LG Electronics launches 'upgradable' home appliances

Ryu Jae-cheol, head of the Home Appliances & Air Solution business unit at LG Electronics, poses with the company's LG UP home appliances, Tuesday. Courtesy of LG Electronics

By Baek Byung-yeul

LG Electronics will launch an upgradable home appliance system enabling users to constantly upgrade to new products in both hardware and software products, the company said Tuesday.

LG said around 20 home appliances such as washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, dish washers, air conditioners and air purifiers will be released under the LG UP product lineup this year. It has developed the UP home appliances to meet the needs of consumers who want a better user experience with home appliances.

"The goal of the UP home appliances is to provide a product experience that is new and smarter by communicating with users," Ryu Jae-cheol, head of LG's Home Appliances & Air Solution business unit said during an online press conference.

Software-wise, consumers can upgrade their UP appliances' features via the LG ThinQ smartphone application. Using the ThinQ app, consumers can be notified of new upgrades and they can select and apply those features they want to add.

For instance, the ThinQ app sends notifications about available software upgrades to LG's dryer users and they can proceed with the upgrade if necessary. After finishing the upgrade, they can use the function of finely adjusting the degree of drying in 5 to 13 steps.

LG said it designs software and hardware in consideration of the scalability of the UP appliances so that users can also upgrade their devices' hardware by adding separate parts.

For consumers with pets, their washing machines and dryers can become devices that support what the company calls pet care mode. After installing the pet care function through a software upgrade, consumers can add hardware upgrades such as specially designed filters and dryer balls.

"The UP home appliances are devices that constantly evolve and make life easier. The more we use them, the more the devices understand and fit us," Ryu added.

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