Over the past few years, LG has set off a strange tech trend that’s been rolling onto devices sold across Amazon and other online electronics retailers.
In 2022, the company launched the StanbyME, which is essentially a $1,000 27-inch tablet running LG's smart TV operating system (OS), webOS, but lacking a tuner. LG's press release announcing the device described it as a “wireless private TV screen with a built-in battery” that is easily portable and ideal for watching shows and movies, in addition to “video conferencing with family and coworkers and viewing online lectures.”
Today, the StanbyME competes against a slew of similar devices, including some from Samsung, but mostly from smaller brands and running Android.
I've had one of these devices, the KTC MegPad 32-inch Android Tablet (A32Q7 Pro), rolling around my home for a few weeks, and I'm left curious about what's driving the growth of StanbyME-like devices, which are noticeably niche and expensive. I'm also uncertain whether these hybrid devices have an ongoing place in a consumer tech world already inundated with big-screen TVs, small-screen tablets, and beloved laptops.
KTC MegPad A32Q7 Pro Specs
Resolution: 3840×2160
Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
Size: 32 inches
Panel Type: VA
Weight: 40.3 lbs
Brightness: 220 nits
Contrast: 3.000:1
Color: 90 percent DCI-P3
Ports: 2× USB-A, 1× HDMI
OS: Android 13
Hands-on
Unlike LG’s StanbyME, KTC’s device doesn’t run a smart TV OS. Instead, it’s a 32-inch Android 13 tablet. Still, KTC heavily markets the MegPad’s ability to serve as streaming hardware, and that’s one of the best uses I found for it.
Scharon Harding A big ol' tablet on wheels. A big ol' tablet on wheels. Scharon Harding Scharon Harding Portrait mode with a screen this size comes in handy. Portrait mode with a screen this size comes in handy. Scharon Harding Scharon Harding A closer look at the arm. A closer look at the arm. Scharon Harding Portrait mode with a screen this size comes in handy. Scharon Harding A closer look at the arm. Scharon Harding Scharon Harding You can rotate the the screen 360 degrees. Scharon Harding The power button and volume controls on the panel's backside.
Treating the MegPad like a smart TV on wheels meant I could have a living-room-like experience in more places throughout my home. I could watch TV in bed with a more visible screen set at a more comfortable distance than what I’d achieve with a laptop or tablet. It also meant flexibility. I don’t like having a permanent TV in my room (how would I ever get out of bed?), so I appreciated the ability to roll the MegPad out of my room or twist it so that the screen faced away from me.