LG’s recently unveiled ThinQ app is being bandied about by the technology and home appliances giant as a revolutionary approach to integrating the various functions of your home and managing all of them conveniently from a single location – your phone. This new system can provide huge advantages to consumers who have multiple LG products in their homes, creating a synergy between separate devices that can improve the efficiency of their various tasks by scheduling and managing them remotely.
How the ThinQ app works
With the ThinQ app, owners of LG products can check on the status of any of their LG equipment at any time, and they can start or schedule a variety of tasks whenever they please. For example, with the ThinQ app users can preheat their LG oven, schedule a washing cycle on their washing machine or start the dishwasher. These various tasks can be started simultaneously or scheduled to start at different times so water and energy resources aren’t tapped all at once.
Even better, the ThinQ app can send a variety of alerts to users, letting appliance owners know when an appliance needs attention, such as when the refrigerator door has been left ajar or when the washing machine’s load is off balance. Users can read periodic reports displaying the energy consumption of each appliance and even use food management software to keep track of food in the home.
The magic behind these various appliances is the presence of a WiFi connection within the home. The WiFi can transmit information to your phone via the ThinQ app, and the information is also accessible by LG’s customer service center. This is a potentially huge advantage for consumers, as the device can automatically report appliance problems to the company before the owner calls in.
Furthermore, it simplifies the customer support process because customers no longer have to take time diagnosing and reporting the equipment’s problems over the phone to a customer service representative – that information is immediately available to them on a screen, making diagnosis and repair that much easier.
This technology is the foundation of the ThinQ app’s success, and something we can expect to see implemented in other next-generation home appliances produced by other major manufacturers. After establishing itself as a titan in telecommunications technology, LG has expanded into other markets, building its product base and reputation successfully in home appliances.
The ThinQ app’s effects on the home appliance industry
Like LG, Whirpool is a major competitor in the home appliances market and has been lauded for its filter technology, keeping the company viable as modern advancements continue to improve home appliances. But up to this point, LG is the first of its kind to implement wireless technology into a full range of home appliances, and the company has further separated itself with the development of its WiFi integration system and the ThinQ app.
It’s unclear if Whirlpool, Maytag or other major home appliance manufacturers have similar products in the works, but the products most recently revealed and available in stores don’t appear to be equipped for a setup similar to LG’s ThinQ app. Given LG’s background in telecommunications and wireless technology, it’s no surprise they’re leading the push to revolutionize home appliances with wireless technology and smart phone management.
Even if LG’s competitors were blindsided by the ThinQ app announcement, there’s no question they’re already looking at similar technologies that could be implemented into their appliances to keep pace with LG’s offerings. For these companies, time is an important consideration – the longer LG operates as the only company offering WiFi and mobile technology integration with its home appliances, the greater the risk its competitors face of losing customers to more modern, tech-friendly alternatives.
At any rate, LG is leading the way in implementing mobile technology in new ways, revolutionizing home appliances and how household chores are handled. Smart phones and tablets are increasingly helping consumers manage every aspect of their lives, and LG is at the forefront of innovating home management technology. Expect other product manufacturers to follow suit.