LG Electronics Expands Smart Home Ecosystem by Increasing Devices Connected to SmartThinQ
SK Telecom develops smart home IoT lighting, Samsung checks inside refrigerator with phone

The pace of smart homes, where home appliances and appliances, and appliances and objects are connected, is accelerating.

Major domestic home appliance manufacturers as well as telecommunication companies are making smart homes a reality by increasing the number of IoT devices connected to the home.

First, LG Electronics expanded its smart home ecosystem by releasing three IoT-related devices on the 10th, including a smart light bulb, a smart plug, and a motion sensor.

Smart plug that checks the electricity usage of home appliances at any time

The IoT-linked devices are linked to LG’s smart home service, SmartThinQ, and exchange signals with smartphones through the dedicated gateway of the SmartThinQ sensor. Users can operate IoT-linked devices by installing the ‘LG SmartThinQ’ application on their smartphones. They can also check the electricity usage of home appliances and the movements of people and animals in the house in real time.

You can turn the light bulbs on and off with your smartphone, control the brightness, and even turn them on at a designated time when you're away from home for a long time, so that no one knows you're home. You can easily adjust the brightness of the light bulb even when watching a book or movie.

▲LG Electronics expanded its smart home market by releasing three IoT-connected devices on the 10th.

A smart plug is a product that is connected to the end of a home appliance's power plug and then inserted into an outlet. Users can check the electricity usage of home appliances connected to the smart plug at any time through their smartphones. They can also cut off the power to the smart plug using their smartphones, saving electricity without having to unplug the power plug from the outlet.



Motion sensors detect and record the movement of people or animals indoors. Users can check in real time from outside the house when outsiders enter or leave. Also, if a child sleeping alone in a room wakes up, you can immediately notice not only in other areas of the house such as the living room or bathroom, but also from outside. You can also easily check if your pet leaves a designated area or if there is any movement. LG Electronics plans to lead the smart home era by continuously increasing the number of devices that are linked with SmartThinQ.

Turn lights ON/OFF, adjust brightness and color with just a smartphone

SK Telecom announced on the 10th that it has decided to develop IoT lighting linked to smart home services together with Woori Lighting Co., Ltd., a comprehensive lighting company.

At the signing ceremony held at SK Telecom's Euljiro headquarters on this day, SK Telecom Home Business Division Director Cho Young-hoon and Woori Lighting Co., Ltd. CEO Choi Gyu-seong attended and agreed to develop home 'IoT lighting' based on a smart home platform within the year and begin sales in the first half of next year.

The home 'IoT lighting' being developed by the two companies is a product that can remotely control lighting not only indoors but also outdoors using a single smartphone by linking with SK Telecom's smart home service.

'IoT lighting' can be turned on/off through a smart home app, and the lighting color and brightness can be adjusted, allowing users to easily create a home atmosphere depending on the situation. Additionally, it is planned to increase user convenience by automatically turning lights on and off according to user-set times and allowing control of lights in rooms, living rooms, verandas, etc. at once.

For example, depending on the level of fine dust in the residential area, the lights will automatically blink to notify the user of a hazardous environment, and when the air purifier starts operating on its own or an intrusion is detected, a warning notification will be sent to the smartphone through the opening detection sensor. In addition, the lights will blink to detect an emergency situation from outside.

SK Telecom said, “We plan to lead the market by continuously introducing smart home convergence services in various product groups such as lighting, wearable devices, and commerce products.”

Check the food stored in the refrigerator with your smartphone using the camera inside the refrigerator

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics unveiled products and solutions that bring about consumer innovation and suggest a new paradigm at the IFA 2016 exhibition held in September.


▲ Samsung Family Hub

Samsung Electronics has introduced upgraded home appliances such as ‘Family Hub’, ‘AddWash’, and a full lineup of built-in products tailored to the characteristics of European consumers. The refrigerator has a 21.5-inch touchscreen on the outside and three cameras on the inside, allowing you to check stored food anytime, anywhere via the screen or your smartphone.

Samsung's 'Family Hub' is said to transform the kitchen from a space simply for eating and cooking into a space that becomes the center of family life through communication, entertainment, and smart home in addition to food storage.