Long after HP released webOS as a platform for Palm smartphones and tablets, LG is still using the tech it introduced in 2013 to run apps and manage voice assistants on new smart TVs. While continuing to keep open source editing, LG has just confirmed that it will open a webOS ecosystem for use with other manufacturers, citing RCA, Ayonz and Konka as some of the upcoming brands . An earlier report also mentioned Blaupunkt.
LG Home Entertainment Park president Hyoung-sei said in a statement, “By welcoming other manufacturers to join the webOS TV ecosystem, we are embarking on a new path that will allow Many new TV owners will experience the same great UX and features available on LG TVs. “Other manufacturers already use panels made with LG Display, so it may that it will be easy to extend access to its software.
So far, it is not announced that other high-end manufacturers are joining this deal, but it is adding an alternative to the mix for an already lower-priced smart TV running Android, Roku or Amazon Fire TV. This could be an advantage for people who buy an LG TV as it creates a larger audience. Streaming services can prioritize the platform for new apps and features, if they didn’t already have one.
according to The edge, licensees will start running webOS 5.0 – the latest version of the publicly available SDK – instead of the latest version that completely releases the laminated surgeon for a more traditional look. Park Hyoung-sei said that version 6.0 is “the most important update since we first introduced webOS in 2014,” so hopefully it will be widely available sooner rather than later.