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LG G4 Incident: Difference between revisions

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The LG G4 phone had a massive failure issue and LG did not issue a recall when millions of customers were affected (Source).
The '''LG G4''' [[Android]] smartphone developed by [[LG]] Electronics as part of the {{Wplink|LG G series}} of smartphones was released in April 2015.


This issue was caused by heat which would detach the soldering, with the most common result being a boot loop issue where the device would be stuck in a cycle of booting but never post. This would result in all user data being lost, and the device being unusable.  
Shortly after its release, it was found to have issues that resulted in the device to become unstable, inoperable, or to cause {{Wplink|data loss}}. LG released a series of forced updates, which were automatically installed without the user's consent.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Nicole |last=Arce |title=AT&T LG G4 Users Complain Of Automatic Update: What's Happening? |url=https://www.techtimes.com/articles/59241/20150610/at-t-lg-g4-users-complain-of-automatic-update-whats-happening.htm |website=Tech Times |date=10 Jun 2015 |access-date=11 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150612201958/https://www.techtimes.com/articles/59241/20150610/at-t-lg-g4-users-complain-of-automatic-update-whats-happening.htm |archive-date=12 Jun 2015}}</ref>


Other issues included touchscreen issues, where the screen would stop responding permanently (or until restart for some users), charging port death, speaker function damage and double tap features no longer functioning, which would be occurring early on as a precursor to the touch screen issues. When reports of abnormally high failure rates occurred in the first couple months (as several media outlets covered, I will add this later) LG hid it, refusing warranties early on. When public outcry became too much of a wave for them to deny, they told outlets it was a very small subset they would look into, all the while having confirmed many months before that it was a universal issue.
==Issues==
===Touchscreen===
In 2015 it was identified that the G4 was experiencing touchscreen issues, making the device unresponsive or causing the device to restart.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Ketan |last=Pratap |title=Some LG G4 Users Reporting Touchscreen Issues; LG Says It's Investigating |url=https://www.gadgets360.com/mobiles/news/some-lg-g4-users-reporting-touchscreen-issues-lg-says-its-investigating-704572 |website=Gadgets 360 |date=17 Jun 2015 |access-date=11 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001181541/https://www.gadgets360.com/mobiles/news/some-lg-g4-users-reporting-touchscreen-issues-lg-says-its-investigating-704572 |archive-date=1 Oct 2022}}</ref> LG released several patches in an attempt to rectify the issue, although some patches had to be pulled because they caused more problems to the device itself. By November 2015, LG released a series of software updates to address the issue.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anu |last=Passary |title=LG Outs Fix For LG G4 Touchscreen Issues |url=https://www.techtimes.com/articles/62417/20150622/lg-outs-fix-for-lg-g4-touchscreen-issues.htm |website=Tech Times |date=6 Jun 2015
|access-date=11 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623144513/https://www.techtimes.com/articles/62417/20150622/lg-outs-fix-for-lg-g4-touchscreen-issues.htm
|archive-date=23 Jun 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Cory |last=Gunther |title=LG G4 Touchscreen Problems Fixed in New Update |url=https://www.gottabemobile.com/lg-g4-touchscreen-problems-fixed-in-new-update/ |website=Gotta Be Mobile |date=25 Nov 2015 |access-date=11 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305201051/https://www.gottabemobile.com/lg-g4-touchscreen-problems-fixed-in-new-update/ |archive-date=5 Mar 2017}}</ref>


===Boot looping===
From around September 2015, users reported an issue with device where it would continuously cycle between booting and restarting without being operable (known as a "{{Wplink|Booting#Bootloop|boot loop}}").<ref>{{Cite web |first=Andrew |last=Williams |title=LG G4 Bootloop Problem: Global Software Upgrade Centre the final fix? |url=https://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/lg-g4-bootloop-problem-how-to-diagnose-and-fix-2946272 |website=Trusted Reviews |date=12 Apr 2018 |access-date=11 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180604022107/http://www.trustedreviews.com:80/opinion/lg-g4-bootloop-problem-how-to-diagnose-and-fix-2946272 |archive-date=4 Jun 2018}}</ref> Initially appearing to only affect a small number of devices, the issue quickly became more widespread and by the end of 2015 it was apparent that this issue could afflict almost any model.


Users either complained that the devices were not having appropriate repairs undertaken or called for LG to acknowledge there was a major fault with the devices. In some instances users started online petitions calling for LG to address their concerns.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Santiago |last=Archila |title=Launch a replacement program for defective LG G4s |url=https://www.change.org/p/lg-mobile-launch-a-replacement-program-for-defective-lg-g4s |website=change.org |date=2016 |access-date=11 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016135326/https://www.change.org/p/lg-mobile-launch-a-replacement-program-for-defective-lg-g4s |archive-date=16 Oct 2016}}</ref>


The issue was exasperated by the device having the snapdragon 808 processor inside. Which famously had overheating issues along with the 810. But it was there devices (including the G flex) that suffered these desoldering issues en-mass.  
In January 2016, LG acknowledged the hardware issue causing the boot loop and announced they would repair or replace affected devices.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Kris |last=Carlon |title=LG admits G4 bootloop problem is a hardware fault, will repair affected devices |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/lg-admits-g4-bootloop-problem-hardware-fault-669603/ |website=Android Authority |date=26 Jan 2016 |access-date=11 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127084809/https://www.androidauthority.com/lg-admits-g4-bootloop-problem-hardware-fault-669603/ |archive-date=27 Jan 2016}}</ref> LG did not offer assistance with the recovery of data from affected devices.


LG did not recall the devices, as the LG G4 was LG's best selling phone ever. LG instead continued to marketing the device (the G4 was marketed for over two years at bus stations in Canada, well after the release of the G5.) <!-- citation needed here
It was identified that the fault was caused by detached soldering between components, resulting in lost user data and complete interoperability of the affected devices.
-->The company launched a replacement scheme with US carriers to hide the issue with replacements (will add source here), which did not address its systemic problem of breaking down and losing all user data.


Users who had their phone replaced reported it dying a second or third time because the heating issue was never fixed.  All data is lost upon bootlooping and LG still continued selling it for over a year after finding out (Source here). <!-- this section is a bit repetitive, might want to consider rewriting or removing it -->
===Other issues===
Other problems included:


*Charging port death{{Citation needed}}
*Speaker function damage{{Citation needed}}
*Double tap features no longer functioning{{Citation needed}}


The phone received Android 5.0 near the first two months after release, and was expected to get 2 major updates. This was even confirmed through a LG spokesperson in South Korea (twice) that the device would be receiving 6.0 marshmallow (source here), however the update was never globally released despite saying for many months that they would update the phone. At the time Android updates were not yet segmented (link to video on this topic), so updates took much longer to develop, and the decision to do so would be made well in advance. The device was still being advertised for over 6 moths after Android 6.0 was supposed to be released. The update was made but it was only ever released in South Korea.  
==Class-action lawsuit==
LG settled one class-action lawsuit in relation to boot loop issues in the USA, with LG offering affected device owners either $425 in cash or $700 in store credit to buying an alternative LG device.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Chaim |last=Gartenberg |title=LG settles bootloop lawsuit with $425 in cash or a $700 rebate toward a new LG phone
|url=https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/1/31/16957332/lg-bootloop-lawsuit-settlement-g4-v10-v20-nexus-5x-g5 |website=The Verge |date=31 Jan 2018 |access-date=11 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201022442/https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/1/31/16957332/lg-bootloop-lawsuit-settlement-g4-v10-v20-nexus-5x-g5 |archive-date=1 Feb 2018}}</ref> 


LG only ended up paying for one settled class action suit on the issue exclusively in the USA. They avoided a recall, that executives knew would be needed months after release (source on LG knowing the bootloop issue existed 3 months after release).
==References==
LG left the phone market in 2021.<ref>
{{Reflist}}
{{cite web
 
|url=https://www.lg.com/global/newsroom/news/corporate/lg-to-close-mobile-phone-business-worldwide/
{{DEFAULTSORT:LG G4}}
|title=LG to Close Mobile Phone Business Worldwide
[[Category:LG]]
|date=2021-04-05
[[Category:LG G4 phone]]
|access-date=2025-01-18
|website=www.lg.com
|publisher=LG Electronics Inc.
|archive-date=2025-01-18 21:03:36 (utc-5)
|archive-url=https://archive.ph/xK5is
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
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