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What LG Abandoning Mobile Phones Means for Android Auto Users

LG has officially announced that it’s leaving the mobile market, essentially giving up on smartphones due to the fierce competition that has significantly affected its business in the last few years.
LG Wing will continue to receive new Android OS updates 1 photo
Photo: LG
The South Korean company even points to the “incredibly competitive mobile phone sector” as the reason for its decision, explaining that it will focus on EV components, connected devices, smart homes, AI, and other platforms and services.

So in essence, LG is abandoning mobile phones for good, but what does this mean for current owners who use such a device to run Android Auto?

In the short term, nothing is changing.

First and foremost, LG has promised continued software updates according to the original schedules. In other words, the company isn’t changing anything on the software side, so new monthly updates would still land just like before.

What’s more, the South Koreans have even promised to release new Android versions for some high-end devices, with Android 12 to land as soon as late 2021 and early 2022.

Android Auto will continue to work on LG devices, with updates to be released via the Google Play Store just like they ship right now.

On the other hand, what could be concerning is LG’s commitment to fixing potential bugs hitting Android Auto and which would require additional software patches. While the company claims it’s willing to roll out software updates until the end of support is reached, there’s a chance the number of engineers working on reliability improvements could also be reduced as the wind-down of the mobile business is completed.

LG claims all decisions related to employment will be determined at the local level, but in practice, this could affect the pace at which bug fixes that aren’t considered a priority are actually fixed.

For now, LG guarantees that nothing would change in the short term, so if you own one of their phones, you shouldn’t notice any difference in the experience behind the wheel.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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