With more time spent at home over the past year than ever before, consumers are increasingly looking for ways to adopt a more intelligent way of living. The desire for a seamless, connected lifestyle that makes work and play not only more convenient but also more enjoyable is pushing the rate of innovation in the smart technology sector today.
Fortune Business Insights predicts the smart home market to reach USD 622.59 billion by 2026. At LG Electronics (LG), a clear acceleration and interest in the smart home sector has also been witnessed firsthand, as a result of which, the company is firmly focused on driving meaningful innovation to create positive impact in people’s lives.
While smart home technology was once regarded as a complicated process or future ambition, the proliferation of smartphones has helped simplify processes and as a result, caused the industry boom. Through the use of smartphones, consumers can control all aspects of their connected devices from the bed, the car or the office. The fact that the LG ThinQ app has been downloaded over 30 million times is proof that there is an audience that is hungry for the conveniences offered by smart products.
In a study conducted with LG ThinQ app users in the United States, users noted being most satisfied with the app’s remote-control capabilities. Such conveniences include being able to control and monitor the home ecosystem from any location, meaning that appliances such as air purifiers, washing machines and televisions can be operated and optimized remotely.
The LG ThinQ app was designed to seamlessly connect with the company’s AI-enabled products and services, giving the user full visibility and access to all compatible home appliances while at home or on-the-go. In a separate study conducted by Nielsen with LG ThinQ app users in Korea, one respondent noted how the technology has been instrumental in making laundry routines more efficient[1]. With remote control and monitoring, users can set their washing machine cycle to align with a particular schedule – eradicating worry of clothing becoming creased or having a damp smell from being left in the machine for too long.
Proactive Customer Care (PCC) and Smart Diagnosis expand the user experience and are key ways in which LG ThinQ has made customers’ lives easier. After self-diagnosing every connected appliance on the system, the LG ThinQ app alerts users and relays insightful suggestions and tips for maintaining their products’ peak performance, such as changing the air purifier filter at appropriate times – noted as a clear benefit by one of the survey participants.
Instead of having to call and wait hours (or days) for a service technician to visit, PCC and Smart Diagnosis help users identify and resolve the issues themselves. A respondent in LG’s study noted that PCC enables them to receive alerts regarding their parents’ appliances, meaning that they can easily do small maintenance work for them and prolong the technology’s lifespan.
Beyond adding value in terms of efficiency and ease-of-use, LG’s smart home solutions are delivering more environmentally friendly features to match the priorities of eco-conscious consumers. In fact, energy-saving capabilities are one of the top drivers for American consumers switching from conventional devices to smart home products, according to one of LG’s surveys.
On the LG ThinQ app, energy monitoring dashboards displaying monthly usage information are available for every appliance so that users can see where they might be able to save energy by modifying their behavior. In one anecdote, a user shared that they often forget if they have shut the refrigerator door properly or turned the TV off. Being able to check on such matters directly from a mobile device prove to be a relief.
Vacation mode is another method by which LG ThinQ app users can minimize energy use in the home when away, and features such as Active Save perform tasks like measuring refrigerator openings throughout the day, so that it can switch from low to high power modes automatically, all according to when the user prefers using them.
The LG ThinQ app is constantly evolving to better meet consumer needs. Additional features to be introduced in the 1st half of this year include Scan-To-Cook and Meal Kit orders which take the stress out of planning and preparing meals at home. Future features and services will focus on delivering the freedom and convenience that make LG customers’ lives measurably more comfortable and enjoyable.
[1] Nielsen survey commissioned by LG interviewed 40 Korean IoT brand users between ages 20-44.
