LG Unveils ThinQ WK9 Speaker and Display, Packed with Google Assistant Smarts

Before this week at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, Google finally unfurled its 'Smart Brandish' plan to take on the fast-growing ecosystem of Alexa devices in your homes, especially the Echo Bear witness and Spot. We've already seen smart display'due south from Lenovo and JBL, but LG is non far behind and has today unveiled its Google Assistant-backed smart display called the ThinQ WK9.

This new entrant to Google'southward smart display ecosystem is part of LG'southward ThinQ smart appliance lineup, which includes intelligent refrigerators, TVs, and more. The Korean behemothic has shown off several of them on the CES show floor, including a 65-inch rollable Boob tube, Google Assistant smart speakers, as well as other TVs.

Tell me if I'1000 wrong , but the LG smart display looks like a boombox from the hereafter. The ThinQ WK9 Google Assistant touchscreen speaker, which is a mouthful for an official name, is rectangular and boxy. It includes two huge speakers on either side of an 8-inch touchscreen that sits front and center. The smart brandish also looks bland in its blackness case, with no hint of any rich colors. All information technology's missing is a top-handle to lug it effectually.

Jumping onto the ThinQ WK9 details, there is non much LG has announced most the same from its terminate. The product page for this smart brandish only says that it has both the Google Assistant and Chromecast built-in, something which nosotros already knew. Information technology features a front-facing camera for Duo calls (with a privacy cap that you tin appoint to cut off the camera sensor). The speakers are expected to offer a premium audio experience, thanks to Meridian Audio'south advanced technologies. And that'southward about it.

But, if you remember, Google has already doled out the deets of the internals of its smart displays in its official proclamation. The ThinQ WK9 is also running on Qualcomm'due south latest SD624 Habitation Hub Platform, which powers the "Android Things IoT platform" the touchscreen speakers have been built upon.

Currently, LG hasn't shed any light on the price and availability details of its smart display. You tin can expect this Google Banana-powered screen+speaker combo to take on Amazon Repeat Evidence later this Summer, similar every other smart display, but will anyone even choose this? I mean, look at it, information technology feels like a tasteless boombox in comparison to the sleek design of Lenovo's smart display. I'k definitely picking up the latter, but what will be your selection? Permit us know in the comments downwardly below.