still looking to pick one up—is the future of the operating system. New updates to your phone’s OS are important, often delivering new security patches and features that you need to stay safe in the digital world. LG’s history with updates never has been that great, with major Android updates coming to its devices well after they should have. In 2018, LG launched a Software Upgrade Division, designed specifically to bring more reliable updates to its devices. However, it has continued to lag behind other major Android phone manufacturers like Samsung. One of the most surprising bits of info to drop throughout the closure, though, is a report that LG plans to bring Android 12 to some of its devices. That seems unlikely, as, even now, some LG device owners still are worried they won’t receive Android 11. If LG does go through with Android 12 updates, they most likely only would come to the company’s latest devices, like the LG Wing and LG Velvet, and probably would take at least a couple of years to put together. Despite the concerns, Kane says she hopes that LG will keep its promises and offer good support for users of its devices well after the closing is finalized. “Since they have already given a statement explicitly announcing their continued support for existing users, it could only be irresponsible of them to not make good on their own words,” she said.
