Exact date you need to upgrade your phone as major mobile brand SHUTS DOWN after 15 years
USERS of a huge mobile brand have until June 30 to upgrade their phones.
After that date, customers will no longer be able to download or install Android updates, making their device more susceptible to cyber attacks.
LG announced in 2021 that it was closing its smartphone division with the South Korean tech giant preparing to shut down for good at the end of this month.
Its first Android phone was released more than 15 years ago - although LG's roots in mobile go back even further.
LG once held the crown as the world's third-bestselling mobile brand.
But rivals emerged including Oppo and Xiaomi, as well as long-established competitors such as Samsung.
Despite the impending closure, the company continued to push out important Android updates to existing users.
Bosses committed to do it for three years.
But that time is now up with the last update due to come out on June 30, marking the very end for LG's mobile business.
In a statement, LG said it would like to "extend our heartfelt gratitude towards our customers who have loved and supported LG Electronics mobile products".
The company added: "After the termination date, you will no longer be able to use the software upgrade services.
"If you wish to use the services, we strongly recommend upgrading your software before June 30, 2025.
"Furthermore, as we will no longer provide application updates, you will not be able to download default applications deleted upon initialization."
Time for an upgrade?
Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun
LG's mobiles have all long been discontinued so you can no longer buy them.
And now you won't get software updates either.
Security updates are the key part, as experts at LG will no longer plug any loopholes that are uncovered, meaning hackers will be on the look out to exploit them.
So, the safest option is to upgrade to a newer handset.
Users have been reacting to the final curtain call for LG's mobile devices.
"The loss of HTC and LG phones really stagnated the market," one user wrote on Reddit. "I loved the different things they tried. A leather back to a phone!"
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
37 minutes ago
- Reuters
Global M&A powered by larger deals in first half; bankers show appetite for megadeals
NEW YORK, June 29 (Reuters) - Mergers and acquisitions during the first half of this year were not what investment bankers had hoped for, but a burst of big deals in Asia and renewed optimism in U.S. markets could be paving the way for megadeals. Market uncertainties stemming from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war, high interest rates and broader geopolitical tensions hampered — but did not completely derail — what bankers expected to be a blockbuster year for global M&A, dealmakers say. Trump's tariff policies, kicked off by his self-styled "Liberation Day" on April 2, cast a chill over the markets and pushed several deals and initial public offerings into subsequent quarters. "The expectation was we would see a lot of deal activity in the first half of 2025, and the reality is we didn't see it," said Tommy Rueger, global co-head of equity capital markets at UBS, which Dealogic ranked No. 9 in equity capital markets revenue, according to preliminary data from January 1 through June 27. Interviews with more than a dozen top bankers signal growing confidence that the worst of the market turbulence is over. Fresh record closing highs for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes have helped renew optimism that M&A in the second half of the year will be even stronger, dealmakers say. "There were a lot of deals that were put on hold that will come back," said Ivan Farman, co-head of global M&A at Bank of America, which was ranked No. 3 in overall investment banking revenue and No. 5 for M&A in Dealogic's year-to-date rankings. "I'm optimistic about the second half." There is reason for optimism, dealmakers say, with the recovery in the markets and Trump's easier antitrust policies paving the way for bigger deals. "The probability of very large transactions, perhaps $50 billion-plus, has increased versus a year ago," said John Collins, global co-head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley, which was ranked No. 4 in overall fee revenue among investment banks and No. 3 for M&A deals. Some $2.14 trillion in deals were signed from January 1 through June 27, up 26% from the same period last year. Part of that increase, however, came from Asia, where activity more than doubled to $583.9 billion. Deal activity in North America rose to $1.04 trillion from January 1 through June 27, up 17% from the first half last year, according to preliminary data from Dealogic. Market volatility, as measured by the VIX index (.VIX), opens new tab, has dropped to levels that indicate investors feel safer to invest today. "It's been clear that momentum continues to build, paving the way for larger transactions. People are feeling more positive than they were a month ago and starting to implement their decisions," said Philip Ross, vice chairman of Jefferies bank. As the markets calm down, institutional investors are starting to jump back in to equities and more companies are moving forward with IPO plans that had been postponed earlier this quarter. 'The combination of all of those together has created, over the last three to four weeks, an incredibly strong new issue backdrop and we've seen a significant uptick in activity," Rueger said. Saadi Soudavar, head of equity capital markets for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Deutsche Bank, added: "Equity markets have shown a remarkable ability to shrug off a lot of the tariff and geopolitical related volatility." A few big deals helped boost market morale at the height of tariff turmoil, including Global Payments' $24.25 billion acquisition of a card processing and account services firm in April. Charter Communications (CHTR.O), opens new tabin May agreed to buy privately held rival Cox Communications for $21.9 billion. And U.S.-based equipment manufacturer Chart Industries GTLS.N and Flowserve Corp (FLS.N), opens new tab agreed to merge, valuing the combined company at about $19 billion. There were 17,528 deals signed during the first half of this year, compared with 20,583 deals in the same period last year, according to Dealogic. But this year's deals were bigger in size, pushing the total value of deals higher. There was a 62% increase in the number of $10 billion-plus deals versus the same period last year, the data shows. Dealmaking in Asia was a bright spot. Overall M&A activity rose to $583.9 billion in the first six months, up from $269.9 billion a year ago. Led by Japan and China, the region accounted for 27.3% of the global M&A activity, gaining more than 11 percentage points from the same period last year. Some of the region's biggest deals were kept within the Asia-Pacific region. Toyota Motor (7203.T), opens new tab announced plans on June 3 to take one of its suppliers private for $33 billion. On June 16, a consortium led by Abu Dhabi's National Oil Company (ADNOC) launched an $18.7 billion all-cash takeover of Australia's second-largest oil producer Santos ( opens new tab. Asia also helped drive global equity issuance higher despite the market volatility, with overall volume rising nearly 8% to $350 billion from the same period last year. "You will see more Asia-to-Asia activity," said Raghav Maliah, global vice chairman of investment banking at Goldman Sachs, which was ranked No. 2 in overall investment banking fees and No. 1 in M&A revenue. "Japan has been a big driver in all the deal volumes (in Asia) and we do believe that trend will continue."
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Oil falls on prospect of more OPEC+ supply, easing risks in Mideast
SINGAPORE, June 30 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell 1% on Monday as an easing of geopolitical risks in the Middle East and the prospect of another OPEC+ output hike in August boosted the supply outlook. Brent crude futures fell 66 cents, or 0.97%, to $67.11 a barrel by 0031 GMT, ahead of the August contract's expiry later on Monday. The more active September contract was at $65.97, down 83 cents. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 94 cents, or 1.43%, to $64.58 a barrel. Last week, both benchmarks posted their biggest weekly decline since March 2023, but they are set to finish higher in June with a second consecutive monthly gain of more than 5%. A 12-day war that started with Israel targeting Iran's nuclear facilities on June 13 caused Brent prices to surge above $80 a barrel after the U.S. bombed Iran's nuclear facilities and then slump to $67 after President Donald Trump announced an Iran-Israel ceasefire. The market has stripped out most of the geopolitical risk premium built into the price following the Iran-Israel ceasefire, IG markets analyst Tony Sycamore said in a note. Further weighing on the market, four delegates from OPEC+, which includes allies of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said the group was set to boost production by 411,000 barrels per day in August, following similar-size output increases for May, June and July. OPEC+ is set to meet on July 6 and this would be the fifth monthly increase since the group started unwinding production cuts in April. In the U.S., the number of operating oil rigs, an indicator of future output, fell by six to 432 last week, the lowest level since October 2021, Baker Hughes said.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Inside Japan's secretive execution jails where death row inmates are given minutes notice before facing the noose - as serial killer dubbed 'hanging pro' is sent to the gallows
From the outside, the Tokyo Detention House looks much like the other tall, austere buildings native to Katsushika City, but its drab facade and tree-lined grounds conceal a far more sinister reality. It is here that Japan's most deplorable criminals are plucked from their cells and hanged underneath fluorescent lights in a cold, bare wood-panelled room. There is a chillingly theatrical element to how the condemned are executed in the East Asian country - the only member of the G7 besides the US that still metes out capital punishment. Shackled prisoners are led past a small gold statue of Kannon, a Buddhist figure associated with compassion, as they enter their sterile execution chamber. Here, they are forced to stand on a spot marked by an ominous red square - the trapdoor that will give way to send them on a short and sharp journey to their deaths. Bright blue curtains are withdrawn to reveal a viewing gallery, where officials and families of victims are separated from the prisoner by nothing but a thin pane of glass. Executioners then place a hood and blindfold on the condemned, fit the noose around their neck and step back to pull the lever. The trapdoor is released, and gravity does the rest. But it is the unpredictable and sudden nature of the execution process that sets Japanese executions apart from those in the US. Unlike in the States, where death row inmates typically receive their date of execution weeks or months in advance, Japanese prisoners are often given as little as an hour's notice - a decision the UN Committee against Torture claimed causes the families additional stress. Last week's execution of the 'hanging pro' or 'Twitter killer' - a man who preyed on vulnerable women and girls before raping and killing them in his apartment in Japan - has reignited debate over the cold and clinical execution practices. Journalists stand outside the grey Tokyo Detention House in Katsushika, November 20, 2018. There is a chilling theatrical element to how the East Asian country hangs the condemned Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the ' Twitter killer,' was sentenced to death in 2020 for murdering nine victims in 2017. He was also convicted of sexually abusing his female victims. Police arrested him later that year after finding the bodies of eight teenage girls and women, as well as one man, in cold-storage cases in his apartment. Investigators said Shiraishi styled himself as a valiant helper, providing a way out for those with suicidal thoughts or those who had attempted suicide and failed. On Twitter - the social media platform he used to reach out to potential victims - his profile featured a manga cartoon drawing showing a man whose neck and wrist are scarred, wearing a rope around his neck. The profile bio described his expertise in hanging and his Twitter handle was '@hangingpro'. 'I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM me anytime,' it read. 'There must be many people in society who are suffering after attempting suicide, though their cases are not reported in the news. I want to help such people.' He also worked to ensure his victims severed ties with friends and family members in advance of meeting them. 'It is not good to tell friends, family members and social networking sites that you are going to die before committing suicide,' he wrote in one post. He killed the three teenage girls and five women after raping them. He also killed the boyfriend of one of the women to silence him. 'The case caused extremely serious outcomes and dealt a major shockwave and unease to society,' Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki told an emergency news conference following Shiraishi's execution. He said he signed the execution, but did not personally witness the hanging. On Twitter - the social media platform he used to reach out to potential victims - his profile featured a manga cartoon drawing showing a man whose neck and wrist are scarred, wearing a rope around his neck The abrupt nature of the Japanese approach to execution was revealed in 2021 by Yoshikuni Noguchi, a lawyer and former prison officer who recounted the system to a Japanese newspaper. Convicts are only notified they will be executed that very morning, without warning, Noguchi said. As soon as the announcement is made, they are moved to a special room and constantly monitored by security officers to prevent any attempts at escape or suicide. The message is then supposed to be relayed to the inmate's family - though UN reports have suggested that loved ones are only told after the condemned is confirmed dead. Once the execution is ordered, the process is quick. The prisoner is plucked from the 'waiting room', shackled by guards and ushered towards the execution chamber. Once they are blindfolded and cuffed with the noose around their neck, an official gives a signal for the trapdoor to be opened. Viewers watch as the condemned promptly drops through the floor, never to be seen again. Below the execution chamber, their limp body dangles from a rope in a grey, tiled room. A doctor steps in to check their pulse, and once satisfied, wipes the body clean before directing orderlies to cut them down and take them to the morgue. Noguchi told the media how he resigned from his role as a prison officer after about four years in the job, recalling how faint he felt reflecting on his involvement in the execution of a prisoner with little more than a nod and the pull of a lever. In January last year, another killer was sentenced to death despite calls for the death penalty to be abolished. Yuki Endo was just 19 when the girl he liked spurned his advances in 2021. Angry and despairing, the teenager sought revenge by targeting those closest to his muse, marching to the house of her parents in Kofu on October 12 and stabbing her 55-year-old father and 50-year-old mother to death in cold blood. Endo then attacked the couple's second daughter with a machete, injuring her, and burned the house to the ground. After his arrest, judges determined he was fully criminally responsible and showed no remorse for the crime, making it unlikely he could be rehabilitated in their view. Endo also became the first person in Japan sentenced to death for a crime committed between the ages of 18 and 19 after Japan's courts brought down the legal age of adult criminal responsibility in 2022. The change to the law was intended to get younger people to 'gain awareness of their responsibilities' and rehabilitate them more effectively. Meanwhile, officials have opposed calls from human rights groups to end the death penalty. Justice Minister Suzuki this week justified the need for the execution in Japan, noting a recent government survey shows an overwhelming majority of the public still supports capital punishment, though opposition has somewhat increased. 'I believe it is not appropriate to abolish execution,' Suzuki said, adding that there is growing concern about serious crime. The case of Yuki Endo shares striking similarities with that of Tomohiro Kato, author of the atrocious 2008 Akihabara massacre. On June 8, 2008, the then-25-year-old rented a two-ton Isuzu Elf truck and drove it into a lunchtime crowd of pedestrians at the Akihabara shopping district, killing three people. Kato proceeded to stab onlookers with a dagger, killing four and wounding eight. During his trial, Kato revealed that online bullying had driven him to madness. Prosecutors painted a picture of a troubled young man who was demoralised after a girl he was talking to online abruptly cut contact after he sent a photo of himself. His rampage prompted outcry and discussion around preventative measures that should be taken to stop angry and alienated young people from lashing out in brazen displays of indiscriminate violence. Knife laws were tightened, and Kato was sentenced to death in 2011. It would be another 11 years before Kato would face his penalty in the Tokyo Detention House.
