LG Electronics unveils its first smartphone, the 'LG Rollable'
Collaborating with food companies and others to achieve innovation in AI home appliances
Launch of 'Aluto', an IVI specialized company based on webOS Auto


With movement restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, homes have become multipurpose spaces for living, resting, working, studying, and leisure.

LG Electronics presented the advancements in its home appliances at CES 2021, which was held entirely online on the 11th based on Eastern Standard Time.

The pre-opening press conference began with a greeting from LG Electronics President Kwon Bong-seok. This was followed by a presentation by seven experts from each field, including Global Marketing Center Director Kim Jin-hong, US Marketing Director Peggy Ang, and North America Innovation Center Managing Director Samuel Chang.

The LG Rollable smartphone, a new form factor that can be rolled up and down, was showcased at the event. This is the first time that the LG Rollable has been featured in a video. LG Electronics introduced a new OLED TV product, 'OLED evo', which has improved OLED element performance as well as premium home appliances with enhanced health, hygiene functions and design.

◇ LG ThinQ App Platform Ecosystem to be Expanded

LG Electronics announced that it has expanded the platform ecosystem of the LG ThinQ app through collaboration with various partners. First, it announced that it will collaborate with Nestle, Kraft-Heinz, etc. to enable purchasing food. It also introduced the ‘Scan-to-Cook’ function, which finds the optimal recipe when you take a picture of the barcode of the food you ordered with your smartphone.

In addition, in partnership with HomeAdvisor, a US home service company, LG ThinQ launched a service that allows users to apply to install home appliances in a different space in their home. Last year, the LG ThinQ app added a proactive customer care service that uses AI technology to manage home appliances in optimal condition.

In the middle, a virtual human designed by LG Electronics, 'Kim Rae-ah', appeared. Rae-ah introduced the 'LG CLOi Sterilization Bot', which performs disinfection work to maintain hygiene in specific spaces such as hotels. The laptop '2021 LG Gram' and the professional OLED monitor 'LG UltraFine OLED Pro' were also introduced.

“As our lives are rapidly changing in unexpected ways, we will enable customers to enjoy their precious daily lives with greater safety, convenience, and enjoyment through innovative new products and services,” said Kim Jin-hong, executive director and head of LG Electronics’ Global Marketing Center.

◇ Global Need to Discover AI-Based New Business Models

On the 12th, LG Electronics CTO Park Il-pyeong held the 'LG Future Talk' with the theme of 'ONwards, Together.' The event was broadcast on LG Electronics' online exhibition website and the official CES website .

The event featured panelists including Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), David Rabie, CEO of smart meal kit company Tovala, Jean-François Gagné, CEO of AI startup Element AI, and Dmitry Loschinin, CEO of global software company Luxoft.

CEO Park Il-pyeong introduced the company's pandemic response, including ▲LG Cloi Robots, which were recently developed by LG Electronics, ▲a delivery robot, a sterilization bot using UV-C (Ultraviolet-C) lamps, ▲LG PuriCare wearable air purifier, and ▲smart thermal imaging camera technology.

He said, “In order to create sustainable innovation from the changes in daily life experienced during the pandemic, it must be supported by practical technology,” and “In order to lead the new normal era, which is changing at a scale and speed beyond imagination, we must also compete with competitors.” He emphasized, “We must be able to hold hands.”

President Park and CEO Gary Shapiro said that open partnerships are important for promoting digital innovation, and cited the LG Innovation Council as an example. The council is chaired by President Park and includes 12 experts in AI, big data, cloud, robots, and mobility.

“We are experiencing changes in various fields such as transportation, shipping, agriculture, healthcare, and food due to the acceleration of digital innovation that combines various technologies such as AI, 5G, and IoT,” said CEO Shapiro. “The value chain is becoming increasingly complex, making it difficult for any company to do everything alone.”

◇ Vision Pack enables creation of services combining home appliances and AI

In fact, LG Electronics is collaborating with Tovala in the US to discover new services related to food life. If you scan the barcode on the Tovala meal kit package with the LG ThinQ app, the oven will automatically set the optimal cooking course. Tovala’s meal kit can also be purchased through the LG ThinQ app.

Additionally, LG Electronics announced the advancement of AI developed with Canada's Element AI at CES 2020. The AI development stage consists of four stages: ▲Stage 1 Efficiency ▲Stage 2 Personalization ▲Stage 3 Reasoning ▲Stage 4 Exploration.

At the event, LG Electronics unveiled the 'AI Experience Exchange (AIX Exchange),' a report in the form of interactive content. The report explains the future of AI and its role in the development stages. President Park introduced the Vision Pack, which allows users to experience AI in the personalization (stage 2) and inference (stage 3) stages.

He explained, “Vision Pack uses deep learning technology to embed visual intelligence that judges images into products, allowing them to understand users and situations.” He continued, “If Vision Pack is applied to refrigerators, customers can check inside the refrigerator while they are out of the house and purchase the items they need, and receive recommendations for recipes that match the ingredients in the refrigerator and the user’s preferences.”

◇ Establishment of IVI joint venture based on webOS auto platform

In the era of Corona, the space that has been receiving attention along with the home is the automobile. In December 2020, LG Electronics established a joint venture in the electric vehicle (EV) powertrain sector with Canada's Magna International, the world's third-largest auto parts company by sales.

Filling the inside with the outside. LG Electronics announced that its joint venture (JV) 'Alluto' with Swiss software company Luxoft will be launched on the 27th of this month. Alluto introduces to the market an integrated infotainment system for vehicles, including a head unit and a rear-seat entertainment system (RSE), based on the webOS Auto platform.

“LG Electronics’ smart cabin concept demonstrates that displays installed on the vehicle’s ceiling or windows can be powered by webOS, transforming the vehicle into a new space,” said Park. “We will lead the new normal era by creating a new mobility experience within the car.”

◇ LG OLED TV, CES Official Best TV for 7 Consecutive Years

It also achieved results in its existing business, the display sector. Engadget, the official CES awards partner, held the 2021 Best of CES Awards ceremony on the 13th. LG OLED TV (C1) won the top award in the TV category (Best TV Product), and LG Rollable won the top award in the mobile device category (Best Phone or Mobile Device). In particular, LG OLED TV has become the best TV of the official CES awards for seven consecutive years.

LG Electronics has accelerated its market conquest by unveiling new premium monitor products. The new products are ▲ the high-performance gaming 'LG UltraGear (model name: 27GP950, 32GP850, 34GP950G)' monitor ▲ the multitasking 'LG UltraWide (model name: 40WP95C)' monitor ▲ the video production professional 'LG UltraFine OLED Pro (model name: 32EP950)' monitor.

Among these, the LG UltraGear Gaming Monitor (34GP950G) and LG UltraWide Monitor received CES 2021 Innovation Awards.