LG's Smartphone Exit Will Reduce Carriers' Phone Influence, Says GlobalData

LG’s exit from the smartphone business will expand the market dominance of Apple and Samsung, reported GlobalData. The leading phone makers "already have a stranglehold over the US smartphone market,” said analyst Anisha Bhatia, saying LG’s exit will reduce the influence of carriers over the choice of phones they offer, making them “more dependent on Samsung and Apple.” The smartphone business is getting “increasingly difficult to compete in,” said the analyst: “Stagnation in hardware innovation, consumer saturation with high phone prices, and lengthened upgrade rates have led to slowing growth in shipments and hardware revenues.” The shrinking pool of OEMs and the inability to offer value phones from Chinese companies such as Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo due to “geopolitical tensions,” will affect U.S. carriers and limit device selections for consumers, she said.