CES: LG unveils upgradeable appliances

LG Electronics this week took its ThinQ UP range of upgradeable home appliances global. 

At the CES tech expo in Las Vegas, it demonstrated products like refrigerators, washers, dryers, oven ranges and dishwashers that are able to adapt to the needs and changing lifestyles of each customer. LG’s appliances will enable users to enjoy new features and functions without having to make  additional purchases. Launched in South Korea last year, LG ThinQ UP will begin rolling out internationally from March 2023.

Built around the customer-centric concept of “Evolving with You”, LG ThinQ UP appliances can incorporate new features throughout their lives, providing more value to users over time. LG says it will continuously develop easy-to-install software updates and hardware add-ons, delivering specialised options and new conveniences based on the usage patterns and suggestions of ThinQ UP appliance owners.

One of the custom features available to download in 2023, Laundry Saver Mode, can be applied to dryer models with ThinQ UP. Intended for those times when the dryer can’t be unloaded right away, Laundry Saver keeps the drum tumbling after the cycle has finished (and until the dryer door is opened) to help prevent wrinkles and odors.

Another feature on offer is Improved Nighttime Brightness Control for refrigerators with ThinQ UP, which makes the fridges’ interior lighting softer at nighttime so as not to “blind” users when they open the door. All new software features are optional, and can be downloaded from an LG ThinQ app.

“A new paradigm in the home appliance industry, LG ThinQ UP is an innovative, new solution that delivers unprecedented customer value and differentiated user experiences,” says Lyu Jae-cheol, president of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company. “We will continue to offer sophisticated lifestyle solutions that provide personalszed performance, convenient features and customisable upgradability.”

During LG’s CES press conference at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening. CEO William Cho shared the company’s continuous efforts to create innovation for a better life and ensure a sustainable future for all.

He highlighted LG’s commitment to providing new value to customers through innovations like LG OLED, which has changed customers’ viewing experience. The company is actively working with partners to introduce new interactive services through LG TVs, including the online educational platform MasterClass, workout app MaxPro and metaverse service Sansar.

Cho said the company has established itself as one of the auto industry’s preferred innovation partners with its vehicle component solution business. LG has joined hands with some of the world’s most-recognisable auto brands, leveraging its customer insight from consumer electronics, advanced technologies and diverse areas of expertise to drive the in-vehicle experience forward.

At CES, LG unveiled products developed under LG Labs, the company’s new project that encompasses products, services and marketing activities based on experimental ideas and creative concepts from both inside and outside the company:

• Hover Gym, a fitness solution utilizing motor control technology that allows users to exercise without separate dumbbells;
• excicle, a home workout solution delivering an exceptional indoor cycling experience;
• brid.zzz, an optimal sleep care solution that senses brain waves to create beats that help users relax; and
• pluspot, a service platform that provides rewards when personal transportation devices such as electric bicycles and electric kickboards are mounted on its wireless charging stations.

Cho reiterated LG’s commitment as a responsible corporate citizen to realise a sustainable future. Efforts include the Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities (GITC) which, since 2011, has empowered more than 4,000 youth to build skills in technology with the goal to eliminate the digital divide for persons with disabilities.

Guided by feedback from LG’s Disabled Advisory Group, in operation since 2021 and comprised of members with varying abilities and accessibility experts, the company is continuously introducing barrier-free products that can be conveniently used by all. In South Korea, the company has various measures in place to strengthen accessibility, such as developing product manuals that incorporate audio and sign language guides, distributing braille stickers for appliances and operating sign language counseling centers.

* Visit LG’s CES site for more information: www.LG.com/CES2023