You know how we tend to plan to change our home appliances and tech to better suit our needs and changing style? …and you know how we always say we can do that later when we see the price tags? Well, LG is looking to change that by making home tech and appliances less of a hassle and less of a strain on the bank account.
The company is introducing a first-of-its-kind home tech and appliance rental service. Of course, the way things are structured may seem very familiar, but the new Rent-Up program is catered to some of LG’s cutting-edge appliances like the LG Styler, the PuriCare Objet Water Purifier, the LG PuriCare Air Purifier and even the LG Cord Zero handheld vacuum. These items can be leased from as low as RM40 a month. The leasing period goes up to 7 years after which the appliance belongs to you.
The new Rent-Up program covers nearly all of LG’s product lines from its webOS-based smart TVs to its refrigerators and vacuums. What’s more the products being offered through the program are all compatible with LG’s ThinQ app. This means that you’ll be able to set that load of wash to complete as you leave the office or even find out what groceries are needed from your smartphone. The best part may be the fact that you can set the Styler to prepare your outfit while you take a shower so your outfit will be crisp when you put it on.
The new Rent-Up program allows you to live a connected life with LG’s lineup of AIoT-enabled appliances. The program is already available in Malaysia through LG Malaysia’s Rent-Up webpage. There is a limited selection of appliances and tech on the webpage now but it looks like LG will be updating its offerings soon.
Just as 2023 was coming to a close, LG was busy sneaking in product announcements. One of the announcements is the LG CineBeam Qube 4K which rethinks a projector for the modern home. The newly announced projector looks to be tagging along with LG at the upcoming CES 2024 showcase in Las Vegas.
Source: LG
The LG CineBeam Qube 4K is a projector after our own hearts. It’s a stylish projector designed to not only project high-quality video but also blend into any decor. The compact projector comes in at only 1.49kg weight and measures only 80mm x 135mm x 135mm. It’s most literally a cube. Let’s not forget about the 360° handle. LG intends the Qube to be a “stylish art objet” with a minimalist design aesthetic.
The projector is able to project in 4K UHD with a resolution of 3,840×2,160 pixels. The LG CineBeam Qube 4K isn’t a traditional projector, it’s an RGB laser projector with 500 ANSI Lumens of brightness. The Qube also comes with a 450,000:1 contrast ratio and covers 154% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. It supports screen sizes between 50 and 120 inches with a minimum throw ratio of 1.2. The Qube also supports Auto Screen Adjustment and HDR 10. It has HDMI with eARC connectivity and USB-C. If you want to go wireless, you should be able to screen share on Android or AirPlay on Apple devices.
Pricing & Availability
LG hasn’t announced any official pricing just yet. However, if you’re in the Las Vegas area, you should be able to get your glimpse at the projector at CES 2024.
CES 2021 saw LG release their most compact soundbar yet. They announced the Eclair QP5 soundbar to the world in July of 2021. Sadly, the soundbar has not made its way into Malaysia yet at the time of launch. In some sense, it is a two-year-old product. At the same time, it is still one of LG’s more anticipated products for Malaysia.
The LG Eclair QP5 is not the most compact soundbar there is, but it is still one of the most compact soundbar you can find in the market. Even at its rather compact construction, the LG Eclair QP5 still offers a lot of power at up to 320W. It offers 3.1.2 channel of audio to really push on the surround sound capability of the soundbar.
The soundbar that comes with a subwoofer set-up is tuned by Meridian for the best possible audio reproduction a compact soundbar can get. It is also Dolby Atmos and DTS:X certified, so you can be sure that your movie and music experience is one of the best and most accurate you can find in its range.
As mentioned before, the LG Eclair offers 4K pass-through for optimized 4K and HDR contents with Dolby Vision. LG’s AI Sound Pro also analyses the contents being displayed and automatically tunes the soundbar to optimise the sounds and contents. With eARC on the HDMI port, the LG Eclair is capable of taking on transmission of 5.1-channel or 7.1-channel audio. If you have an LG TV produced from 2021 onward, you benefit from TV Mode Share that cleverly combines the processing power of LG’s proprietary α processors and AI Sound Pro to enrich sounds from any content source. Of course, you want to tamper your expectations a little when you are going through older format videos.
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
The LG Eclair QP5 compact soundbar is now available in Malaysia. You can get your hands on one or even test them out at LG’s authorized dealers and stores across the nation. Sadly, there are no colour options to speak of. You can only get your hands on the black colour option. At MYR 2,799, it is not what you want to call budget-friendly too. As soundbars go though, the compact soundbar is quite perfect for a desktop set-up or even a small condominium in Malaysia. More information on the soundbar can be found on their website.
LG introduced their gram a few years ago. They were introduced to the world as the world’s lightest and probably thinnest laptops you can find. The LG gram laptops are no slouches though, they were premium powerhouses that are made to be worked on from anywhere at any time.
LG announced and introduced a bunch of things in CES 2023. They announced new TVs and sound bars for 2023 with updated WebOS and hardware for better pictures and sounds. They also introduced a few new home appliances with smart home capabilities. But these are not the only things they launched in CES 2023.
Welcome to the new LG gram line-up. LG gram is currently the only laptop line-up from LG other than their UltraGear laptops launched last year. Again, LG’s gram is built for a different specific purpose.
LG gram Ultraslim
Source: LG
The new LG gram Ultraslim is the new thinnest laptop from LG’s stables. At 10.99mm, the LG gram is not going to break records as the thinnest laptop in the world. It is still thinner than most laptops too. It also only weighs just below 1kg at just 998g. It is built tough too with MIL-810H standards.
That does not mean that LG skimmed on performance though. The LG gram will still be packing Intel’s latest 13th generation Core processor. Of course, there is not much in terms of space so there is no discreet GPU here. You get Intel’s Xe graphics though, a proven platform even when you need to it for content creation purposes.
The Ultraslim 15Z90RT also packs a stunning 15.6-inch OLED display with a coating that minimizes glare and reflections. You get Full HD in resolution and up to 400nits in brightness that might come in handy when you are working in a well-lit environment. You can choose to fit your LG gram Ultraslim with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB in SSD storage. LG did not quote any battery life numbers but they did reveal that there is a 60Wh battery packed within the svelte body.
LG gram Style
Source: LG
They did not just launch the thinnest LG gram just yet. They also launched a line-up of laptops that are geared for those who wants something with a unique twist. It comes in two sizes too (16-inch and 14-inch), so there is an ideal size for everyone.
The LG gram Style in both sizes will come packing 16:10 OLED displays with up to WQXGA+ resolution (3,200 x 2,000) for the best working experience you can get in a thin-and-light laptop. You also get up to 120Hz in refresh rate for the best viewing experience you can get in a modern laptop of its class.
Of course, the Windows 11 you see on the brilliant display is powered by Intel’s 13th generation Core processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics. Alongside the processor is up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM for maximum speed and optimized productivity no matter what you need the laptop to do. The 16-inch variant comes with 80Wh battery pack while the 14-inch comes with 72Wh battery that offers long-lasting battery life for remote working situations. All of these is packed into a body built at MIL-810H standards and weighs only 1,230g (999g for 14-inch).
The All-New LG gram
Source: LG
They also introduced 17-inch, 16-inch, 15-inch, and 14-inch laptops embracing the regular gram branding. These ones comes with discrete GPUS (17-inch and 16-inch). You can opt for an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 entry level laptop GPU which should allow you to enjoy most esports titles today. Of course, you also get Intel’s 13th generation Core processors.
The displays are not OLED panels, but they will still offer top-notch colour and image experience with IPS panels projecting up to WQXGA resolutions at 16:10 aspect ratio. The IPS panel also offers variable refresh rate at up to 144Hz to extend battery life and to optimize viewing experience for users. For entertainment purposes, the speakers are Dolby Atmos certified for some immersive experience for your movies and music. You also get to enjoy your movies and music for up to 20 hours at a time with up to 90Wh on tap on your laptop.
Availability
LG did not mention when the LG gram line-ups will be available just yet. There are no mentions on its price as well currently. We are guessing that the new LG gram laptops will be available sometime between next month and July 2023. All LG’s latest gram line-up comes with Full HD webcam with IR blaster for Window Hello facial recognition function. The LG gram 2-in-1 line-up will also come with updated internals for 2023.
Gaming monitors need to be fast. In the early days of fast gaming monitors, OLED technology is quite unheard of. The reason is because OLED panels can only go so fast in terms of refresh rate. While OLED monitors offer colour accuracy and vibrance like no other, they are rather dimwitted in terms of refresh rate until a few years ago. Now though, OLED panels are some of the most sought after in gaming. Pretty soon you are going to be able to get you hands on one with 240Hz in refresh rate, faster than anything that came before it.
The monitors in question are LG’s latest 27-inch and 45-inch models introduced for CES 2023. You get the new 27GR95QE and 45GR95QE gaming monitors. While both have their similarities, they are built to serve different segments.
Both gaming monitors offer 240Hz in terms of refresh rate. Both monitors also offer 0.3ms in GTG response time, faster than almost anything that you can find in the market currently. Both are also NVIDIA G-Sync and FreeSync Premium compatible, making them rather versatile for whatever GPU you might have in your PC. At the same time, they both offer a DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage of 98.5%, something even content creators can highly appreciate. Both are capable of producing images at HDR10 standards with a contrast ratio of 1,500,000:1 for a higher level of detail than any gaming monitor you can find in their classes. Of course, they both sport the latest HDMI 2.1 standard alongside a DisplayPort 1.4 port.
Source: LG
Their difference lies in the shape and size of the panels. The 27-inch monitor is a flat screened 16:9 monitor that most gamers can appreciate. 27-inch is a rather standard size for gaming monitors and 16:9 is currently the most popular aspect ratio for most gamers. It is also the current standard size and aspect ratio in esports, which also means this would be suitable for most esports titles like Dota 2, or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). At the same time, its QHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution is widely accepted as the most optimal resolution for displays at its size and for gaming purposes. Most GPUs today are also optimized for gaming at this resolution which also means that this might be the more popular option for the most serious gamers anyway.
If you want to take things a little further and get even more immersed in your games, you want the 45-inch behemoth that is the 45GR95QE. It is a curved display monitor with an 800R curvature (0.8m radius) That also means that it is more curved than almost anything that you might get in the market. Its shorter optimum distance also means you get to be closer to the action for an even more immersive experience than ever before. It packs WQHD (3,440 x 1440) resolution too to ensure that you still get all the details you need in the ultra-wide monitor.
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
LG’s UltraGear 27-inch and 45-inch OLED gaming monitors will be showcased in CES 2023 happening on the 5th of January 2023 all the way to the 8th of January 2023. There is no specific information regarding the market availability of the monitors currently. That also means we currently do not have any pricing information too. We are keeping our ears close to the ground for any updates though, so do watch this space. More information on LG’s range of UltraGear gaming monitors can be found on their website.
Before LG releases their new LG monitor that you see here, the only manufacturer you could get a smart monitor that works like TV, but for PCs, is Samsung. If you have not known yet, Samsung’s SMART monitors for PCs work pretty much like their smart TVs. You get Tizen OS for smart TV, you can install all sorts of apps for the TV, and work it exactly like a TV, even without a PC connected to it.
While they are the only one producing monitors of this kind, we think that the product comes with a lot of potential for smaller working set-ups and even homes. The larger sized smart monitor at 32-inch offers 4K resolution and affordable entertainment option for those who are looking for a dual function display in a smaller space. You do not need to get a separate TV box or Chromecast for it, and that makes it a viable TV replacement at a much smaller and digestible form factor.
Samsung’s position as one of the biggest names in smart TVs is a big plus for the to produce PC monitors with their proprietary TV Operating System (OS) too. So comes the question, what about others? What about LG? LG answers with this one, the 32SQ780S.
Source: LG
The new SMART Monitor, as LG names it, is a new 32-inch monitor for the PC. Its 32-inch VA panel offers 4K UHD resolution, perfectly in line with the latest of smart TVs. Serving it natively is LG’s WebOS 22 that also powers LG’s latest large form factor TVs. The 32-inch 4K monitor also offers 90% in DCI-P3 colour gamut with HDR10 support for the best in-class entertainment experience. WebOS 22 gives you access to apps like Netflix and YouTube without even being connected to any PC or consoles. At the same time, the built-in 5-watt dual channel stereo speakers should be a good enough audio source for users.
With WebOS, the LG SMART Monitor is not just an entertainment hub too. It can be your smart home hub with ThinQ hub. You can control any compatible smart home appliances with no fuss. While it does not offer Chromecast natively, you can still project your smartphone to the display via MiraCast.
The best part of the LG SMART Monitor is the fact that the monitor comes with LG’s clever Ergo Stand that gives the LG monitor flexibility like no other for monitors in its class. With the stand, you not only save table space and real estate for a larger working surface and storage. You also get to put or orient your monitor in any way you like for your working or entertainment comfort.
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
The 32-inch 4K 32SQ780S UHG LG SMART Monitor will be available in early November 2022 in the United States first. They say that other markets should follow soon after, that includes Malaysia. There is no official pricing that has been provided yet at least for Malaysia. You can expect them to price the monitor at about the same price as Samsung’s offerings.
LG is known for many things. They are one of the biggest names in home entertainment, especially televisions. They also make excellent home appliances like washing machines and water purifiers. That should mean they make great audio gear, right? Sure, they make sound bars and speakers. We own their XBOOM PL5s and we love them here at techENT. But they hardly make headphones, until now
Their strong partnership with Meridian, a British audio engineering house, has produced the LG TONE Free. This one we have in our hands is one of LG’s latest True Wireless earbuds. Not to be confused with other LG TONE Free earphones, this is the FP8. It will also set you back MYR 1,099 at full retail price.
Its asking price puts it next to the Sony WF-1000XM4. LG also offers Active Noise Cancelling feature here. But they are betting on another thing that Sony does not have with this headphone. The LG Free Tone FP8 is supposed to be more hygienic than any other True Wireless headphones you can find.
So, is it worth MYR 1,099? Does the “hygiene” feature alone make up the asking price? Should you even get this pair of headphones over others, if you are in the market for one? We find out.
Design
First, the LG TONE Free is not one pair of headphones. The naming scheme applies to a range of earphones from LG. Their website does not help much with clarifying the products either. We are not here to comment on websites though.
There is an entirely different problem with the hardware. It looks identical to whichever Tone Free products you pick, save for the HBS-FN7. They also look like Apple’s AirPods Pro, with a slightly tweaked stem.
LG claims that the unique “ergonomic” Concha-Shaped design is based on a design study of hundreds of ears. It is designed to conform to the shape of your ear and ensure a good and secure fit. We recommend that you try it first before making any conclusions. There is a nipple on the earbuds itself. It points out where to tap when you want to interact with the device.
Thankfully, the charging case looks nothing like an Apple Product. It looks more like a pebble you can find on a river’s bed. It is simplistic, minimal even. We must say, we quite like the look of the case itself.
Both the earbuds and the case are covered in a matte finish that repels fingerprint well. Not so well against scuffs and scratches though, the bottom of our review unit is full of scratches after a month of use. It is also a wireless charging case, which is always nice to have. The interior feels a little more durable though with a nice rough finish with LG’s logo on the cap, and Meridian logo on the base.
Hardware
Just because it looks similar to the Apple AirPods Pro does not mean that they are built the same though. They offer differing drivers and enhancements to make them what they are.
LG TONE Free FP8
Driver Unit
Dynamic 8Φ
Frequency Response
Unspecified
Headphone type
Wireless Earbuds
Battery
68mAh x 2 (earbuds) 380mAh (charging case) Max. 6 hrs (ANC On) / Max. 10 hrs (ANC Off) Up to 15 hrs (w/ charging case/ANC On) Up to 24 hrs (w/ charging case/ANC Off)
Miscellaneous
Bluetooth 5.2 Active Noise Cancelling IPX4 Wireless Charging Google Fast Pair/Swift Pair Digital MEMS Mic Meridian sound/EQ
Features
The good thing about Bluetooth earphones like the LG Tone Free are that they are feature packed. You also have to remember you are paying MYR 1,099 for it. It should come feature packed at that price.
IPX4
Water resistance is quite common with most wireless earphones today. This one comes with IPX4 certification, meaning it can take on sweat or even the rain and cold. You might want to hold off swimming with it though.
We have done some running with the earbuds and it seems to deal with sweat well. Silicone type tips are great too because they are much easier to clean. At the same time, true to what LG claims, the earphones stay in your ears without too much of a fuss even with violent head movements. This also may vary from ear to ear.
Whisper Mode
By default, this function is turned off. You can toggle it on or off from the App which we will talk about later. According to the app’s description and illustration, it is to be used in trains.
We think that Whisper Mode can be used when you require a little bit more privacy and subtlety. The public transport is one of them, yes. You do have to use both earphones for this function to work though. The primary mic for calls is also placed in the right earbud, so you want to bring it closer to the mouth.
It works to a certain extent. It works in a noisy environment, but you do want to make sure that you are keeping your voice a little lower when you put the mic right to you your mouth. Yes, you can use it in a library too; just do not annoy your librarian and other patrons.
LG Tone Free App
We appreciate companion apps for any Bluetooth device connected to your smartphone. Thankfully LG TONE Free FP8 connects with the LG TONE Free App.
Everything on the app is intuitive enough that we do not have to guess how to work the main functions. The only one we got a little lost with is in changing the touchpad function. Then again, there are not that many submenus on the app; so that was rectified quickly as well.
There is a dedicated manual section that guides users on the basic workings of the LG TONE Free FP8. It even teaches you how to get UVnano sanitisation going. This also works with other LG TONE Free products, we assume.
Of course, like many headphone apps, the app also features its own equaliser and presets to work with. We mostly toggle between Natural, 3D Sound, and Immersive modes most. For noise cancelling, you can choose between transparency mode, noise cancelling mode, or turn it off completely. You can also check the battery levels of each bud and the case of the LG Tone Free FP8.
UVnano Sanitisation
The party piece of the LG TONE Free FP8 is its UVnano function. It is technically a UV based sanitisation mechanism built into the case. It radiates UV light on to the ear tip section of both earphones.
LG claims that the UVnano technology kills up to 99.9% of bacteria and germs on the parts of the earbuds that matter. It does not clean your earphones from visible dirt and grime though. We do not have any instruments to test their claim, so we will take LG’s word for it.
LG also says that the silicone ear tips they used are made from hypoallergenic materials to ensure that you are ultimately comfortable wearing the earphones. Paired to the bacteria cleaning technology, it might be okay sharing the earbuds with someone else. At the same time, it ensures you have a healthy ear while having a good time.
Quick Pair & Fast Pair
Like any other Quick Pair and Fast Pair enabled devices, you can simply open the case, take out the earbuds, and your smartphone or Bluetooth enabled PC instantly asks you to pair with the headphones. We set up the LG Tone Free FP8 with our Android smartphone in less than 5 seconds. Even getting things going with LG TONE Free app is quick and with very little nuance.
Performance
The meat of an earphone is always its drivers and sound quality. But for a pair of Bluetooth earphones, it does more than just play music. It must be your handsfree kit. The earbuds must also be able to last an entire plane journey.
Calls
In terms of making calls, the report of using the earbuds from the other end of the line is that it sounds mighty clear. Because the connection notice on the earbuds is just a quick ping, your conversations does not get cut off. Our friends have reported that 2e sound natural, as though we are working with the smartphones built-in hardware.
While you can use either earbud for listening, the main voice mic is placed in the right earbud. That is also why Whisper Mode only works with the right earbud as the mic. This also means that it is still better for you to use the right earbud to make calls and have conversations. Using just the left earbud did not allow us to have very good conversations with the earphones.
Receiving calls is a matter of just tapping either nipple on each earbud. The audio transmitted through the earphone is also mighty clear in typical phone calls. Both earbuds transmit the caller’s voice loud and clear. This makes an excellent pair of earphones for not only regular calls, but for video conferencing as well.
Active Noise Cancelling
One of the main selling points of this pair of earphones is also its Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) feature. In the app, you can set it to high, low, off, or ambient sound mode. Ambient sound mode is separated into conversation mode and listening mode.
In ambient sound mode, you hear everything as though you suddenly have super hearing for some reason in conversation mode. Conversation mode tends to amplify the mid-frequencies, where human voice sits. That means that you tend to hear a lot of things a lot louder too unfortunately, and it can be distracting when you are not having a conversation.
In listening mode things are a bit more natural sounding to the ear though with a subtle but noticeable hiss. We would prefer to use listening mode in most situations. It is especially useful when you are strolling down busy streets.
Then there is noise cancelling. It is not quite as good as its direct competition. While it does pretty much drown out most things around you, there are plenty of noise that still escapes the noise cancelling and makes it in your ear. As I type this review on the laptop, I can hear my keyboards clacking away, mouse clicks still visible, I can even have conversations with others, albeit limited.
The ANC algorithm is acceptable enough though. You start playing a music and it will drown out the noise a bit more. It is not made to just act as an earplug.
Meridian Tuning
LG’s TONE Free sounds excellent for podcasts. We listened to F1 Nation on Spotify and the vocals sounds rich and full. It sounds like a traditional radio experience and we quite like that. The low-end of the voice is clear and apparent with the voices. There is a lack of crispiness in the voice though.
The lack of crispiness is more apparent when you are listening to music. We used Tidal to listen to most of our music because Tidal offers higher bitrate than Spotify. Listening to Lost Without You by Freya Ridings is still enjoyable do not get us wrong. There is some loss of velvetiness in her voice with the earphones though. We kept the earphones set to natural for all our tests.
We played the Final Fantasy VII Medley by Video Game Orchestra, 3 Hour Drive by Alicia Keys, Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra, and Circles by Post Malone to put the earphones through its paces. There is no lack of punch in the low frequencies. There is a good definition of the basses as well, which is impressive enough for earphones this size. The low-frequency notes feel quite full and satisfying enough that you can enjoy EDM, Hip Hop, and Pop titles.
With others, you do find that there is some lack of definition in the mid and treble frequencies. The notes in those regions sound almost muddled, suppressed. We suspect that it is also because LG and Meridian chose a punchier tuning to enhance the bass experience. That is not to say that they sound bad though, they are still quite enjoyable.
To be fair, we are a little spoiled by the Sony WF-1000XM4’s sound quality for its asking price. If you do not have that to compare to, the LG Tone Free FP8 sounds excellent enough. You can enjoy your music and podcasts with not too much of an issue.
Battery Life
LG quoted 6 hours in battery life with ANC on. You can extend it to 10 hours if you turn off Noise Cancelling, but why would you? In our use case, we have not used it for more than three hours at a time. A quick look at the app’s battery indicates that at 70% volume, the LG Tone Free FP8 has used up about 50% of battery life in just a little less than three hours. If our math is correct, you should be able to get close to six hours of battery life with ANC on.
The case is supposed to give the LG Tone Free FP8 another one and a half extra charges. A quick pop into the case and the earphones charge quickly enough that you are not going to be out of action for too long. Because we never ran the battery dry, we never had to wait for more than 30 minutes to get the earbuds to fully charge. We find that we tend to leave the case on our wireless charging pad to keep it charged.
The LG Tone Free FP8 – Good, not Great
The LG Tone Free FP8 is a good pair of earphones to work with. It sounds good all around. While the bass-heavy profile does suppress vocals and trebles a little bit, listening to any kind of music is still a pleasurable experience. Noise cancelling is good enough to filter out plenty of sounds. Podcasts sounds reasonably good as well, so there is that.
For MYR 1,099 though, it goes directly against Sony’s WF-1000XM4. The LG’s Noise Cancelling algorithm cannot be compared to the Sony’s. To be fair, Sony’s noise cancelling technology is ahead of any in the industry currently.
Where the LG sounds a little supressed, the Sony sounds excellent. LG’s offering does offer a punchy low frequency, but its direct competitor does it better too. On paper, the Sony also offers a better battery life.
There is one thing that the LG offers that even the likes of Sony does not. They offer built-in UV sanitisation technology with UVnano. It keeps your earphones free from bacteria no matter how you use it at least. It still does not eliminate the need to clean your earphones from time to time though.
Does the UVnano technology justify its full retail price of MYR 1,099? We believe it might. That said, this is not a pair of earphones for us. But it does not mean that the LG is completely horrible mismatch to the market. We think it is made for those who has sensitive skin or ears, those who tend to get irritation in their ear when they start using in-ear monitor type earphones. It is made for those that needs to obsessively clean their earphones every time they use it. It is made for them to enjoy tracks while knowing that they will not have any hygiene issues after. For them, this works, and works well.
LG Electronics should need no introduction by now. They are one of the foremost electronics companies in the world. What most do not realise though is that LG is also one of the most foremost manufacturers in the world of home and high-end audio. At the same time, their TVs are some of the best selling in the world.
Combine their knowhow in making great audio products and immersive technology, and you have some of the best sound bars money can buy. The sound bars that LG makes are not just great sounding though. They look amazing and they can fit any home décor.
They just announced their new compact sound bar that is the LG Éclair QP5. It is tiny, a mere 296mm in width. It is only a third of the width of LG’s previously most compact soundbar that is the SP8YA. Comparing it to regular sound bars, it might as well be a quarter the size.
Source: LG
It is still a 3.1.2 sound bar though, for that all important surround sound experience you can only get from a soundbar. It is not just a regular 3.1.2 experience though. LG has perfected this soundbar with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support for the most complete audio experience alongside the powerful subwoofer that comes with the Éclair set up.
There is a reason why the LG Éclair is named the way it is. Its elongated oval shape resembles that of an Éclair. The chic and song design really fits the décor of a modern home, especially in smaller apartment units where space comes at a premium.
The soundbar is a clever one too. With LG AI Sound Pro, contents are analysed, processed, and presented to you in the best settings. It even has 4K pass-through support to allow users to enjoy 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision contents with the LG Éclair.
The Meridian technology soundbar also comes with eARC support via HDMI for lossless 5.1-channel, 7.1-channel, and other immersive audio formats on the soundbar itself. It works vest with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatible mediums of course. Of course, the LG Éclair soundbar works best with LG TVs.
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
There are no mentions on its availability in Malaysia. The LG Éclair is already available in select regions across Europe. We do think that the Éclair is a fitting product for Malaysian homes though. More information on the LG Éclair can be found on LG’s website.
We are still reeling from LG’s big announcement with their mobile business unit. Yesterday they told the world that they are backing out from the smartphone market. They are still active in other areas though. For example, they are still a strong player in the home audio market.
They have just introduced their new line-up of soundbars for 2021. Of course, they come with even more features and before to really complete your audio experience. They also still come with everything that made the older soundbars great too. For one, you still get Meridian technology.
LG’s new 2021 soundbars introduces Meridian’s Horizon technology though. The technology cleverly mixes regular dual channel to virtually create a multichannel experience for true immersion when it comes to music and even movies regardless of their position. Meridian’s technology and tuning also shines in the soundbar’s Music Mode.
The LG soundbars for 2021 now supports Dolby Atmos and DRS:X audio. That also means you get more dynamic audio and immersion from the soundbars. If you have a Dolby Vision certified 4K TV, the soundbars adjust themselves to optimise audio and picture experience. Your Netflix set-up at home just got even better.
What is a modern soundbar without its smart features? The 2021 soundbars is compatible with Google Asisstant, Amazon Alexa, and Siri. With support for Apple AirPlay 2, the soundbars can now control their favourite contents directly from their Apple iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices.
To make your audio experience even more immersive and even better is LG’s clever AI features on the soundbar. The new 2021 soundbars packs their own clever Room Calibration tool that utilises its AI to optimise your audio experience no matter the kind of room you work with. Using a combination of its multiple mics and speaker units, the AI measures it own space and adjusts itself according to the room. In combination with the AI Sound Pro feature, the soundbar cleverly adjusts its frequency range and field extensions depending on contents to optimise your audio experience even more.
The 2021 LG soundbars are Hi-Res Audio certified supporting 24-bit/96kHz audio playback. The soundbars get HDMI eARC compatibility as well for high bitrate, high-resolution content playback and of course, Dolby Atmos audio. There is also USB playback as well as Bluetooth connectivity for a wider flexibility in terms of audio sources.
The new 2021 LG soundbar line-up will be available in Europe and North American market this month onward. There is no official pricing announced just yet even for the key markets. There are also no local (Malaysia) availability information yet for the soundbars. We are looking at a third quarter availability in Malaysia though. The new product line-up includes SP11RA (7.1.4), SP9WA (5.1.2), SP8YA (3.1.2), SP7Y (5.1), and SPD7Y (3.1.2). For more information on LG’s 2021 line-up of soundbars, you can head over to their website.
South Korea has become one of the biggest electronic giants the world has ever seen. With the likes of Samsung and LG, it is no wonder the South Koreans are highly regarded in the modern era of technology. The two electronic giants have conquered everything from televisions to even washing machines in 2021. They make some of the best-selling televisions, fridges, even down to a water purifier.
They have also been a leader in the smallest things we carry with us every day. Samsung and LG have been at the forefront of smartphone technologies for the past few years now. But there has been some interesting development for the past few weeks or so. One of them is the fact that LG has made an announcement that they are no longer interested in the smartphone business.
The announcement from LG’s very own newsroom describes that LG Electronics Inc. will close its mobile business unit as per approved by their board earlier in the day. What that means is that LG will give up its smartphone business unit and not dabble in the smartphone market in the future.
To be fair, the company has been considering the exit for a while now. LG’s Mobile Business Unit, or its smartphone division has been posting losses for the past five years at least, and they show no sign of recovering. The company has been focusing on selling some mid-range smartphones while developing interesting concepts that produces smartphones like the LG Wing. They also showed some concept of a rollable smartphone, something we do not expect to see LG producing ever with the announcement.
As per the announcement as well LG will continue to make their current inventory available for sale. LG will also continue to provide support and software updates for their current customers and their existing products until an unspecified time. Although there is no indication to when they will end their product life support. They only indicated that it will be varied by regions.
This also means that the company will have to repurpose its workforces from its mobile business units. They mentioned that this will be determined at a local level as well. Still, they have some time to repurpose everyone within the business unit.
LG is expecting the close to complete by the 31st July 2021. While LG will no longer be officially selling their devices by the end of July, they expect some existing stocks to still be available after specified date and those will still be on sale. LG will still be involved in the development of mobile technologies, however. They will continue to work on 6G network related developments even after the Mobile Business Unit concludes its closure.
