webOS, the platform that powers all of LG's smart TVs, will soon be available on TVs manufactured by other companies. That's because LG is licensing webOS in a bid to become more prominent in the home entertainment market.
What Is webOS?
webOS is the Linux-based operating system that powers all of its smart TVs. It's been around in various forms since 2009 and also powers some of the company's other products, like its smart refrigerators, in a modified form.
Simply put, when using an LG smart TV, webOS is the interface that lets you browse the TV listings, navigate between apps, change settings, and so on.
Other smart TV platforms include Samsung's Tizen and Google's Android TV.
webOS Will Be Licensed to Others
LG has announced that it will license webOS to other smart TV manufacturers.
In a press release, LG said:
This has the potential to reshape the TV business for both technology and content providers while significantly growing LG’s presence and prominence in the global home entertainment market.
According to LG, over twenty TV manufacturers have already committed to the webOS partnership, including RCA, Ayonz, and Konka. Granted, not huge brand names, but budget providers that still have an impressive reach.
Other smart TV operating systems are also used by different brands. For example, Fire TV is used by Toshiba, Android TV by Sony, and Roku OS by Hisense.
Licensees of webOS will also be able to make use of features like voice search and control, integrated AI algorithms, easy connectivity, and access to apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
webOS also has great compatibility with other systems, since it works with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Interestingly, the press release also noted that compatible TV models will also include the dedicated Magic Motion remote control, which lets you point at the screen to select something.
It doesn't sound like LG are licensing a watered down version of webOS, which is sensible. The operating system has a strong reputation for being easy to use and snappy, so LG won't want to tarnish that.
While LG announced a redesign of webOS at CES in January, switching out the blade interface for a tiled approach, the company told The Verge that it will only be licensing the current 5.0 version of webOS for now.