If you own the LG V30, you might have noticed a recent update that injected some relatively useful AI smarts into the camera app. Not just that, the device’s name has suddenly changed to LG V30 ThinQ. In short, a whole lot has changed seemingly out of nowhere.
That’s because starting with its 2017 hit and continuing soon with its LG G7 ThinQ, LG shared with TechRadar that it has worked to change its ways when it comes to post-release support for its smartphones, and interestingly, is has Ubisoft to thank.
The game developer/publisher of many acclaimed franchises, like Assassin’s Creed and Rainbow Six, inspired the Korean company to continue bringing substantive updates to its previously released phones.
LG’s Frank Lee wasn’t shy to share praise, saying that “it’s just all very clever how [Ubisoft] finds a way to provide new experiences without having to reinvent the wheel every time. Talking as a fan of its games, it’s such a pleasant surprise that they are improving on products that are already successful and, at times, years old.”
Adapting Ubisoft’s model to LG’s hardware plan
Of course, phones aren’t all that comparable to games, but Lee said that the company wanted to deliver appreciable updates in a similar manner as a show of faith to both its customers and its products.
Bright Mode considerably improves the low-light capability of the V30
Speaking on the post-launch roadmap of the V30, which released in late 2017: “We didn’t know that it would eventually be called “ThinQ”. We knew that eventually we’d need to come to our audience to explain LG’s position on AI.” This all came to fruition in a recent update that brought along the AI Cam feature we first saw in the LG V30S ThinQ, as well as Bright Mode, which does a surprisingly good job of brightening low-light environments with software improvements.
But even without a plan in place, LG knew that its phone would be primed to evolve over time. “Our version [of Ubisoft’s model] ensures that the phone hardware that we invest in can grow and be built upon – even if we don’t currently know what we’re going to do to improve it.”
Addressing matters from the past, which at times involves course-correcting when you’re wrong, isn’t something that many companies, particularly large Android phone manufacturers, want to own up to. It’s far easier to bury the hatchet and keep moving forward, but LG is just one of a few to make this consumer-focused change.
Lee shared that LG’s goal is to limit buyer’s remorse by “making sure that if you’ve purchased an LG product, we’re going to keep finding ways to make that ownership rewarding.” Of course, we’ll only see how well this strategy pans out once the LG G7 ThinQ makes its splash.
