This week, a South Korean news publication reports that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to meet with LG officials in South Korea to discuss new XR hardware.
According to reports, LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan will meet with Zuckerberg later this month, Feb 28th, in a joint discussion that will focus on the potential development of a new XR device between the companies – with further plans to establish an extended partnership between Meta and LG, sources say.
The reports suggest that the pair’s upcoming device could debut early next year, mutually leveraging each firm’s hardware and AI expertise; however, this early release forecast could easily change.
Notably, LG will present the benefits of its smart device operating system to operate alongside Meta’s AI systems to create a competitive XR device.
LG’s smart OS brings a platform worth roughly $750.5 million stemming from app revenue to Meta’s immersive product portfolio. The OS could potentially provide a valuable source of income and services for Meta’s XR hardware ecosystem to combat the already deep Apple Vision Pro offerings.
LG, Meta: A History of Collaboration
The news of Meta and LG working on a device in preparation for a 2025 release date aligns with reports from January, highlighting comments from Cho Joo-wan.
At the time, the CEO noted how the firm’s television division is working on the unnamed product to ensure a fast-paced development process to “launch an XR device as early as next year,” Joo-wan remarked.
While LG’s foray into the XR device market is still in its early stages, the company has shown interest in this field since 2022, when, in a quarterly earnings conference call, an LG representative disclosed that the company is developing XR products and closely monitoring the market. The representative also stated that LG is preparing to enter the market quickly if it meets its profitability and market size standards, and they are already working on products in advance at the time.
Meta signed a joint venture with a Seoul-based company in September last year. At the time, the firm said it would launch a new headset called the Meta Quest 4 Pro, priced at approximately $2,000.
The 2023 partnership with LG is a significant advantage for Meta as it will allow them to utilize LG’s microLED and microOLED microdisplay technologies. LG Electronics will provide LG displays, batteries, and LG Innotech components. Moreover, LG will manage the production of some of Meta’s operations for the device.
LG is experienced in supplying components for various leading XR hardware vendors. In June 2022, LG Displays ordered components to develop a supply deal with Apple – securing crucial parts from Sunic System to produce advanced microLED display panels for Apple’s second-generation MR headset – sources in the report said, and in 2021, LG worked to create components for devices for Apple and Microsoft.
The partnership could also outline a forecast of things to come. Meta is working on a more open model to help third-party brands create new XR devices as a competitor and alternative to the Apple Vision Pro’s tighter approach to its platform.
