The LG C2 is one of the most anticipated TVs of the year, and finally some price info and a possible launch time has appeared on UK retailer John Lewis for the 48-inch model… and the news is both better and worse than we expected.
• See the LG C2 page at John Lewis
Spotted by Vincent Teoh and posted to his Twitter account, John Lewis now has a pre-order page for the 48-inch LG C2 with a price of £1,399 – which is higher than the £1,299 that last year's LG C1 launched at.
That's the less welcome news. The good news is that John Lewis is estimating delivery within 5 weeks, which is much faster than we expected to see this TV appear! That would put it in early March – we thought a spring launch was most likely, but possibly more like April or May.
Of course, the crucial word in John Lewis' "Expected delivery within 5 weeks" line is "expected" – it doesn't sound certain yet, but we assume John Lewis has a pretty good idea of what's coming and when.
LG C2 price rise: unwanted, but probably fair
Given how the price of the best OLED TVs has been dropping recently, we're obviously not over the moon to see a year-on-year price rise with the LG C2, but given the level of inflation currently, it's not really a surprise, and is probably representative of the market generally right now.
And the LG C2 includes a more advanced screen than the LG C1 – it has the brighter OLED Evo panel that powered the LG G1 last year, but it's much cheaper than the G2 was, so you're still getting improved picture quality for less than it used to cost. We just held out hope that this upgrade would come at the same launch price as the previous model, given that people's spending power isn't rising as quickly as inflation.
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
This also means that the new 42-inch LG C2 model is unlikely to launch at a very cheap price – it would've been exciting to see it in the list of the best TVs under £1000 at launch, but we suspect this means it'll be more like £1,299 itself.
We're basing that estimate on the fact that this is the first ever 42-inch OLED 4K TV, and when the first LG 48-inch OLED 4K TV launched a couple of years ago, it basically cost the same as the 55-inch model, due to how hard it was to produce.
If the prices here are all higher than you'd like to pay, then keep your eye on the LG C1 over the next few weeks – it's recently hit its lowest ever prices, presumably as LG looks to clear stock out for when the C2 replaces it. That'll mean more bargains while stocks last!
Matt is T3's former AV and Smart Home Editor (UK), master of all things audiovisual, overseeing our TV, speakers and headphones coverage. He also covered smart home products and large appliances, as well as our toys and games articles. He's can explain both what Dolby Vision IQ is and why the Lego you're building doesn't fit together the way the instructions say, so is truly invaluable. Matt has worked for tech publications for over 10 years, in print and online, including running T3's print magazine and launching its most recent redesign. He's also contributed to a huge number of tech and gaming titles over the years. Say hello if you see him roaming the halls at CES, IFA or Toy Fair. Matt now works for our sister title TechRadar.
-
Nothing Phone (2a) gets a huge free feature update... if you're brave enough
The update adds a substantial range of new features, but there's a catch
By Chris Hall Published
-
Ring owners are getting a huge AI upgrade
Ring beats Google to the punch with the launch of AI-powered search for your video history
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Best Sony TVs 2024: from Bravia 9 Mini LED to Bravia 8 OLED and beyond
Explaining Sony's range of 2024 TVs, including new naming strategy and range of technologies
By Chris Hall Published
-
This ultra-bright mini-LED TV is the display of my dreams
TCL's next flagship looks fantastic
By Andy Sansom Published
-
Best soundbar for small TVs 2024: clearer, deeper TV sound in any space
The best soundbars for small TVs 2024 can bring you big sound from a compact unit
By Simon Lucas Last updated
-
LG TV owners just got Apple TV+ for free
No matter if you have an LG OLED TV or an LED model, you just got Apple TV+ for free
By Robert Jones Published
-
Samsung smart TV owners just got a welcome image upgrade
HDR10+ comes to the Apple TV app on Samsung Smart TVs
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
My LG C1 OLED TV makes The Darkness look incredible on Xbox Series X
This classic first-person shooter is taken to a new level of awesome thanks to OLED TV tech
By Robert Jones Last updated
-
TV deals in the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale from Samsung, LG and more
Black Friday deals have come early with these TV deals as part of Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale
By Mat Gallagher Last updated
-
Philips 55PUS8807 review: is this 4K TV truly 'The One'?
A great bright-room performer with some impressive gaming features
By Steve May Published