OLED displays are far from cheap, so it's understandable that many folks look for OLED TV deals when they decide to make the switch. Most of these discounts go live around major sale events like Black Friday or Prime Day, but Best Buy has decided to shock us all by slashing a whopping $700 off the price of the 48-inch LG B5 OLED TV (2025) for a limited time.

This entertainment powerhouse is widely considered to be the best entry point for shoppers switching to OLED, and this discount of over 50% makes the smart TV more approachable than ever before. 

This particular discount is only available on the 48-inch version of the LG TV, but you can save a ton of cash by going with larger models as well. The 77-inch B5 Series OLED is chilling with an incredible $1,600 discount, for instance, so you can choose the dimensions that work best for you.  

• Best Buy launches huge smart TV sale: see the full list of deals

Whether you're enjoying the latest games, films, or live sports on YouTube TV, the B5 Series by LG set the standard of what an entry-level OLED TV should look like in 2025. Although the manufacturer has since unveiled its 2026 lineup, last year's B5 still offers the best bang for the buck for most shoppers, especially when you slap on a massive Best Buy discount. 

For just $599, the 48-inch model boasts a stunning display with AI-boosted upscaling technology to improve picture in real time. the smart TV also provides support for 120Hz 4K gaming, plus you get desirable features like Auto Low Latency Mode, AMD FreeSync, HDR support, and four HDMI ports straight out of the box. 

To be sure, there are better OLED TVs out there, and the LG B5 series does struggle a bit with brightness compared to more premium models. But if you're ready to enter the world of OLED and you only have about 600 bucks to spend, there's no better deal on the web today. 

Remember the LG Rollable? It was a highly anticipated rollable phone that LG teased at CES 2021 before the company decided to exit the smartphone industry. It likely would've been the first (and, at this point in 2026, the only) rollable phone commercially available to consumers.

Well, despite the phone never launching, some people managed to get their hands on it. While we've seen the phone in action, Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything went a step further and took it apart to reveal the inner workings of this rather unique phone.

But that begs the question: if the LG Rollable were available, would you have bought it?

LG Rollable teardown reveals all

The hands-on with the LG Rollable shows Nelson expanding and retracting the display, which plays a whimsical sound over the rather loud sound of the motor underneath. The software intelligently adjusts based on the display state, even when watching videos, which will enlarge when the display is expanded. Meanwhile, the back of the phone would display a usable section of active display when the phone is retracted, which can be used to display widgets and even take selfies with the main dual cameras

Nelson points out zipper-like linkages, which are likely responsible for keeping things together along the device's curve, while also showing how strong the motors are by having the phone push items such as a large book. Ultimately, these are the things we want to see, and Nelson gets to work carefully taking the phone apart.

What's revealed is a unique internal structure consisting of three spring-loaded mechanical arms that help keep the display uniform when expanding or retracting and tuck into the internal frame when not in use. Meanwhile, dual motors at the top push the internal structure along a rail, with Nelson calling the phone "overengineered" while still marveling at its innovation.

Other specs include a 64MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultrawide sensor, and a 4,500mAh battery that would make even the Galaxy Z Fold 7 jealous. There's also a rear fingerprint sensor that doubles as the power button, something I wish were still more common on smartphones.

Other companies have shown off rollable concepts, but none seemed to have come as close to launching one as LG, instead focusing on foldable phones. Still, it would've been interesting to see how different things might've been if rollable phones had hit the scene back in 2021, giving consumers an alternative form factor to choose from.

Let us know in the comments what you think of the LG Rollable and if you would've bought one.

This year, it will be five years since LG launched what’s considered its last flagship smartphone. The LG Wing was a very unique device featuring a swivel design that you won’t really find anywhere else, and probably for good reason. The novel design was one that turned heads, but surprisingly (or maybe not), the LG Wing ultimately failed to garner enough attention to keep LG in the game. The following year, LG announced it was leaving the smartphone business.

I’ve been holding onto the LG Wing for the past five years, and it was recently announced (via Android Authority) that LG will soon shut down its update service, meaning that anyone still using an LG phone will soon no longer be able to update it.

Fortunately, I’ve managed to keep my Wing updated (as much as possible) over the years. It's mostly been collecting dust in a drawer all the time, so as a self-proclaimed former LG fanboy, I recently decided to revisit this unique device and take it for a spin now that it's been some time since LG bowed out.

The Wing had some interesting ideas

The LG Wing came at a time when foldable phones were still getting off the ground. They weren't as popular as they are today, and companies were still working out the hardware and software intricacies that came with building foldables. That's where the Wing came in, offering an alternative for anyone who worried about the longevity of a folding display.

At the time, I thought LG was smart to forgo the potential costs associated with developing a foldable phone. Instead, the company leaned on the latest (and eventually final) evolution of the Second Screen concept it had been pushing on consumers for years.

The idea was fairly simple in concept: you can use the phone as you regularly would on its primary display, but then you could reveal a secondary screen whenever you needed it. It stayed out of sight until it was needed, which I really appreciated.

LG also had some ideas of how this second screen could be used. Apps could utilize both displays in unique ways, which actually made a fair amount of sense. For instance, when the main display was swiveled up, I could watch a YouTube video in full view on the horizontal screen while the various video controls remained on the second screen underneath. This made it easy to adjust volume, brightness, skip forward, and more.

The other use for the second screen was multitasking. My favorite use case was always using Google Maps on the primary display to navigate, while the second screen would be used to control music.

Of course, there's much more you can do with it, so long as you're okay with some apps being squished down to the almost-square aspect ratio. But to me, this made me think of multitasking in ways I never considered before. Since I'm not a fan of using split screen on standard candybar phones, this gave me another option that I much preferred.

LG also had a fun mouse function that let you use the second screen to control the main display.

Then there's the camera. LG did something pretty unique by adding a secondary ultrawide "Gimbal Motion Camera" that's rotated 90-degrees and would work when the phone is in Swivel Mode. Basically, this allowed the users to move the viewfinder around without needing to physically move the sensor and helped stabilize videos in a similar way to an actual gimbal camera system.

It's a unique way to take advantage of the phone's unique form factor, as you can simply hold the phone by the second screen for more stable handling of the phone when recording. It also potentially saves you from having to purchase a separate smartphone gimbal.

I will say that I was thoroughly surprised at the photo quality from the main wide and ultrawide sensors. I was always a fan of LG's video capabilities, but photo quality always left a lot to be desired on previous LG phones I've used, so it was good to see LG improve on this front with the Wing.

In the LG Wing review, it was noted how the primary camera "goes toe-to-toe with some of the best Android cameras out there, with impressive dynamic range and color clarity, plus minimal noise even in darker conditions." I wouldn't say that LG could compete with the best Android cameras of 2025, but it certainly wasn't bad for 2020.

Unfortunately, camera improvements and a novel smartphone form factor were not enough to save the Wing or LG.

Too many compromises

Ultimately, the LG Wing was a flop. I can't say whether it was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that saw consumers making fewer non-essential spending choices or just the overall reception of the LG Wing and its admittedly cool but strange design. Either way, the phone did not resonate with consumers.

For one, the phone was expensive at launch for what you got. It cost $999 but featured a squarely mid-range Snapdragon chipset usually reserved for cheaper smartphones. By comparison, the more conventional LG V60 cost less, featured a more powerful flagship Snapdragon chipset, and had a larger battery, making it feel like a better deal.

But more than that, it felt like LG was trying to do the absolute most with the absolute least, and the payoff just wasn't there.

LG wasn't known for having the best software, and while I never particularly minded it, many considered the UI to be behind Samsung's One UI and others. That said, it feels like LG is stretching itself thin trying to get the Wing to work properly.

Switching from regular to Swivel mode and back feels janky, adding apps to the Second Screen is more cumbersome than it needs to be, and Gboard can't be used properly in Swivel mode; only LG keyboard will work on the Second Screen, which kinda misses the point if I have to use Gboard on the primary display while in swivel mode.

Samsung has a similar limitation on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 cover screen, where I can only use Samsung Keyboard, and it's a key annoyance for me.

That highlights a key problem with Swivel Mode on the LG Wing: as cool as it was, it also felt woefully underutilized. LG just didn't garner the kind of app support that was needed to fully take advantage of it. At launch, it leaned heavily on YouTube, the Whale browser, and an optimized version of Asphalt 9 to show off how apps could utilize the second screen, but the selection remained lacking throughout its lifecycle.

This left multitasking as the main function for the second screen, which wasn't enough of a draw for this phone.

LG was also known for not having the best update cadence or policy, which also didn't help the Wing's case. Funnily enough, I feel like it improved after LG announced its departure from the smartphone market, as the Wing has since received three OS upgrades up to Android 13.

Then there's the gimbal camera, which was cool in theory, but was always the phone's weakest point for me. I wanted to really like it, but the video quality was never particularly good, to the point where I would just stick to the main wide and ultrawide sensors. It didn't help that video was capped at FHD in Gimbal Mode, and the result was a surprisingly noisy and just not good.

The Wing had an opportunity to take my video, my favorite thing about LG phones, and really do something cool, but in the end, it just fell flat.

Holding the phone years later, I also can't help but notice how the Wing also just feels surprisingly un-LG in a weird way. The unique form factor was a very LG thing to do, but the compromises felt a bit uncharacteristic, such as the lack of stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Even the design choices, with a curved display, fingerprint magnet on the back panel, and noisy pop-up selfie camera, make the phone feel like it was built by a different company.

The phone is also heavy (at 260g, it's heavier than even the Galaxy Z Fold 6), only features an IP54 water and dust resistance rating, and the fingerprint sensor is very slow.

LG was great at standing out with its experimental phones, and the Wing was clearly never meant to be a huge hit, but LG made some odd choices that I feel ensured it wouldn't do well.

That said, I can't help but feel like some of what we got with the LG Wing helped prepare me for foldables, particularly flip phones.

Prepping me for foldables

Foldables weren't my thing back in 2020, but with the resurgence of the Motorola Razr, I've gone all-in on flip phones. It's a familiar design that spans generations, and now with modern smartphone technology, it can live on in a much-smarter and user-friendly way. Where LG tried to differentiate itself with the Wing, modern flip phones relied heavily on the past to gain popularity.

Still, I think the Wing was onto something with its smaller second screen. This wasn't meant to be a primary way of interacting with the phone, but an optional way for users to get a little extra out of their devices.

Modern flagship flip phones take a similar approach, yet they make the smaller cover screen a first option as a way to quickly get through notifications, messages, and more. Then, if and when necessary, you can open the device to reveal a regular-sized smartphone.

With this in mind, I can't help but think LG would have done better to opt for a flip phone form factor than to try and reinvent the wheel with a Swivel phone. It may have taken a generation or two to really take off, but given the growing popularity of the Razr and Galaxy Z Flip lineups, maybe we would still have LG around to keep us on our toes with other unique devices like the unreleased Rollable phone.

What you need to know

• LG is pushing the future of flexible displays with a new prototype that stretches up to 50% beyond its original size.
• The screen starts at 12 inches and stretches to 18 inches, but its 100 ppi pixel density lags behind modern smartphones.
• Made from contact lens material, this display has the highest elongation rate in the industry, allowing it to stretch without damage.

LG envisions a future ruled by flexible displays, and its latest concept screen brings that vision to life. Stretching up to 50% beyond its original size, LG's new stretchable display is pushing screen tech to new limits.

LG Display recently showed off its game-changing display tech at LG Science Park in Seoul. The prototype screen starts at 12 inches but can stretch all the way to 18 inches. It features a pixel density of 100 ppi across its RGB subpixels.

While impressive, this falls behind modern smartphone displays like the Google Pixel 9 Pro, which sports a 495 ppi screen. So, it’s probably not ready for mobile devices just yet.

The panel is crafted from the same material found in contact lenses. LG claims this stretchable display has the industry's highest elongation rate, allowing the screen to stretch beyond its usual size without damage.

Though unconventional, the Korean company sees this stretchable display as a game-changer for innovation in the consumer electronics world.

The latest concept display is similar to LG’s 2022 reveal, but this new version takes it up a notch by doubling its stretch. The new display tech isn’t just stretchable and twistable—it also shows a full color spectrum, thanks to microLED tech. Like OLED, it emits light directly, so there's no need for a backlight.

With its microLED light source, the new display can be stretched over 10,000 times, according to the company. MicroLED's tiny size opens up some pretty unique possibilities, like LG’s prototype.

Even though flexible displays are already in products like foldable phones and rollable TVs, LG Display hasn’t revealed any plans to roll out its stretchable screen tech commercially yet.

Nevertheless, the company expects this tech to have plenty of uses, like wearable displays that fit into clothing comfortably and in-car screens that mold to the dashboard’s shape without messing with the design.

It's likely, though, that these stretchable screens won't hit consumer products anytime soon.

Sometimes, it's nice to sit back and reminisce about the old days. You know, the days when smartphones included things like headphone jacks, microSD card slots, and even removable batteries. Back when smartphones were fun, in the days of Moto Maker, LG G3, the HTC One, and so many more. 

It was definitely the Wild Wild West, but it was so enjoyable because there were so many options to choose from. I mean, we even had the Google Play Edition lineup, comprised of phones from Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and even Sony!

Back in those days, we'd see some wild and crazy designs as companies weren't afraid of taking chances. The Galaxy Note Edge was pretty unique, but was Samsung's foray into the curved screens that we saw on the best Android phones until the Galaxy S24 Ultra, for better or worse. 

The Moto Z was so thin that I thought Motorola was going to have an iPhone 6S moment on its hands. Funnily enough, the Moto Z also seemingly laid the groundwork for MagSafe, but naturally, didn't take off in the same way.

We didn't have to worry about running out of storage because the microSD card slot was there. Bluetooth headphones were around, but why splurge on those when you could just plug in your wired headphones sans dongle? 

Sure, today, we have phones that fold and flip and don't need to carry a point-and-shoot camera. We just use the camera in our pockets or bags. That's all fine and dandy, but it hasn't been enough to make me completely forget about the past.

And don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade a foldable phone for the HTC One M8, even if the underlying hardware was modernized. I'm extremely grateful for how far smartphones have come, more than 15 years after I got my very first smartphone. 

Perhaps my biggest disappointment is that phones just aren't as fun anymore. Some of this has to do with the inability to get phones from Europe, Korea, or China in North America. Here, the flagship realm is just the Samsung and Apple show, with a sprinkling of Google and OnePlus.

Meanwhile, Huawei, Honor, Xiaomi, Vivo, and others are churning out new phones that put what we have here in the States to shame. Xiaomi is even gearing up to release its first Galaxy Z Flip rival. But the only way I'll be able to get my hands on it is to spend an exorbitant (to me) amount of money to have it imported. The same goes for the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, with its 100W charging and true flagship camera system. 

At the same time, I can't help but wonder about what the future holds for smartphones. Slabs are pretty much all the same and I couldn't really care less, with the exception being for phone companies to fix the displays so my colleague Nick can enjoy them again.

I would venture to argue that we've reached the pinnacle of what smartphones can do in terms of raw horsepower. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 seems to just about check all of the boxes, as it's powerful and efficient with little sacrifice.

It's also likely why phone companies are now putting more effort into AI capabilities. That's the next "great frontier," as only a little bit of those cool and new features are handled by the on-device NPU. The rest is done in the cloud, which is incredible in its own right, but not the point. 

However, the tradeoff to gaining more powerful and efficient phones is that we lose all the features we once cared about, and we continue to pay the price as the cost of these devices increases. It costs money to manufacture processors, and chips like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 aren't cheap as chipmakers include newer, more capable NPUs that could result in steeper costs to OEMs. 

On the one hand, we can now reap the benefits of on-device processing as a wave of new generative AI features emerges. Meanwhile, OEMs will continue to make the most of what little space they have in these phones to bring that power while chipping away at the things that used to make phones truly fun, then charge us more for it.

Before we know it, the Galaxy S27 Ultra Pro Max will be here with a price tag of $2,000. It'll have all of the bells and whistles, while Bixby will be able to read your mind and do things for you. But you know what it won't have? A headphone jack, microSD card, or removable battery.

With Super Bowl LVIII swiftly approaching, Best Buy has launched a huge smart TV sale could help you upgrade your home theater for cheap, just in time for the big game. One offer that caught my eye is this deal that drops a massive $200 off the 65-inch UQ70 Series smart TV from LG, a sophisticated entertainment powerhouse that boasts AI-powered 4K upscaling, Active HDR10 and HLG support, a game optimizer mode, and real-time Sports Alerts. All of this for just $400? You're welcome (I expect to receive an invite to your Super Bowl party). 

Another option

These are just two of the many Android TVs that are currently on sale at Best Buy, so if you want to see more (or you want a different size), check out the full list of deals on Best Buy's official sale page.

• TV deals: Walmart | Samsung | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg 

What you need to know

• Android 13 is making its way to the LG V60 in the United States.
• The rollout marks the final software update for LG's 2020 smartphone model.
• However, it's currently limited only to the T-Mobile variant of the phone.

LG may have already exited the smartphone business, but that doesn’t mean its existing handsets have stopped receiving software updates. Some of the company’s top Android phones of old are still due to get upgraded to Android 13, and the LG V60 is the latest model to receive the update.

According to a post on Reddit, LG's 2020 smartphone model is picking up the latest version of Android in the United States (via Android Authority). However, it is only available on the T-Mobile variant at the moment. If your phone is locked to another carrier, you'll have to wait a while.

A few users who have installed the update have reported that their LG V60 has become faster. As is customary, the update includes bug fixes and security enhancements, as well as a slew of Android 13 goodies.

LG's update commitment guarantees three years of major Android OS upgrades, so the latest release should come as no surprise. However, given that the LG V60 was released in 2020, this is the device's final update.

Late last year, the South Korean tech company revealed a list of devices that will receive Android 13 in the first quarter of 2023. The LG Velvet and LG Wing were among those on the list, but the LG V60 was not mentioned.

LG released the V60 three years ago with Android 10 out of the box, powered by Qualcomm's legacy Snapdragon 865 chipset.

Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly when the update will land on the rest of the U.S. carriers. It's safe to assume that this is now in the pipeline, so only time will tell when Android 13 will arrive for the last model in the V series.

•  Phone deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Samsung | Amazon | Verizon | AT&T

Christmas is long gone, but you don't need a festive sale event to find a great smart TV deal. In fact, it seems like TVs are one of the few items that aren't increasing in price these days, and many retailers are more than happy to drop a couple hundred dollars off the price in order to earn your business. That being said, there's a big difference between a couple hundred dollars and the outstanding deal that we just uncovered: head to Best Buy now and you can get a jaw-dropping $700 off the 65-inch LG Class 83 Series QNED TV, an entertainment powerhouse that usually retails for $1,699.99. It's a Black Friday-level deal in the middle of January!

Get $700 off this LG QNED smart TV at Best Buy

The LG Class 83 Series QNED TV uses an a7 Gen 4 AI Processor to automatically optimize the picture quality of whatever you're watching, while the 4K upscaling means your favorite films and TV shows will look better than ever before. But what exactly does QNED mean? It's basically LG's way of selling the power of their Quantum Dot NanoCell Color Technology, or in other words, super-tiny LED lights powered by artificial intelligence. The mini-LED backlight allows the TV to intelligently control the color and contrast on a seemingly-microscopic level, thereby producing incredibly lifelike picture with richer colors and deeper blacks.

Interested in trying out some new streaming services on your new smart TV? Check out our streaming service free trial guide to see which sites are currently offering free access to their content libraries for a limited time. 

What you need to know

• LG Innotek reveals its optical telephoto zoom camera module at CES 2023.
• The zoom module is capable of 4x to 9x zoom, keeping captured content at a high quality.
• LG Innotek's new module also contains an Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) to reduce the blur seen on a higher zoomed photo or video where it's most noticeable.

LG Innotek reveals its new optical telephoto advancements at the 2023 international CES event.

According to LG Innotek's press release, tech lovers can now learn what improvements it's bringing to the smartphone industry with its new optical telephoto zoom camera module. The company states that this new telephoto module is capable of achieving a 4x to 9x optical zoom. 

It goes on to explain that there are two types of zoom: digital and optical. The latter is what LG Innotek is putting to use due to its module moving the lens directly to zoom, creating a higher overall image quality.

This is all thanks to the company's zoom actuator, a component that was not only tuned for accuracy but also durability and speed while also using less battery power. LG Innotek has also minimized the thickness of the module in an effort to remove the "camera bump" featured on many of the best smartphones on the market.

The module is also taking advantage of an Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) which reduces blur on photos and videos caused by shaking and increases the definition of captured content. LG Innotek sees this as an important additional feature considering the closer you are to a target, the more clearly you can notice subtle movements.

LG Innotek has also been working closely alongside Qualcomm and states that this relationship will work toward improving its software to work with its optical zoom. This work will be put to use on phones powered by the recently launched Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform. It's said to enhance auto-focus, auto-exposure, auto-white balance, lens shading correction, and more.

Sony introduced a periscope optical lens with the launch of its Xperia 1 IV built for content creators. This module offered a "true optical zoom" which had a zoom range of 3.5x to 5.2x. The company stated this would allow users to enjoy a smoother zoom and better image capture quality before digital cropping came into play. However, it looks like LG Innotek's optical telephoto module is looking to gain the edge considering it is attempting to keep the quality high at a much closer zoom range without compromise.

What you need to know

• LG Display revealed its new stretchable, durable display.
• The display can stretch from its natural form of 12-inches to 14-inches.
• LG Display's new screen utilize a micro-LED light source along with an S-form spring wired system that allows it to bend and endure repetitive form changes.

LG Display has revealed a 12-inch display that can stretch without damaging the material.

According to LG Display's press release, the Korean brand revealed a 12-inch high-resolution stretchable display that can expand by a couple of inches. The company had set out to create a display with 20% stretchability, a resolution of 100ppi, and features full RGB color. LG Display hopes that the new display's durability and flexibility can bring about a commercialized life for the new tech.

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy chose LG Display to lead this project of creating a stretchable screen back in 2020. What the company ended up creating was a display based on a highly resilient film-type substrate comprised of special silicon found in contact lenses.

During its unveiling, LG Display's new display showed off its rubber band-like flexibility, allowing the tester to stretch the display from its natural 12-inch form to 14-inches.

LG Display claims that the "display’s free-form nature offers a cutting-edge solution surpassing the existing foldable and rollable technology."

Its lightweight design may allow a screen such as this to bend to the whims of multiple everyday scenarios. The stretchable display uses micro-LED with pixels less than 40μm in size. LG Display states that this secures the display's durability while also allowing it to compete with most computer monitors.

The flexible display contains an S-form spring wired system which lets it bend and endure repeated changes to its shape.

LG Display claims that the new display could easily conform to curved surfaces like a person's skin, clothing, furniture, cars, and aircraft. The company is even eyeing its potential use in the fashion industry.

However, LG Display's screen technology does make us think of the now-canceled LG Rollable, which we caught a bitter-sweet hands-on video of in September. Perhaps this featured the start of this new stretchable display technology and, as we can tell, has only gotten more advanced over the years.

This also isn't the first time we've heard or seen something about some sort of "stretchy" display of tech devices. During Global Tech Korea 2021, Samsung revealed its flexible OLED display that it was developing. The company showed off a 13-inch display that would stretch and bend depending on what was being shown, a demo that was both creepy and cool.

Earlier that same year, Royole showed off a project aiming to bring stretchable micro-LED displays to wearables. While this is something we're also seeing LG Display dabble in, Royole's 3D shape-conforming display was a bit smaller at 2.7-inches. The small, high-density display is fitting for wearables, although Royal said it had smart car windshields in mind as well.

What you need to know

• LG has launched a new Android tablet in South Korea.
• The tablet runs Android 12, sports a 10.35-inch display, and is powered by the Snapdragon 680.
• The tablet has pen support and is available with either 64GB or 128GB of expandable storage.

LG may be down and out when it comes to Android smartphones, but the company is dipping its toes back in the tablet space with the new Ultra Tab.

The LG Ultra Tab sports a 10.35-inch ISP WUXGA+ (2000 x 1200) display. As opposed to the company's previous tablets like the LG G Pad 5 10.1, this is meant to be oriented in landscape mode, with the 5MP front-facing camera housed on the wider bezel. On the back is an 8MP camera.

Specs aren't really anything to run home about. It is powered by the Snapdragon 680, a 4G LTE chip launched late last year (so at least it's not outdated). It's paired with a measly 4G of RAM and either 64 or 128GB of expandable storage.

The tablet runs Android 12 (no word on Android 12L), has quad-stereo speakers, and Wacom pen support with an optional LG stylus pen. LG also offers an optional folio case with a keyboard for added productivity. Powering everything is a 7,040mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 3 and Power Delivery charging.

While it's the first LG tablet in a few years, it's hardly anything to get too excited about. The tablet features specs that would more likely compete with some of the best cheap Android tablets than anything akin to a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series.

It kind of reminds me of the Nokia N1 tablet that randomly launched while the company was drifting between the loss of Windows Phone and its entry into Android.

Still, it's good to see a little effort from LG, even if the tablet seems unlikely to launch outside of its home country. Meanwhile, some of us — in a likely minority — wish LG would launch new smartphones, but alas, I guess I'll just have to hold onto my LG Wing while it's still guaranteed support.

Here at Android Central, we may be busy writing up great Prime Day deals that we spot for our readers to take advantage of, but that doesn't mean we aren't looking for cool deals to get in on ourselves. Some of us have even managed to snag a few items ourselves. Here are some of the items that our staff purchased during Prime Day, although not everything is related to the kind of content we usually cover.

• See all the Prime Day deals: USA | UK | Canada | India

Jeramy Johnson, Editor-in-Chief

These may look like headphones, but Jeramy opted for a portable neck fan so that he could bear the sweltering heat of Texas.

"I live in Austin, and the temps have been over 100 for several months now, which has put a major damper on my willingness to go on long walks or runs. Thankfully, my wife spotted this portable neck fan. I mean, I thought I was already pretty cool, but this certainly will help!

Michael Hicks, Senior Editor

Michael Hicks remained on-brand and purchased Sony's discounted DualSense controller for his PS5 in a fun Cosmic Red colorway, allowing him to switch things up from the regular white controller, which can get dirty pretty easily.

"The PS5 DualSense controller battery can die on you after a long play session, so I'm picking up a second Cosmic Red controller to make sure the fun never stops! Any color option is better than white, which tends to show grime pretty easily. Plus, I've been itching to play some couch co-op games like Overcooked and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands with my partner."

Derrek Lee, News Editor

Derrek bought a massage gun because when he's not writing and working, he's lifting and working out.

"I work out a lot, but I am not good at remembering to do anything about recovery. I figure with a massage gun, I can do a better job at it, especially since it's something I can do while I work. Plus, a friend of mine has one, and it was the best thing ever when I took it for a spin."

Andrew Myrick, Senior Editor

Andrew got himself a new keyboard to upgrade his setup. He's a fan of RGB lighting, so we're not surprised to see it here.

"If there's one thing to know about me, it's that I have an affinity for mechanical keyboards. In an effort to get a new keyboard without infuriating my wife, the Keychron K6 is perfect to swap out with different switches and mess around with my ever-growing collection of keycaps."

Robert Dolen, Copy Editor

Robert is a PC gamer and spent some big bucks to grab an LG monitor that could be perfect for any gaming setup. After all, LG makes many of the best gaming monitors around.

"For those PC gamers still living the 1080p lifestyle (like me), I ended up snagging a new medium size monitor. I upgraded from an old 24-inch Sceptre to this 27-inch gaming monitor from LG, featuring all the bells and whistles you'd want from a proper gaming monitor: 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, IPS, and G-SYNC/FreeSync compatible. Alongside creature comforts like a thin bezel and adjustable viewing angle, this was a solid deal for a mild upgrade."

Chris Wedel, Senior Editor

Chris is living his best life after purchasing an ice cream maker for the family. And really, couldn't we all use an ice cream maker?

"After multiple failed attempts to make homemade ice cream in the 100+ degree heat in my old-style machine that requires constant refills of ice and rock salt, I caved on Prime Day and bought a new ice cream maker. No, it isn't techie at all. There's no display, app, or connectivity, but this Cuisinart countertop ice cream maker will bring smiles to my family and take the stress away from me."

Nicholas Sutrich, Senior Editor

Nick took the plunge and purchased a second Meta Quest 2 VR headset, which will allow him to enjoy VR games with his family, particularly his son.

"I just had to pick up a second Oculus Quest 2 this Prime Day so that I could finally play VR games with my son again. Over the years, I've had a lot of VR headsets and, while some of them are still lying around, none of them are as effortless to use as the Quest 2. Now, I'll finally be able to jump back into Rec Room with him as we blast aliens in our living room and fight through skeletons as a swashbuckling pirate. It was also nice saving $50 in the process."

Jerry Hildenbrand, Senior Editor

Jerry has been trying to get his hands on a graphics card for some time, and it looks like Prime Day was the perfect time to grab one.

"I grabbed a 3080 Ti card not because it was on sale, but because the seller (and Amazon, I guess) was hoarding them until Prime Day, and it was finally in stock at the retail price. I really didn't have the money for it and had to use my credit card, but I have no idea when I'll get another chance to buy one, and really wanted it. It's nice that I saved 23%. It's nicer that I could buy it at all, though."

There are still plenty of deals going on as Prime Day comes to a close. Check out our Prime Day live blog to check out some must-have deals before they end!

Update (May 27, 12:25 pm ET): T-Mobile has provided customers with detailed instructions on how to apply the fix.

What you need to know

• T-Mobile has addressed a software-related problem that rendered many LG phones unusable.
• Owners of LG phones on the carrier's network were greeted with a persistent IMS error message, preventing them from using their devices.
• T-Mobile may be to blame for the issue.

LG officially ended its smartphone business more than a year ago, but the company continues to push security updates to eligible phones and has even recently detailed its upcoming Android 12 update plans for selected devices. Unfortunately, a recent network update has rendered many old LG phones inoperable.

It appears T-Mobile inadvertently caused the issue, and the carrier has now fixed it. According to The T-Mo Report blog site, T-Mobile has rolled out a fix for the error message that prevented many LG phone owners from using their handsets. If you are one of those affected, you should restart your device to apply the fix.

The bug affected the IMS (IP multimedia subsystem) service and persistently pushed pop-up alerts on screen with an error message stating "the LG IMS has stopped," making it impossible to use affected devices. For those who are unfamiliar, IMS is the framework in charge of handling text messages and phone calls over an IP network.

A considerable number of LG phone users who own many of the best LG phones, including the LG G-series, V-series, and the LG Velvet, were greeted with the IMS error message. Complaints poured in on sites like Reddit and Twitter.

Neither closing the pop-up message nor resetting an affected phone did anything to banish the problem. Some users were able to find a temporary solution by removing the SIM card, but inserting it again resulted in the same error message.

T-Mobile's support team on Twitter told customers that it was aware of the issue and that it would release a fix soon. The problem has apparently been caused by a network-side system update rolled out by T-Mobile. The carrier discovered the bug only after the update was already deployed.

While the issue has now been fixed, it highlights the risk of continuing to use a smartphone that no longer receives support from the manufacturer.

Update

T-Mobile has officially acknowledged the recent IMS bug that occurred on many LG phones after it pushed a network settings update.

Below are the steps to apply the fix:

1. From your list of apps, tap the "Settings" gear.
2. Either select "System" or choose the "General" tab.
3. Choose Update Center > App Updates.
4. Select "Download for LG IMS Improved" and wait for the update to complete.
5. Press and hold the power key, then choose to restart your device.

Do you remember when you first became interested in mobile phones? I do. I was 12 years old, and Nokia was at the top of its game. Smartphones weren't really a thing back then, but the cell phones that were coming out were exciting, coming in all different types of form factors. But with the advent of more advanced smartphones, things have actually become pretty dull, and I'm at a point where smartphones aren't really all that exciting to me anymore.

If you look around at the best Android phones, they all look the same. There's nothing really wrong with that, but it makes me miss "the old days" when manufacturers actually dared to do something out of the box.

It all started with Nokia for me

I got my very first cell phone when I was 11, and it wasn't really anything exciting either, to be honest. It was a standard bar phone made by Kyocera. But this was during a time when the sidekick was the hot new thing, thanks to its rotating display that revealed a full qwerty keyboard. It was such a cool phone, and it seemed like everyone had to have one — also, you had to be on T-Mobile to get it in the U.S. There was also the Motorola Razr, which pushed the boundaries of how thin you could make a phone at the time.

Both of those phones were cool, and they did catch my attention. But what really started my interest in phones was Nokia. Specifically, it was the Nokia N90 (above), among the first of the company's iconic N-Series phones. It's such a unique design thanks to its 270° swivel display that lets you handle the phone like a camcorder. The camera itself also swiveled so that you could capture different angles with ease. It was a 2MP camera sensor, which was pretty impressive for the time. You can essentially use the phone in four different modes, which, to 13-year-old Derrek, made it more than just a phone — it was the pinnacle of cell phone design at the time.

That phone was eventually followed up with equally impressive devices like the Nokia N93i, which was just weird enough to be given a cameo appearance in the first Transformers movie.

This is what started my obsession. While other kids were going to the mall to shop for clothes, watch movies, and play video games, I went to the mall to visit the Nokia Experience Center. This large kiosk put Nokia's most exciting phones on display. And there was more than just the N-Series — there was the Nokia 7280 "lipstick phone," the Nokia 7373 with its fashion-forward design and swivel display. And, of course, we can't forget about the iconic N-Gage. There were so many different unique designs, and even though some of them didn't make any sense to me, I was so fascinated — and frankly excited — by all of them.

Of course, this was a time when other mobile phone OEMs were trying out different and unique form factors as well, but to me, no one did it as well as Nokia.

The loss of Windows Phone was a loss for us all

Stepping away from hardware for a bit, I can't remember being more excited about an operating system than I was with Windows Phone. Sure it had its share of problems, and Microsoft had a couple of false starts, but the platform was a fresh take on a mobile OS that was meant to somewhat mirror the experience of Windows 8 at the time.

Before iOS and Android decided that widgets were a thing users cared about, Windows Phone put that experience front and center. Its tile interface was slick and constantly animated with glanceable information. Windows Phone felt alive and interesting, which makes it no surprise that Nokia (unfortunately) bet its future on the platform. In comparison, Android and iOS feel pretty static and, frankly... dull.

Don't get me wrong, both OSes do what they do, and they do it well. But widgets are still an afterthought, and on the surface, both OSes feel essentially the same, even if one is just a bit more polished than the other. It just kind of feels like we've settled, and we're stuck in a two-horse race as a result.

I don't think I'll ever get over the loss of Windows Phone, and that's probably why I still hold onto my Lumia 950 — just to remember the good ol' days.

LG tried to keep things weird

Of course, we all know how Nokia's story went down with Microsoft, and we don't really need to revisit that. But at a time when Nokia and Windows Phone were no longer around, I needed to find the next interesting thing. That's what brought me to LG.

The LG V10 was an interesting phone because it had a rugged chassis and a unique second screen that could display extra information such as notifications, favorite apps, or simply your name. It was the first example of LG's "second screen" that we wouldn't see return in another hardware form until years later.

Then there was the LG G5 with its modular design. Yes, it wasn't the best implementation (something Motorola seemed to do a much better job at), but I remember absolutely loving the swappable bottom that would let me switch out batteries and attach various accessories depending on what I needed. Despite its shortcomings, I would show it off to all my friends, and the phone was definitely a head-turner.

Things calmed down for LG for a bit with the LG G8 and its weird hand gestures but started to pick up again with the reintroduction of the "second screen" on the LG V50, V60, and eventually the LG Velvet. With each iteration of the dual-display add-on, LG was refining its version of a foldable by making the dual-screen functionality optional, seemingly content not to follow Samsung's direction of actual folding displays.

LG bowed out with a bang after releasing the quite interesting LG Wing, which is technically a dual-screen phone with a swivel. It was LG's last "flagship" and probably the last smartphone I was excited to own. Even to this day, I still keep it around and show it off to anyone who'll look, and most people are still intrigued by its unique approach to a dual-screen smartphone.

I'm bummed LG had to die before giving us the Rollable phone. After all, the company had just kicked off its experimental "Explorer Project" unit, which would likely bring us more weirdness.

Samsung is making foldables mainstream... and boring

After LG and Nokia lost their way, things have never been the same. Or maybe they are the same, and that's where my problem lies. Most smartphone releases lately have consisted of the same large-screen slabs with big camera stoves on the back. Sure, a phone will get a built-in stylus or maybe an under-display camera, but I can't remember the last time I was really excited about a phone.

Things have taken an interesting turn with foldables and dual-screen phones taking off, but even those quickly lost their luster, at least for me. Not one of these devices has made me scream,"Take my money!" Don't get me wrong, foldables are pretty cool and they seem like the next logical step for smartphones, but Samsung's crusade to make them mainstream makes them much less interesting to me.

I've seen people rocking Galaxy Z Flip 3 pretty much everywhere now, so it seems like the company's strategy is working. Now more companies are launching foldables, both big and small, which is a great way to bring costs down and get them into more hands. However, it already seems like they're all following Samsung's example and design language, as noted by recent Motorola Razr 3 leaks, and nothing is really standing out anymore. Even the Galaxy Z Flip 4 looks like it'll sport more or less an identical design to its predecessor. Pass.

So what now?

Call it the ramblings of a former Nokia and LG fanboy, but I just feel like companies are afraid to get weird with their smartphones. On the one hand, I don't blame them. After all, companies don't want to waste money on a product that could be polarizing and not sell well and risk ending up like LG or Nokia. But it makes me really miss the days of Nokia at its peak when phones would flip and swivel in all sorts of ways.

We've seen companies like Samsung and TCL show off very interesting concept devices, such as multi-fold and sliding phones, but as much teasing as we get of these devices over the past year or so, companies are still afraid to just bring them to market. No one wants to be weird.

I guess, for now, I'll just have to continue reminiscing with Mr.Mobile's "When phones were fun" video series.

What you need to know

• LG has released its upcoming update schedule for Q2 2022.
• Thee phones will be updated to Android 12, including the LG Q92 and the 2019 LG V50/V50S.
• The LG Velvet was recently the first LG phone to be updated to Android 12.

LG may be down and literally out, but the company is sticking to its commitment to continue providing major updates to its phones (we hope). LG has just published a new update schedule for Q2 2022, outlining the upcoming device updates it has in store. As exciting as that sounds for fans of LG, the schedule may be a bit disappointing.

According to LG, three phones are set to receive the update to Android 12 this quarter. That includes the 2019 LG V50 ThinQ and its S variant and the mid-range LG Q92. Besides that, other devices are set to receive new security patch updates this quarter.

It's a bit disappointing that LG isn't bringing Android 12 to the LG Wing. Fans likely won't be pleased to see the LG V60 missing from the list since it was arguably one of the best Android phones of 2020 and a cheaper yet quite capable alternative to Samsung's Galaxy phones. That said, the update schedule is for LG's home country of South Korea, and its plans could differ depending on the region.

That said, it's encouraging that LG is sticking to its promise to update phones released in 2019 and onwards, meaning it's likely just a matter of time before more devices receive Android 12. Although, with Android 13 around the corner, don't hold your breath for speedy updates.

The LG Velvet was the first — and so far only — LG smartphone to receive Android 12, which began rolling out in March. It arrived just over a year after the device was updated with Android 11, which it was also the first to receive. LGnormally updates its phones in its home country before other regions get them, but hopefully, it won't be too long until the remaining LG fans are treated to the latest version.

It's no secret that LG has made some of the best TVs for the PS5, and now the company is selling the gamer-friendly OLED C1 Series for 30% off if you buy the 65-inch. That puts the price at $1,746.99, a considerable drop from the Amazon list price of $2,499.99 (over $750 off).

If 65 inches is too big for your space, the reasonable 55-inch version is also 20% off, leaving you with hefty savings of around $300. Not too shabby for one of the best OLED TVs on the market. In fact, this is the best Amazon deal we've ever seen for this TV, so if you've been waiting for the right time to jump: jump. 

Of course, deal or not, a TV that's over $1,500 is still a serious investment for most people. Why is the LG OLED C1 Series so expensive? Partly because it's OLED. Unlike LED devices, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology can produce extremely deep and accurate colors, making OLED TVs unmatched when it comes to immersive gaming. The C1 Series also comes with a built-in Game Optimizer mode and HDMI 2.1 ports that allow for 4K gaming at a 120Hz refresh rate.  

Combined, these features allow for seamless graphics with a super-fast response time that really puts you in the action of all your favorite games. There are tons of great gaming TVs out there, but LG takes the cake time and time again. 

That said, if you need something a bit more affordable, we got you covered there too. Check out our list of the best gaming TVs, where we go over everything from budget options to the best TV for 8K content. 

LG OLED TV deal of the day

Once you pick out your OLED TV, you'll need to make sure it sounds as good as it looks. As always, we've got your back with a complete roundup of the best soundbars available. 

What you need to know

• The LG Velvet has finally started receiving its Android 12 update.
• For now, the rollout appears to be limited to South Korea.
• LG also plans to bring Android 13 to the Velvet and other high-end phones launched in 2019 or later.

After years of struggling to compete with rivals such as Samsung and Apple, LG finally decided to exit the smartphone market in April last year. Shortly after announcing the move, however, LG promised that it would continue to provide software support to its best Android phones.

Staying true to that promise, LG has now started pushing the stable Android 12 update to Velvet users in its home market. Sadly, there’s currently no word on when the update will make its way outside South Korea.

It also looks like owners of the LG Velvet LTE variant will have to wait a little longer to get Android 12. Last year, the LTE variant of the Velvet received the stable Android 11 update a few weeks after it was rolled out to the 5G variant.

As you’d expect, the update includes a number of new features — including camera and microphone indicators, approximate location, a new privacy dashboard, and Material You design tweaks. We can expect to learn more about the changes included in the update once it expands to Europe, North America, and other regions.

The LG Velvet was launched in mid-2020 with Android 10 out of the box. It received an update to Android 11 in the second quarter of last year. Since LG has announced a “three-year pledge” for OS updates, we can expect the Velvet to receive the Android 13 update sometime next year. Besides the LG Velvet, the LG Wing, G series, and V series phones released in 2019 and later are also expected to get three major OS updates.

What you need to know

• LG may be considering licensing thousands of patents left behind by its dead smartphone business.
• The company owns around 20,000 patents related to wireless technology, such as 5G.
• It will reportedly form a spin-off company that will handle those patents and license them to smartphone brands.

LG's smartphone business might not be totally extinct yet, sort of. The South Korean firm, which was previously known for its quirky smartphone designs (read: LG Wing) is reportedly licensing thousands of patents related to 5G and other wireless technologies.

As per The Elec, LG is considering licensing some of the approximately 20,000 patents it obtained prior to shutting down its mobile brand. The company is said to be forming a spin-off company that will handle its licensing deals with various smartphone brands (via Digital Trends).

LG might also sell some of those patents to companies that may be interested in them. A few months after LG's exit from smartphones, Samsung was reportedly eyeing LG's 5G patent portfolio.

It remains to be seen whether the companies that previously showed interest in LG's patents would still want to acquire them.

With the company's smartphone business no longer in operation, it wouldn't hurt to share some of those technologies with its former competitors. The decision was allegedly motivated by the high cost of maintaining those patents, which is estimated to be around 20 billion won ($16,166,000) per year.

If the report is correct, LG will be following in the footsteps of Nokia, which abandoned its smartphone business. Both companies struggled to compete with the best Android phones on the market, including those from Samsung.

LG already licenses some of its patents related to cellular technologies and automotive components through Avanci, an independent intermediary.

However, with LG now focusing on smart home products, the company is likely to retain a number of patents that it may find useful in the future.

What you need to know

• LG Electronics has posted its 2021 financial results.
• The company achieved its highest full-year revenue in 2021, thanks to strong demand for home appliances and OLED TVs.
• LG's Q4 revenue increased 20.7% YoY, although operating profit was down 21.4%.

LG, which quit the smartphone business last year, has announced that it achieved its highest annual revenue in 2021, with full-year sales reaching KRW 74.72 trillion (about $63.16 billion). That's an increase of 28.7% over 2020. LG has attributed its strong performance to robust sales of OLED TVs and premium home appliances.

LG also witnessed record sales in the fourth quarter of the year, with consolidated revenue rising 20.7% over the same period last year to KRW 21.01 trillion (about $17.76 billion). Operating profit, however, declined 21.4% over Q4 2020. LG says this was due to higher raw material global logistics costs.

The company's home entertainment division saw its revenue grow 30.6% in 2021 to reach KRW 17.22 trillion (about $14.56 billion). Despite the global pandemic, LG was successful in cashing in on the higher demand for premium smart TVs in Europe, North America, and other regions. This doesn't come as a surprise, since LG makes some of the best smart TVs on the market.

LG's home appliance and air solution business also had a "record-setting year" with revenues of KRW 27.11 trillion (about $22.92 billion). The growth in revenue was driven by new appliance categories like hygiene products.

The LG business solutions company achieved full-year revenue of KRW 6.96 trillion (about $5.89 billion), an increase of 15.8% over the previous year. Its fourth-quarter revenue grew 14% over the same period in 2020 to KRW 1.72 trillion ($1.46 billion) on strong demand for gaming monitors and high-end PCs.

While global business conditions are likely to remain highly challenging in 2022, LG plans to boost its competitiveness by making further improvements to its cost structure and expanding the "presence of its premium appliances and TVs in the global market."

What you need to know

• LG has begun rolling out the Android 11 update to the LG Wing.
• The update arrives just as manufacturers start pushing Android 12 to their devices.
• The Wing was LG's last major smartphone launch before exiting the smartphone industry.

Owners of the LG Wing can rejoice, as the company has begun pushing out the Android 11 update, proving that LG has not forgotten about its fans... yet.

The update should include many of the Android 11 goodies we're familiar with, such as conversation bubbles and a few other changes that are likely specific to the Wing:

• Conversation bubbles: notify you of a new message via a floating bubble
• Wireless Emergency Alert: changed from LG APK to Google APK in R-OS
• Tap&Pay: Tap&pay moves under Settings Connected devices NFC. Tap&pay will be shown when NFC is on, and disappears when it is off.
• Mobile Hotspot: Removed Manage connections and 802.11 mode menu.

The update may seem a bit late compared to some of the best Android phones already receiving Android 12, but promptness was never LG's strong suit. And now that it's no longer involved in the mobile industry, smartphones are likely not high on LG's priorities.

That said, the company did promise "up to three iterations of Android operating system updates" for smartphones released in 2019 and after. That means the LG Wing should receive Android 13 when that becomes available, along with the LG Velvet and LG V60, both of which received Android 11 earlier this year.

The update has appeared on our Verizon LG Wing as part of Software update 8, although the changelog doesn't appear to be live on Verizon's support page just yet. There don't seem to be any apparent changes to report, although the device does appear to perform better. For instance, the transition from the standard mode to the swivel orientation feels much quicker and smoother, although we'll have to play around with it more.

If you're still rocking LG's last flagship smartphone, you can check for the update by navigating to Settings > System updates > Check for new system update. While we've noticed it on our Verizon unit, it may not be long for it to reach other carriers and regions as well. Now comes the wait for Android 12.

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Soundbars have come a long way in the last few years. While full-sized speakers will still sound better — sound needs space, after all — soundbars sound great for their size. That size also requires a smaller footprint in your living room and with something like the Sonos Beam, you will get great sound without a head-scratching installation process, and more. There are other great soundbars available, and we have detailed some of the best options for your home.

Best Overall: Sonos Beam Smart TV Sound Bar

With the Sonos Beam, you get a superb TV soundbar with some basic smarts. The Sonos Beam connects to your TV with HDMI-ARC, or with the included HDMI-to-Optical adapter. It only supports Alexa right now, but Google Assistant integration is coming at some point. You can control your TV with your voice if your TV supports HDMI-CEC, which most modern sets do. Controlling your TV with your voice isn't a replacement for a remote, but it's an excellent option.

Sonos' ecosystem is attractive because of how easy it is to add more of their speakers and create a surround system. You can start with the Sonos Beam and have a great soundbar. A few months later, you can pick up a couple of Sonos One speakers to add more channels. Or, you can buy a Sonos 5.1 kit with everything you need.

3D Surround Sound: Yamaha YAS-207BL Soundbar

There is surround sound, and then there is a 3-dimensional surround sound, and the Yamaha 207BL Soundbar was the first of its kind to offer 3D surround sound. With DTS Virtual:X, the 207BL will fill every inch of your room to entrench you in the action and make you feel like you are part of the movie.

Yamaha also includes the ability to stream music over Bluetooth, along with using either the included remote or the accompanying smartphone app. Plus, there is a wireless subwoofer packaged in the bundle so you can get just the right amount of bass for your favourite movie, TV show, or music playlist.

Unfortunately, while the 207BL is excellent in many facets, there are a few frustrating omissions. The first of these is the lack of integration with smart assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. Additionally, you won't be able to pair this soundbar with other speakers, leaving you to only rely on the 207BL and subwoofer for your audio needs.

Best for small spaces: Polk Audio MagniFi Mini Soundbar

Polk is another one of those companies that prides itself on providing great audio experiences throughout your home. The MagniFi Mini Soundbar is no different and has a few tricks up its sleeves that other soundbars can't compete with.

Smart home integration is on board, as Polk has included Google Assistant with the built-in Chromecast for Google Cast. This allows you to play content directly from your smartphone, tablet, or Chromebook without having to deal with the frustrating pairing system of Bluetooth. The MagniFi Mini also includes a wireless subwoofer so that you can get that extra bass from your media, without the need for any additional wires.

As the MagniFi Mini is exceptionally compact, there is no way to mount this to your wall without installing a shelf underneath your TV. Plus, Polk has not included the ability to sync this with other speakers, even those made by Polk, so you will have to hope that this speaker gives you the desired output.

Bottom line

Soundbars come in all shapes and sizes, and there are a lot of different considerations to be taken when selecting the best one. The Sonos Beam is our favourite option with its combination of superb sound quality and ability to be paired with other Sonos speakers. This will allow you to create a genuinely immersive, surround audio experience for your home, providing the ultimate movie night.

There are some downfalls, as there is no wireless subwoofer available so the sound may not "punch" as hard as you would like. Although there is a smart assistant available with Amazon's Alexa, you may run into problems if you have to use the Optical connection, as voice commands are not accessible.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Andrew Myrick is a regular freelancer at Android Central and iMore. He has been a tech enthusiast ever since the original iPhone was released and continues to flip-flop between devices. You might as well hook him up to an IV filled with coffee to get him through the day. If you have any questions, you can find him on Twitter, and he'll get back to you.

Like so many phones out there, the LG V50 is a big, honking slab of glass that's just asking to be shattered at any given moment. We imagine you'd like to prevent that from happening, especially considering how much the phone costs, so do yourself a favor and pick up one of these cases to keep your V50 in tiptop shape.

If we had to choose

Still having trouble deciding what to get? If you want to play it safe and buy a case that's affordable, stylish, and offers superb protection, we strongly recommend the Spigen Rugged Armor. It does just about everything you could ask for without breaking the bank, and for most people, we think it's the best way to go.

Clear cases are also quite popular, and if that's the style you're after, the Ringke Fusion is absolutely worth picking up. Not only does it do a great job at showing off the striking design of the V50, but it also gives you ample ruggedness to get through the day without having to worry about a thing.

The LG Velvet has a unique name but is the best-designed phone we've seen from the company since the LG G6. Since the Velvet is already one of the best 5G phones that money can buy, you'll want to keep it looking as good as it did when you took it out of the box. We've rounded up the best LG Velvet cases that you can find, taking out some of the guesswork when trying to find the best accessories.

These are the best LG Velvet cases

There are a lot of great cases available for the LG Velvet but you just can't get any better than the Ringke Fusion Case. The case is clear on the back, making it easy to show off the Velvet's gorgeous design, and the bumpers provide extra protection and grip to keep your phone in your hands and not on the ground. Plus, those who enjoy using lanyards will be able to take advantage of the lanyard loops found on both sides of the Fusion case.

If you don't care about having a clear case and just want a solid case, then the Spigen Rugged Armor is the way to go. You'll get a classic design with the carbon fiber/TPU look and feel along with Spigen's Air Cushion technology for added shock absorption. Plus, the inside of the case provides a spider-web pattern to go along with the raised edges around the display and camera module.

Finding the best LG Stylo 6 case may seem like a daunting task, but we've got you covered — there are more options than you might think. The Stylo 6 is one of the mid-range handsets that doesn't stand out amongst the crowd until you see it in person and start using it. Whether you're a first time owner, or already have the phone and need a new case, these are the best you can find.

With the best LG Stylo 6 cases, the choices are aplenty

While searching for the best LG Stylo 6 case, it can be frustrating when there's way too many options. But the truth is, there are a lot of great options out there. Our favorite is the CaseRoo Carbon Fiber Brushed Cover as it gives you that classic look and feel that you've likely used before from other case makers. There's protection in all the right places, a brushed finish adds some extra grip, and it's lightweight and flexible so it won't weigh you down.

If you want to go even slimmer than the most basic of cases, then you'll need to pick up the Banzn Ultra Thin Cover. Not only are there a few colors to pick from, but there's also a matte finish on the back for better grip, and the case curves around all four corners to add the protection you may need. The biggest benefit to the Banzn case comes in the size and weight, as it measures in at just 0.8mm, adding almost no extra bulk to the 6.8-inch LG Stylo 6.

Sure, the Lg Stylo 6 might not be ranked among the best Android phones around. But it's a pretty decent device. And if you own one and plan to keep it for some time, you'll need a good case to protect. And any of the models on this list would do just fine.

If you just picked up an LG V40, you're probably chomping at the bit to start messing around with your new phone. We don't blame you, but before you get too far ahead of yourself, you should probably pick up a case. Bad things can happen to any phone, but a glass backs like the V40's makes it even more prone to cracks and scratches. Give your phone the protection it deserves with these diverse, dashing, and deliciously affordable cases.

If we're making some suggestions

Still feeling a little overwhelmed with all of the V40 cases that are out there? Keep it simple and pick up the Spigen Rugged Armor. With just about every smartphone that's released, the Rugged Armor continues to be one of the best cases on the market. It may not look very flashy, but it offers military-grade protection in a lightweight body while retaining a low price tag. What's not to like?

If you're OK with adding a bit more bulk for further protection, another great option is the Poetic Guardian. The addition of a built-in screen protector means you get complete coverage for the V40, and if you have the red or blue version of the phone, you can show it off proudly with the clear back.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there's the Anccer Colorful Series. This is one of the thinnest cases you can get for the LG V40, making it a great choice if you just want basic safety from daily wear and tear without compromising the V40's form factor.

The LG Stylo 4 may be a few years old at this point, but in its hey-day, it was one of the best cheap Android phones on the market. The fact that this device is still hanging around is a testament to its durability, but you're still going to want to grab one of the best LG Stylo 4 cases to keep it going. If you need a new case, we've rounded up a few of our favorites to consider.

Pick the best LG Stylo 4 case for your lifestyle

These are the go-to cases for your LG Stylo 4, and all of them would do a great job of protecting your phone. My personal favorite is still the Poetic Karbon Shield due to how reputable the brand is, but each one of these would do a great job of protecting your phone in style. The Karbon Shield provides a bit more grip than other cases thanks to the unique pattern that graces the back of your phone, while still providing precise cutouts for your camera and fingerprint scanner.

If you need a little bit more protection for your Stylo 4, you really can't go wrong with the OtterBox Commuter Series Case. This offering includes a dual-layer set up with a soft TPU inner shell and a hard polycarbonate outer shell for the maximum protection needed.

LG hasn't had the easiest year. Back at the beginning of April, the company announced that it will no longer be making new smartphones, marking the end of an era in the mobile space. Still, the company pledged to provide software support for its existing lineup that includes some of the best LG phones, meaning now could be as good a time as ever to pick one up. So which ones should you be looking at? We've got you covered.

Which LG phone is right for you?

If you want the very best Android phone that LG offers, you'll want to go for the LG V60 ThinQ. It's tough to go wrong when getting a company's top model, and LG did a great job at making a versatile, well-rounded phone in the V60. You get a huge screen, an equally huge battery, and 5G connectivity for hundreds less than other manufacturers charge for similarly powerful phones.

Of course, if you're bored of the same form factor we've seen on virtually every phone over the last decade, and the Dual Screen case isn't quite different enough to satisfy, the LG Wing is a fascinating device with a unique design. It doesn't have the most powerful specs or the greatest cameras, but its swiveling display could prove extraordinarily useful depending on your habits.

If cost-cutting is at the forefront of your priorities, however, the Stylo 6 is perfectly adequate for general usage, including browsing the web, posting to social media, and streaming video. The included namesake stylus even makes it a great drawing device! LG's departure from the mobile space is a sting to smartphone enthusiasts everywhere. Less competition is always bad for the consumer, after all. At the very least, this move has brought prices down drastically on even the company's most premium models, and you can still expect a few years of software support to keep you up to date.

What you need to know

• LG has developed a new cover material for foldable phones.
• The new "Real Folding Window" is claimed to be as hard as glass.
• LG says the first devices with its "Real Folding Window" will arrive by 2023.

LG Chem announced on September 7 a new cover material that it claims is as tough as glass while being as flexible as plastic. It is also thinner than existing tempered glass-type materials used in the best foldable phones, despite being just as durable.

The "Real Folding Window" developed by LG Chem uses a coating made of "new materials" on both sides of a Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. LG claims this solution helps improve the heat-resistance and "mechanical properties of plastic materials." The company is also working on producing a version of Real Folding Window with just the coating.

LG's Real Folding Window is said to be superior to existing polyimide films in terms of price competitiveness, and its durability is maintained even after being folded over 200,000 times. More importantly, the company says the material helps significantly reduce crease on the folding parts of the screen.

Another advantage of the new cover material is that it can be used for both in-folding and out-folding designs. Currently, commercialized cover windows are optimized only for phones with in-folding screens similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.

LG Chem plans to begin mass-producing Real Folding Window by 2022 but warns that "full-scale sales" of the product might not begin before 2023. Besides foldable phones, LG Chem expects the cover material to be used in foldable laptops and tablets as well.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 may not look all that different from its predecessor, but it is a significant step-up in several areas — including durability. Like the flagship Galaxy Z Fold 3, the Z Flip 3 is water resistant and offers great performance. The foldable also has impressive cameras and improved battery life.

• From $999 at Samsung
• From $999 at Amazon

What you need to know

• LG provides a list of smartphones that will receive Android 11, 12, and 13.
• The list includes devices like the LG Wing, Velvet, and V50 models.
• The LG V60 is curiously absent from the list of smartphones for Android 12 and 13.

Since announcing its departure from the smartphone industry, there have been questions regarding support for LG's current smartphones, and understandably so. LG is not known to have the greatest track record for providing timely (if at all) updates for its smartphones. The company previously stated that it would support certain devices up to three years after their release, but that still left questions about which devices would be supported. Now, we have a better idea of which LG smartphones will continue to receive updates to Android 12 and Android 13.

PhoneArena spotted a page on LG's Korean site that provides a list of devices that it expects to update to the next major versions of Android. The list includes expected devices like the LG Wing and both LTE and 5G versions of the LG Velvet, each of which will be supported until Android 13. The LG G8 also makes an appearance and is expected to receive Android 12, which is good news for anyone that has decided to stick with LG's curious air-motion experiment.

There's the list of smartphones to receive the upcoming versions of Android, including the current Android 11:

Android 11

• LG Wing
• LG Velvet (LTE/5G)
• LG V50S
• LG V50
• LG G8
• LG Q31
• LG Q51
• LG Q52
• LG Q61
• LG Q70
• LG Q92
• LG Q9 One

Android 12

• LG Wing
• LG Velvet (LTE/5G)
• LG V50S
• LG V50
• LG G8
• LG Q31
• LG Q52
• LG Q92

Android 13

• LG Wing
• LG Velvet (LTE/5G)

Curiously, the LG V60 ThinQ 5G doesn't seem to be among the smartphones listed, even though it was released in 2020 just before the Velvet. The device has already begun to receive the Android 11 update in the U.S., but it's unlikely that support will stop there for one of the best LG phones in recent years. It's important to keep in mind that this list is for Korean models, and LG has stated that support will vary upon the region. Still, it's good to have some idea of how long LG fans can hold onto their smartphones before deciding where to go next.

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LG has exited the smartphone business, and as a parting gift, the company has promised that its current premium Android phone lineup — which means G and V series phones released after 2019, plus the LG Wing and the LG Velvet — will get three Android updates. That means if your LG phone shipped with Android 10, you'll get Android 11, Android 12, and Android 13. But you probably won't.

I hate to be the Debbie Downer in the room, but let's get serious for a minute. LG couldn't update phones in a timely fashion or provide three platform updates when it was still in the smartphone selling game. Now that it has decided that it's time to quit losing money to Samsung and Apple, do we really think the company will change anything?

I really liked LG as a smartphone company, but I waited forever for the software to match the potential of the hardware. I'm serious. My favorite Android phone is a toss-up between the white Nexus 4 (I still have it) and the V10, both of which came out during LG's "glory days" where the company made great phones. At least on the hardware side, because the software was like a poor version of Samsung's with even more junk and clutter. Samsung has fixed most of that, but LG... well, it's LG. LG sucks at software.

Look at the photo above. Read it. I wanted to copy the text of this short press release but I'm afraid that LG will archive it because it makes the company look so bad, so I screen captured it to save it forever. It mentions things that Android enthusiasts — the only people buying "premium" LG phones ever — are interested in: a promise of "faster, timelier, smartphone operating system and software updates."

The company built out a Global Software Upgrade Center (whatever that is) to try and get updates out to us and it did not work. Not even a tiny bit. We all waited for our LG G6 to get updated while other companies got it done, and if we bought the G7 or G8 it was the same. Again — LG sucks at software.

LG did do something very smart once it saw the writing on the wall: it yanked a handful of its own apps and replaced them with plain, vanilla Android versions that you can update through Google Play. That makes a big difference, since it lets the teams actually working on Android updates to focus on core implementations and not worse versions of apps Google already makes.

I'm not bitter. I know I sound like I am, but I expected more from LG for almost 10 years and it never materialized. The company did some really innovative things — I loved the back buttons on the G2 and LG was the first company to offer a good, solid budget phone available for all carriers with the Optimus One. We also got to see the first "uber thin" phone with the LG Optimus Black and a phone that wears power armor with the V10. The company made such great stuff until you powered it on.

I just do not trust LG to update its phones for another few versions of Android. In fact, I think it would be better if the company built out a way to unlock the bootloaders on all of its phones so people like us who care can fix things the fun and messy way by visiting the XDA forums.

I'll miss LG. I had years of admiring the hardware and innovation while hating the software, waiting for LG to find a way to fix everything that was bad. The first phone I bricked was the LG Optimus 4X HD, and I was fiddling with it because the software was horrible and I wanted to roll my own.

The company that has caused so many owners to complain about software and updates for 10 years just isn't going to give you much of anything now that the mobile division was scrapped. If updates do come, you'll have tossed that LG phone into the recycle bin or a drawer and have bought one of the other best Android phones by then.

At least your LG Wing can still double as a tomahawk.

What you need to know

• After exiting the handset market, LG is now promising three Android updates to its current portfolio.
• LG says its premium phones released after 2019 in the G series and V series as well as the Velvet and Wing are eligible.
• 2020 phones in the K series and LG Stylo will get two platform updates.

LG confirmed its exit from the smartphone market earlier this week, with the company winding down operations by the end of July. While the announcement said that current phones will continue to receive updates, LG didn't clarify just what phones were eligible, and how many updates they will receive.

In a new press release, LG is clarifying its stance on software updates. Basically, all of LG's premium phones released after 2019 in the G series and V series — and last year's Velvet and Wing — will receive three guaranteed Android updates.

That's in line with what Samsung offers on its best Android phones, and while LG will no longer sell phones, it will be welcome news for existing LG owners that their devices will continue to get updates. As for the mid-range K series and LG Stylo, the company notes that it will deliver two platform updates.

LG also says it will continue to manufacture phones until the end of Q2 2021 to meet its contractual obligations to carriers and partners. With LG now promising three platform updates for its 2019 and 2020 premium phones, it may just be worthwhile to pick up phones like the Velvet or Wing. Both of these devices will inevitably be discounted in the coming weeks, so there is the potential for picking up a decent bargain.

Goodbyes are never easy, and LG's recent announcement on leaving the increasingly competitive mobile industry was especially painful, for lovers and dissenters alike. No matter your feelings on LG's last few product lines, it's impossible to deny the influence the company has had on the smartphone industry throughout the years. From Quad DACs to ultra-wide cameras, double-tap to wake, and modular hardware, LG has never been afraid to experiment and offer consumers unique, niche features.

Some of the best LG phones were ones that few other manufacturers, if any, would dare to design. A phone with a rotating swivel display, hiding a smaller square screen underneath. A phone with a rugged, rubberized backing and stainless steel rails, backed by a secondary screen up top and a myriad of previously unseen manual video controls. A phone with a slide-out bottom that allowed you to add camera grips, extra batteries, or even a more powerful audio system.

The mobile space simply won't be the same without LG contributing wild new ideas at every turn. Not every swing was a home run, but there's something admiral about the company's unending willingness to try. We asked around the Android Central staff to get each writer's take on LG's legacy, and memories both fond and frowned upon.

Adam Doud Freelance Contributor

Adam has been writing and podcasting the mobile tech space for almost a decade. When he's not writing for Android Central, he hosts the Benefit of the Doud podcast, spends way too much time on Twitter, and redesigns his office space over and over.

My history with LG is fairly short, and I won't apologize for that. But, in my career, I have usually been the guy who reviews the budget and mid-range phones, and up until around 2018, that has meant, without exception, "crappy phones." So when I say that the wheels kinda came off from LG after its modular attempt at the G5, I have to caveat that by saying, I never reviewed the LG G5. But I don't think you need to use a specific phone to know that having to power off and remove the battery from a phone in order to change a mod sucks.

The LG G6 is a phone that I did own and review, and it was a gorgeous, if slightly "meh" phone from a design standpoint. But when LG started playing around with second screens, both in the V50 and the Wing, I was beyond thrilled that a company was playing in the space again. Foldables, whatever, but the second screens were awesome. I'm happy to say I have been able to test/review every LG phone with a second screen, save for one, and I was excited by the idea that the second screen case keeps getting better and better. I was beyond stoked to hear about the Explorer Project, because it signaled a willingness to experiment and know going in that profits were not going to happen.

Then the power that be asked the most dangerous question. "Wait, that's going to cost how much??" and we all know what happened from there. There was so much promise in the LG of 2018-2020, and now there's nothing. Overall, it's both sad and predictable, which is what makes it so damn sad ... and predictable, but mostly sad.

Alex Dobie Executive Editor, Global

An almost decade-long veteran of AC, Alex is usually found in the UK — even more so than usual this past ten months. He has been blogging since before it was called that and spends most of his time leading video for Android Central on YouTube and beyond, which involves pointing a camera at shiny things and speaking words at a microphone. When all this is over, maybe he'll get back to posting airplane window shots on Instagram.

2015 was a rough time to be releasing an Android smartphone. Google and Qualcomm had just launched the platform into the 64-bit world, with new chips and a refreshed version of the OS, both of which were… Not Great. The Snapdragon 810 became notorious for overheating and performance issues, and Android 5.0 Lollipop was a mess on just about anything that wasn't a Nexus. No surprise, then, that one of the earliest devices to combine the two was kind of a train wreck. That phone was the LG G Flex 2, famed for its flexible screen and battery — and "scratch-resistant" back panel, which upon testing, scratched more easily and more permanently than any phone I'd previously used. But at least it had the power of that 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon, which happily ran at full speed provided it was amply cooled. Inside a refrigerator.

That's not a joke. Such were the thermal issues of those early-run 810s that, in my testing, the G Flex 2 would only run at full speed, with all its CPU cores enabled, when placed inside my fridge. Exposure to room temperature would eventually cause the chip to throttle back down. The G Flex 2 was bad in plenty of other ways, but only being usable at full speed with the assistance of a kitchen appliance sums up its flaws pretty well.

The LG G4, though, was one of my favorite phones of that year. It launched a few months after the 'Flex, and used the slightly less powerful, but cooler and better optimized Snapdragon 808. Its battery life was superior, and it could reach its full clock speeds outside of the fridge — which was convenient, because that's where most of my phone use took place. More importantly, the G4 represented peak old Android for me -- the pinnacle of the Android era dominated by removable batteries, before everything was all glass and metal and glued in place. The G4's leather back panel was unusual but stylish, and I remember paying an exorbitant amount of money to import that and an external battery charger from Korea before several weeks of travel over the summer of 2015.

That's where I discovered that the G4 was also one of the first really great Android cameras, easily matching the Samsung phones of the time thanks to its optical stabilization and color spectrum sensor. In 2015 it was rare to have a smartphone camera that could take great pictures after around 5pm, and LG's optics and image processing meant that night-time photography on an Android phone was not just possible, but a whole lot of fun.

Check out this Twitter thread for some of my personal favorites shot from an LG camera over the years, including plenty from the G4.

Andrew Myrick Freelance Contributor

Andrew is a freelance writer at Android Central. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is collecting different headphones, even if they all end up in the same drawer. You can follow him on Twitter @andymyrick for some random tech takes, but more sports and Star Wars memes.

In the days of TouchWiz, I couldn't stand using Samsung, leaving me not much choice other than LG. But I unexpectedly fell in love with the different LG devices ranging from the G2 and going to the G7, only skipping the G5. Never once have I used a V-series phone, so I can't speak to that, but for a few years, LG was seemingly on top of the world. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that LG helped nurture my love for Android as I began to transition from iOS.

The Nexus 4 and its gorgeous, sparkly back plate helped me fall in love with the Nexus line, which was reinforced with the matte finish of the Nexus 5. Of course, I skipped over the Nexus 5X (thankfully) and went with the Huawei-made Nexus 6P, but that was really the beginning of the end for my LG run. It was interesting watching LG try to throw a bunch of things at the wall to see what would stick, but it just wasn't enough. It's a shame, because the LG Rollable would have been a strong contender to replace my Z Fold 2.

Ara Wagoner Staff Writer

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Ara dove into Android in 2011 and has been theming launchers and poking entertainment apps with a stick. When she's not writing about cases and Chromebooks, Ara tests her tech at Walt Disney World and bakes bread and pumpkin seeds depending on the season. If you see her without headphones, RUN.

I actually didn't play with many LG phones, even during its hey-day, but there's one tiny little thing I miss about the LG G4. See, back when I got to try out the LG G4, I was trying to kick my soda habit, and the G4 had this bubbly animation when you unlocked the phone. Most of LG's software was trash, but that bubbly little animation made me smile every time I opened the phone.

The G4 also had that slight curve to it that felt ridiculously good in the hand. I wasn't as turned on by the leather backplates as my compadres here, but the G4 was one of the only phones that I never got a case for, because the back felt so good that I didn't want to cover it up. And coming from the phone case queen, that is high praise.

Chris Wedel Freelance Contributor

Chris is a fan of all things tech and gadgets. Living in rural Kansas with his wife and two young boys makes finding ways to get and stay online tricky. By utilizing his years of experience with the tech and mobile communications industries — success is assured. When not conquering connectivity challenges and testing new gadgets, Chris enjoys cruising a gravel road in his UTV with some good tunes.

I'm sure I had an LG feature phone or two before the LG G3, but I don't remember them — because why would I? I do, however, remember watching the launch video for the G3 and all of the hype surrounding the phone. I was running the Samsung Galaxy S3 at the time on Verizon and was not due for an upgrade. I managed to convince the store rep to find a way for me to get the LG G3 — I regretted none of it. The G3 was launching with much fanfare surrounding the camera with laser autofocus for the first time. I was a newish father with a two-year-old who was starting to become very mobile, and the LG G3 provided a fast, good quality camera.

This phone also ushered in the QHD era of phone displays to view the gorgeous photos you took. It was a 5.5" display that packed in 538 pixels per inch, unheard of for a handheld phone screen. The LG G3 also continued the company's trend of putting the physical phone buttons on the back of the phone. Holding the G3 was super comfortable, and the rear volume controls were so nice to use.

I enjoyed this phone so much that my wife wanted one too. So, when it was time, we became an LG family — my wife may have like the phone more than me. In that time, I became a phone rep myself at T-Mobile. Because I was a tech nerd working at a cellular carrier, it was almost too much to handle. I wanted to try everything, and with T-Mobile JUMP, moving phones was easy. This is also how my wife ended up with the LG V10.

I had used up my phone swaps already, and the V10 was such a unique device, it had to be in my house. Though it was a tad on the large side for my wife's hands, she came to love it due to the same things that many of my colleagues have said in this Memoriam. From the excellent audio to the durability and the long list of camera features to the secondary ticker display at the top of the display. LG had plenty of shortcomings, but its willingness to take a chance was not one of them.

Daniel Bader Managing Editor

Daniel Bader is the Managing Editor of Android Central. He drinks way too much coffee and sleeps too little. He wonders if there's a correlation.

If you work in this industry as a tech reviewer, you've inevitably come across a few phones that you love in spite of their obvious flaws. The LG G3 was a perfect example of that.

One of the first phones released in North America to ship with a QHD display (yes, all the way back in 2014), it fit a huge 5.5-inch screen into a relatively compact body, with a standout dual-toned design that really did separate it from the rest of the industry. (You'll also have to remember that 2014 was the year of the Galaxy S5, whose plastic back looked like a Band-Aid, making the G3 appear even more of a design win).

But if you think LG's software feels incomplete and buggy in 2021, it was a completely different level of disaster back in 2014. Contrasted with the software panache of the HTC One M8, which also set itself apart from the rest of the industry with an all-metal build and an innovative (yet flawed) large-pixel camera, the G3 was completely overshadowed by the competition, largely because of its poor software experience.

Still, the G3 was a high-water mark for the company, coming off the success of the Nexus 5 and finding its footing with some really interesting phone designs, and failed experiments, over the next few years. I still have my LG G3 lying around somewhere, and it's fun to pick it up every once in a while and see what's changed — and what hasn't.

Derrek Lee Staff Writer

Writer of nerdy tech things at Android Central.

The first cell phone that I ever wanted was an LG flip phone, the L1400, although I ended up stuck with some random Siemens phone. It would be years before LG ever entered my radar again with the LG G4, which I thought was a phenomenal device. I remember being really impressed with the camera, and I never experienced the bootloop problem like everyone else. So I wasn't jaded when I upgraded up to the LG V10 with its rugged Dura Guard build and stainless steel frame. By luck, I ended up winning a free LG G5 the following year, and I was quite impressed with it, despite its huge flaw, showing it off to anyone who would stick around to watch me swap out the bottom for a new battery. I also loved to show off the ultrawide camera, since the G5 was one of the first smartphones with a usable dual camera setup. LG had me hooked.

I remember things started to calm down with the G6, which was a curious introduction to wider aspect ratios, something that has become a standard these days. It was very much toned down from the G5 but much more palatable after the largely experimental G5.

The V30 was probably my favorite LG smartphone. I remember being very excited when I watched the announcement because LG seemed really focused on its video capabilities. As an amateur videographer, I felt like they were really targeting me and made that phone for me. That's probably the longest I've ever owned a smartphone, which was nearly two years, and I made several videos with it. I also loved that the V30 had a sleek design and minimal bezels. That was also when I realized LG was doomed because whenever I would show it off, people would always complain about past bootloop issues, even though that had been fixed by the time the V30 came out. I would always try to defend LG, but no one was buying it. Literally.

After some time with the V30, I traded up to the LG G8, which brought back LG's experimental ways with its front-facing ToF camera. It was fairly gimmicky, but ultimately there was nothing too exciting about it. But I think it's fitting that my LG journey has ended with the LG Wing, the last smartphone for the company to release, and the last time we'll see LG's weird, cooky ways. Interestingly, after years of subpar image quality, the Wing seemed to get it mostly right, and the swivel screen experience isn't terrible.

As a huge LG fan, I'm sad to see the company go, but I understand this is the way it has to be. After a couple of years, I started mentally preparing myself for this moment, but it's still hard to believe it's finally happening. Unfortunately, LG couldn't find its niche in a world where Sony still sells smartphones.

Harish Jonnalagadda Asia Editor

Harish Jonnalagadda is the Asia Editor at Android Central. A reformed hardware modder, he now spends his time writing about India's technology revolution. Previously, he used to ponder the meaning of life at IBM. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.

My first Android phone was the LG Nexus 4. I had to pick it up from the U.S. because it wasn't available in India at the time, and coming from an iPhone 4, I was astonished at the level of customizability. The phone immediately struck a chord with me, and I went out of my way to install custom ROMs and generally tinker with the phone (that's how I first came across MIUI).

I used the Nexus 4 for just under a year, and switched to the Nexus 5 as soon as it went on sale. I liked the design and camera on the Nexus 5 better than its predecessor, but battery life was a big problem. I was using the Nexus 5 when I started off at Android Central seven years ago, and that phone served me for the better part of 2014. I was keen on buying the LG G3 for the display and camera upgrades, but decided to hold off.

But as soon as the LG G4 was introduced, I knew I had to get my hands on it. The G4 has the distinction of being the only phone I bought on launch day, and it was the last phone I picked up for my own use (I started reviewing phones soon after, and these days I end up getting over 75 phones a year). The G4 was far from ideal; the UI was cartoonish, and battery life was terrible — I picked up the battery charging case and an additional battery as the phone wouldn't last all day.

In spite of all those issues, I loved the G4. The display was fantastic, the camera took incredible images, and the leather back was a joy to use. I used the LG G5 for a few months the following year, but I just couldn't get around to the idea of the Friends modular attachments. The phone had a lot going for it though — it was the first to offer an ultra-wide lens at the back — but it was overshadowed by the modular mess.

The LG G6 finally felt like a cohesive effort, but LG just couldn't measure up to Samsung's marketing efforts. In a nutshell, that describes LG's smartphone journey. The South Korean manufacturer released plenty of interesting phones and pioneered features that we take for granted today — like ultra-wide cameras, high-res video recording, and DACs — but it just wasn't able to make any significant headway. It's a shame the brand is leaving the segment, because as much as LG struggled to sell devices, it gave us a lot of exciting phones over the years.

Hayato Huseman Video Editor

Hayato is a recovering trade show addict and video editor for Android Central based out of Indianapolis. He can mostly be found complaining about the cold and enthusing about prog metal on Twitter at @hayatohuseman.

One of my first review units years ago, when I had just started at Pocketnow, was the LG G Flex 2. It had a vibrant red "self-healing" back, and I was assigned to put that claim to the test. I dropped it from various heights, threw it out of my car, and eventually took a knife to it. It was a brutal (and admittedly fun) experience, but that phone was a lot more than just a durability test.

It was classic LG in its infancy. It had a vertically curved screen, rear-mounted power and volume controls … the execution was far from perfect, but I loved that phone for what it was: a fun idea turned into a real product that few others would have bothered to make.

Fast-forward through the years, and while I'm not sure I ever truly loved many of LG's ideas — or at least, the implementations — they were all experimental and unique. From gesture controls to attachable secondary screens, swappable modules, and whatever you'd call the Wing, LG was creative in a way that much of the competition just wasn't.

I won't always miss the products, nor the software support, but new ideas and competition rarely detriment the consumer. So long, LG, and thanks for the memories.

Jerry Hildenbrand Grumpy Old Man

I'm like that song stuck in your head that you don't know the words to or even the name, but you know it's really good. I've been around since the early days of computers and developed my first chunk of poorly written software using punch cards, and this somehow makes me extremely capable to write about Android. If it plugs into the wall, chances are I've taken it apart and tried to put it back together again. I like to crack jokes and tell tales of valor on Twitter sometimes, so say hey.

LG built what I think was the best Android phone of all time: the V10. It was built like a tank, had a really cool rubber "grip," and was the first LG phone with its "premium audio" package. And I loved and abused it for years.

I didn't care for the software because, well, come on. It was LG, and they have always sucked when it comes to software. It rarely got updates, which is something I really want to see in a phone, but I just didn't care, because once I plugged in a set of headphones, it was marvelous.

LG (and others) made plenty of other phones with premium audio, and they all sounded really good. But something about the V10 made it better, and I carried it around as a dedicated audio player long after it stopped being a useful smartphone. If it hadn't finally died, I would probably still have it inside my bag. I hate to think the company that gave us (me) the V10 won't ever try to replicate the magic.

Also, bootloops. I won't miss those.

Nick Sutrich Freelance Contributor

Nick is a freelance writer and contributor to Android Central. He's been writing about tech since 2011 and loves robot vacuums, home automation, virtual reality, and any kind of gadget that's connected to the Internet. Find him on Twitter at @Gwanatu.

Me? I was the weird guy who loved LG phones. For years, I used them as my daily driver and refused to apologize for it. LG was the company that started the ultra-wide-angle lens trend, the company that pushed for manual camera options that no other OEM even dared to care about, and the company that passionately ventured full-force into the wild and often weird (see: the LG Wing) world of form-factor innovation and experimentation. Heck, I'll never forget the CES where I held that lipstick red LG G Flex 2 and bent the phone as it was meant to be. So much promise, and so much disappointment.

These fleeting moments are the perfect representation of how LG treated the smartphone world. For all intents and purposes, LG essentially was throwing everything at the wall to see what stuck, and, unfortunately for them and every consumer that ever dared to dream of investing in an LG device, nothing ever did. LG's innovations over the years were regularly overshadowed by their near-complete lack of support for a device. It wasn't just major software updates that LG lacked, it was the pivotal security updates for phones that were only months old, leaving customers in the proverbial muck of a cyber world filled with OS vulnerabilities never to be patched.

Even still, I look fondly back on the devices I actually used every day. LG's V series holds a particularly special place in my heart as I took it upon myself to fully believe in LG's vision of a phone built for creators. I ran a YouTube channel for several years and filmed exclusively with LG phones; namely the V20, V30, and V40, all of which delivered a superb experience and did exactly what I wanted most of the time.

It was refreshing being able to use a smartphone — a relatively small device in a world of giant cameras — as it enabled me to do something different than what I believed others were doing. I may not be in the YouTube game anymore but I'll always look back fondly on what LG enabled me to do with their phones and lament the fact that they allowed such excellent products to shrivel on the vine, often when they were among the first — or the very first — to pioneer some sort of technology, form factor, or concept that others would later copy. So long, LG. I will certainly miss your quirky antics.

What are your favorite LG memories?

Whether it's a particularly special phone or a specific feature that became an essential part of your everyday life, we want to know about your experiences with LG. Heck, it doesn't have to be a positive memory to be worth sharing — though even if you're still scorned by the G4's rampant bootloop issues and weren't particularly upset to hear about the company's shuttering, just remember that less competition is never a win for the consumer.

Sound off in the comments below, and help us give LG a proper send-off!

What you need to know

• The LG V70 and Rollable phone have leaked on the web.
• The leaks appear to be a mix of regulatory images and live prototype models.
• Neither phone will be released following the shuttering of LG's mobile phone business.

LG's now-canceled Rollable phone has shown up on the web alongside the LG V70. These images come from Twitter user FrontTron, via XDA Developers. Both phones would have launched later this year had the company not opted to shutter their mobile phone business, continuing the company's strings of ambitious releases.

Starting from the V70, codenamed Rainbow, it's visually similar to last year's LG Velvet. The company had opted to adopt a more modern design, one that would look less workmanlike than the previous G and V Series. To all accounts, it succeeded.

Writing for Android Central, Alex Dobie praised the design, commenting:

We don't know a lot more about the phone, other than it would have come with high-mid range specs, so think the base OnePlus 9 rather than the Galaxy S21. It probably would be a very good Android phone, but LG's rivals simply make better ones.

The Rollable on the other hand follows in the style of the LG Wing. It would have continued LG's way of doing foldables without being like all the other phone makers. It's not clear how practical it would have been when released, but it would have gathered up headlines and been an interesting curio. The image doesn't show much other than the curved screen and camera, but looking like an average phone while all rolled up would have been part of its charm.

LG's phones often veered into the experimental and deeply strange, so a rollable phone like the one pictured above isn't a shock. The V70 was more subdued, but LG has been doing subdued for years and it hasn't worked out.

In the end, LG didn't think either of these phones would be enough to put their business back on the profitable side of things. Seeing as the Wing and the Velvet essentially acted as precursors to these two, they didn't need a Daniel to read the writing on the balance sheet.

One of the best parts of the Android ecosystem is its diversity, both in software and hardware. The more phone manufacturers there are, the more choices we as consumers have, and the list of the best Android phones has only gotten better each year. LG was one of the most important Android brands since the beginning and one of its most innovative as well. From the G Flex to the G 5's Friends, to the Wing, the company continued to push forward with interesting ideas, but unfortunately, it couldn't seem to follow through on them.

Late last night, LG confirmed what we all suspected would happen and said it was shutting down its smartphone business for good. Naturally, our AC forums community had some things to say about this...

Now we want to hear from you — How do you feel about LG exiting the smartphone business?

Join the conversation in the forums!

What you need to know

• LG has confirmed that it is exiting the smartphone segment.
• LG is currently the ninth-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, but the South Korean brand failed to make a profit in the last five years.
• LG says it will focus its efforts on 6G, EV tech, IoT, robotics, and AI.

After nearly six years of continual losses, LG has pulled the plug on its smartphone unit. The South Korean manufacturer made some of the best Android phones over the years, but devices like the LG Wing failed to make any headway.

LG sold a total of just 24.7 million phones last year, less than a tenth of its South Korean rival Samsung. With the unit posting losses of $4.4 billion over the last five years, LG has officially announced that it is exiting the mobile business. The brand will continue to sell its current inventory, but it will no longer produce phones.

LG said last year that it was open to "all possibilities" regarding its mobile division, including an outright sale. According to Korean news outlet Yonhap, the company was in talks with Vingroup of Vietnam and Volkswagen of Germany, but it failed to secure a buyer.

LG says that it will provide after-sales service and software support to its existing portfolio — including the Android 12 update once that becomes available later this year. The company's website (via XDA notes that it will roll out the upcoming Android update, and while there's no mention of what models will get the update, it will likely be limited to LG's flagships.

Going forward, LG will focus on the EV segment, IoT, AI, and 6G:

"LG's strategic decision to exit the incredibly competitive mobile phone sector will enable the company to focus resources in growth areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, artificial intelligence and business-to-business solutions, as well as platforms and services.LG will work collaboratively with suppliers and business partners throughout the closure of the mobile phone business. Details related to employment will be determined at the local level.

Moving forward, LG will continue to leverage its mobile expertise and develop mobility-related technologies such as 6G to help further strengthen competitiveness in other business areas. Core technologies developed during the two decades of LG's mobile business operations will also be retained and applied to existing and future products.

The wind down of the mobile phone business is expected to be completed by July 31 although inventory of some existing models may still be available after that."

What you need to know

• LG has apparently decided to quit the smartphone market.
• An official announcement regarding the decision could be made as soon as next week.
• LG will be relocating its mobile communications employees to other divisions.

LG has apparently decided to wind its mobile communications division and relocate its employees to other business units, according to a new report from The Korea Times. Industry sources told the publication:

The industry sources added that LG will make an official announcement about the decision at its upcoming board meeting on April 5.

When asked for a comment, an LG Electronics spokesperson said:

Back in January, LG confirmed that it was considering "all possibilities" for its smartphone business — including sale, withdrawal, and downsizing. The company had held talks with Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup and Volkswagen on a possible sale of its mobile business division, but the negotiations fell through. Since it couldn't find a buyer, the company is said to have recently decided to pull out of the smartphone market altogether.

Not only has LG's market share in the global smartphone market seen a significant decline over the last few years, but the mobile business division has also not posted a profit in over five years. Even though LG launched innovative devices like the Wing to challenge the best Android phones last year, it hasn't been successful in attracting consumers.

What you need to know

• LG might be closing down its smartphone business for good.
• The company had tried and failed to find buyers for its once-thriving mobile business.
• LG is said to be sharing its decision by April.

LG's smartphone business might be done for, according to a new report from the South Korean trade Donga (via Bloomberg). The company, unable to find a buyer, is said to be strongly leaning towards shuttering the mobile arm of its business.

According to the report, LG has already pressed pause on its entire 2021 smartphone lineup, including the sequel to the LG Velvet and its rollable phone. The company had been in talks with the Vietnamese Vingroup as well as Volkswagen, but negotiations fell through.

LG is said to be considering a pivot to other industries in which it currently dabbles, including household appliances, automobiles, and other more profitable businesses.

The decision isn't out of left field. LG's CEO had hinted that nothing was off the table in January. An official had shared the following statement as well:

The company had floundered around the market somewhat aimlessly over the past half-decade, making phones that never quite struck out. Sure, it made one of the best Android phones we've seen in the Velvet, and even a wild, weird and wacky one like the LG Wing, but it also picked up a reputation of unreliability with both hardware and software. While the company's rollable phone could have had some appeal, LG clearly doesn't think it'll be enough to need the needle.

What you need to know

• LG's Rollable phone has been spotted on the Bluetooth SIG certification website.
• The listing suggests the LG hasn't given up on its second Project Explorer device just yet.
• Unsurprisingly, the Bluetooth SIG listing doesn't reveal any key specs of the device.

A report published by Yonhap News last month claimed that LG was scrapping its Rollable phone project. However, the report was 'firmly denied' by LG, and the company made it clear that no such decision had been finalized. The LG Rollable has now made an appearance on the Bluetooth SIG website, which suggests the phone will indeed be available to purchase sometime later this year (via MySmartPrice).

The listing for the LG Rollable reveals the phone will carry the model number LM-R910N and support Bluetooth 5.2. Aside from these details, no other specs have been revealed by the listing. Since the phone supports the latest Bluetooth version, it is likely to be powered by a recent Snapdragon 800- or 700-series chipset from Qualcomm. The LG Wing, which is the first Project Explorer phone, is powered by a Snapdragon 765G.

What also remains to be seen is if the LG will be the first company to launch a rollable phone. OPPO already showcased its rollable phone concept earlier this year, and a few other companies are also rumored to be working on rollable phones to lure consumers away from Samsung's best foldable phones.

While the LG Rollable is now one step closer to launch, doubts still remain over the future of LG's smartphone business. The Korea Times recently reported that LG is now looking for a new buyer for its smartphone business after talks with Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup broke down.

What you need to know

• Google updated its list of compatible devices for "Play Servcies for AR".
• This list includes several devices that have not been announced including the LG Stylo 7.
• Google also accidentally confirmed upcoming Samsung Galaxy handsets.

It's not every day that Google spills the beans on upcoming handsets, other than its own. This time around, the leaks and rumor mill had nothing to do with some confirmations coming from Google's updated list of Play Services for AR (formerly ARCore) supported devices. As found by 9to5Google, this list contains a total of 23 new devices being added, including the previously-unmentioned LG Stylo 7, as well as the Oppo Reno 5A, Samsung Galaxy A82 5G, and others.

While it seems that LG is continuing to struggle with whether it wants to remain in the smartphone business, one of the potential lineups that it can lean on is the LG Stylo. This is a budget smartphone line that has been around for a few years now, and one of the few that includes a built-in stylus. The LG Stylo 6 was released last year, and featured a beautiful design, to go along with amazing battery life, and that aforementioned stylus.

Given the uncertainty of LG's future, there was no reason to truly believe that the LG Stylo 7 would be announced at some point throughout the year. However, considering that Google partners with smartphone makers to ensure compatibility with ARCore, it comes as a surprise to see another LG phone added to the list.

There were a few other important smartphones revealed by Google with this update, as the Galaxy A52 5G, A72 4G, and A82 5G were also confirmed. Samsung is slated to hold a "Galaxy Awesome Unpacked" event on March 17th, where the company could be introducing those smartphones to the world. The Samsung Galaxy A51 was the best-selling smartphone of last year, which is quite impressive given the fact that its flagships rank amongst the best Android phones overall.

It's only a matter of time before these unannounced devices make their way into the hands of the masses, so we'll keep waiting to see what devices can compete for the best cheap Android phone of 2021. Are you looking forward to see another budget option from LG complete with a stylus? Or have you already started looking elsewhere for your next phone?

What you need to know

• A new report indicates that LG's next flagship, codename "Rainbow," is put on indefinite hold.
• The report claims that LG has halted all testing of its V60 successor, which was initially planned for a launch this month.
• LG has supposedly been searching for a buyer of its smartphone business, which has been losing money for nearly a decade.

Fans of the LG V60 ThinQ 5G may be disappointed to know that the company has reportedly put its next flagship on indefinite hold. The smartphone, codename "Rainbow," was expected to launch early this year, but according to a report from Korean outlet Chosun (via Sleepy Kuma), LG has already stopped testing the device with carrier partners.

The news comes amid rumors that LG has been considering an exit from the smartphone business and that it's looking for someone to buy its manufacturing facilities. At one point, it seemed as though LG was coming close to a deal with Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, but those talks reportedly broke down over price differences. This has left LG's business, as well as any prospects for future smartphone launches, essentially in limbo.

LG has maintained that the company still committed to launching products, including the highly-anticipated LG Rollable that was teased at CES earlier this year, claiming that a decision on future devices has not been finalized. Despite that, LG's responses have not garnered much hope that the company will remain in the smartphone business much longer, and any hope for a 2021 flagship has mostly gone down the drain.

There hasn't been much information around the "Rainbow" device. It was first mentioned late last year as a flagship successor to the V60 with design cues from the gorgeous LG Velvet. It was said to feature a flagship chipset, most likely in the form of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 which will power this year's best Android phones. Besides that, news has been mum on the V60 successor, which is odd considering how LG likes to hype up its flagships long before they launch.

Update, March 2021: LG Wing review, 4 months later

Thanks to an influx of great foldables and dual-screen handsets, 2020 was the year of — among many other things — new and unusual form factors in phones. And although uncertainty surrounds the future of the LG Explorer Project — and the company's mobile division in general — LG did put out one of last year's most unique dual-screen phones.

The first phone to emerge from the LG Explorer Project was the LG Wing, a deliberately oddball handset that transplanted the guts of the LG Velvet into a dual-screen design with a swiveling main display. Depending on how you hold the Wing, and how you use its main screen, it's possible to do things that are simply impossible on most other smartphones.

But the problem with experimental designs is that not every experiment is going to end in success. As unique and fun as the Wing is to use, it's heavy, feels slower than any $1000 phone should, and the software is ill-suited to the kind of multitasking you'll want to do on a dual-display device.

So while I'm still glad the Wing exists, and think LG should definitely pursue more weirdo handsets like it, this first-gen product feels like it needs a bit longer in the oven.

LG Wing Hardware and Battery Life

The LG Wing is a big, chunky, weighty handset. At 260 grams, it's heavier than both the Galaxy S20 Ultra (220g) and ASUS ROG Phone 3 (240g). So while well-designed and appealing to look at, the Wing is definitely the kind of phone you'll notice in your pocket — and your hand. Even relatively large Android phones like the OnePlus 8 Pro feel compact and lightweight by comparison.

It's available in two colors with radically different finishes. Aurora Gray is an understated glossy gunmetal, with a habit of liberally attracting fingerprints and other smudges because of its lack of oleophobic coating. Illusion Sky is a pearlescent white with a frosted glass finish, which is the prettier of the two options, but also among the slipperiest phones I've used lately.

The front face of the Wing is taken up almost entirely by the primary display, a 6.8-inch Full HD+ P-OLED panel that curves around the side and features only the slightest chin and forehead area up top. There's no notch or screen cutout because the selfie camera lives in a popup module, OnePlus 7 Pro-style. The only real downside is that this is a 60Hz panel, which is tough to swallow in a $1000 phone in 2021 when the competition offers a much smoother 90 or 120Hz. Otherwise, the colors are pleasing, and display brightness is good enough even for use out in bright daylight.

Between the sharp-looking back panel and all-display front, the Wing is easily the best-looking phone in LG's Android pantheon. While I don't have much to complain about in terms of the Wing's hardware and design, I'm not a huge fan of the volume and power buttons. They're placed too high up on the side of the device, making them difficult to reach at the best of times, especially when the Wing is fully opened out.

The Wing's single bottom-firing speaker is also nothing special, producing slightly tinnier output compared to rivals with a dual-speaker system.

The central gimmick here, of course, is the Wing's unique Swivel Display. We'll get to what you can actually do with this unique form factor later, but the mechanics of the sliding mechanism are sound. Swiping the Wing open feels natural, and is easy to do with one hand. Even closing it back up again isn't too tricky, though of course, it's easier if you bring in a second hand.

The Wing's second screen is a squarish 3.9-incher — with considerably more bezel space — that springs into action when the phone is fully deployed. LG has done a better job matching the colors of the two displays than, for example, some of its older Dual Screen offerings. But if you look closely, there are differences to be seen. In terms of white balance, the secondary screen on my retail Korean LG Wing appeared cooler than the main panel.

Like its close sibling the LG Velvet, the Wing includes an in-screen fingerprint sensor (in the primary display) as your go-to biometric unlock method. Like the Velvet, you can't use the selfie camera for face unlock. And once again, the in-screen fingerprint scanner doesn't feel as responsive as it should in a phone at this price point. The OnePlus Nord, for instance, unlocks faster and more consistently while also using the same processor as the Wing.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G provides enough power for most things you're likely to do on the Wing. But, as we'll discuss later, LG's software doesn't feel as responsive across the board as other 765-series phones we've reviewed.

Rounding off the Wing's spec sheets are some notable, nice-to-have extras that still aren't guaranteed in every high-end Android. While it only makes the Wing splash resistant, not fully water-resistant, the phone comes with an IP54 rating and MIL-STD 810G compliance, along with microSD expandability and Qi wireless charging. The only smartphone nerd port you're missing, really, is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

The built-in 4,000mAh battery may seem on the low side for a phone with a 6.8-inch display — to say nothing of the Wing's secondary panel and 5G connectivity. That said, the 60Hz display sips power, and as such, I never had trouble getting through a full day on a single charge. That held true even on busier days when I was out and about shooting photos and using 5G data.

This won't be a two-day phone for most people, especially if you're making liberal use of that secondary display with lots of media consumption. However, battery anxiety never managed to cut into my enjoyment of the Wing.

LG Wing Software and Swivel Display

Let's face it, LG isn't exactly known for stellar Android software. The most recent iteration of the LG UI skin, based on Android 10, is basically a riff on Samsung's One UI. It's mostly inoffensive, though lacking some of the visual polish of the Samsung Galaxy UI that it's clearly imitating.

Plus there's LG's less than fantastic track record for Android platform update that casts doubt on the timeliness of any Android 11 update. (To its credit, though, LG has pushed out security patches to our review device on a fairly regular basis.)

For the most part, if you've seen the software of the LG Velvet or V60 ThinQ, you'll be right at home on the LG Wing. Not a whole lot has changed.

The most interesting part of the Wing's software experience is the new experiences it enables for the dual-screen pairing. Some of these are inherited from LG's Dual Screen accessories, like the ability to save shortcuts of pairs of apps on either panel. Others are new, like the new Rolodex home screen setup that pops up when the Wing is fully deployed.

Fully opened out, the Wing's unique form factor allows you to run up to two full-screen apps on the main display, and one on the secondary display. That could mean a miniature Instagram feed down below and a full-sized video up top. Or, rotate 90 degrees and you could have a small video playing on the second screen while you scroll through Twitter on the main panel. Or if you want to go completely wild, hold the phone upside down and use the full-sized keyboard to type into a document on the secondary panel.

Anytime you're viewing a video, the optional control panel can give you direct control of brightness and volume levels. When using other apps, a swipe-down gesture on the second screen loads up a tweaked quick settings menu, and from there it's possible to activate "grip lock," disabling the display and turning it into an oversized handle. Alternatively, you could try the LG Trackpad, which conjures up a mouse pointer on the primary display, controlled by a virtual trackpad on the second.

There are countless fun possibilities here, like having a Google Meet call going on the secondary panel while playing a game on the main screen. LG has even worked with app partners like Gameloft to bring extra functionality to Asphalt 9 when played on the Wing, like a map view while racing.

In that same upside-down configuration, LG's keyboard even allows you to swipe outwards for a more ergonomic, split keyboard arrangement. (That said, using the Wing in anything other than the "closed" or "T-shaped" configurations isn't the most comfortable experience.)

Which brings me to the root of my many bugbears with the Wing: You need to rely on LG's software. Gboard and other third-party keyboards won't work properly with the swivel screen: Instead of intelligently popping up on the secondary screen when it makes sense, you might get a squished keyboard taking up half of the main screen. So just stick with LG's keyboard, right? Well, its prediction and correction is noticeably inferior to Gboard, which is a problem when that's realistically the only keyboard you can use with this device.

The aforementioned Rolodex home screen when using the Wing in a T-shaped configuration also seems like a waste of space, letting you see fewer apps for no good reason. And, infuriatingly, apps need to be manually whitelisted to be able to show on the secondary display. If an app isn't whitelisted, it won't show up on the second screen's app drawer, and you'll need to dig deep into the settings and do a lot of scrolling to manually tag it.

A bigger problem is that Android's default task-switching system just isn't suited to this form factor. App switching when the Wing is opened out is frustrating and unreliable with gesture navigation. Thankfully, a recent update has made juggling apps between the two displays a little easier — similar to LG's Dual Screen accessory, you can transfer apps between the two panels with a three-fingered swipe.

Even a few months on, the software of the LG Wing feels like a very first-generation user experience. Much of the innovation of the Wing is undermined by the reality of using Android — LG's Android — on this form factor.

LG Wing Cameras

The biggest upgrade the LG Wing can boast over the Velvet is its triple camera setup. Around the back, there's a 64-megapixel unit with OIS (optical image stabilization) behind an f/1.8 lens. That's flanked by two ultrawide cameras — a "regular" ultrawide for photography, and a gimbal-mode ultrawide for use with LG's new video features.

The main shooter goes toe-to-toe with some of the best Android cameras out there, with impressive dynamic range and color clarity, plus minimal noise even in darker conditions. LG's newly improved night mod helps out here too, allowing for computational long exposures. As is typical for many LG cameras, a decent amount of sharpening is applied to photos from the Wing's main camera, but unlike the Velvet, this doesn't result in artifacting or other unpleasant visual effects, even when digitally zooming beyond 2X. For everyday use, this is an excellent smartphone camera.

The ultrawide shooter also holds up well next to the competition, with minimal distortion around the edges of the frame, and competent indoor and low-light performance. Once again, you'll notice some artificial sharpening in certain situations, but it's not a huge deal.

Likewise, the 32-megapixel popup camera performs adequately across the board, with moderate skin-smoothing effects and an almost 80-degree viewing angle that's just about wide enough to fit in a couple of extra people.

Open out the LG Wing when the camera app is open, and you'll enter Gimbal mode. This isn't a mechanical gimbal-like Vivo's Apex 2020 handset, but an electronic gimbal built upon the second ultrawide camera. The idea is you can comfortably hold the camera in your hand and pan around using controls on the secondary display.

And for the most part, this works pretty well: With a reasonable amount of light, you'll get incredibly smooth video, with hand shake being completely obliterated by LG's software stabilization. But therein lies the problem: In less than ideal conditions, video shot in this mode quickly starts to become grainy. And even then, you're limited to either HD or Full HD resolution, so super-stabilized 4K footage is out of the question.

Like much of the LG Wing overall, the software gimbal mode seems like a good idea that hasn't yet matured into a complete thought. It's fun to play with, but far from a killer app.

LG Wing The competition

The LG Wing, by its very nature, doesn't really have any direct competitors — nobody else is trying to make an Android phone with swively screen. So instead we're left looking for rivals in the broader dual-screen and sub-flagship Android phone space.

If you don't care about having a second display at your fingertips, your $1000 can get you one of any number of great Android flagships. Our top two picks, the OnePlus 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, will both give you change from your thousand dollars. Both beat the LG Wing handily in just about every area, though of course, they're single-display smartphones. There's also a OnePlus 9 Pro that you can look forward to.

You might also consider the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 for a superior dual-screen experience, though it's almost double the price of the LG Wing. Its predecessor, the Galaxy Fold, can be found online for only slightly more than the Wing, but comes with its own set of compromises. The OG Fold lacks any kind of water or splash resistance and has a pretty claustrophobic outer display.

For higher specs, the Snapdragon 865-powered LG V60 boasts better gaming performance and a larger battery, plus an optional Dual-Screen attachment for slightly less than the Wing, although the Dual-Screen case adds considerable bulk to the phone.

LG Wing Should you buy it?

You should buy it if...

• You watch a lot of video content while doing other things
• You really want a fun and unique form factor
• You're willing to spend $1000 on an experiment that might not pan out

You shouldn't buy it if...

• You want the best overall Android experience for $1000
• Telephoto zoom is important to you
• The fastest performance is important to you

The LG Wing is fun to play with, but the reality is that this quirky science experiment mostly fails to make the transition to a compelling consumer product. For $1000, the Wing is missing table-stakes features like a faster refresh rate and a telephoto zoom camera, to say nothing of the mediocre performance in general. Meanwhile, LG's software, while inoffensive enough, struggles to keep up with the multitasking demands of a dual-screen handset, and the company's poor upgrade track record casts doubts on when users will be able to expect an update to Android 11.

3 out of 5

If anyone should buy the LG Wing, it's rich enthusiasts for whom $1000 is pocket change. For the right person, it might make sense as a second, media-focused device in addition to a smaller traditional smartphone.

But for most of us, the dual-screen feature doesn't offer enough functionality to justify the high price tag. And when it comes to standard single-screen usage, rivals like the OnePlus Nord and Galaxy S20 FE offer much much more for much less.

While the Wing in its current form may be a non-starter, I'm still glad LG is trying unique ideas like this. And I'm hoping that the recent rumors suggesting the demise of the LG Rollable are unfounded, as this phone seems likely to be a much more compelling overall product. (Though possibly quite a bit more expensive, too.)

The target audience for the LG Wing may be, for the moment, pretty small. But I remain convinced that the future for weird phones is bright nonetheless.

LG Wing, 4 months later review

It's been four months since the LG Wing first launched, and in recent months there has been plenty of speculation around the future of LG's mobile division. Recent reports even cast doubt on the future of the promising LG Rollable. As for the Wing itself, the core experience remains much the same as at launch, with the device still running firmware based on Android 10. LG's update roadmap suggests an update to Android 11 might not arrive before the middle of the year, just a few short months before Android 12 is finalized.

As such, the LG Wing hasn't received any major platform updates since it landed, though to LG's credit, several security patches and bug fixes have rolled out to our review unit over the past few months. LG has also addressed some of our initial gripes with the dual-screen experience, enabling a three-finger swipe gesture to juggle apps between the two screens, as previously seen in its Dual Screen add-on for older devices. The fundamentals of using the phone in "opened out" mode haven't changed dramatically, though.

The device still sells for the same $999 outright price at Verizon and T-Mobile in the U.S., and thus the value proposition isn't any better in 2021 than it was last year. (Grey importers will sell you an international or Korean unit for around $800 if you shop around, though obviously full U.S. carrier support isn't guaranteed with those models.)

As such, our overall take on the Wing hasn't changed in the past four months: It's a fun concept held back by a high price, underpowered internals, and lackluster software. To justify spending $1000 on this thing, you'd have to be a huge fan of the flippable dual-screen gimmick.

What you need to know

• The LG V60 ThinQ is now receiving the Android 11 update on Verizon.
• This makes it the first LG smartphone to receive the update in the United States.
• The LG Velvet is the only other LG device to receive Android 11, but only in Korea.

While not historically good with timely updates, fans of LG smartphones should be happy to know that LG is starting to make some headway with the Android 11 update. The company recently began updating the LG Velvet, making it the only smartphone from the company to receive Android 11. Owners of LG's other smartphones worried as the company did not indicate that any other devices would be updated this quarter, but it seems last year's LG V60 ThinQ is next in line.

As indicated on Verizon's support page for the LG V60 ThinQ, the device should be receiving the Android 11 update along with the January security patch. This essentially makes it the first LG smartphone in the U.S. to receive the update since the LG Velvet update was only pushed out in Korea.

Verizon highlights several changes coming to the LG V60 ThinQ, including Chat Bubbles, layout changes in the camera app, a revamped volume rocker, and more.

Owners of the LG V60 ThinQ can rejoice now that the update is finally rolling out for one of the best LG phones, especially since the company tends to remain largely mum on its update plans. So far, Android 11 only seems to be available on the Verizon model, but T-Mobile and AT&T models are likely to follow soon.

Given the device is less than a year old, users might expect LG to eventually update the device to Android 12. Given the shaky situation regarding LG's future, it's unclear how much software support the LG V60 ThinQ will receive, or if there will be a successor to last year's flagship.

To check for the update, navigate to Settings > About Phone > Software updates > Check for Update > Update Now

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What you need to know

• Reports indicate that LG has yet to find a buyer for its smartphone business.
• LG was in talks to sell the business to Vingroup, but price differences were too great.
• The company maintains that it will launch its rollable phone this year, despite rumors indicating otherwise.

Things are not looking good for LG. The company's mobile division has been a weak link for the past six years, unable to compete with some of the best Android phones on the market. Now looks like it's having trouble letting go of this money-losing machine. LG has reportedly been looking to sell its smartphone business as part of its latest restructuring, but it turns out it may not be so easy to find a buyer.

The Korea Times reports that talks to sell the smartphone business to Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup have broken down. Apparently, the price was the main determinant, according to an official familiar with the situation. The sale would have included LG's manufacturing plants in Vietnam and Brazil.

LG will likely continue searching for a buyer, but given the flexibility of its manufacturing facilities, it's possible that the company could just stop making phones regardless of whether or not one can be found. LG would even relocate employees within the company to lessen the impact of the restructuring.

Meanwhile, questions have arisen over the future of a highly-anticipated smartphone known as the LG Rollable. Some reports claim that LG is putting the project on hold indefinitely, although the company has since refuted these allegations. A spokesperson from LG has said that they can "firmly deny that any such decision on future mobile products has been finalized."

That doesn't exactly sound reassuring and could very well mean that the decision to scrap the device remains on the table. LG is also expected to launch follow-ups to its India-exclusive W-series smartphones, as well as a successor to last year's LG V60 ThinQ, although they could also be on the chopping block.

Losing LG as a smartphone manufacturer wouldn't exactly be a good thing, nor would the loss of one of the year's most exciting smartphones. Fortunately, LG isn't the only manufacturer working on rollable phones, and OPPO has what looks to be a near-finished concept model that looks ready for prime time.

Update, Feb 23 (7:00 am ET): LG 'firmly denies' reports of its rollable phone project being put on hold.

What you need to know

• A new report out of South Korea claims LG's Rollable phone project is being scrapped.
• The phone was teased by the company at its virtual CES 2021 press conference last month.
• Analysts believe LG is likely to either sell or shut down its smartphone business this year.

At its CES 2021 press conference last month, LG teased its second Project Explorer device, called the Rollable. While the phone was expected to go on sale sometime in the second half of the year, a new report suggests the LG Rollable may never see the light of day.

According to Yonhap News, LG has asked its suppliers, including display maker BOE, to put the project on hold. Industry observers say LG may scrap the rollable phone project altogether, although the company hasn't confirmed anything officially yet.

The latest report is far from shocking, however, as LG officially hinted at an exit from the smartphone business a few weeks back. Some reports suggest the company is considering a sale of the business, and it may have already found a buyer in Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup.

While there are no details available yet on exactly why LG has decided to scrap the device, industry insiders speculate that the "pace of LG's rollable smartphone development could have been more sluggish than expected and that the company may have felt pressure delivering successful results with the product in the market."

Data released by Counterpoint Research recently revealed that LG could ship only 24.7 million smartphones in 2020, down 13% from 2019. The company's smartphone business hasn't posted a profit since Q2 2015 and the accumulated operating loss surpassed KRW 5 trillion ($4.5 billion) last year.

Update, Feb 23 (7:00am ET) ― LG says the Rollable phone project has not been put on hold

In a statement sent to The Verge, an LG spokesperson has denied the report from Yonhap News and claimed that no such decision has been finalized. However, by saying that a final decision is yet to be made, the company's official response seems to suggest the report isn't completely off the mark.

What you need to know

• Leaker Evan Blass revealed new renders of LG's upcoming W41 smartphone.
• The LG W41 will be the latest in the company's W-lineup, exclusive to the Indian market.
• It's unknown if or when the device or its counterparts will launch, given the state of LG's business.

While LG's smartphone business continues to teeter on the edge of oblivion, the company still seems interested in launching new smartphones. We got a teaser for the LG Rollable smartphone at CES, and the company has been expected to launch a follow-up to last year's LG V60 ThinQ. The company's plans may be up in the air for now, but that's not stopping leaks from cropping up.

Leaker Evan Blass has just given us our first look at the LG W41 and it looks very familiar. You would not be wrong to compare this to the OnePlus Nord N10 5G, especially looking at the design of the camera stove and the placement of the selfie camera.

Apparently, a W41+ and W41 Pro are expected to accompany the standard model. Not much is known about the devices besides what's shown in the images, which includes a 48MP main camera sensor, three additional camera sensors, a rear fingerprint sensor, and a stylish, two-tone design.

Lg's W series may not be widely known since it's exclusive to India, but it represents the company's attempt to take on the best cheap Android phones and regain the ground it lost in the budget market with more young, attractive designs. Since launching over a year ago, LG has kept up with updating models from this series, and this year could be no different. Of course, whether or not they actually launch is another matter entirely.

What you need to know

• LG has released a new smartphone integration app for Windows PCs.
• The application functions similarly to Microsoft's Your Phone app for Windows.
• For now, the application only works on LG's 2021 Gram laptops.

Amid rumors of the company contemplating its exit from the smartphone industry, LG has just released a new smartphone and PC integration application. Spotted by Softpedia, Virtoo is an app developed by Screenovate Technologies that allows PC users to perform a number of smartphone tasks straight from their computer, similar to how Microsoft's Your Phone app functions.

LG Virtoo seems available to download on any PC, Android device, and even iOS devices. The app allows basic smartphone functions such as texting and calling from your PC, but you can also mirror your device display on your PC and view your notifications... at least in theory. Reviews in the Microsoft store seem to indicate that LG Virtoo does not function, at least on most PCs, which could be due to the fact that only LG's 2021 Gram laptops are supported.

The app description does mention that LG Virtoo is a "smartphone app for LG PC users," and that "some models may not support Virtoo by LG," but doesn't make it clear to users which models are supported. It seems LG may expand support in the future, but for now, this release is limited to select LG laptops.

LG isn't the only OEM working on a smartphone integration tool like this. A similar app dubbed "Phone Hub" has been spotted for Chrome OS, suggesting Google may finally bridge Android smartphones with some of the best Chromebooks on the market. Motorola has also teased plans for a smartphone integration tool that could be part of its upcoming desktop mode.

Virtoo is a noble first attempt from LG to bridge smartphones with PCs, but the company needs to expand support to make the application truly useful. Meanwhile, if you own a PC, you'd be better off using Microsoft's Your Phone application which provides even deeper integration if you own a Galaxy smartphone, and is likely the reason why LG launched its own application.

LG Wing

The LG Wing is the world's first 5G swivel smartphone that features a novel form factor with a dual-display perfect for multitasking on the go. The rear triple camera setup takes excellent photos, with a dedicated gimbal mode for creators.

• $1050 at AT&T

What you need to know

• LG has begun to push the stable Android 11 update to the Velvet smartphone in Korea.
• There is no available changelog for the Velvet, but the UX has been bumped up to version 10.
• The LG Velvet is the only phone scheduled to receive Android 11 this quarter.

Owners of the LG Velvet can rejoice as the stable build for Android 11 has finally begun to roll out to devices in Korea, which means a U.S. rollout shouldn't be too far behind. The update began appearing over the weekend, and there's no apparent changelog included with the update, but it's expected to carry all of the goodies that come with Android 11 such as Chat Bubbles, improved security, and more.

The update is based on LG UX 10, up from UX 9 on previous devices like the LG Wing. That means there's likely to be some visual changes to the UI, although those haven't been identified. The size of the update comes it at around 2.2GB.

In December, the LG Velvet became the first and only LG smartphone to receive the Android 11 beta in Korea, which included a number of improvements and additions. According to LG, this is is the only device scheduled to receive Android 11 this quarter. With any luck, the company will push updates for more of the best LG phones like the LG Wing and V60 ThinQ by next quarter, as they are the only two flagship LG smartphones released last year.

LG is expected to announce at least two more premium flagship smartphones this year, a traditional flagship that is likely to be a successor to the LG V60, and the LG Rollable smartphone that was teased at CES. The fate of either and/or both devices is unknown as they may face delays in the wake of the company's alleged sale of its smartphone division.

LG Velvet 5G

The LG Velvet mark's the beginning of LG's new direction with a sleek, striking design and Raindrop triple-camera setup. A fast, 5G chipset means you have access to the best speeds for half the price of today's top smartphones.

• $588 at T-Mobile

Have you listened to this week's Android Central Podcast?

Every week, the Android Central Podcast brings you the latest tech news, analysis and hot takes, with familiar co-hosts and special guests.

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What you need to know

• LG just posted its Q4 2020 financial earnings, and they don't paint a pretty picture.
• The company lost over $750 million in profits throughout 2020.
• LG continues to contemplate exiting the smartphone market.

Rumors have been swirling around the possibility of LG exiting the smartphone market after years of unprofitable results. While the company previously denied that this was the case, recent reports suggest that the company has been looking for buyers and may have found one. Meanwhile, the company's most recent earnings report has just been released, and things don't look any better for LG.

While LG reported a 5% increase in YoY sales, the company still saw its smartphone sales fall 9% from the previous quarter which it blames on a shortage of 4G chips. Operating profit also dropped nearly 18% from the previous quarter, and more than 16% for the calendar year, amounting to over $750 million in lost profits from the mobile division alone.

LG didn't have the most active year, and unfortunately, the best LG phones couldn't make up any ground this year. The company did take a moment to tease its long-rumored LG Rollable smartphone at CES, but given the state of its mobile business, the future launch of that phone is now put into question. After all, the company does like to hype up its smartphones only for it to fail to market them adequately once released.

But while the company might be having a hard time getting its mobile division off the ground, the company has been an integral part of the Android ecosystem from the beginning, and losing LG wouldn't be good for anyone but LG. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that.

LG Wing

The LG Wing is the world's first 5G swivel smartphone that features a novel form factor with a dual-display perfect for multitasking on the go. The rear triple camera setup takes excellent photos, with a dedicated gimbal mode for creators.

• $999 at T-Mobile

You might not remember it, but there was a time when LG was an Android powerhouse making the best Android phones money could buy. Phones like the LG G2 owned the high-end while cheap and powerful phones like the Optimus G delivered more bang for the buck than anything made today. Pick almost any phone made by LG during that period and you saw three things:

• This phone is tough as nails.
• This phone is hella fast.
• The version of Android LG built for this phone was trash.

Now, LG is probably done building phones because there is no money to be made by doing it. Some folks from the company say no, others have more information about it all, and other companies are even ready to buy. Whatever happens, it will mean the death of LG as we know it today.

This isn't really surprising if you look at which phones sell, how they are sold, and why people buy them — and you see LG losing in every category.

We're an Android site, and collectively we know everything there is to know about Android. Yes, that's a pretty big and bold claim, but it's true. Just because we aren't writing every little technical thing and look at the bigger picture doesn't mean we don't understand all the technical little things. We're also a mobile site and not afraid to talk about the phone everyone seems to love to hate: the iPhone. You can't talk about the imminent death of LG's mobile division without talking about mobile as a whole.

Mobile as a category of consumer tech is weird. The three companies that own all the mindshare and make all the profits are Apple, Google, and Samsung. Google enjoys making all of its money from the shadows, but if you want to grab your credit card and head out the door to buy the best smartphone you can buy today, please make sure you are buying some variant of a Galaxy S21 or iPhone 12. That's some advice from Android Central, a company that makes all of its profit from looking at every phone and evaluating how they do the things that Apple and Samsung tell you the best smartphone needs to do.

But what if you don't care about having the best phone on the market and just need a good phone? We have an entire Android phone buyer's "bible" where we evaluate everything from phones to VPN software to accessories that matter. Once you're done reading it, chances are you will just get the cheapest one on Amazon that has good ratings, which is probably made by Motorola.

There are plenty of other phones out there that are great. Google makes some, OnePlus makes some, other Chinese brands that you aren't familiar with make some, too. However, none of that matters when it comes to the actual buying part because the average consumer will buy a phone from Samsung, Apple, or Motorola.

That's a tough field to play in, and LG sees it. It looks like LG is also done with trying to be part of it, and I can't blame the company one bit. LG as a phone manufacturer cannot compete in today's market unless it is satisfied with losing money at an alarming level. Some companies are OK with hemorrhaging cash in today's mobile market for one reason or another. Google loves to spend money on its Pixel vanity project. Yes, I said it. Fight me. OnePlus can lose money in one division and make up the losses through other parts of the company by offering unique accessories that every OnePlus phone buyer wants.

LG could go this route because the cash it makes on things like smart TVs or smart washing machines or smart soundbars can easily bolster its smartphone division, but it just makes more sense to jettison that smartphone division and keep working on ThinQ products that work inside the ecosystems that sell well, like the ones Google and Apple offer. A phone like the LG Wing may be a novel idea, but the reality is that it's also an anchor. LG just doesn't need that dead weight.

That's where we lose. LG, like all companies that have had a hand in shaping Android, made things better through its "stupid" ideas. 3D screens on phones, "gaming" phones with fast but battery hungry chips from NVIDIA and software to turn the rest down when you want to play CoD Mobile are all ideas from LG. And so are swiveling phones that look like boomerangs or phones with roll-out displays that haven't been made yet.

But so was the first Note; it was comically huge and "nobody wants a stylus" was the synopsis of every review when it debuted. Or a folding phone: fragile, excessive, and priced "stupidly" high. We need companies like LG and Samsung to try stupid things because that's how you find the one great idea that sticks. You'll never find it from Apple, who thinks adding an old sensor to a board by the camera is innovative enough. Apple plays it safe; the Samsungs and LGs of the world didn't.

When and how LG discards its phone division is still a rumor-filled mess where nobody knows any absolute truths. But it will happen eventually, and we'll all be worse off when it comes.

Moto G Power (2021)

In a bubble, the Moto G Power (2021) delivers excellent value for just $200. It has a big display, fine performance, and clean software with useful feature add-ons. There's a good amount of phone here for not a lot of money, but at the end of the day, it's just outdone by the competition — specifically, last year's Moto G Power.

• From $200 at Amazon
• From $200 at Best Buy
• From $200 at B&H

What you need to know

• LG may have found a suitor for its smartphone business, according to a new report.
• The company may be considering selling to the Vietnamese conglomerate, Vingroup.
• If a deal is struck, it'll involve the company's U.S. business.

When it comes to smartphones, there's Samsung, there's Apple, and then there are others. Some, like Xiaomi and Huawei, dominate in sales if not in mindshare. Others like Google and OnePlus, despite making some of the best Android phones, may lack in sales but make up for it in column inches. And then there's LG, dominating neither in sales or mindshare, suffering loss year over year, the company may now be on the brink of selling its ailing smartphone business.

When reports broke last week, LG denied reports that it was planning to sell off its smartphone division. This week has proven LG's denials to be "untrue", and further reports have added some color to the situation. LG already has suitors lined up for the purchase — including Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup.

Business Korea reports:

Vingroup's takeover of LG's smartphone business would provide the company with a foothold in the smartphone market, especially in the U.S. where LG controls just under 13% of the market. As it stands, Vingroup currently acts as an ODM for other brands through its VinSmart division, but it has yet to release any smartphones under its own brand. If the deal comes through, it would only concern the U.S. arm of the business. LG is reportedly planning to sell off its business in portions as it does not forsee being able to sell it all to a single buyer.

The collapse of LG's smartphone business comes after years of phones marred with hardware issues. The company has also — outside of Google's Nexus phones — failed to define a distinct identity for itself. LG inadvertently positioned itself as an off-brand Samsung, but when Samsung makes good phones at all prices, it just couldn't compete.

LG Velvet

The LG Velvet was a revamp of LG's mobile line as the company moved away from the G-series. It's thoughtfully designed when it comes to hardware and software both. It still has its flaws, but the price makes those easy to overlook.

• $5/month at Walmart
• See at LG