Thanks to having newer devices in the market, LG’s yesteryear flagship smartphones like the LG G4 are now going for insanely cheap prices. Hardly a week goes by without us receiving an email asking if we’d recommend the device. While we’re always recommending yesteryear feature-packed flagship smartphones over today’s mid-range smartphones, the G4 and some other LG smartphones from over 2 years may be entering our no-no list.
This is after LG released its list of devices receiving the September Android security patches that had devices like the LG G3, LG G4, LG G4 Stylus, LG Stylo and LG CK missing. That, unless otherwise clarified, can only mean one thing: it’s the end of the road.
Normally, most Android devices guarantee at least a year and a half (18 months) of software support, a period during which qualifying devices, mostly the flagships, receive at least a major Android version bump from the one they shipped with. However, it is common practice to continue providing security updates long after that period has elapsed so as not to endanger users. But that latter support, as evidenced by LG pulling the plug on the G3, G4 and others’ updates, is not forever. It ends at some point. Sadly for the five LG smartphones, that point is September 2017.
