LG has announced the SmartThinQ, a smart home hub that features a speaker and a 3.5-inch screen. The device acts as a “gateway” to your connected home, with the ability to control and monitor information from smart appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, ovens, robotic vacuum cleaners, and air conditioners. Data from connected devices is displayed on the LCD screen, or you can set the SmartThinQ to announce them through the speaker.
The SmartThinQ runs on the open-source AllJoyn platform, and can connect to smart sensors and devices via Wi-Fi, Zigbee or Bluetooth. The built-in speaker streams music from free iHeartRadio radio stations, and you can also connect your phone via Bluetooth to play your own tracks. The design itself looks very similar to that of the Amazon Echo, although the functionality on offer is different. Unlike the Echo, which you can control through voice commands, SmarThinQ comes with a dedicated app that lets you manage your connected devices.
The vendor will be showcasing the SmartThinQ hub next week at CES 2016.
LG ADVANCES SMART HOME ECOSYSTEM WITH SMARTTHINQ™ HUB AT CES 2016
New LG Smart Hub Sends Notifications from Appliances and Sensors, Displays Schedule Reminders and Streams Music
SEOUL, Dec. 30, 2015 — LG Electronics (LG) will unveil its newest addition to its IoT ecosystem, SmartThinQ™ Hub, at CES 2016. LG SmartThinQ Hub serves as a gateway to smart sensors and connected appliances in the home but is more than that, with the ability to display reminders from personal calendars and stream music from its built-in speaker. The elegantly designed SmartThinQ Hub includes a 3.5-inch color LCD display and connects to a smartphone app to facilitate two way communication with smart appliances and smart sensors in the home.
The SmartThinQ Hub expands LG’s SmartThinQ platform to monitor and control home appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, ovens, robotic vacuum cleaners, air conditioners and a variety of sensors. The SmartThinQ Hub plays a central role in LG’s smart home platform by collecting information from smart appliances as well as conventional devices connected to SmartThinQ sensors via Wi-Fi, Zigbee and Bluetooth. Data is displayed in the form of notifications on the LCD screen or announced through its embedded speaker, acting as the central “hub” of the smart home.
As like all other LG home appliances and consumer products, the LG SmartThinQ Hub is designed to look great in the home. The unit features a metallic body in two attractive color schemes: Champagne Gold and Black. The LCD display is tilted at an angle to be easily readable and the high-quality speaker can stream music from thousands of free stations from iHeartRadio or play whatever is on a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth.
The SmartThinQ Hub is compatible with a number of devices from other manufacturers and service providers that support the AllJoyn® Alliance open source framework. LG recently formed a partnership with Lowe’s, the world’s second-largest hardware retail chain, to integrate LG’s smart devices with Lowe’s Iris smart home services. LG’s partnerships with other service providers are a key advantage of LG’s smart home system, which prioritizes compatibility across multiple brands. Such partnerships allow LG to offer packaged bundles that enhance safety, energy savings, air care or convenience that might include a SmartThinQ Hub, a SmartThinQ sensor and a variety of smart appliances and devices from other manufacturers such as smart lighting, motion sensors and moisture detecting sensors.
“The LG SmartThinQ Hub is just another example of the open approach we believe is the future of the smart home,” said Jo Seong-jin, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company. “Openness and strong partnerships with industry leaders is what will make smart home technology more accessible and more convenient to consumers. And at the end of the day, that is what our smart home strategy is all about.”