Earlier this year, we heard that LG had plans to bring Google Assistant to its range of smart appliances. It appears that today is the day for that functionality to go live. LG revealed this morning that its roster of 87 WiFi-connected smart appliances can now talk to Google Assistant through Android, iOS, and Google Home.
Next year LG will begin selling flexible OLED lamps to the general public. These are, to put it simply, panels of light as flexible as a piece of paper. While LG's been working on and with these types of lamps and lighting for several years, sources suggest that consumer-aimed flexible OLED lamps may be launched for consumers next year. This is the dawn of the curved light - and almost certainly the precursor to the fully flexible full room smart lighting system as an everyday occurrence.
Comcast and LG have teamed up to make life easier for Xfinity TV subscribers who have one of the newest LG smart TVs. In the near future, those customers will be able to access their Xfinity TV cable service through the smart TVs directly using Comcast's Xfinity Partner app. The app will be supported by LG's 2017 and 2018 smart TVs running webOS.
The LG V30 hasn't yet actually landed in US shores but it is already sweetening the pot, so to speak. In addition to possibly having one of the most accessible prices among this year's top of the line smartphone, AT&T may have accidentally leaked another offer that could make LG's 2017 champ even more desirable. Like the LG G6 before it, LG might offer the V30 with a two-year warranty instead of just one under its "Second Year Promise" program.
As far as openness goes, LG seems to sit somewhere in between Sony, who mostly embraces unlocking its phones, and Samsung, notorious for keeping its devices locked down. It seemed that, for a time, LG has been appealing to Android power users and modders but apparently that may come at a cost. A few XDA members have noticed how their rooted LG phones were significantly slower than before they rooted. Doing some detective work revealed a certain Root Checker Tool to blame, and it is one that even rooted users can’t easily resolve.
JerryRigEverything’s Zack Nelson is perhaps best known for his scratch, burn, and bend tests, but he also does teardowns and, depending on how those turn out, puts them back together again. It seems that his antics have caught the attention of LG, who has invited the YouTuber to put its latest LG V30 to the test. Not for a stress test, however, but for a teardown and back. But unlike most teardowns, this one was designed to put a heavy emphasis on how great the V30’s cameras are.
Samsung and Apple have had their time in the spotlight, and, soon, it will be LG’s turn. The manufacturer has just proudly announced that the LG V30 will be starting to ship in Korea this week. As great as that sounds for that market, it does also mean that the V30’s global trek will also be starting really soon. And given the praise it garnered at IFA 2017, the V30 could give its rivals, especially Samsung and Apple, a run for their money.
This morning a set of images of the Google Pixel 2 were leaked, and many details were spilled therein. These devices were leaked in both black and white, one with all-black, the other with black, white, and a lovely little red. These devices are manufactured by LG and will be called Pixel 2 XL.
Google's announcement on Android Oreo suggested that not every Google-made and Google-sold Android smartphone would be getting the update. However, as often happens with these sorts of things, there's a developer out there with enough tenacity to bash this software into shape - or into the right shape for the job. In this case, that means bringing an Android Oreo to the LG-made Nexus 4.
Now that the iPhone X, as well as the iPhone 8 siblings, have been thoroughly revealed, the ball is once again in Google’s court and expectations are riding high. Sadly, this recent sighting at the FCC of the Pixel 2 manufactured by LG barely has anything to tell us other than it exists. Good thing, then, that we have less than a month to wait and see if the Pixel 2 will have the last laugh.
Marketing suicide? Perhaps marketing genius. Just hours after Apple took the veil off the iPhone X, LG releases availability details of the LG V30 in Korea. It is already tons lower than either the iPhone X or the Galaxy Note 8. But perhaps most important for interested US buyers, the Korean price actually brings hope that the LG V30 will be even more affordable when it does launch stateside.
Depending on who you ask or which source you believe, LG's late 2017 flagship might be a relief or a disappointment as far as pricing goes. Given the trend of flagship smartphones this half of the year, some expected LG to try and match its rivals Samsung and Apple. But, if this latest bit from industry sources is to be believed, the LG V30 might be priced, at least in Korea, starting at 949,300 KRW, roughly $840. That's a lot cheaper than the expected more than 1,000,000 KRW price tag that would match the Galaxy Note 8. But it's also significantly higher than the $750 leak we saw a few weeks ago.
