LG was pretty ambitious with the LG G5 earlier this year by launching it with the Friends modules. However it seems that the concept never really quite took off because sales of the LG G5 wasn’t exactly what you would call stellar. The phone itself has no issues, but rather the fact that the modules were expensive and required the phone to be rebooted each time it was swapped out made it hard to adopt the ecosystem.
Many assumed that LG would do away with it, but last month LG reassured customers that the modular concept will not be going anywhere, or will it? According to a report from ETNews out of Korea, it seems that LG could be changing their minds and that with 2017’s LG G6, the company could be doing away with the modular concept for good. According to their sources, “It is heard that LG Electronics has decided not to modularize its next Smartphone. Corresponding products such as boards and audio chips are currently being prepared accordingly.”
Understandably the company is said to be worried about this decision, especially since it could affect the trust their customers have in them. Imagine buying a phone and investing hundreds of dollars in modules, only to find out that they will no longer be compatible with future devices a year later, it can’t be a good feeling, right? However LG won’t be alone as Google themselves have ultimately decided to shelve Project Ara, their own attempts at creating a modular smartphone.
