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Long after HP abandoned webOS as a platform for Palm smartphones and tablets, LG is still using technology acquired in 2013 to run apps and manage voice assistants on new smart TVs. As it continues to maintain an open source edition, LG has just confirmed that it will open up the webOS ecosystem to other manufacturers, naming RCA, Ayonz and Konka as some of the brands that are joining. A previous report also mentioned Blaupunkt.
LG Home Entertainment President Park Hyoung-sei said in a statement, “By inviting other manufacturers to join the webOS TV ecosystem, we are embarking on a new path that allows many new owners to TVs take advantage of the same UX features and functionality available on LG TVs. ”Other manufacturers are already using panels made by LG Display, so expanding the availability of its software can be an easy business to do.
So far, no other leading manufacturer is mentioned as participating in this deal, but it adds another option to the mix for low-cost smart TVs that already run Amazon’s Android, Roku, or Fire TV. It could also benefit people who buy LG TVs as it creates a larger audience. Streaming services may prioritize the platform for new apps and features, if they weren’t already.
According to The edge, licensees will start running webOS 5.0 – the latest version for which its SDK is publicly available – instead of the latest version that ditches the bladed launcher entirely for a more traditional look. Park Hyoung-sei said version 6.0 is “the most important update since we first introduced webOS in 2014”, so hopefully it becomes widely available sooner rather than later.
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