No matter how good the V30 is, it still may not put a huge dent in sales of the duopoly.

[EnemiesInTheEnd]

I think its safe to say a certain segment of the population buy a phone based on brand name recognition just as a certain segment buys based on features. Many buy based on carrier deals. Everyone chooses and buys for different reasons. Some buy a phone because they like the color.

Surveys have shown that smartphone owners aren't particularly loyal to any one manufacture. Like I said before, Samsung and Apple just make better phones. That's why they score highest in customer satisfaction among smartphone brands in J.D. Power Smartphone Satisfaction surveys.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

Apple and Samung own the market, they invest a ton in advertisement and Galaxy has become a household name. It's hard to sway sales another direction when the tech illiterate masses walk in wanting one of the two because their family recommended it.

 

[EnemiesInTheEnd]

Apple and Samung own the market, they invest a ton in advertisement and Galaxy has become a household name. It's hard to sway sales another direction when the tech illiterate masses walk in wanting one of the two because their family recommended it.

No, it isn't. The Android market just isn't that competitive when it comes to flagship devices. It's Samsung and everybody else. When someone makes something competitive like the Google Pixel, it sells.

 

[Mike Dee]

Surveys have shown that smartphone owners aren't particularly loyal to any one manufacture. Like I said before, Samsung and Apple just make better phones. That's why they score highest in customer satisfaction among smartphone brands in J.D. Power Smartphone Satisfaction surveys.

I didn't say they were loyal to one brand but lets see the surveys that you like to quote.

 

[JohnMcL7]

Apple and Samung own the market, they invest a ton in advertisement and Galaxy has become a household name. It's hard to sway sales another direction when the tech illiterate masses walk in wanting one of the two because their family recommended it.

It's even harder to sway anyone when you're producing inferior handsets - the LG handsets have been solid but unremarkable, plenty of the tech literate choose Samsung over LG because the Samsung devices are better. The S8 isn't popular because of the branding, marketing and brand perception, it's because in most cases it's a better device than the overpriced and underspecced G6 - pretending otherwise is just being in denial.

Android is a double edged sword because it makes it easy for consumers to switch to another brand using Android and take all their favourite software with them which means there can be big swings in a very short period of time. LG could easily sway people to go to their devices if they produced a superior handset but they've not managed to do so and if the rumours are accurate, the Note 8 will be a superior spec to the V30 which is the hard truth of it.

I'm not keen on Samsung's recent designs but as a tech literate person, LG don't offer anything as an superior alternative particularly given they don't even sell the V20 here and the G6 is underspecced and overpriced. I'd prefer a more durable handset to a flashy one hence hoping the V30 is going to be suitable however most people want flashy, fragile phones these days.

 

[EnemiesInTheEnd]

I didn't say they were loyal to one brand but lets see the surveys that you like to quote.

2016 - 2016 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study Volume 1 | J.D. Power
2015 - 2015 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study—Volume 1 | J.D. Power
2014 - 2014 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study—Volume 1 | J.D. Power

 

[Mike Dee]

A lot of nice dialogue going on here, which I'm glad to see and my purpose in starting thread. I just hope everyone coming here realizes that what is expressed here is mostly opinion unless its backed up empirical evidence.
And Just Remember... 97.835 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

 

[Mike Dee]

2016 - 2016 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study Volume 1 | J.D. Power
2015 - 2015 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study—Volume 1 | J.D. Power
2014 - 2014 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study—Volume 1 | J.D. Power

Im not able to read those at the moment but do those address your point about loyalty?

 

[vasekvi]

The V needs to remain the beast for those who use features out of their smartphone that others don't care about. The V should have a removable battery. The V should have an IR blaster. It should have cutting edge audio and video capabilities. Waterproofing not so much but they could still do it and keep these features we demand. For everyone else they can have the G6. Let that be the mainstream phone. That screen is already taller than this one.

 

[flyingkytez]

The V30 looks like it may be a hot ticket. Not so much for current fans of the V line because it appears to be losing features and adding features that current fans want and don't want. It remains to be seen as how this will impact sales. Obviously they will lose some old fans and gain some new. Question is what will the end result be? Will it be a step in the right direction or will it be a wash out?

The G6 certainly did better than the G5, but that's not saying much because the G5 was a sales disaster. The G6 had overcome negativity over the G5s modular disaster and the ever over shadowing negativity of bootlooping from prior designs. Though the G6 gained some ground , sales have not been as fruitful for LG as desired.

Can the V30 change all of that and put a dent in the duopoly? Is it enough to follow the leaders and include features that appeal to the masses?

It would certainly help if they were to include a collosal battery, improve the camera in auto mode and throw in a two year warranty while keeping it in an attractive price range. Yet is that still enough to make the top two leaders in the industry cringe?

LG really needs to step up their game and invest in some good advertising that really spreads the message if they want to begin gaining some ground.

LG I feel has been having an identity crisis. First they marketed towards the power user who loved all the "classic" Android features (G4 and V10 with the removable battery and rugged design). Now they threw all that out the window and started fresh with the G6, becoming more mainstream and simplifying the design and features. Sales were just OK. Now where do they go from here? Do another G6 part 2 again and hope people buy the same old usual? I'd say stick to the strong points that made them well known: dual cameras, 2nd display, removable battery, stellar audio playback, pro video recording, IR blaster, etc. They need to emphasize how great these features are, maybe give away a free extra battery kit with each phone? People will for sure use the 2nd battery. Or hire a spokesperson with personality and teach everyone the features so they know how to use it. What was once a unique flagship now has become a another generic flagship. I don't believe in the phrase "if you can't beat em, join em"... OK remove the headphone jack? Watch your sales plummet.

 

[flyingkytez]

The V needs to remain the beast for those who use features out of their smartphone that others don't care about. The V should have a removable battery. The V should have an IR blaster. It should have cutting edge audio and video capabilities. Waterproofing not so much but they could still do it and keep these features we demand. For everyone else they can have the G6. Let that be the mainstream phone. That screen is already taller than this one.

Well said!

 

[flyingkytez]

It's even harder to sway anyone when you're producing inferior handsets - the LG handsets have been solid but unremarkable, plenty of the tech literate choose Samsung over LG because the Samsung devices are better. The S8 isn't popular because of the branding, marketing and brand perception, it's because in most cases it's a better device than the overpriced and underspecced G6 - pretending otherwise is just being in denial.

Android is a double edged sword because it makes it easy for consumers to switch to another brand using Android and take all their favourite software with them which means there can be big swings in a very short period of time. LG could easily sway people to go to their devices if they produced a superior handset but they've not managed to do so and if the rumours are accurate, the Note 8 will be a superior spec to the V30 which is the hard truth of it.

I'm not keen on Samsung's recent designs but as a tech literate person, LG don't offer anything as an superior alternative particularly given they don't even sell the V20 here and the G6 is underspecced and overpriced. I'd prefer a more durable handset to a flashy one hence hoping the V30 is going to be suitable however most people want flashy, fragile phones these days.

Samsung has a lot of power, more so than their younger brother LG (they are going to supply Apple with OLED screens, also have many SSD/Memory factories). The only way LG can gain attention is to stick to their uniqueness. Have all the cool features, but still keep a premium design. The V20 was heading in the right direction, a huge improvement in build quality while maintaining ALL features from past devices. If the V30 is trying to beat the Note 8 by design alone, they will lose. Instead OFFER features that the Note 8 DOESN'T have so they can stand a chance.

 

[flyingkytez]

A lot of nice dialogue going on here, which I'm glad to see and my purpose in starting thread. I just hope everyone coming here realizes that what is expressed here is mostly opinion unless its backed up empirical evidence.
And Just Remember... 97.835 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

I agree with you, if they can somehow manage to fit a 4000mAh battery with the SD 835 processor AND offer 6GB of RAM, they'd be a true contender (also, offer a dual pixel camera for better low light focus speed). 4GB of RAM will set them back, especially when the Note 8 will have 6. Whether or not more than 4GB RAM is needed doesn't matter, people will compare side by side. Samsung has the upper hand because they manufacture their own SSD and memory. LG should listen to what the people want, and people want a premium and powerful device, with all the good old features still there.

 

[flyingkytez]

LG is making a slow march starting from the V20 to get past the QC issues which plagued the G3, G4, V10 and G5. While the V20 itself had those with the weaker than expected lens housing and the G6 with the well timed drops from very short distances, the V30 needs to be the first fully QC issue free device in a long time.

LG's V series was never intended to be mainstream, which is what upsets some fans as they are following the Samsung approach (Note is becoming more mainstream instead of power user focused). This phone won't break the duopoly up, but if it sells well and ages well enough, LG has hope for the G7 and V40 to build on for next year.

The best phones I knew that aged well were phones with removable batteries (Note 4 vs. Nexus 6P for example). Why was the Note 4 a beloved favorite? Ask any Note 4 owner.

BTW my Nexus 7 (2012) tablet is starting to crap out. Battery is not removable so it's going to the grave yard pretty soon. Not worth the trouble trying to open it.

 

[Almeuit]

You really underestimate consumers. To think that Samsung and Apple owners buy them simply because they have the name Samsung or Apple on the box is wrong. Samsung phones have more features that are meaningful to most consumers than any other phones, beautiful and innovative designs, and the best displays. Apple makes phones that are the performance benchmark every year, are easy to use, and have the strongest software ecosystem. Both manufacturers make phones that are excellent to very good in pretty much every category.

People don't buy LG because they are known to be less reliable than other brands, their designs have mostly been terrible for years, and their LCD displays aren't as good as Apple's LCDs or Samsung's Super AMOLEDs. Samsung and Apple simply make better phones.

Having said that, I think that the V30 could be the device that rights the ship for LG. Whether it sells well or not, it is a strong move in the right direction for LG.

Yeah I am sure there are some in every camp to be honest .. Some are like you said and buy because they like the phone. Others buy because it DOES have the Samsung or Apple name on the box.

I have a few friends that buy the next Apple iPhone every year. Do they need to? No. Why do they you ask? "Because it is the newest iPhone" is the response. lol.

 

[flyingkytez]

Yeah I am sure there are some in every camp to be honest .. Some are like you said and buy because they like the phone. Others buy because it DOES have the Samsung or Apple name on the box.

I have a few friends that buy the next Apple iPhone every year. Do they need to? No. Why do they you ask? "Because it is the newest iPhone" is the response. lol.

With LG's identity crisis, it isn't helping. People have no clue what LG stands for. People only knew that LG was an alternative to a Samsung phone, usually has a bigger screen, better price, and a couple of handy features like the removable battery. What did help in my opinion was making themselves stand out instead of blending in with the rest of the flagships. The G3 and G Flex attracted buyers because of the affordable price and larger screen (at that given time). I don't think they'll make it trying to make phone that's only focused on having a premium design.

 

[Almeuit]

With LG's identity crisis, it isn't helping. People have no clue what LG stands for. People only knew that LG was an alternative to a Samsung phone, usually has a bigger screen, better price, and a couple of handy features like the removable battery. What did help in my opinion was making themselves stand out instead of blending in with the rest of the flagships. The G3 and G Flex attracted buyers because of the affordable price and larger screen (at that given time).

Yeah most non-tech people I know think of LG as a TV maker more then a phone maker.

 

[MDMcAtee]

Mike..

In a word to answer your question... No

The v30 may appeal to some who are fed up with Apple and Samsung but it won't make a dent in total sales.

Walk into the majority of carrier stores and see what is promoted mostly.. Apple and Samsung

Walk into any Best Buy and see what is only promoted.. Apple and Samsung.. You won't even see a v30 there.

LG could make a exact duplicate of eithers phones and it wouldn't make 1 iota of a difference.

Here's the real kick.. Since the v30 is going to have a P-OLED screen, has anything been said wither they fixed the brightness and refresh rates that plagued the Flex series with their P-OLED technology?

I understand that the mobile division is loosing money, but if they don't start pouring money into advertising and making the phone available worldwide then they might as well just quit worrying about making any dent in sales....IMHO

Mac

 

[Aquila]

Yeah most non-tech people I know think of LG as a TV maker more then a phone maker.

I'm one of those and my first smartphone was LG. LG makes some AWESOME in home stuff. Phones... they make some interesting ones, but when you put them on the list of "what's the best phone available" then we're comparing features, and it's been too many years since LG led in ANY major categories. Displays have been all Samsung. Audio has been all HTC, even when LG did audio BETTER, people still said it was HTC. Software, Google makes their own phones now. Security? Google or maybe TCL. Camera? Google, HTC or Samsung. You pick a category and someone else is beating LG in it. That's the problem. They're a jack of all trades, doing mediocre or even well in almost every category - but mastering none. And then there are the categories they're not doing well in. This is a big issue to overcome. The G6 makes some strides towards getting better, but afaik it still leads in exactly zero areas. Can the V30 do better? Sales wise? hell no. But can it be a better phone than the G6? I sure hope so, because SOMETHING has to change. I'm being a little harsh, but none of this is hyperbole... and LG needs to realize that.

 

[Mike Dee]

The V needs to remain the beast for those who use features out of their smartphone that others don't care about. The V should have a removable battery. The V should have an IR blaster. It should have cutting edge audio and video capabilities. Waterproofing not so much but they could still do it and keep these features we demand. For everyone else they can have the G6. Let that be the mainstream phone. That screen is already taller than this one.

None of those shoulds add up to sales...its over. LG is on the ropes and has to fight a different fight if they want to stay in the game. I don't like some of the choices but its done. We can keep what we have or move onto something else.