LG today announced that its new 88-inch 8K OLED and 75-inch 8K LED smart TVs are available at select U.S. retailers starting today, priced at $29,999 and $4,999 respectively. LG says both models will receive a firmware update that enables HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support later this fall.
AirPlay 2 support will enable users to stream videos, music, podcasts, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to these TVs, with no Apple TV box necessary. And with HomeKit, users can easily control the TV's power, volume, source, and more using Siri or the Home app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
LG says the 88-inch model is the largest OLED TV ever, with an 8K Ultra HD resolution of 7,680x4,320 for a total of nearly 33 million pixels. The TV features a slim-bezel display with a brushed aluminum stand and comes with an integrated 80W speaker system that is said to deliver powerful sound.
LG first rolled out HomeKit and AirPlay 2 to select 2019 OLED and NanoCell 4K UHD smart TVs with ThinQ AI capability in July, with remaining 4K UHD TV series in LG's 2019 lineup slated to receive the features in October.
Many customers have petitioned LG to offer AirPlay 2 and HomeKit on its older smart TVs, but the company has not budged so far, noting that it "cannot guarantee" that pre-2019 models "will be able to deliver a seamless user experience." LG did note that it "may be a possibility in the future."
AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are also available on select Vizio smart TVs, and Sony promised to roll out the features in summer 2019, but it has yet to do so. Samsung offers an Apple TV app and AirPlay 2, but not HomeKit, on select TVs.
