LG has suggested that it is currently “very weak” in the UK’s smartphone stakes, a problem it says has been caused by being late to the party.
A surprisingly frank and open comment from a global tech giant, LG has admitted that the UK mobile market is a current weakness, and that having gained traction with the Google branded LG Nexus 4 it is now looking to rectify its issues with upcoming handsets.
“Of course we are very weak in the UK market as you know but it is time for us to start challenging in the most difficult market,” Won Kim, the European Marketing Head of LG Mobile Communications said. “This year we will do something that will give us a good footprint in the UK and then we will be on the right track to be a valuable handset threat.”
Speaking directly with TrustedReviews from the company’s Gasan Facility in Seoul, South Korean, Kim teasingly added: “Just watch out, sooner or later it is going to happen.”
Pinning its issues on having been “somewhat late in the smartphone game,” LG has claimed that things have already started turning around, with the past 12 months proving a breakthrough year for the company that has been overshadowed by its national compatriot Samsung. Although still someway off the success of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and expected prominence of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4, Kim suggested that LG has hit new highs in recent months.
“In 2012 we have experienced a key milestone for LG Mobile in Europe in terms of product availability and product competitiveness, variety and the impact some of our smartphones have made,” the company’s head of mobile said. “We have started to be recognised as a key brand for handsets.”
Although not focussing wholly on the doom and gloom, Kim was keen to stress LG’s need for improvement in the UK and European mobile markets. He stated: “In Europe we were relatively very weak in terms of recognition.”
