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LG's webOS 6.0 smart TVs have a new UI, NFC-equipped remote
LG is rolling out version 6.0 of its webOS smart TV platform, with more voice control, a new look for the interface and a remote with NFC in it.
LG's smart home app adds voice control through Google Assistant
Many smart appliance makers' apps still require that you tap buttons to control your home, but not LG's. It's introducing Google Assistant-powered voice control to its ThinQ app (previously SmartThinQ) to steer all its connected appliances, whether it's an oven, fridge or washing machine. Yes, you can already use Assistant outside of the app, but this gives you more flexibility -- you have both voice and manual control in a central place. You could check the exact time left on the washer while telling the AC to set a new temperature.
LG's custom chip is made to power AI in appliances and robots
For the last few years LG has been pushing integration of AI features in all kinds of products with its ThinQ brand, and now it's designed custom hardware to enable on-device AI processing in "future robot vacuum cleaners, washing machines, refrigerator and even air conditioners." Google and Apple both use custom AI hardware (Pixel Visual Core and the A12 Bionic's Neural Engine) in their phones, Tesla has unveiled its own processor to handle self-driving features and Amazon is reportedly working on a chip to help Alexa processing work offline. These "neural processing units" have had a lot of hype, but being able to handle complex tasks without a cloud connection could come in handy.
I don’t want to live in LG’s vision of the future
The point of a concept video is to be aspirational, showing how happy and beautiful we'd all be if we just bought what we're being sold. But, at LG's CES 2019 keynote, the Korean company showed off its vision of a ThinQ AI future that's worse than what we have today. Mostly because -- and this is LG's official sales pitch for its technology -- its AI is going to be a complete asshole.
LG's 2019 TVs add HDMI 2.1 and 8K
CES 2019 hasn't started yet, but LG is already drip-feeding information about this year's OLED and LCD TVs. While it didn't mention the rollable OLED we're expecting, it did list model numbers for two 8K sets, with an 88-inch Z9 OLED and SM99 8K LCD TV on the way. There's no word on price yet, but the big confirmation is that thanks to HDMI 2.1 ports, all of its 2019 OLED TVs and "selected" NanoCell LCD TVs will support high frame rate (HFR) 120fps video inputs. Other features in the new standard include an enhanced audio return channel (eARC) as well as variable refresh rate (VRR) and automatic low latency mode (ALLM) to keep gamers happy. If you're snagging one of the new 8K TVs, you'll just be pleased to know you won't have to plug in four HDMI cables to get everything connected. The NanoCell name is a new brand for LG's high-end LCD TVs (SM9X and SM8X) with enhanced color, viewing angles and thin bezels. As usual, LG is also talking up its AI capabilities with Thinq technology, and a new Prime Video button on its Magic Remote that ties in directly to Amazon's Alexa routines.
LG's first Google Assistant-powered smart display is rolling out
Need another smart speaker to consider for your holiday gift-giving? The LG smart display we spotted at CES is finally ready to go on sale complete with its 8-inch touch screen, Android Things platform with apps for Google Maps, Photos and YouTube plus Google Assistant-powered AI features. It also has an...interesting official name: the XBOOM AI ThinQ WK9. LG is touting the speakers and their Meridian Audio technology, which it hopes will make the $300 MSRP easier to swallow among all of that competition. That's more than the $200 8-inch Lenovo Smart Display that also runs Android Things and Google's own $150 Home Hub which does not, not to mention the various other options with Alexa, Siri, Facebook or Cortana onboard. It's even more than the $250 JBL Link View which similarly focuses on audio quality. However, at least for Black Friday LG has said it will cost $200, although it's not listed as available at most retailers yet. Liliputing points out a sale page on B&H Photo, and we'd expect to see it everywhere else by the time the big day rolls around.
LG's OLED TVs get modest discounts for Black Friday
LG is offering discounts on a number of its TVs for Black Friday, and these reduced prices are available now through December 1st. For its OLED C8 with AI ThinQ line of TVs, LG is discounting the 55-inch and 65-inch models by $800, bringing them to $1,700 and $2,700, respectively. And while the 77-inch version, at $7,000, is currently priced $2,000 below what LG suggests, you've been able to purchase it at that price point for the past few months.
Google Assistant comes to LG ThinQ TVs in the UK and Canada
LG's deep collaboration with Google continues, as it just announced that Google Assistant is coming to ThinQ smart TVs in seven more markets and five languages. It's now available in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, with support coming by the end of 2018 to France, Germany, South Korea and Spain. LG will also expand Amazon Alexa support to Australia and Canada. Google Assistant first arrived to ThinQ AI TVs in the US earlier this year.
LG's 2018 TVs now work with Amazon Alexa
For years, "smart" TVs have largely been defined by internet connectivity and a wide array of apps. LG, with its webOS platform, has been at the forefront of that push. This year, the company has focused more on making its TVs more intelligent thanks to its 'ThinQ' initiative, first integrating Google Assistant and now rolling out support for Amazon's Alexa.
Google Assistant arrives on LG's 2018 premium TVs
First revealed at CES 2018, Google Assistant is now live on LG's AI TV lineup with ThinQ AI, and LG has more details about how it works. The new tech is available on all of LG's OLED and Super UHD TVs with Thinq AI, including the Signature W8, C8, E8 and B8 OLED lineup and SK9500, SK9000 and SK8000 Super UHD TVs.
LG G7 ThinQ will come with a super bright display
LG, as per its tradition of teasing its upcoming flagship smartphones, has yet again dished out some tidbits about the G7 ThinQ ahead of launch next month. Specifically, the latest tease is all about the device's display, which will come in at 6.1 inches large with a QHD+ (3,120 x 1,440; 19.5:9) resolution -- part of which will indeed be occupied by a notch, as shown again by a recent @evleaks tweet and now confirmed by a couple of official screenshots. What's more interesting is that you'll be able to crank this LCD up to 1,000 nits -- beating the 400- to 700-nit brightness peaked by most other smartphones -- thus making it easier to read under bright sunlight.
LG's G7 packs a dedicated Google Assistant button
LG is expected to unveil its next flagship smartphone, the G7 ThinQ, at a New York event on May 2nd. Aside from the ThinQ artificial intelligence, the phone will get another new feature: A dedicated button for Google Assistant. According to a CNET report, it's located on the left side of the phone opposite a power button on the right, with the fingerprint reader staying on the back. Like the recent AI-equipped V30S, the G7 ThinQ will supposedly get custom LG commands to ask Google Assistant.
LG V30S ThinQ review: A solid but pointless phone
It had its fair share of flaws, but last year's LG V30 might have been the finest phone the company had made to date. Rather than wait the usual year for an official sequel, though, LG decided to spice things up a bit by unveiling a tweaked version of the phone at Mobile World Congress. Interestingly, the AI-fueled camera features that make the new V30S ThinQ special will also wind up on the original, rendering most arguments for buying this updated model moot. Despite being a perfectly solid smartphone with some notable improvements over the original, I can't help but think the V30S ThinQ is ultimately pointless. Oh, and one more thing before we dive in: This isn't a typical review. We received this preproduction V30S ThinQ during the tail end of MWC, and it's running a Korea-specific build of Android 8.0 Oreo. It's been enough to get a feel for what the V30S experience is all about, but we'll update this story with firmer conclusions when a retail-ready US model becomes available. Actually, I should say "if" a US model becomes available: The phone is already available for a hefty sum in its native South Korea, but with the G7's global launch coming quickly, it's possible we won't see the V30S in the US at all.
LG's flagship G7 will launch in May
LG's artificial intelligence technology, ThinQ, first made its way to the Korean company's phones as part of the V30S. Now, the brand has confirmed that ThinQ is also coming to LG's flagship G-series, specifically the G7 that's debuting in New York on May 2nd and Seoul on May 3rd. According to the company's announcement, the G7 ThinQ's 'Empathic AI' -- that's how LG describes its artificial intelligence, which it says is capable of human-like thinking to a certain extent -- is better than its predecessor's. We'll have to wait for the device's official launch to know how exactly it's better than the V30's, though.
LG’s AI-enabled OLED TVs go on sale this month
LG has announced pricing for its 2018 TV lineup. It includes nine new AI-enabled OLED TV models and seven AI-enabled Super UHD TV models, each coming with LG's ThinQ AI technology. The OLED line includes LG's Signature W8 series, which will be available in 65- and 77-inch versions priced at $7,000 and $15,000, respectively. The C8 series will come in 55-, 65- and 77-inch versions, which will cost $2,500, $3,500 and $9,000. LG's OLED TV AI ThinQ E8 series will be available in two sizes -- 55- and 65-inch -- and they're priced at $3,500 and $4,500, respectively. Pricing and availability hasn't yet been announced for the B8 series.
LG puts Google Assistant in its own touchscreen-equipped speaker
Google Assistant's fingerprints are all over the CES 2018 show floor, but it's especially easy to see on a few new Android Things-powered devices. This LG ThinQ Google Assistant Touch Screen Speaker is one of them, and like Lenovo's Smart Display, it's built on a Qualcomm Home Hub Platform.
LG's Alexa-powered fridge sends recipes to your oven
Now that LG's Alexa-equipped refrigerator is no longer a novelty, the company is moving on to the next step: appliances that work in harmony. This week at CES, it's introducing a range of smart appliances that thrive on sharing information to help you get things done. The centerpiece is LG's next Alexa-capable fridge, the InstaView ThinQ. While its 29-inch transparent touchscreen, webOS platform and voice control aren't all that new, its integration with your oven is. When you choose a recipe (including those suggested by the fridge, which detects what you have on hand), you can send it to an oven with Alexa support to get spoken cooking instructions. This is ultimately a luxury -- your fridge likely isn't that far from your oven -- but it's good to have your recipes right where you'll use them.
LG's 2018 TVs get faster and smarter with Google Assistant, Alexa
LG's TVs have taken home our Best of CES Award for three years running and in 2018 the company is ready to take on all comers once again. As with all home electronics of the current era, the company's new televisions are AI-ready with LG's ThinQ technology, but you'll probably be more interested in their support for bigger-name assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The top of the line OLED TVs will have its new "Alpha 9" processor inside that's not only powerful enough for AI, but also ready to push video at high frame-rates of up to 120FPS. The chip also claims better color performance and "four-step process of noise reduction" although we'll be interested to see if it can be disabled to avoid any artifacts or motion-smoothing type impact on picture quality.
LG unveils its first smart speaker with Google Assistant
LG is acting on its promise to unveil a slew of AI-powered gadgets at CES this January. The tech giant has unveiled a 2018 speaker lineup headlined by the ThinQ Speaker, a Google Assistant-powered device that promises "premium" sound alongside its smarts. It supports lossless high-resolution audio like LG's more advanced phones, and uses Meridian Audio's know-how to pump out "more natural and warm" music. The launch also hints that many of LG's newer appliances will be Assistant-savvy -- the company envisions turning on your air purifier with a voice command.
LG will release new AI products under the 'ThinQ' brand
LG is getting serious with artificial intelligence and will launch products and services that use AI under a new sub-brand called "ThinQ" starting in 2018. All its upcoming TVs, fridges, even electronic devices and services under the new brand will have features developed with deep learning techniques and will be able to communicate with one another. LG says you can expect its new offerings to use its own AI tech, DeepThinQ, as well as its partners', but it didn't elaborate further or listed possible features.
