You won't find Freeview Play on new LG TVs – for some reason – which will be something of a loss for UK viewers.
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Other options include Now TV, Sky Store, Wuaki.TV, plus all the main channel catch-up services. There's also Amazon with UHD HDR and YouTube in 4K, with Disney Plus naturally in the mix too. Support for all these is built in, too, which means there’s no need for an external listening device.Īpp support is also surprisingly good: Netflix streams in 4K with both HDR and Dolby Vision, as well as Dolby Atmos audio when available. LG also leads the way when it comes to voice recognition, with sets like the CX OLED supporting LG’s own ThinQ AI platform, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. We know that LG is also bringing its webOS platform to third-party televisions in the near future, meaning you'll likely be able to access its smarts on far cheaper sets. Boasting an updated home screen which has been overhauled to be more intuitive, webOS 6.0 aims to provide faster access to your most used apps, while also allowing for content recommendations based on your viewing history. It's changed a lot for 2021, though, with the sixth iteration of the interface replacing its traditional overlay of apps for a full-screen view that's more spaced-out. These days, it's still an exceptional smart platform that truly leads the pack – with its latest iteration featuring on the its range of OLED TVs. Given the company’s history, that might be the biggest challenge of all.LG rewrote the rulebook for smart platforms with its webOS, starting the trend for minimal, simplified user interfaces back in 2014. Everyone had best hope Google doesn’t lose interest when the next shiny tech bauble crosses its path. No pressure, then, and little room for error.
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Google and Samsung must figure out how to normalise users paying for great Wear apps and services, encourage cutting-edge and unique wearable experiences, ensure their own wider ecosystems can rival Apple’s in terms of integration and lack of friction, and do things Apple would never dare to do but that would excite those enlivened by technology that has the potential to enrich their lives. This new pairing must be bold, then, and make marks in ways Apple can’t or won’t. The latter affords users genuine customisation options rather than Apple’s prescriptive stance, which boils down to ‘choose from this selection we’ve deemed acceptably tasteful to appear on our hardware’. The former provide OEMs opportunities to maintain the appearance of being their own thing.
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We see elements of this in upcoming Wear software skins and the ongoing development of custom faces. Where Apple is inflexible, Wear can be amenable and undogmatic. Where Apple is closed, Google and Samsung can be open. The guiding principle has to be to do more. Google and Samsung must equal Apple in the things Apple does well, but also do things Apple refuses to – and push those hard. So what can Google and Samsung do? What should they do? More of the same won’t cut it. Yet success takes time, if it comes at all. The devices, the apps, the software, the support, all of it.Īnd there’s also that general expectation in tech for immediacy. Getting people to switch from Apple Watch is a huge ask, because you’re talking not about a wearable alone but an entire ecosystem. People as a rule don’t buy much on Android, making it tough to convince developers to spend time and money making cool new apps and experiences. Talking about Fitbit (another also-ran) and its “years of health expertise” excites no-one.Īnd the challenge is even larger than you might think. Generic statements about faster app launches and optimisation might appeal to geeks, but won’t push this joint effort forward.Īpple is so far ahead, Google and Samsung can’t rely on the status quo to claw ground back. Less fragmentation can strengthen a market, while making the broader experience more seamless – something anyone who’s tried to pair a Tizen device with a non-Samsung phone will doubtless appreciate.īut care and focus alone isn’t enough. Unlike Tizen, Wear is built atop Android, which brings familiarity to and reduces friction for app makers. Beyond that, there are clear benefits to consumers and developers alike.