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  • Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support arrives for LG

    Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support arrives for LG

    Two months after Samsung announced that many of its smart TVs are getting AirPlay 2 support, LG made the same move. If you own one of the newest LG smart TVs, you’ll be happy to know that AirPlay 2 support is now available for you.

    Alongside AirPlay 2, LG announced that HomeKit is now supported on its smart TVs as well. Both new features will be available through a firmware update for 2019 LG OLED TVs, NanoCell TVs and UHS TVs with ThinQ AI capability.

    If you don’t know what’s AirPlay 2, here is a quick rundown of what you’ll be able to do with it if you have a compatible LG smart TV in your home. First off, you can stream content, including Dolby Vision titles, from iPhone, iPad, and Mac directly to your TV set.

    Secondly, you’ll be able to stream your favorite movies and TV shows from the Apple TV app and other video apps, as well as photos, directly on your LG AI TV. Apple Podcasts, Apple Music and music from your library or other streaming services are also playable through your LG AI TV and other speakers compatible with AirPlay 2, all in sync.

    On the other hand, HomeKit lets users control their smart home with the Home app or via Siri on their Apple devices. Simply install the Home app on your LG AI TV, and you’ll be able to access basic TV functions such as power, volume, and source. Your compatible LG TV can also be added to scenes or automation along with other HomeKit accessories.

    According to LG, Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support will be rolled out to LG OLED and NanoCell TVs in more than 140 countries starting this week, with the update continuing over the weeks to follow.

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  • LG to supply flexible OLED displays for the iPhone XII in 2020

    LG to supply flexible OLED displays for the iPhone XII in 2020

    LG is being fast-tracked to become Apple’s second OLED display supplier for the iPhone XII models in 2020, breaking Samsung’s current monopoly. The E6 line in its Korean factory has reportedly been cleared for operation, and Apple hoped to get whatever quality yield LG can muster.

    Those would increase the average selling price of LG’s displays by 10% which is not an insignificant amount as far as these things go. Unfortunately, the number of OLED panels with the needed quality that LG’s conveyor belts are currently able to churn out is not very large.
    So far, LG panels have been used for repairs of the new iPhones, and with the inauguration of the E6 plant we might see some of the top quality batches make it in the 2019 iPhones. LG apparently won’t be fully ready to supplement Samsung before the 2020 crop, however. According to Jeong Seo-hee, chief financial officer of LG Display:
    LG Display’s large-scale investments in the past three years will be visible in the third quarter. We will launch a new mobile flexible OLED plant, and the first OLED production there will begin in the third quarter.
    In any case, with the help of Apple’s credit lines, LG should quickly be able to ramp up production, as the team from Cupertino is in a desperate need of at least one more OLED screen supplier to avoid the monopolistic prices that Samsung is charging.
    Rumors pegged an iPhone X panel to cost about $100, or about a third of the handset’s bill of materials, and we can only guess how much Samsung charges for the 6.5″ iPhone XS Max display, given that its Apple Repair charge alone comes up to $329.
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  • LG Acquires Avon

    LG Acquires Avon

    LG Household & Health Care has acquired Avon North America in a US$125 million deal with an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management.

    LG H&H holds a strong market position in South Korea’s consumer goods industry, one of the world’s largest beauty markets, with more than $13.1 billion in sales last year. It currently distributes a number of its brands in the US, including Belif and The History of Whoo.

    The addition of Avon’s brand, products, employee base and network of 250,000 sales representatives throughout North America is expected to support LG H&H’s international growth strategies.

    “We recognise Avon North America’s strong brand, leading market position in the region, and talented employees and representatives,” said LG Household & Health Care CEO Suk Cha. “Avon North America’s innovative social selling model builds deep connections with customers and we are excited to leverage this as we continue to expand. We look forward to building on Avon North America’s success to drive customer engagement and long-term growth in this market.”

    “LG H&H respects and admires our strong community of representatives, and supports our mission to empower women through economic opportunity,” said Avon North America CEO Laurie Ann Goldman.

    The transaction is expected to close on September 30 and is subject to certain customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals in the US.

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  • LG Aledgly stopping flagship smartphone production in Korea

    LG Aledgly stopping flagship smartphone production in Korea

    LG’s smartphone business has been struggling for quite some time, but the company is still hopeful of turning a profit. At this point, a sudden uptake in smartphone sales seems unlikely so LG has recently focused on cost-cutting measures, one of which seems to be suspending smartphone production in its home country.

    LG is planning to shift its current Korean smartphone production over to a plant in Vietnam with the objective of helping “turn around the money-losing smartphones division.”

    Currently, LG’s smartphone production plan in South Korea focuses primarily on the production of flagship smartphones. It’s unclear if mid-range and low-end smartphones are also made at the plant, but the production output currently accounts for between 10% and 20% of LG’s total smartphone production.

    LG still has production bases in Brazil, China, India, and Vietnam so this latest development certainly doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road for the South Korean brand. Nevertheless, the company continues to experience declining sales and could soon lose its third-place position in the US to Motorola. And as history has shown us with Sony, it’s almost impossible to achieve profitability without some sort of growth, not matter how much effort is put into cost-cutting.

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  • Important change for next-gen Apple Watch Screen

    Important change for next-gen Apple Watch Screen

    It’s a little premature to make anything more than educated guesses regarding the key selling points and major new features of an Apple Watch Series 5 expected out sometime in the fall. But it’s certainly not too early for the manufacturer of the world’s most popular smartwatch family to line up its component suppliers and lay out some general production plans.

    While these are obviously rarely made public, we can typically rely on inside sources to spill the beans for reputable news organizations like Reuters. These often rock-solid informants are claiming Apple has reached a deal with Japan Display that represents a major breakthrough for the financially struggling screen manufacturer. The company, which is a long-time Apple partner, should start supplying OLED panels for the Apple Watch lineup at some point “later this year.”

    Even though there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Apple Watch Series 4 screen, supply chain competition is always good, generally driving progress and innovation forward at a much faster pace than when a company holds a monopoly on one or several essential components. Unless we’re talking about Samsung, which has managed to exclusively take care of the iPhone X, XS, and XS Max OLED panels while maintaining an impressively high standard of quality and performance.

    By the way, you might be surprised to hear Samsung doesn’t also handle the production of the small but sharp OLED display on the Apple Watch Series 4. That’s actually LG’s business, which is soon expected to be shared with Japan Display. If and when that happens, Apple’s bill of materials could go down, as increased competition among suppliers has a tendency of impacting component prices.

    In other words, LG is likely to charge less for its Apple Watch Series 5 screens than those of the next-gen wearable’s predecessor, as Japan Display finally joins the OLED supply game. This company, which was born as an LCD technology joint venture by Sony, Toshiba, and Hitachi, realized the full potential of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panels a little too late, staying focused on liquid-crystal displays past their prime. While Japan Display’s financial troubles are far from over, any OLED partnership with Apple would provide a welcome boost to a fledgling business division.

    What it means for future iPhones

    In short, not much. After all, it’s taken LG a long time to start supplying a small number of OLED iPhone screens. Meanwhile, Apple’s two 2019 and three 2020 OLED iPhones are all expected to primarily use Samsung-made displays. That’s obviously because the world’s largest smartphone vendor makes the most sophisticated handset panels out there, lightyears ahead of LG or Japan Display’s alternatives.

    Therefore, as much as Apple would like to further diversify its iPhone supply chain and reduce the company’s reliance on its Korea-based arch-rival, quality trumps any discounts Samsung’s display-making rivals could offer. Basically, unless Apple plans to release a lower-quality, lower-cost OLED iPhone variant in the near future, Japan Display is facing quite an uphill battle here.

    The same goes for LG, although the backup supplier could earn a slightly larger share of 2019 and 2020 OLED iPhone orders, offsetting its Apple Watch losses caused by Japan Display’s newly reported “breakthrough.”

    In theory, all these possible changes and shifts of suppliers could yield lower retail prices for future Apple Watch and iPhone generations, but knowing how the Cupertino-based tech giant typically operates, we wouldn’t hold our breath. After all, the best way to make up for shrinking sales numbers is to jack up profit margins.

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  • Scootch, display speakers and finger scanners

    Scootch, display speakers and finger scanners

    We shudder to think how expensive a screen replacement is going to get once manufacturers stuff everything they are intent on stuffing in there. In the last few years alone they fused the touch layer into the display itself, increased the resolutions, moved to the more expensive OLED variety, started bending, folding or piercing them to fit various design trends, tacked in-display fingerprint readers on, started using them as sound emitters instead of the good ol’ earpiece, etc.

    Now, what else can we slap into the display package, wondered LG, and came up with an idea. The phone maker has reportedly managed to save precious space inside phones by integrating… wait for it… 5G antenna in the display itself. Well, integrating is not the right word, as it looks like the LG engineers simply slapped thin antenna films on the back side of the screen, but still.

    Given that the current number of antennas needed for grabbing 5G coverage borders on 30, and that adds significant bulk to the usual phone antenna design, being able to move the 5G antenna to the display package sounds like a practical space-saving solution, especially if it improved the coverage as well.

    LG said it can also apply the 5G antenna films on the back of the phone, and again improve reception by using the vast surface but, come to think of it, space there may be needed for all those wireless charging coils that are becoming the norm, too.

    In any case, LG seems to have circled the wagons around its 5G-in-display invention with patents, but apparently, we won’t see the technology applied to the V50 in May. That one will still have the current bulky 5G antenna design.

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  • Apple’s AirPods 2 will help the ‘hearables’ segment to grow

    Apple’s AirPods 2 will help the ‘hearables’ segment to grow

    According to Counterpoint Research, wireless ‘hearables’ are the next big thing. The segment, which contains Apple’s AirPods and the Samsung Galaxy Buds, saw global sales of around 46 million units last year. But with the help of AirPods 2, this could catapult to 129 million units as early as next year.

    Samsung, Google, Bose, and LG are all expected to grow

    As noted by Research Director Pete Richardson, “2019 will be the year that hearables evolve into an important market.” For the most part, new releases from major brands will boost sales across the globe. However, the evolving digital habits of consumers are also expected to propel demand.

    The likes of Samsung, Bose, Huawei, and LG all hold relatively small market shares at the moment. But as interest in the segment picks up throughout this year and next, each one is set to experience relatively strong growth which should translate into larger market shares.

    New Google Pixel Buds and other releases from the likes of Amazon are expected to play an important role too. After all, these should integrate the likes of Google Assistant and Alexa, both of which are becoming increasingly popular among consumers.

    AirPods 2 will propel the ‘hearables’ segment to new levels

    As mentioned in the opening paragraph, for the foreseeable future Apple is expected to remain the biggest driving force of growth. Rumor has it that the brand is preparing a second-generation of its AirPods which should integrate a variety of new features and potentially some small design changes.

    From afar, AirPods 2 are expected to look identical to the originals. But upon closer inspection, a new frosted glass-like coating should be visible. This, according to rumors, will improve grip and reduce the slipperiness, which means the new AirPods shouldn’t fall out of your ears so easily.

    AirPods 2 should also introduce always-on Siri, which will allow users to activate the assistant with the words “Hey, Siri.” This feature was actually first teased way back in September by Apple but still hasn’t been confirmed officially.

    Joining the improved Siri will apparently be some kind of water resistance and potentially some health-related features. More specifically, an earlier report suggested Apple was researching the possibility of a built-in heart rate monitor. However, this extra is far from guaranteed. One feature that does seem extremely likely at this point is support for wireless charging through a new charging case. Allegedly, this feature, which will charge both the case and AirPods simultaneously, will take the battery level from 0% to 100% in just 15 minutes.

    Also expected from the new wireless accessory is Apple’s W2 Bluetooth connectivity chip. This can currently be found inside the Apple Watch Series 4 and halves the power consumption with respect to the W1 chip. As a result, battery life improvements are to be expected.

    Of course, Apple’s AirPods are primarily meant for music and Apple is set to bring some improvements to the overall sound quality.

    Most AirPods buyers aren’t bothered about sound quality

    Rather ironically, despite the fact AirPods are meant for music, consumers aren’t buying them because of their sound quality. Counterpoint Research recently conducted an online survey of over 200 people regarding their preferences. In the case of AirPods, 68% of correspondents cited “comfort & fit” as a key reason for buying them. This was followed by “ease of use” and “portability,” which were mentioned by 56% and 44% of people respectively.

    As it turns out, just 41% of the people surveyed cited “sound quality” as a reason for buying AirPods. For comparison, this factor was the key driver when it came to Bose products, with a whopping 72% listing it. “Noise cancellation” was also important with Bose headphones as it was cited by 68% of people.

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  • LG skips foldables, opts for two screens instead

    LG skips foldables, opts for two screens instead

    LG Electronics launched the V50 ThinQ on the eve of the MWC 2019 in Barcelona on Sunday, presenting its vision of how the much-hyped 5G network can take a mobile device’s multimedia experience to the next level. The V50 ThinQ is the tech giant’s first 5G smartphone, a direct competitor to Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Fold and Huawei’s Mate X, both of which are equipped with foldable screens.

    Rather than a foldable screen, LG Electronics has opted for a secondary detachable 6.2-inch screen, slightly smaller than the main 6.4-inch screen.

    When the second screen is attached, users can activate multiple apps at the same time. The screen on the left, for example, can have the YouTube app playing a video, while the second screen on the right can be simultaneously used for chatting to friends.

    Held horizontally, the top screen could be displaying a smartphone game, while the screen on the bottom could be used for a virtual joystick to make the game experience more immersive.

    “We believe in multimedia,” said Kim In-kyung, a senior vice president at LG Electronics in charge of 5G and network technology at the unpack event on Sunday in Barcelona.

    “Creating content and broadcasting live are most relevant to our 5G products today.”

    To help the hardware endure the increased data processing derived from 5G connectivity, its CPU, developed by Qualcomm, has been upgraded to the latest Snapdragon 855 and the battery capacity has been increased by 20 percent compared to the predecessor V40.

    LG Electronics also unveiled the G8 ThinQ on Sunday, which is dedicated to the existing 4G network.

    The G8 ThinQ, however, has been upgraded with what’s called “Time of Flight” sensors in the front camera, which are able to read palm veins in a 3-D image. The “Time of Flight” sensors are developed in partnership with German tech firm Infineon.

    Placing the palm in front of the front camera will unlock the phone, while moving the fingers in specific ways will give various orders to the G8 ThinQ such as taking screenshots, activating music apps and controlling the volume.

    Such functions will come in handy when users’ hands are too busy to actually touch the smartphone screen, such as when cooking or driving, according to the electronics company.

    “Installing vein recognition in a mobile device is [a] first,” said David Montanya, a product evangelist from LG Electronics’ mobile communications team at the unpack event. “It [allows the users] to make more intuitive interaction[s] with the smartphone. It anticipates your moves and intentions and reacts accordingly.”

    Montanya also added that palm veins are a safer way to protect the phone compared to other biometric methods such as fingerprints.

    “The probability of two people having the same vein structure is less than one in a billion,” he said.

    While an innovative feature is always a selling point for mobile devices, an experimental one that doesn’t yet work properly is not a good sign.

    The new palm-reading feature required intensive training in order to get the hang of the specific hand gestures needed to activate the sensors.

    A specific timeline for the two new phones’ launch in Korea hasn’t been revealed.

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  • LG Electronics to debut dual display phones

    LG Electronics to debut dual display phones

    LG Electronics’ major release of the year will be dual display smartphones, which the company hopes will recover its reputation as consumers flock to next-generation 5G smartphones. “There were internal discussions on releasing foldable phones at the same time but we concluded not to apply the form to early 5G models,” said LG Electronics President Brian Kwon during a press conference at LG Science Park in Magok, western Seoul, Friday.

    The event was the first time since he was appointed to head the smartphone business in November that Kwon shared future strategies for mobile business in front of the local press.

    “Our direction will allow consumers to enjoy 5G network content through dual displays to be showcased at the Mobile World Congress (MWC).”

    “Speaking of displays for early 5G phones, a major question to ask is whether we really need them, is there enough user content that requires such screens? In that perspective, I believe it’s too early to present [foldable phones,]” he added. “In terms of technology, we’re already prepared to make foldable and rollable screens.”

    Changes in form, especially screens, will be a major attraction point at this year’s MWC, the world’s largest trade show for phones. Samsung Electronics and Huawei will be rolling out foldable phones that come with two screens overlapping one another.

    LG’s dual display phone is rumored to come with a separate second screen that can be attached to the back or beside the main screen, although the company did not confirm the details. Its price remains undecided but Kwon said internal discussions were ongoing over whether to set it above or below $1,000.

    The form-factor competition comes in line with the commercialization of 5G networks expected to be realized this year. 5G will transfer data at an extremely high speed, enabling smartphone users to enjoy movies and games at unmatched quality and speed. Phone makers are eyeing the opportunity to win over consumers as they upgrade their phones to models that support 5G.

    LG’s strategy for this generation shift is “two track,” Kwon said Friday. Apart from the dual display phones, the V50 ThinQ 5G and the G8 ThinQ will also be showcased at the MWC. They are the latest models from the company’s high-end V and G lineups. V50 will support 5G networks, while the G8 will remain a premium phone for 4G, or LTE, network users.

    Underlying the two-track strategy is an uncertainty about how fast it will actually take for 5G infrastructure and related services to expand and how many consumers will jump from 4G to 5G.

    “Our plan for the year’s first half is to release the V50 to tackle the 5G market but our direction for the second half will depends on the 5G market,” said Kwon. “If it expands quickly we’ll look into developing a lower priced model that supports the network; if it doesn’t we’ll still have the 4G lineup.”

    LG’s smartphone business has been in the red for 15 consecutive quarters as of last year. Kwon was successfully heading the company’s television business when he was appointed to additionally take charge of the mobile division three months ago.

    “It’s true that industry insiders are hoping the 5G era will push growth of the smartphone market but as there also conservative projections, our goal for the year is not to make a drastic turnaround in the business but to see sales grow and restore our reputation in the smartphone market,” said Kwon.

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  • LG U+ expected to acquire CJ Hello this week

    LG U+ expected to acquire CJ Hello this week

    LG U+’s plan to acquire cable TV company CJ Hello could be finalized as early as this week. Progress with the deal has been slow since Korea’s smallest mobile carrier first began considering the acquisition early last year. Industry sources said Monday that the deal is mostly finalized and, with a board meeting scheduled on Thursday, is likely to be concluded this week.

    With the acquisition, LG U+ will become the second-largest player in the domestic paid TV market. KT, with both an internet protocol TV (IPTV) service and satellite subsidiary KT Skylife, is currently the market leader.

    Paid TV services in Korea include cable TV, satellite TV and IPTV.

    LG U+ will likely acquire a 53.92 percent stake in CJ Hello from CJ’s entertainment arm CJ ENM. The cost is expected to be around a trillion won ($888.6 million).

    The acquisition would give the mobile carrier more negotiating power when acquiring or producing content. The carrier could also be in a strong position to lure CJ Hello’s 4.16 million subscribers, as of the first half of 2018, to its mobile service by offering favorable rates.

    LG U+ is already using its partnership with Netflix to attract more customers to its mobile and IPTV service.

    Once the mobile carrier decides to go ahead with the deal, it then needs to be approved by the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Communications Commission. In 2016 when SK Telecom tried to acquire CJ Hello, then CJ HelloVision, the deal fell through as the antitrust body disapproved on the grounds that the acquisition could hurt fair market competition.

    This time, though, FTC head Kim Sang-jo hinted during a recent interview that the commission would take a more positive stance regarding the deal considering the rapid changes in the media market. Kim questioned whether broadcasting and telecommunications can be considered completely separate in a quickly changing market.

    It is still to be seen whether LG U+ will more explicitly announce its intent to acquire CJ Hello and expand its paid TV services. The carrier is holding a press briefing for the launch of a new IPTV service targeting senior citizens in Seoul. Many questions are expected to focus on the acquisition deal and future IPTV strategy.

    Competitors KT and SK Telecom are also considering acquiring cable broadcasting companies to counter LG U+’s move. KT is reportedly interested in acquiring cable broadcasting company D’Live, which has a 6.45 percent share of the Korean paid TV market as of the first half of 2018. KT and KT Skylife control more than 30 percent of the market while CJ Hello owns 13 percent and LG U+ has 11.41 percent.

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  • LG and Naver agree to work together on guide robot

    LG and Naver agree to work together on guide robot

    LG Electronics and portal operator Naver Wednesday agreed to jointly develop an advanced guidance robot based on the high-tech mobility platform. LG Electronics and Naver’s R&D subsidiary signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on research and development of robot technology, expanding on their discussions made during the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

    Under the agreement, the two Korean companies will explore ways to adopt Naver’s integrated location and mobility solution eXtended Definition & Dimension Map (xDM) in LG’s guide robot called Air Star to upgrade its function.

    The xDM platform is an advanced mobility technology that can be used in both indoor and outdoor settings and accurately analyzes location data in real time.

    “Based on LG Electronics’ know-how in artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving, we will combine Naver’s software platform in our robots to provide differentiated value for our customers,” Roh Jin-seo, the head of the robotics business at LG Electronics, said during the signing ceremony at Naver Labs in Seongnam, south of Seoul.

    Naver debuted its AI and other robotic technologies during this year’s CES, drawing attention from industry officials around the globe.

  • LG teams up with Google to develop VR offerings

    LG teams up with Google to develop VR offerings

    LG U+ is partnering with Google to produce three-dimensional (3-D) virtual reality (VR) video, the company said Friday. Ha Hyun-hwoi, CEO of the mobile carrier, said augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality offerings demonstrate to customers the potential of next-generation 5G networks. He made the comments during a press briefing Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

    He added that LG U+ is determined to become the leading player in AR and VR, and the partnership with Google is a stepping stone in achieving that goal.

    According to LG U+, the smallest mobile carrier in the country, with 3-D VR video, viewers feel they are actually at a sports stadium or a performance hall. The technology requires 10 times the bandwidth when compared with two-dimensional high-definition videos, which is why the faster and higher-capacity 5G network is crucial to the mass production and distribution of VR video, LG said.

    The two companies will first establish an equally-invested fund and develop 3-D VR video in the first half of this year. LG U+ will take charge of design and production. The mobile carrier will also have rights to local market distribution. Google’s YouTube will own retail rights globally. The Korean company said its collaboration with Google will continue following the development of pilot material.

    The first offerings will be centered on videos of globally-popular K-pop stars. A tour around K-pop star homes, following the star for the whole day and backstage tours are some of the ideas suggested so far, LG said.

    The video will run exclusively on YouTube and LG U+’s over-the-top (OTT) VR content platform. OTT refers to streaming entertainment that is delivered directly to users over the internet without going through intermediaries, like television.

    The move by LG U+ comes after SK Telecom inked partnerships earlier this month with three local broadcasters – KBS, MBC, and SBS – to create an OTT media service that can counter Netflix.

    It also announced during CES a partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group to cooperate on media technologies.

    Ha said dependence on OTT will grow together with the commercialization of 5G and that SK Telecom has made a “good choice in partnering with local broadcasters.”

    LG U+ plans to fight competition with its partnership with Google as well as Netflix. Under an agreement reached in November last year, Netflix programing is aired exclusively through LG’s internet protocol TV platform.

  • LG claims to have wowed the industry at Vegas’ CES

    LG claims to have wowed the industry at Vegas’ CES

    LG Electronics, one of the leading home appliance manufacturers in the world, said Sunday it received a total of 132 awards at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. It said its products received the coveted CES top innovation title announced by the Consumer Technology Association. LG, which has been a major player in big-screen TVs and is a global leader in the field of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens, unveiled the world’s first mass production-capable rollable TV at the gathering that ran from Tuesday through Friday.

    The LG Signature OLED TV R received considerable attention, with Engadget, a multilingual blog network and the official award partner at CES, naming it Best TV Product.

    The innovative TV that allows the big OLED screen to vanish into a long box with embedded speakers was also noted by some 50 media outlets, such as the Wall Street Journal and Cnet.

    The company said its 8K resolution OLED TV and Super Ultra HD TV, as well as an artificial intelligence-equipped TV set, were praised by tech experts from around the world.

    Media outlets and online publications like USA Today and TechRadar, also gave LG HomeBrew, a craft beer making machine, their highest awards, while the waterfall OLED display at the entrance of the company’s booth – made up of 260 flexible panels – won recognition from numerous international IT outlets.

    Beside such products, the company’s LG SuitBot, an exoskeleton that can help physical laborers, and Styler, a clothing care system, received praise at this year’s CES.

    Song Dae-hyun, who heads LG’s home appliance business, said in a press conference over the weekend that the company is aiming expand its presence in the United States through the marketing of premium products.

    He said in the built-in appliance market in North America, LG is targeting high income earners.

    “If LG competes in mid-range consumer appliances, it will struggle and not turn a lot of profit so it makes sense to shift to premium products,” the senior executive said.

    He said that, in particular, the U.S. market is attractive because it has considerable growth potential.

    The executive said to better engage prospective clients, LG opened its first overseas Signature Kitchen Suite showroom in California’s Napa Valley.

    The Experience and Design Center is the second of its kind after one in southern Seoul, with another to be built in New Jersey.

    Unlike other countries, the United States has always been a so-called builder’s market with the customer having greater say in what kind of appliances go into a home, making it ideal for high-end products.

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  • LG and Naver are teaming up to make robots better

    LG and Naver are teaming up to make robots better

    LG Electronics and Naver are cooperating on the development of robotic capabilities.

    Their first project will use Naver’s mapping and navigation technology to improve the functionality of LG’s CLOi GuideBot.

    LG’s guiding robot is currently in operation at Incheon International Airport. It escorts travelers to certain destinations within the facility.

    Naver Labs, the research and development arm of the Korean internet portal company, said its eXtended Definition & Dimension Map (xDM) solution will enable LG robots to self-drive indoors even when equipped with low-end sensors.

    The solution integrates Naver’s mapping, navigation and positioning technology to support various location-based services, such as augmented-reality walking navigation and autonomous driving, according to the company. Naver hopes to improve this by using big data collected by LG robots.

    The two companies said they will gradually expand collaboration to other areas of robot development after the first project. The agreement was reached during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and announced Thursday. Both LG and Naver demonstrated their latest robot technologies at the exhibition.

    “One of our biggest achievements during CES was to reach an agreement with LG,” said Seok Sang-ok, head of the robotics team at Naver Labs. “With LG, we will find ways to develop technologies that improve lives.”

    LG has already announced other deals at CES, including a plan to work with Microsoft on autonomous car technology development and an agreement with Apple to source television programming.

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  • LG to utilize Azure for autonomous systems

    LG to utilize Azure for autonomous systems

    LG Electronics will be utilizing a Microsoft product in the development of autonomous vehicle systems, LG said Wednesday. Under the agreement between the two companies, LG has gained access to Microsoft’s Azure cloud-computing platform for its self-driving car systems. Apart from storing vast amounts of data, the Azure platform also offers immense computing power for data-based applications and services.

    The two companies met Monday to sign a memorandum of understanding at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. LG will connect with Azure in developing driver-support systems, cameras and a virtual assistant that can answer vocal commands.

    “Developing software for self-driving car components – whether it’s for navigation or infotainment – requires an enormous amount of data processing,” explained an LG spokesperson.

    “The agreement with Microsoft Azure is basically aimed at helping our software save and utilize as much data as possible in the shortest amount of time.”

    LG plans to use Azure’s high-performance computing and graphics processing units. According to the company, these tools can slash the time required to learn roads and traffic patterns from more than a full day to a few minutes. Higher processing speeds will also help the software learn patterns gathered from cameras regarding the driver, pedestrians and other objects on the streets.

    Another tool offered on the Azure platform is a voice assistant. LG plans to incorporate this into its infotainment system so that the car’s software can answer questions and receive commands.

    It could, for example, check traffic conditions, search for a restaurant nearby or call up favorite songs.

    The large amounts of data LG collects from self-driving cars will be saved in the Azure system, including photos of roads, obstacles and road signs collected from all over the world. LG will be able to utilize the data collected for further development. In the past, before cloud services existed, international data had to be shipped to Korea in hard drives.

    LG Electronics has been supplying components to self-driving carmakers since late 2016. The field is considered a future growth engine for the company.

    “In the upcoming age of autonomous vehicles, LG Electronics will shift the definition of cars from a means of transportation to a mobile space, which can turn into a conference room, a theater or a shopping mall,” said the company’s chief technology officer, Park Il-pyung, during a pre-show keynote speech on Monday.

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