LG G2 reportedly selling fewer units than expected

It’s hard to accuse LG of resting on their laurels this year: the company released a number of well-received products, including the flagship G2, and breathed new life into its tablet division with the (yet-to-be-released-in-Canada) G Pad 8.3. It also once again worked with Google on the latest Nexus smartphone, and is rumoured to be reworking its G Pad 8.3 into an 8-inch Nexus tablet.

So it comes as a bit of a shock that reports from within the company are citing disappointing sales numbers for the G2. According to Asia Today, a Korean-language daily, LG hasn’t managed to reach its Q4 sales goal of 3 million handsets, selling closer to 2.3 million. In Korea alone, LG has only sold 600,000 G2’s, in comparison to 540,000 Optimus G’s a year ago.

LG likely knew it had an uphill battle this year: while it rivals Samsung for vertical integration, designing and manufacturing everything from its battery cells to IPS displays, the company hasn’t managed to market itself as effectively to mainstream consumers. With the G2, LG has a bigger, faster phone than Samsung’s Galaxy S4, but its rear controls have been divisive, with some dismissing the placement as gimmicky. Similarly, its Android skin has been poorly received, inviting comparisons to Samsung’s TouchWIZ circa 2011.

I’ve enjoyed using the LG G2 since its release, but have identified a number of issues the company needs to work on to help it stand out from the pack. With the announcement of the G Flex, it’s easy to see where the company’s future lies, but unless there are practical reasons to buy a curved or flexible device, consumers may continue to stick with what they know.

[source]Asia Today (translated)[/source]