Recognition: David Imel / Android Authority
LG is the constant underachiever in the smartphone space, but you can’t blame the company for not trying to change things in 2020.
It kicked out the long-running G-series and instead brought out the LG Velvet – a smartphone that sacrificed flagship performance in favor of attractive pricing and styles. The company also launched its Explorer Project line of innovative phones, with the LG Wing being a great example of a new approach to smartphone design.
See also: RIP LG G series – farewell to a real innovator
That is not to say that there were no known devices either. The LG V60 offered a supercharged flagship experience at a cheaper price than Samsung and Motorola. LG really had something for everyone in 2020 – at least for premium devices. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement in 2021. Here’s what we’d like to see from LG in 2021.
1. Competitive budget phones
LG’s high-end phones tend to be solid proposals, but one of the biggest issues has been the generally poor offerings in the budget segment. We saw some solid offerings in the Q and K series, but these were the exceptions to the rule.
LG was still using the same low-power MediaTek chips (e.g. A22 and P35) in the vast majority of its cheap phones in 2020, even though those chips hit the market two years ago. The phones also typically come with 3,000 mAh or 4,000 mAh batteries and meager specs in other areas. This is especially annoying when Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, and even Apple offer well-rounded, long-lasting budget phones.
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There is hope, however. LG will reportedly turn to ODMs to develop and manufacture more of these budget phones in 2021. As a result, we could expect some welcome improvements. It wouldn’t be the only big company to go down this route either, as Samsung and Xiaomi have reportedly turned to ODMs for some budget phones as well.
2. World class camera quality
It is really difficult to buy a smartphone with poor picture quality from a big brand these days. LG phones are no exception. They still generally give solid results. However, our reviewers all found that the cameras on the Velvet, V60, and Wing varied from good to good instead of being great.
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This has been a complaint for a while and still holds true as smartphones are the primary or only photo platform for hundreds of millions of people. Maybe it’s time for the company to start a camera center similar to their update center?
However, LG made some huge strides in photography in 2020. The LG Wing has received a decent pseudo-gimbal functionality. We’ve also seen the LG V60 join the first wave of devices with 8K recording support. Even so, we’d like future LG phones to have some nice photo and video features.
3. Increase the update game
LG has a reputation for being late at best with software updates for its phones. Unless it was about South Korea getting updates way ahead of other markets, it was a case of updates not arriving at all. It seems that the company has improved a bit, but users generally still have to wait a while for updates to get to their phones.
Opinion: Google should need updates for every Android phone for two years
So we want LG to improve its update process, reduce the time it takes updates to leave its home market, and roll out updates to more devices. Samsung has also committed to offering three generations of version updates. We would be happy if LG does this for some phones as well.
4. Firmly press the Explorer project
The LG Wing was the first product from the brand’s Explorer Project – an initiative to deliver unique smartphone designs. With the double-shielded rotating wing it certainly succeeded in creating a polished yet innovative experience.
We already know the company is working on a rollable phone to be launched in early 2021, the next device in the Explorer project. However, we sincerely hope that LG will deliver more unique devices (possibly even foldable devices) as part of this project and continue the momentum through 2022. After all, Samsung may be the only other company that offers unique, commercially available versions of the foldable smartphone.
5. Lean into this audio focus
LG has long been known for its audio credentials. It sticks to the 3.5mm connector while offering Quad DAC audio hardware and impressive audio recording capabilities. The company needs to go further, if at all, and retain most of these functions.
Continue reading: If you love the headphone jack, buy from LG
We’d also love to see LG add the latest and greatest in wireless audio codecs and Bluetooth support while expanding its already great audio recording suite.
They tell us: what would you like to see from LG in 2021?
What would you most like to see from LG in 2021? Let us know by taking our survey below. You can also add your own wishes through the comments section.
