Lengthy after HP dumped webOS as a platform for Palm smartphones and tablets, LG is still using the tech it snagged in 2013 to run apps and handle voice assistants on new sensible TVs. Whereas it continues to keep up an open supply version, LG simply confirmed that it’ll open the webOS ecosystem to be used by different producers, naming RCA, Ayonz and Konka as just a few of the manufacturers becoming a member of in. An earlier report talked about Blaupunkt as nicely.
LG House Leisure president Park Hyoung-sei stated in an announcement, “By welcoming different producers to hitch the webOS TV ecosystem, we’re embarking on a brand new path that permits many new TV house owners to expertise the identical nice UX and options which are obtainable on LG TVs.” Different producers already use panels made by LG Show, so extending the supply of its software program could also be a simple deal to make.
Up to now, no different top-tier producers are talked about as becoming a member of in on this deal, nevertheless it does add one other choice to the combination for lower-priced sensible TVs that already run Android, Roku or Amazon’s Fireplace TV. This might additionally profit individuals who purchase LG TVs because it creates a bigger viewers. Streaming companies can prioritize the platform for brand new apps and options, in the event that they weren’t already.
In accordance with The Verge, licensees will begin off operating webOS 5.0 — the most recent model its SDK is publicly available for — as a substitute of the most recent model that drops the bladed launcher completely for a extra conventional look. Park Hyoung-sei stated that model 6.0 is “essentially the most vital replace since we first launched webOS in 2014,” so hopefully it turns into extensively obtainable sooner reasonably than later.
