Despite being responsible for the world's first rollable OLED television display, LG is playing the 'wait and see' game with regards to foldable smartphones, according to the company's TV division boss, Brian Kwon.
Kwon, who was handed the reins to LG's struggling phone business late last year, told reporters at a press conference in Seoul on Friday that the company has "reviewed releasing the foldable smartphone when launching [its] 5G smartphone but decided not to produce it,” as reported by The Korea Times.
Stating that "LG’s main issue in [the] smartphone business is to regain its market position" and that "it is too early for LG to launch a foldable smartphone," Kwon goes on to say that the South Korean electronics giant is "fully ready to respond depending on consumers’ reactions" to the burgeoning technology.
- LG Display doubles down on OLED TVs
- LG G8 will have a 'connected' dual display
- LG G8 and LG V50 ThinQ could both land at MWC 2019
Risky business
Given that LG's smartphone business is currently flagging, the decision to stick with traditional non-folding handsets for another year might end up hurting the company's phone sales even further.
That said, it could also be the smart move in this instance, as the company can then make an informed decision about what does and doesn't work when it comes to foldable smartphone design – just look at all the proposed designs that TCL is currently experimenting with!
In the meantime, LG is expected to debut its upcoming LG G8 and LG V50 ThinQ smartphones at this year's MWC 2019 exhibition later this month.