LG’s best year in smartphones yet translates into 54 percent rise in sales

By Andy Boxall January 27, 2014

LG G2 Phone front — Image used with permission by copyright holder

LG has shared its financial results for the last three months of 2013, along with some data on its overall performance last year, and its mobile division has shown considerable improvements. Compared to 2012, LG’s Mobile Communications arm reported a 29 percent increase in revenue, and sold 13.2 million phones during those final months of the year, which also saw revenue rise by 18 percent.

These 13 million phones represent a 54 percent increase over the same period the year before, which the press release says is thanks to an improved range of products, and a higher marketing spend.

So how does LG’s surge look when compared to the competition? Samsung didn’t share any smartphone sales figures in its recent financial statement, but between July and September 2013, according to Gartner, it sold 80 million smartphones. In late October, Samsung reported the Galaxy S4 had hit 40 million sales alone, following its April release. For 2014, Samsung expects smartphone shipment numbers to grow by 15 percent.

Apple will be releasing its results for the same period later today, January 27. According to a poll conducted by Fortune.com, analysts are expecting a smartphone sales figure of around 55 million. This would be another record quarter for the firm, and a 16 percent rise over 2012’s figures.

These numbers make LG’s performance look rather modest, but taken on its own, it’s a significant leap forward for the company. Looking back on 2013, some of our favorite phones came from LG, such as the G2, the Nexus 5, and the unusual G Flex, all of which highlight the turnaround. This year, we’re hoping LG is going to build on all this promise, and we’re expecting the G Pro 2 at MWC, the 1440p G3 soon afterwards, plus an eventual successor to the G Flex.

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Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

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