We already knew that LG was interested in using WebOS for its Smart TV but today LG has made it official that it has acquired WebOS from HP, according to CNET. LG plans to use HP’s OS to power its Smart TVs.
Update: The first Smart TVs from LG based on webOS will be available in 2014, says LG.
LG wants to use WebOS for Smart TVs
WebOS was once a smartphone operating system but it failed. Now it will get a second chance in Smart TVs; more specifically LG’s Smart TVs. The WebOS plans were expected to be unveiled at CES 2013 but instead LG has opted to wait for MWC in Barcelona; a show about mobile devices.
LG has acquired HP’s WebOS and plans to use it in Smart TVs
WebOS is based on “internet apps” that work across different devices. A few months ago we heard that Enyo is building apps for the new platform and that Netflix is one of the first to be available. Pandora and YouTube apps are also under development. LG receives everything, it seems, including source code, engineers and WebOS websites. However, LG has no plans to use WebOS in smartphones. Only in Smart TVs.
The WebOS initiative could even be part of a grander initiative as HP was recently added to the Smart TV alliance that spans over LG, Philips, Panasonic, Bang & Olufsen, Sharp, Toshiba and Loewe. LG says that the WebOS team will make up the “heart and soul” of its new lab in Silicon Valley, California. So… what happens with LG’s Google TV plans?
- Source: CNET (cached)
LG buys WebOS from HP, to use it in Smart TVs
