Failing to Make Top 10
The V30 received rave reviews as the best LG smartphone in the history of the company but its sales are not as strong as expected. Analysis says that this phenomenon stemmed from brand image problem rather than quality issues. It seems that LG Electronics' Smartphone Division which is trying to put an end to its posting loss for 11 consecutive quarters with the V30 is unlikely to accomplish its mission to generate profit.
According to market research agency Atlas Research's sales statistics by models and mobile carriers, the V30 (LG U Plus model) which ranked ninth in the first week of its release, was relegated out of the top 10, one week later, in the first week of October. In the second week of October, the new smartphone failed to reenter the top 10.
The V30’s sluggish sales are unexpected considering favorable praises from domestic and overseas markets before and after its launch. "The design of the V30 is ahead of the V20 by two generations or three generations," US IT media outlet The Verge said. Mashable received much attention by saying, “The V30 is as light as a feather compared to other smartphones such as the Galaxy Note 8. An Engadget expert praised the V30, saying "I am sure that LG came up with the best smartphone ever."
In the industry, this phenomenon is interpreted as the result of LG smartphones’ deteriorating brand image, not quality problems. The decline in brand image seems to have been kindled by LG Electronics' irresponsible policies with the G4 and V10 cases being representative. There was an infinite boot (repeatedly turning on and off) issue but the company failed to find and announced the cause of the problem. LG announced that the Android operating systems (OS) of some models could not be updated but had no choice but to turn over the decision due to users’ complaints.
The current slump of LG Electronics' Smartphone Division began in the second quarter of 2015. Its strategic smartphones –- the G4, G5, G6, and V10 –- recorded loss for 10 consecutive quarters until the third quarter of 2017 as they were pushed by their rivals, the Galaxy series of Samsung.