Having visited LG’s HQ earlier this year, I saw firsthand the tech giant’s mission to find convenient solutions to everyday chores, from the washing machine function that keeps your clothes fresh if you’ve forgotten to take the laundry out to developing a prototype robot that will one day be able to fold your clothes and wipe down surfaces.
At the core of its home tech, though, is its ThinQ software, which has come a long way since its 2011 inception. What was once simply about connectivity and controlling appliances from your phone has advanced to prove genuinely useful, making LG a key player in the space.
After visiting LG’s demo home in Seoul – which was kitted out with the latest tech – I saw LG’s smart home assistant, the ThinQ ON, in action, which was debuted at IFA in 2024, but no official release date has been set. If it works as LG says, it’ll give Google, Apple and Amazon a run for their money. The home hub will act as a voice assistant, control the brand’s appliances, as well as other home devices using Thread, Matter and wifi, and it will be able to set up various routines and automations.
Where it differs from a standard smart device is that it will be able to understand certain conditions and will be given agency to respond. LG demoed a series of these types of scenarios – my favourite being if the weather forecast is rainy, it’ll put on brighter lights.
While it’s an exciting product that promises to integrate and control all home appliances and act as a voice assistant and smart speaker, it’s ambitious. With no release date on the horizon, you have to question whether it’ll actually ever launch in the UK. I do hope it does.
Another highlight on show at the demo home was the LG styler steam. While it launched a few years ago, its updated model is one of LG’s more futuristic appliances. It’s like having your very own dry cleaners at home. The steam-powered care system promises to refresh, deodorise, sanitise and remove creases from clothing. It goes beyond looking after your hard-to-care-for garments too, as it also dehumidifies your home. (I haven’t tested the appliance myself, so I cannot comment on its efficacy and at more than £2,000, it’s by no means cheap.)
Elsewhere, in response to smaller living spaces, LG is expanding its “fit and max solution” – a range of space-saving appliances that don’t compromise on high-tech features. The lineup has zero clearance doors and has been designed to fit your home and maximise space, and now includes washing machines, dryers and dishwashers.
On the latter, I didn’t think I could get excited about a machine that, well, washes dishes, but LG has rolled out “AI SenseClean” technology, which means the dishwasher detects the soil level of each load and alters settings for optimum performance. As well as a suite of other features that make dishwashing interesting. I’m adding it to my appliance wishlist.
Read more: Best washing machines, reviewed
