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
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