Move over, Sonos One and Google Home Max. LG on Thursday announced a new, "premium sounding" smart speaker with Google Assistant built in.
The ThinQ Speaker, LG's "first premium smart [artificial intelligence] audio product," promises to deliver "high-quality sound" and all the conveniences of Google's digital assistant. The speaker will also serve as an interface for LG's many smart home appliances.
It can, for instance, "be set to turn on an LG appliance with the simple spoken command, 'OK Google, talk to LG, turn on the air purifier,'" LG wrote in a news release. In terms of sound, LG said "ThinQ Speaker's High Resolution Audio is compatible with high quality lossless files, giving it the ability to faithfully recreate sounds that were originally recorded in the studio."
Meanwhile, LG's 2018 speaker lineup also includes the new SK10Y soundbar, which "delivers 550W of powerful output and supports 5.1.2 channels" and the portable PK series, which offers "powerful sound and mood lighting features in a fun, convenient package that can be taken anywhere." LG also has several "all-in-one party machines" that boast features like "1,800W output, DJ capabilities, karaoke modes and lights."
At this point, there's no word on pricing for the ThinQ Speaker or the rest of the lineup. LG promised to share more details at the Consumer Electronics Show, which takes place from Jan. 9 through 12 in Las Vegas.
"Sound technology has come a long way since LG introduced the first radio to Korean consumers almost 60 years ago," Seo Young-jae, head LG Home Entertainment's convergence audio and video business division, said in a statement. "At this year's CES, I'm confident audiences will be impressed with the amount of technology we've introduced into our audio products without compromising on sound quality."