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LG to conduct OS update for G4, V10

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By Lee Min-hyung

G4

V10

LG Electronics will update its previous flagship smartphones ― the G4 and V10 ― with the latest Android Nougat 7.0 operating system (OS), retracting its earlier decision amid a growing customer backlash.

“The new OS update will be available for the V10 in the second quarter of this year, with the G4 in the third quarter,” an LG Electronics official said Sunday.

“The schedule is set for Korean users. We will release additional notices for those in non-Korean territories.”

The move is in contrast to its recent announcement to stop releasing OS updates for the two devices. LG had expressed concerns over insecure compatibility between the devices’ hardware specifications and the new software. The company claimed the two models were programmed to generate best performance under the Android 5.0 and Android 6.0 OS.

But the firm’s top management said Monday at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) that it was in internal talks over whether to offer the updates.

“It depends on a user’s decision over whether to update their devices, but the decision came as part of our efforts to maximize customer satisfaction by offering more options to them,” the company official said.

Last week, LG Electronics was criticized over the non-OS update policy for the two models despite launching the devices less than two years ago.

It angered customers because the Android 7.0 OS has been available for the Nexus 5X, which uses the same application processor ― SnapDragon 808 ― as the G4 and V10.

The latest decision comes at a critical time when the company needs to rebound with its new flagship device, the G6, launched at the world’s largest mobile show in Barcelona last week.

The firm’s mobile underperformance last year was attributed to weak sales of the G5.

LG hopes the G6 will raise its brand value as a flagship handset vendor and put the sagging mobile division on the road to recovery this year.

Reflecting on its recent failure in the high-end smartphone sector, the company did not take any risks by adding surprising features for the new model, and instead focused on strengthening basic functions such as display and audio.

LG Electronics will start selling the G6 on Mar. 10 for 899,800 won ($777).