Why LG Is Debuting V35 ThinQ In US First Before South Korea

LG Electronics has a new strategy for its smartphone business, and it is applying it to its all-new Android smartphone, the V35 ThinQ. The South Korean company’s strategy primarily involves launching its new handset overseas before bringing it to its home country.

Industry watchers revealed Thursday that LG is breaking away from its traditional sales strategy of launching a new handset in South Korea first before expanding its reach to other markets all over the world, Yonhap has learned.

This strategy will be evident in the release of the LG V35 ThinQ. LG has chosen to debut the upgraded V30 model in the United States this week through mobile carrier AT&T Inc. before introducing it to the South Korean market in early July.

In the past, LG prioritized consumers in South Korea by selling its new releases there first before gradually expanding their shipments abroad. This is what the company used with the G7 ThinQ, which is now available in Korea but is slated for release in the United States in June.

Though not mentioned by industry watchers, it’s clear that the U.S. debut of the V35 ThinQ is all thanks to a special agreement with AT&T — the only carrier in the country to not sell the flagship G7 ThinQ, which was introduced earlier this month.

The V35 ThinQ has the same design as last year’s V30 smartphone but comes with updated features that were introduced with the G7 ThinQ. It is also regarded as the slightly improved version of the V30S ThinQ that was launched last March.

Industry sources believe LG came up with its new strategy in an effort to improve the performance of its smartphone business. The company’s phone-producing unit is known to have been struggling to keep up with rivals for several months now.

Meanwhile, it seems there is still a chance for LG to bounce back in the smartphone scene. Earlier this month, market watchers revealed that preorders for the G7 ThinQ reached the 70,000 mark. It is therefore expected to surpass the performance of last year’s G6 flagship phone.