LG is teasing the launch of a new gesture-controlled device in a 13-second video with the tagline “goodbye touch.” The video shows a hand waving messages in and out of existence, and its description suggests that the company is planning to launch a device called the LG Premiere just ahead of Mobile World Congress next month.
This isn’t the first time LG has allowed gesture controls on one of its devices. Back in 2013, the company experimented with letting users control their LG TVs with their hands and using their fingers to control an on-screen cursor. However, it’s currently unclear what form the “LG Premiere” will take or if that’s what the device will actually be called.
The “goodbye touch” slogan suggests that LG is talking about a smartphone since this is where most touch control happens these days. Last year at MWC, the company announced the LG V30S ThinQ, an iterative update of the previous year’s V30 with some additional camera software smarts. Could we see a similar update for the V40 with some Samsung Galaxy S4-style gesture controls, or else the rumored LG G8?
The only other touch-controlled device that LG has produced recently is its LG Smart Display, which suffered from a lack of standout features and a price tag that was higher than its competitors. Gesture controls would certainly be unique for a smart display, but it’s hard to know how necessary they are in a device that’s designed to be controlled primarily with your voice.
We expect to hear more on February 24th when the video suggests a full announcement will be made.