South Korean electronics maker LG says it is getting out of its loss-making mobile phone business to focus on electric vehicle components, robotics, artificial intelligence and other products and services.
LG’s board approved the shift in strategy and the company expects to fully exit the mobile phone business by the end of July, it said in a statement on Monday.
LG was once the third-largest mobile phone maker, but has lost market share to Chinese and other competitors.
It was still No.3 in North America, with a 13 per cent market share behind Apple’s 39 per cent and Samsung’s 30 per cent as of the third-quarter of 2020, according to Counterpoint Technology Market Research.
Pour one out for LG Mobile. They’re the reason we have ultrawides in every new phone right now. They didn’t always ace every phone, but losing them means losing a competitor that was willing to try new things, even when they didn’t work. pic.twitter.com/x6rXDhlVfN
– Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) April 5, 2021
LG earlier said it was assessing its strategy as it reported that its sales rose 5 per cent from a year earlier in the last quarter of 2020 but profitability declined do to sluggish sales of premium products.
The company said it was selling its phone inventory and would continue to provide services and support for various periods of time depending on where they are sold.
Details related to jobs would be decided “at the local level,” it said.
The company’s shares fell 2.5 per cent on Monday.
