LG begins to sell G6 smartphone in US

U.S. consumers can order LG Electronics’ latest high-end smartphone, the G6, from Friday (local time), with major wireless carriers set to offer various promotions.

As part of its efforts to pre-empt the U.S. market ahead of upcoming debuts of its competitors, LG is also giving away a Google smart speaker to early bird customers.

LG phones have stood out in the U.S., the world’s biggest premium phone market, so response from American buyers may determine the future of the handset that has become a big hit in Korea since its release on March 10.

Although LG has yet to announce the release date officially, the fancy device is expected to reach U.S. consumers on April 7.

According to AT&T, the second-largest U.S. provider of mobile telephone services, G6 buyers will get another G6 phone after credits over 30 months when they add another line on the network.

In addition, those who buy a G6 on a two-year agreement will get an LG Watch Sport for $49.99.

Those who pre-order the LG phone through smallest provider Sprint will get a free 49-inch LG HDTV, valued at $349.99, and business bellwether Verizon will also offer a free 43-inch LG smart TV to new customers.

Regardless of which carrier people choose, early buyers will receive a free Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by Google Assistant, otherwise priced at $129.

LG said the smart speaker worked seamlessly with the LG G6, which uses Google’s intelligent personal assistant.

“At home or on the go, help is always close with the LG G6 and Google Home — both with the Google Assistant built-in. For a limited time, get a Google Home on us,” LG says on its U.S. website.

After a series of setbacks with previous models, LG is set to revive its unprofitable smartphone business by focusing on the U.S. and Europe as well as Korea without launching the G6 in China, where it reportedly has less than 1 percent market share.