The LG C3 and LG G3 TVs are getting an upgrade to their smart TV operating system, which is rolling out now – earlier than the 2025 window it was originally scheduled for. The 'webOS 24' update brings several new features that first appeared on LG's 2024 TVs (picture above).
The new software is appearing on some C3 and G3 TVs now, but as FlatpanelsHD notes, you don't need to panic if it hasn't appeared on your TV yet – it can take a few days to appear on all TVs. If you have a different LG TV from 2023, including the LG B3, you should still expect to get this update, but it seems as though the more premium OLED TVs are the lucky first few.
LG has committed to offering 5 years of upgrades to its webOS TVs, with the upgrades arriving one year behind the next version. The stated plan was for 2023 TVs to be given the upgrades that first appeared in 2024's TVs (including the LG C4) during 2025. LG's jumped the gun on that one, but I'm not complaining to any improvement to the best OLED TVs.
2022's TVs, including the LG C2, will receive an upgrade to 2023's software during 2025, following this same rule. It's always one step back.
Here are the four key new features of this update, according to LG:
- Chromecast built-in: Now you can enjoy your mobile content on the big screen without additional devices.
- Voice ID: Recognize your voice to automatically sign in and deliver personalized services.
- Sports Portal: View your favorite sports team's game schedule, scores, and odds all at once.
- Chatbot: Easily resolve issues through dialogue.
When we first tested this new version of webOS, we called out the Sports Portal and accessibility features (including the chatbot) as being among its best changes, so it's nice to see them coming to more sets.
The chatbot has felt like a work-in-progress, but the general principle of being able to just ask the TV why your picture doesn't look right and have it point you to the options that could fix it. That's instead of you being expected to know what menu to hunt through, which is clearly a good idea.
This is the first time we're seeing the fruits of LG's plans to consistently upgrades its sets, and it could definitely be something that helps put its models in our list of the best TVs, because it adds to their long-term value. Samsung has recently announced that its TVs will get seven years of updates (beating the five of LG), so LG's push to be first with this kind of promise has already helped improve things for buyers of other brands too.
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