LG today announced ahead of CES that its 2021 lineup of smart TVs will have an updated user interface in the form of webOS 6.0, and a new Magic Remote to go with it.
WebOS 6.0 will sport a new home screen that has been "redesigned for enhanced usability and to meet the needs of viewers’ changing content consumption habits." It'll allow for faster access to apps and adjust content discovery and recommendations based on user preferences and your viewing history. LG says the upgraded LG ThinQ AI system on board will support new voice commands for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, too.
“The latest version of our user-friendly open TV platform webOS 6.0 represents the most significant update since we first introduced webOS in 2014,” said Park Hyoung-sei, president of LG Home Entertainment Company. “With the new edition of webOS, LG is demonstrating its commitment of offering services, products and technologies that respond to the needs and wants of our valued customers.”
LG will use your viewing history on the TV to improve recommendations with its "Next Picks" feature, which will offer up a pair of suggestions — and do so integrated with set-top boxes (LG didn't say whose boxes) or from broadcast programs.
LG's Magic Remote is getting an overhaul as well. It's intended to serve as a universal remote and will have faster connections between your TV and other devices, new buttons for streaming providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. You'll also be able to tap your phone to the remote with NFC to share content from your phone to the TV. (It's unclear how that'll be easier than using the built-in Chromecast or AirPlay 2 functionality already in webOS, but here we are.)
There's no mention of if and when the updated user interface will come to current LG smart TVs, or how far back it'll reach once it does.
