LG started shipping smart TVs with webOS software this year, bringing a relatively easy-to-use way to stream content from the internet to a television. Now LG has announced that webOS 2.0 for smart TVs is coming next year.

The company plans to begin showing off its latest smart TV software at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

webos 2.0

LG acquired webOS from HP (which acquired it by buying Palm). While the operating system was originally designed for smartphones and tablets, LG developed a TV-friendly user interface and modified webOS so that it could be used to bring web apps to big screens.

The company sold more than 5 million televisions with webOS last year… but some have questioned whether the whole thing has been a failed experiment. It’s possible LG would have sold those TVs whether they had webOS software or not, while many of the developers working on the software have left LG.

Still, LG plans to give things another go and promises that version 2.0 includes a number of improvements and new features such as:

  • 60 percent faster boot time
  • Up to 70 percent faster when switching from home screen to YouTube or other apps
  • My Channels feature lets you create custom TV channel list in the launcher bar

LG says it’s also working with Amazon and Netflix to make sure that 4K streaming video content is available for LG televisions with Ultra HD screens.

 

 

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3 replies on “LG to launch webOS 2.0 for smart TVs in 2015”

  1. I just hope this doesn’t result in a small group of people who can’t let go of their tvs.
    As someone who got left behind with Palm OS Garnet, my heart goes out to the WebOs folks.

  2. At least LG has the common sense not to jump on the Android TV platform (the ‘reinvented’ incarnation of the failed Google TV platform). I give them credit for striking out on their own and not feeling they have to be Google’s schmucks. All of the reviews I’ve read about LG’s WebOS televisions have been very favorable. On the other hand Google TV was a buggy mess. The new Google Android TV (OS) has less apps then most all of the competition – and from what I’m reading it’s buggy as well. Now Sony on the other hand apparently hasn’t learned their lesson yet. Sony already lost big with two generations of failed Google TV products and now their entire 2015 television line will be running Android TV. Logitech took a bath on their Revue Google TV box – but at least they were smart enough to cut their losses and move on.

  3. I miss webOS so much, I might just buy the LG TV even though this is nothing like the tablet. Hoping someone will put webOS in a smartphone that is more modern one day.

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