Why it matters to you
Lawsuits like this keep big tech companies in check. If you’ve experienced these bootloop issues, you want LG to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Good news for Nexus 5X users stricken by chronic bootloop issues. LG has committed to continue to support owners by extending the device’s manufacturer warranty and offering repairs, refunds, and replacements when deemed necessary.
The phone maker has been the target of class-action lawsuits involving several of its devices, including the G5, G4, V20, and V10, in addition to the Google-sold Nexus 5X. Chimicles and Tikellis LLP, the law firm representing affected Nexus users in one particular case, recently filed for voluntary dismissal after LG made the announcement. The news comes courtesy of Android Police, which reported that those who joined that particular lawsuit are now receiving emails notifying them of the termination.
Meanwhile, separate cases are still ongoing. In March, G4 and V10 users took their frustrations to the next level, filing a class-action lawsuit after a string of bootloop reports over the preceding months. Shortly thereafter, it was extended to the G5, V20, and Nexus 5X.
That case was brought to California federal court, and the plaintiffs claimed that the G4 was acknowledged by LG as having “loose contact between components,” which is what caused the bootloop issues. Despite allegedly knowing, LG didn’t recall the device, nor did it stop production of the phone or fix the issue. However, LG did acknowledge the problem and offered replacements for a time. Those replacements, however, reportedly didn’t come with a fix, and eventually fell into the same issues.
So what is the big deal with bootloops? When a phone enters a bootloop, it repeatedly restarts itself. According to the suit, the damages included things like loss of data — which can be a real pain when experienced. In terms of monetary value, the amount the plaintiffs are seeking will be “determined at trial,” but they’re also seeking a “comprehensive program to repair all LG phones containing the bootloop defect,” and that LG pay legal fees and costs.
This is not the first time we have seen big issues as a result of bootloops — in fact, it is not even the first time we have seen them from LG. When Nexus 5X owners began complaining of bootlooping problems, the company decided to offer some full refunds. It’s unknown exactly why LG didn’t extend the same courtesy to users of its other devices.
It will be interesting to see how this case progresses and we will update this article as we hear more.
Article originally published on 03-17-2017 by Christian de Looper. Updated on 05-26-2017 by Adam Ismail: Added news of termination of one Nexus 5X class-action suit, and that a separate suit had been extended to cover more devices.