Today, LG is announcing the U.S. availability and pricing of its new next-generation StandByME 2 battery-powered 17-inch touchscreen. The iF Design and Red Dot Design award winner made headlines earlier this year at CES, and it is now finally available for purchase stateside.
In some ways, the StandByME 2 is a cross between a giant 27-inch tablet, a smart home hub, and a completely portable 27-inch smart TV. Running on the same webOS TV platform its popular and more traditional smart TVs make use of, it offers all of the usual content streaming options from your favorite services, Apple AirPlay and Google Cast for wireless content sharing, and integrates with LG ThinQ and Google Home to control your smart home gear.
It also delivers on all of the apps you’ll traditionally find on the LG TV platform alongside Mood Maker and a sketch app called Let’s Draw that “provides an emotionally engaging and pleasing experience, further elevating the value of portable entertainment solutions available on the LG StanbyME 2.” The expected hands-free voice command action is in place here as well.
The whole experience is centered around a 27-inch QHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution display (it works in landscape and portrait mode however you might be using it) with built-in speakers on either side, all running on LG’s proprietary α (Alpha) 8 AI Processor – it “intelligently optimizes picture quality based on ambient lighting and enables immersive virtual 9.1.2 surround sound through the built-in speakers. With support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, the StanbyME 2 delivers cinematic visuals and audio, enriching the viewing experience with greater depth and clarity.”
StandByME 2 can detach with a single click from its stand and can also be wall-mounted to be “used as a framed wall clock or a decorative display paired with its strap accessories.”
And it is truly portable with 4 hours of battery life per charge for use both indoors and out (it recharges via the docking stand or a traditional USB-C connection).
Question: But what is it actually for? And who would ever need this? Answer(s): I don’t know really know and almost no one I think, but I totally want one right now. A portable 27-inch TV that gets much less battery power than an iPad for watching shows in the woods? A high-tech, over indulgent learning tool for kids? Maybe it’s a real blast for digital board game night? Again, I’m not entirely sure – the whole thing is certainly a bit gimmicky – but I still want one.
LG, in my opinion, hasn’t done a great job of marketing this thing, or providing any really compelling use case scenarios for what it’s really good for, the killer app if you will, but I’m sure, considering it is running on the same platform as your LG smart TV, you could think of all sorts of fun things to do with a giant tablet-meets-small wireless smart TV…can’t you?
If you can, you can also buy one right now for $1,299.99 shipped straight from LG.
Features at a glance:
- Explore cool ways to enjoy content for up to 4 hours¹ w/ the built in battery. Roll the screen around, detach it or connect to other devices via the USB-C connection
- Controlling the StanbyME 2 is as easy as touching the screen. Plus, draw, explore educational content, play games, and bring all your ideas to life with a touch
- Mood Maker sets the vibe through motion content, artwork and themes such as a clock, weather, a turntable and more
- Go beyond QHD picture quality. Plus, the Alpha 8 AI processor w/ AI technology detects what you’re watching to automatically improve picture & sound quality.
- LG’s award-winning smart TV platform powered by webOS. Get access to apps & over 350 free LG Channels. Plus software updates for up to 5 years with webOS Re:New²
- TV Mirroring: Seamlessly Connect and Share with a mobile device
- Cinematic picture and sound with Dolby Atmos® & Dolby Vision®³
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