LG G7 Android 9 Pie Update Rolls Out With A Surprise

Although it seemingly dragged its feet, LG has finally rolled out Android 9 Pie to its early 2018 flagship, the LG G7. That is, if you're lucky enough to be in Korea or using a Korean SKU. While the rest of the world will have to continue waiting, the update does include a notice on when other LG phones are expected to get the update. And that includes one we thought was already put to pasture.

LG has all but lost its image as the poster boy for a good Android OEM. In addition to its ongoing problems with boot loops and less than ideal screens, LG has slowly been exposed as having one of the worst records in terms of updating phones to the latest Android versions.

On the heels of Samsung's roll out of Android 9 Pie with One UI to its Galaxy S9, LG has started to do the same for the LG G7. One key difference is that LG's Android experience is less modified than Samsung's so, in theory, it should have been able to update its phones sooner. Better late than never, right?

"Never" was almost the case for the LG V20, which should have reached end of support already. That would have meant that the late 2016 flagship only received one major Android update in its lifetime. The good news is that LG may have reconsidered and will indeed update the LG V20 to Android Pie. The bad news: owners will have to wait until the third quarter to find out.

• Q1: G7, V35

• Q2: V40, V30, V30S

• Q3: G6, V20, Q8 (2018)

• Q4: Q9, X5 (2018)

Amusingly, the LG V35 will get Pie before the V30 and even then only in later months of the year. As Reddit posters have noted, what LG says and what it does are completely two different things. And the gap of time between updates gives it lots of leeway to change its mind.