Future LG smartwatches could have a sound-on display
Ahead of MWC 2019, LG revealed that they would be bringing sound-on display tech to its smartphones like the LG G8 ThinQ. Now in a recently discovered patent filed by LG in the EU, it seems that the company could be considering expanding its technology where it could eventually find its way to its smartwatches as well.
According to the patent filing, it is for a “Display Speaker” and amongst the devices that are covered by the patent, there is a mention for wristwatches. This means that in theory, future LG smartwatches could share a similar sound-on display to the LG G8. It could also potentially make the smartwatches less bulky and also lighter.
Of course, whether LG does go through with this idea and create a smartwatch with a sound-on display remains to be seen. For all we know, LG could simply be covering all their bases with this patent and might never have any intention of creating such a device, but one can always hope.
In case you’re not familiar with the technology, basically, with the LG G8, the company transformed the display of the smartphone into a speaker diaphragm, giving it the ability to produce sound without needing your typical speaker components. This could be especially useful for smartwatches where it could eliminate the need for speaker grills.
This means that in terms of water-resistance, there will be fewer points of ingress which should help improve the overall durability of the device. That being said, it is unclear if LG is capable of shrinking the tech small enough to fit into a smartwatch display, so maybe don’t expect to see it anytime soon, if at all.
Source: LetsGoDigital