LG could be about to launch a new smart assistant Google Assistant at the IFA 2019 technology fair in Berlin, according to a report from the Dutch edition of Lets Go Digital.
The report highlights four smart speaker patents filed by LG in August 2018 with KIPRIS (Korea Intellectual Property Office). It suggests that the IFA, which will be held from September 6 to 11 this year, could be the perfect time for the company to publish the monitoring of the LG ThinQ WK7 smart speaker.
While LG is expected to present its next dual-screen device at the Berlin Technical Conference, probably the LG V60 ThinQ, it is not out of doubt that the company is also launching new audio equipment.
(Credit: LG / Lets Go Digital)
On-screen audio
Of course, patents aren't always a technology in real-world products, but the four patents filed by LG in August 2018 could say a bit more about what your next smart speaker might look like.
The first patent, the Model A, looks similar to the LG ThinQ WK7, but its design is more angular. On the top of the speaker there are four buttons, while a power button appears on one of the four sides of the speaker. According to Let's Go Digital, a "small screen" also appears on one of the other sides, but we have trouble distinguishing ourselves.
Models B, C, and D are smart displays, like on the Google Home Hub or Amazon Echo Show. Based on the proprietary images, the Model B could focus more on audio, with a large speaker grill below its display; The other smart display patents are much thinner and appear to be more screen-centric than the speaker itself.
It wouldn't be the first time LG has launched a smart display, if it ever launches any of these concepts; The LG WK9 Wireless Speaker with the Google Assistant had an 8-inch touchscreen and Chromecast technology built in when it launched at CES 2018.
We'll have to wait to see if LG will launch a new smart speaker at this year's IFA show, but if that happens, it might look a bit like the patents it filed this year last year.
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