The LG V10 is the Korean manufacturer’s latest smartphone to arrive on the scene, although November seems like a late date to release what many are calling LG’s true 2015 flagship (the G4 isn’t, by any stretch). The LG G4 lacks a fingerprint scanner and has a mid-range processor housed within it that seems to lag behind other flagship competitors. LG tried to turn some things around with the V10, such as implementing the G4’s missing fingerprint scanner and adding some water and dust resistance, and military grade-A build, but apparently, that hasn’t helped the company sell too many of its latest. With the LG V10 being only one month old, and with 2016 on the horizon, it appears as though LG has started mainstreaming its product line. The first thing to go, according to a reliable source, will be the LG G Flex lineup — including the LG G Flex 2 released in January of this year with its overheating Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor.
The source, written and translated from Korean, says that LG will not announce a G Flex 3 at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2016, but will instead devote time to creating a V10 successor. We don’t know the specific reason behind the company’s decision to scrap the G Flex lineup, except to say that it wasn’t very popular to start with and that it didn’t amass too many sales. The G Flex lineup was also created from its inception to challenge the possibility of Samsung emerging with a flexible phone. The G Flex didn’t arrive until after Samsung had shown off its Galaxy Round device; at that point, LG decided to try and beat Samsung to the punchline but didn’t think that Samsung would “bake” its idea a little longer before emerging with the Galaxy S6 edge on March 1st of this year. At that point, LG was forced to rethink its strategy, eventually patenting an “LG Edge” which became the LG V10 when it was released. Despite LG’s claims that the G lineup (including the G4) was its flagship device, LG appears to have created a second flagship as well with the V10. The G Flex lineup was never flagship material, but it was an experimental line for LG to see market reception up-close.
Now, with the G Flex eventually going the way of the dinosaur, and with LG placing all bets on the LG V10, what will become of the company? LG will continue to make smartphones, but I think it’s the software experience that just isn’t sufficient or excellent for most individuals. Some people find the V10 to have refreshing software when the user is coming from a Samsung device, but it’s the overwhelming software experience that many customers love and respect in Samsung. There’s such a thing as too much software, but there’s also such an experience as “too little” software. If too much software is overwhelming, then too little software is underwhelming and both are just as bad in their own right.
We don’t know if this is certain, but CES 2016 will tell us, one way or the other.
In any case, what do you think about LG’s decision to terminate its G Flex line? Do you think this is just a random rumor and that we’ll see the G Flex 3 at CES? If so, let us know.
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