LG touts TV lineup, 'smart' devices at CES 2013
LG has finally priced and dated its 55-inch OLED TV for the U.S. market. It also shows off a slew of appliances at its CES 2013 keynote.
LAS VEGAS--Consumer electronics giant LG focused its attention on the home and living room with a series of home entertainment and appliance announcements.
Chief among them was the pricing and dating of its much-awaited 55-inch OLED TV, which first debuted at last year's CES, though was delayed. The company today said it would begin selling in the U.S. in March for about $12,000. It also promised two new sizes of its 4K resolution television sets, 65-inch and 55-inch versions to join the 84" model.
LG spent much of its presentation touting its smartening up of various gadgets, though mainly home appliances. The company said it is working hard to let appliance owners interact with their devices using their cell phone for things like turning on a load of laundry, or starting an automated vacuum from their smartphone.
Notably missing were any announcements about smartphones, a key area of LG's business. The company touted its user experience and simple features, though did not announce new phone models, instead teasing that as a possibility for next month's Mobile World Congress.
Ahead of CES, LG debuted its 2013 television range, which makes use of LED backlighting technology across the entire line, instead of just the higher-end sets. There was also an upgraded Magic Motion remote with voice recognition, and two new Google TVs set for release this year.
LG previously debuted its Hecto Laser Projector, which is the company's first foray into the projector market. The model's claim to fame is that it can be used in a room that is not completely dark.
Earlier this week LG announced that Panasonic joined the Smart TV Alliance, a move to standardize so-called "Smart TV" features across different brands. That program was announced by LG and Phillips last June, which have since been joined by Toshiba, along with Qualcomm and IBM.
You can catch a whole recap of the press conference here.
