Thread: Smart Phone Control for Head Unit

LG Electronics Debuts Car Audio Systems with Smartphone Connectivity


Thursday, September 29, 2011 -- Seoul, Korea – LG Electronics has launched the world’s first car audio systems with smart mobile connectivity. The catch is that these systems will not be available in the U.S. as LG is only shipping them in Europe, in Europe, South America, Central America and Mexico, Middle East and Africa, a LG spokesperson told Mobile Electronics.

The system, LCF810 and LCS710, come with a smartphone remote control app that allows passengers to control every element of the audio anywhere in the car without the driver’s assistance. The Bluetooth-enabled smartphone app, LG Car Audio WiCS (Wireless Control & Sync), works on both iOS- and Android-powered smartphones.

The LCF810 and the LCS710 are similar with the exception of being the LCD display on the LCF810 being a 3-line display, whereas the LCS710 has a 2-line display. Both systems can play MP3 and WMA audio files stored in CDs, USB flash memory drives, SD cards, external hard drives and iPhones or iPods. In addition, for consumers in Europe, FM radio is accompanied by Digital Audio Broadcasting+ (DAB+) with customizable program-type (PTY) preferences.

Based on LG’s own WiCS technology, LG Car Audio WiCS enables passengers to access and control in detail all aforementioned media storage devices and radio broadcasts from anywhere in the car. The smartphone app can enable, among others, content selection, preset management, play/stop/pause, volume control, and editing and creation of playlists. All these media files and radio contents can be recorded onto a USB drive and the process managed entirely via LG Car Audio WiCS. In addition, the smartphone app allows users to adjust the equalizer, subwoofer frequency, the brightness of the backlit LCD display and the recording speed of the USB drive.

The introduction of WiCS technology to car audio comes in the midst of LG's overall efforts to enhance the mobile connectivity and smart features of its electronics devices, including display, audio, computer and home appliance products. Car audio was no exception.

"At LG, we strive for innovation," said Mr. K. W. Kim, President, LG Electronics, Middle East and Africa. "Through the LCF810 and the LCS710, we wanted to offer consumers the most advanced and the most convenient car audio systems by making the WiCS technology a part of the driving experience."

Mr. K. W. Kim added, "The LCF810 and the LCS710, along with WiCS, merely constitute the baseline version of what we have in mind to synergize car audio with smart mobile connectivity. At LG, we certainly have many technologies and experiences under our belts to further fuel this development and steer car audio systems in innovative directions and toward new heights.”