Skip to main content

Why LG acquired WebOS and what it means for the future of Smart TV

LG-gets-WebOSThe Internet is abuzz over news announced at Mobile World Congress 2013 today regarding LG Electronics’ acquisition of WebOS from Hewlett Packard (HP). The topic is getting a fair amount of traction, partly because the struggling mobile operating system hasn’t made headlines in a while, but also because CNET apparently broke rank by publishing news of the acquisition before it was supposed to and is drawing heat over the mistake. 

But in the rush to get the news out as soon as possible and revel a bit in the missteps of the competition, Internet news outlets have neglected to take on perhaps the most obvious question surrounding the acquisition: Why? 

Recommended Videos

First, here’s a recap of the news: LG scooped up WebOS from HP, including the source code, documentation, websites, and all of the intellectual property and patents that came with it when HP acquired Palm in April 2010. LG’s stated intention is to incorporate WebOS into its Smart TV platform – but why would it want to do that?

LG’s Smart TV platform showed significant improvement in 2012. Some of LG’s sets even made the top of our list of the best smart TV platforms for cord cutters, thanks to intuitive menu layouts. Why, then, would LG want to snatch up the flailing, dated mobile operating system platform that has been the bane of HP since it was acquired, and integrate it into an already successful platform? We contacted John I. Taylor, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at LG Electronics, to see if he could shed some light on the deal. 

According to Taylor, one of the key interests LG has in WebOS are some of the people that come with it. “[There’s a] tremendous amount of talent in the WebOS organization,” he says. “LG has made offers for them to become employees of LG Electronics to develop software for LG Smart TV.” Taylor went on to explain that WebOS will be at the core of its new Silicone Valley lab. 

So it would seem that LG’s next-generation of smart TVs won’t necessarily look like a throwback to the 2009 Palm Pre. It’s the team of WebOS developers that LG really seems to be after – a team that can assist LG in making a pivotal transition in the way Smart TV works. According to Taylor, LG intends to move away from its existing app-based platform to a web-based platform. That’s where WebOS’s cloud-based technologies – also now owned by LG – will come in particularly handy. It is possible that, by moving things to the cloud, LG’s Smart TVs will require far less processing power, ultimately lowering cost and setting a new bar for the industry. 

We can expect some facets of LG’s Smart TV platform to stick around, however. Taylor indicated that LG’s Magic Motion Remote won’t be going anywhere, adding that WebOS was particularly well-suited to work with LG’s Wii-style remote control solution. 

Though it is highly unlikely that WebOS will ever make it into LG’s smartphone line (LG is tucked deep into bed with Android at this point), Taylor did indicate that the company intends for WebOS to make its way into other LG products, including its Smart Appliances. 

Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
How to connect an iPhone to an LG smart TV
LG G2 OLED TV.

If you have an LG TV and have explored its smart platform, you will have noticed that LG’s webOS can do a lot — give you quick access to apps like Netflix, browse your favorite channels, stream music, and plenty more. But if you’re an iPhone fan, you may have also picked up on a particular limitation: LG TVs don’t support innate connections to iOS or iPadOS.

Read more
How to update software on an LG smart TV
Menu on an LG TV.

If you have an LG TV, like one of their popular OLED models, you have probably noticed that LG has its own smart platform powered by the proprietary webOS. Unlike some smart platforms, today's version on LG TVs is designed to be minimalistic, often a running banner of options at the bottom of your screen that allows you to quickly select apps, settings, broadcast signal menus, and more — without getting in the way of what you’re watching (some older webOS versions have a different interface).

Read more
What is the Samsung Smart TV web browser?
A man watching the Samsung 75-inch Q84A in his living room.

If you have a Samsung TV, there’s an interesting feature that could save you some time: the ability to browse the internet right from your TV at any time with Samsung's native browser.

Hopping onto a browser on your TV often requires an additional device (like a set-top box or game console) or some type of screen mirroring. But with Samsung’s Tizen-powered TV web browser, you can go online immediately without any complex workarounds. That means it takes only seconds to look up scores, check acting histories, look for tips on games in Samsung's Gaming Hub, and more. Here’s everything you should know!
Samsung Smart TV web browser basics

Read more