AT&T Has Pushed the Android 9.0 Pie Update For the LG V35 ThinQ

AT&T is finally rolling out the Android 9.0 Pie update for the LG V35 ThinQ. At 1.46GB, the update is quite heavy and it also contains the May security patch. The changelog also mentions that this update bears the build number PKQ1.181105.001 and it’s the software version V350AWM20b.

If you own an AT&T LG V35, you must be itching to try out Android 9 Pie, as LG has been painstakingly slow in pushing it out. You can expect to receive a notification soon, and if you haven’t gotten it already, you can always check for the update manually.

The update can be downloaded via Firmware Over the Air (FOTA) and AT&T and says that your handset must be connected to Wi-Fi before you proceed. While software updates usually do not affect settings and data, to be on the safe side you might want to back up your important files to a memory card or your computer. And, as mentioned before, this update will take up a lot of space, so make sure you have the memory required before hitting install. Also, ensure that your phone’s battery is fully juiced up so that it doesn’t die on you midway.

Just go to the Notification bar and select Settings. After that, tap System and then choose AT&T Software Updates. Then, tap Check for Updates and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

Back in April, the LG V35 ThinQ received the Android Pie update in South Korea. In many ways, it was the first LG device to get the update, if you leave aside the LG G7 One, which is a part of Google’s Android One program and was bound to get the update in a timely manner.

In the U.S., the LG V35 ThinQ is largely sold on AT&T and Google Fi, which is a smartphone carrier operated by Google that switches between different mobile networks. Before AT&T, Google Fi pushed out the Pie update for the V35 ThinQ but since it’s more of a virtual network, AT&T is the first real carrier to roll out the long-awaited Pie update for the phone.

Unfortunately for the owners of the unlocked variant of the V35 ThinQ, there is no news regarding Android Pie which is surprising as unlocked versions are more popular than the locked ones in the U.S.  However, given that LG intends to get done with the update by the end of the third quarter of the year, hopefully, the unlocked model will also get Android 9 soon.

Although LG isn’t doing so well globally, the company is still pretty popular stateside. According to the analytics firm Counterpoint Research, LG was the third largest vendor in the U.S. in Q1 2019.

However, its market share has been steadily declining, and to hold on to its position, the company doesn’t just need to up its hardware game, it also needs to stop being such a slowpoke when it comes to software updates.

At a time when most flagship handsets are receiving  Android Q beta 3, LG is still stuck on Android Oreo and this will make LG loyalists think twice before upgrading to a new phone from the company.