亏损加剧，LG 黯然退出手机市场 ｜ 文化外刊 ｜ 泛读
日本决定将福岛核废水排入海洋
LG Electronics said on Monday it would close down its loss-making smartphone business. In January, the South Korean electronics giant said it was looking at all options for the division after almost six years of losses totalling around $4.5bn. LG had made many innovations including ultra-wide angle cameras, rising to third largest smartphone maker in 2013. But bosses said the mobile phone market had become "incredibly competitive".
While Samsung and Apple are the two biggest players in the smartphone market, LG has suffered from its own hardware and software issues. As LG struggled with losses it had held talks to sell part of the business but these fell through. It still ranks as the third most popular brand in North America but has slipped in other markets. LG phones are still fairly common in its domestic South Korean market.
"LG's strategic decision to exit the incredibly competitive mobile phone sector will enable the company to focus resources in growth areas. such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics and artificial intelligence," it said in a statement. Last year it shipped 28 million phones, which compares with 256 million for Samsung, according to research firm Counterpoint. The smartphone business is the smallest of LG's five divisions, accounting for just 7.4% of revenue.
Currently its global mobile phone market share is about 2%. It has been innovating its phones to compete with its bigger rivals, with last year's launch of the T-shaped Wing, a smartphone with a larger screen which swivels out to reveal a second, smaller one underneath. LG still has a strong consumer electronics business, particularly with home appliances and televisions. LG is the world's second best-selling TV brand after Samsung.
Analysts said South Korean rival Samsung and Chinese companies such as Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi are likely to benefit the most from LG's exit. Smartphone makers struggled during the pandemic with sales down about 10% in 2020 mainly due to lockdowns limiting store openings.
LG Electronics said on Monday it would close down its loss-making smartphone business. In January, the South Korean electronics giant said it was looking at all options for the division after almost six years of losses totalling around $4.5bn. LG had made many innovations including ultra-wide angle cameras, rising to third largest smartphone maker in 2013. But bosses said the mobile phone market had become "incredibly competitive".
LG电子周一表示，面对不断加剧的亏损，其将正式关闭智能手机部门。今年1月，这家韩国电子巨头表示，近6年该部门亏损约45亿美元，公司已经考虑过所有其他选择。LG曾做出许多创新，包括超广角摄像头，该公司在2013年跃升至全球第三大智能手机制造商。但高管们表示，手机市场的竞争“难以置信的激烈”。
While Samsung and Apple are the two biggest players in the smartphone market, LG has suffered from its own hardware and software issues. As LG struggled with losses it had held talks to sell part of the business but these fell through. It still ranks as the third most popular brand in North America but has slipped in other markets. LG phones are still fairly common in its domestic South Korean market.
三星和苹果是智能手机市场的两大巨头，LG却有着其自身硬件和软件方面的问题。LG在亏损中挣扎，它曾进行过出售部分业务的谈判，但都失败了。它仍然是北美地区第三大受欢迎的品牌，但在其他地区市场却有所下滑。LG手机在其国内市场仍然拥有许多用户。
"LG's strategic decision to exit the incredibly competitive mobile phone sector will enable the company to focus resources in growth areas. such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics and artificial intelligence," it said in a statement. Last year it shipped 28 million phones, which compares with 256 million for Samsung, according to research firm Counterpoint. The smartphone business is the smallest of LG's five divisions, accounting for just 7.4% of revenue.
该公司在一份声明中说:“LG宣 布退出竞争激烈的手机领域，这一战略决定将使该公司能够将资源集中在新兴领域，如电动汽车零部件、联网设备、智能家居、机器人和人工智能等。”根据研究公司Counterpoint的数据，去年它的手机出货量为2800万部，而三星则为2.56亿部。智能手机业务部门]是LG五个部门中规模最小的，仅占其营业额的7.4%。
Currently its global mobile phone market share is about 2%. It has been innovating its phones to compete with its bigger rivals, with last year's launch of the T-shaped Wing, a smartphone with a larger screen which swivels out to reveal a second, smaller one underneath. LG still has a strong consumer electronics business, particularly with home appliances and televisions. LG is the world's second best-selling TV brand after Samsung.
目前其全球手机市场份额约为2%。LG在智能手机业务上一直不断创新，与更强的对手竞争,去年推出了T型翼手机，主屏幕较大，旋转出来后能看到下面第二块较小的屏幕。LG的消费电子产品业务依然很强，尤其是家用电器和电视机业务。LG是全球第二大畅销电视品牌，仅次于三星。
Analysts said South Korean rival Samsung and Chinese companies such as Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi are likely to benefit the most from LG's exit. Smartphone makers struggled during the pandemic with sales down about 10% in 2020 mainly due to lockdowns limiting store openings.
分析师表示，LG退出后，其韩国竞争对手三星以及Oppo、Vivo和小米等中国公司可能获益最大。智能手机制造商在疫情期间举步维艰，2020年手机销量下降约10%，主要是因为封锁期间限制开店。