At its press event, LG was laser-focused on the user experience and on the clarity of purpose of each product it makes. LG’s new Signature line of products definitely aims for the high-end.
The result was a different LG event as compared to past years. This time, it wasn’t an avalanche of products that are defined by the numbers of features they have. Instead, this was all about a handful of products and how they would make one’s life better. This is something that the audience could agree with, and relate to.
At LG, OLED leads the way
Take the television presentation for example. There were no in-depth details about how WebOS makes it easier to use, or can host one’s favorite apps. Instead, LG has put an exclusive emphasis on its OLED technology and how it is superior to LCD-based displays. I think that virtually everyone would agree that OLED is the future, and that “cost” is the only thing that is getting in the way. It’s true that LCD displays can obtain higher absolute brightness, but it’s also clear that this is not the most desired attribute these days.
On the other hand, OLED can reach very high levels of brightness as well, but can also represent extremely subtle levels of darkness to which our eyes are much more sensible, especially when watching a movie in “movie conditions” (a dark room).
This is due to the fact that LCD displays can use micro-dimming to control the screen’s local brightness with 100-200 LED lights. But since every single pixel of an OLED display emits its own light, an OLED display effectively has micro-dimming with millions of light sources instead of hundreds. That entirely prevents unwanted light bleeding from one region to the other. OLED is also excellent at rendering colors.
The market reality is that LG will also continue to produce vast quantities of LCD-based TVs. The company’s TVs using quantum dots color technology are also excellent at reproducing colors, and they can do it in a cost-efficient manner. They just cannot match OLED.
And “style” is an integral feature of the Signature series: the back of the TV is beautiful to look at too. That’s just in case; you decide to put it in the middle of your impressive loft…
Home appliances: User experience first
The same was true for LG’s top home appliance. It featured a fridge that can light up upon a knock on the door and show what’s in the fridge without opening it, thanks to a glass window. This is without a doubt inspired from LG’s Knock On action that wakes up LG Android phones. The same fridge can also open its door in case you have your hands full. The user can activate the door by tripping a sensor with the foot. The fridge is smart enough to know if it’s an adult or a child, and it won’t open the door if it senses a pet.
Finally, the LG Air Purifier is a great piece of design. Depending on where you live, you may be more sensitive to the quality of your air – that’s particularly true in large cities. LG’s design is classy and is light-years away from other air purifiers one may buy today. As a cherry on the cake, their filter is reusable and should last for years (decades) – because no-one likes to change any filter.
Filed in . Read more about Air Purifier, Fridge, Oled and Televisions.