Who will take LG's market share in the US?

Despite its global struggles with market share, LG had at least one bright spot throughout, the US, where it was the only brand breaking the Apple-Samsung duopoly lately, with its phones a regular presence in the T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T rosters.

Granted, it fluctuated from 18% market share in the heydays of LG G6 and V30, to a bit under 10% like in 2020, but that's still millions of phones sold in the US as the third most popular handset brand here.

Thus, LG's exit from the phone business that was just announced today after weeks of speculation, presents an opening for other brands to take its one-in-ten place in the hearts of the American user. Or does it?

US phone market share by brands 2016-2020

As we can see from Counterpoint's graphs here (via Statista), over the past few years Apple and Samsung have been steadily expanding their market share in the US to the detriment of almost anybody else. Motorola grew from 4-5% to the current 7-8% market share, and that's about the only other success story, while aspiring brands like Google's Pixels or OnePlus still barely register in the "Others" category that is now only 6-7% .

North American phone brands market share in 2020

This is why we wanted to ask you if you think that LG calling it quits with phones will only serve to enhance the Apple-Samsung duopoly in the US, or will there be a larger opening for other players now, like Motorola, OnePlus, or maybe the Pixels?