According to sources close to the South Korean electronics industry, international sales of Samsung’s very first IoT-based refrigerator, the ‘Family Hub’, are projected to quadruple by the end of this year, compared to the same time last year. (Image: Samsung Electronics)
SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — The adoption of the latest technology in home appliances – from artificial intelligence to the internet of things – is being well-received by consumers, as manufacturers increase their efforts to release a wider range of technology-based white goods.
According to sources close to the South Korean electronics industry, international sales of Samsung’s very first IoT-based refrigerator, the ‘Family Hub’, are projected to quadruple by the end of this year, compared to the same time last year.
The current market consensus is that while the market for technology-based home appliances is relatively small, it is growing at a notable rate with significant potential as consumers become increasingly technology-savvy.
For instance, the Family Hub not only serves the traditional role of a refrigerator, but also provides information regarding recipes and how to store ingredients on its screen, as well as boasting music-playing and communications features.
“We are teaming up with content partners in different regions to offer a wide range of content including recipes, entertainment, and news, while providing regular software updates to appeal to customers with a progressive image,” a Samsung official said.
Positive consumer reactions gathered by the company show that people think highly of the additional convenience that technologically-advanced home appliances provide, including internet control features which allow users to operate robot vacuum cleaners from the couch or while on their way home from work via a smartphone.
LG is also expected to jump on the bandwagon by releasing a new Tromm washing machine with voice recognition by the end of the year, following the release of an air conditioner with similar features back in August.
LG’s Whisen air conditioner received praise for its voice recognition feature, which allows users to control the temperature and power level via voice input after calling the machine by its name to first get its attention.
The adoption of the latest technology in home appliances – from artificial intelligence to the internet of things – is being well-received by consumers, as manufacturers increase their efforts to release a wider range of technology-based white goods. (Image: Samsung Electronics)
While the company plans to include voice recognition features in other white goods including TVs and refrigerators, Swedish electronics manufacturer Electrolux also posted solid sales thanks to its PURE i9 robot vacuum cleaner.
Despite a high price of nearly 1.6 million won, industry experts believe the 3D vision system adopted in Electrolux’s vacuum appealed to tech-savvy consumers.
M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
