LG Bootloop Lawsuit Ends In Settlement, Rebate Offer [UPDATE]
The booting problem may be going on and on, but the lawsuit around them is definitely over. According to law firm Girard Gibbs, LG has agreed to settle the class action suit it brought before in US courts for the singular problem that plagued its flagship phones in 2015 and 2016. Owners of these models are entitled to claim a $425 cash settlement or a $700 rebate towards a new phone, though the exact details are still shrouded by a non-functioning web page.
LG's smartphones have mostly escaped controversy, but a good number of them have experienced one perplexing and, to date, unsolved bug. Phones would randomly reboot over and over, rendering them practically useless. This problem, curiously enough, seemed to be limited to the LG G4, LG V10, and Nexus 5X from 2015 and the LG G5 and LG V20 launched in 2016.
The clamor was so loud that a law firm finally took notice and got the ball rolling on a class action suit. After going into arbitration last year, the firm reveals today that LG has agreed to settle, offering what may look like a generous sum.
Owners of these five smartphones have a choice between a $425 cash settlement, no questions asked, or getting a $700 rebate to buy a new LG G6 or a V30. Considering the headache these users have experienced over LG's supposedly premium phones, some might opt to go with the former option.
As Girard Gibbs' web page for the class suit is still down, exact details are still unavailable. But more than just this particular class action, the success could give the firm more confidence, not to mention leverage, in other similar cases. Including one involving the embattled Google Pixel 2 and especially the Pixel 2 XL.
UPDATE: Sadly, it was something too good to be true. Girard Gibbs has finally put up a working web page that unfortunately reveals the true state of affairs. There is no settlement. Instead, LG has simply agreed to extend the warranty of affected models up to 30 months from the date of purchase. Considering the earlier information was never official, one cannot really blame the law firm from getting hopes up, though it still remains questionable why the earlier information was even published, even if only for a brief moment. Mystery aside, it is still questionable how LG will be able to keep up with its end of the agreement, considering some of those models, especially the Nexus 5X, have already been discontinued and are already out of stock.