Just when you thought WebOS was dead, LG went and purchased it last year from HP. The computer company was probably more than happy to unload the platform, and LG was obviously more than eager to pick it up. The question for many when LG bought WebOS last year was probably what their plans were for it and how they were planning to integrate it into their products. Thanks to this years CES, we got a sneak peek at what LG had in mind for the platform that was once owned by Palm. LG showed off a WebOS based TV at the electronics show, which might be their response to Samsung and the Tizen OS. LG stated that they plan to load WebOS onto at least half of the TV units that they launch in 2014, but they may have other plans for the OS as well.
We know that LG wants to bring the operating system to other devices, thanks to an interview at CES that the companies Samuel Chang had with Dutch Publication NU. Chang is just one of LG’s Executives that are in charge of the Smart TV division, and he was keen on pointing out that basically any type of device that has the capability for web access is a potential investment with the WebOS platform. This means that we could possibly see Smartphones or Tablets with WebOS on them in the future, and it’s actually not too far fetched that we could start to see some things from LG in this department by the end of the year if not sooner.
LG is likely looking to have the WebOS as a contingency plan for a platform on their many various products, should anything ever happen to their relationship with Android, which is exactly what Samsung most likely has in mind for Tizen as well. While it is a possibility that LG wants to have a backup, LG has a strong relationship with the Android platform and we don’t see the two splitting up in the near future. In the world of tech nothing is ever permanent, it’s unlikely though that LG is looking to outright dump Android in lieu of their own OS development. What do you think would be LG’s best move for the use of WebOS? Let us know what you think in the comments about their WebOS TV’s coming this year and what possibilities could come out of using it in other devices.