LG Adds HomeChat Technology to Make Smart Appliances

Last year, LG Electronics introduced consumers to HomeChat. In December, the company announced plans to put that technology into a series of four Music Flow WiFi audio speakers (the HS9 is pictured).

HomeChat is a smart option that allows you to communicate, control, monitor and share content via the popular “LINE” mobile messenger platform. In other words, you can actually text commands or leave voice messages for those speakers and other smart appliances, and have them respond accordingly. HomeChat even offers customized recommendations, as well as Vacation, Leaving Home and Coming Home modes.

The next set of HomeChat-enabled products will include refrigerators, an air conditioner, laundry machines, and much more.

LG’s upcoming smart refrigerators can deliver real-time updates to users. It even has a camera, so you can take a peek at what’s in the fridge. Other features include the Smart Saving energy-efficient function and an option to uploade photos to the exterior display panel.

New laundry machines will have similar smart technology offerings. For instance, users can tap into HomeChat to check on the status of laundry and even stop cycles altogether. It even has options to download cycles for Wool, Baby Care and a Cold Wash.

LG’s smart oven plans include a Recipe Search function, recipe recommendations, and the option to see which ingredients are needed. Of course, users can also check in remotely to see what’s cooking—and how it’s cooking. The oven can even auto-select the appropriate setting and provide alerts on recipe updates.

The last in the newly announced lineup is a smart air conditioner, which can receive status updates, details on current and desired temperatures, the fan speed, and more. This doesn’t just allow users to create a customized temperature, but can help to monitor energy usage.

“We find that consumers always look for an easier way to manage their busy households, and HomeChat helps simplify the process of communicating with appliances. Now, users can ‘speak’ naturally with their appliances through text without having to input special computer commands,” said T.J. Lee, senior vice president of home appliances for LG Electronics USA. “We will continue to lead the industry with our smart home technologies and advance its availability in the U.S. market.”

LINE is available on most major smartphone platforms, which includes Android and iOS devices. LG plans to start selling these new HomeChat-enabled offerings in the first half of the year. Additional HomeChat-enabled products are also in the works, including a clothes dryer and vacuum cleaner.