LG Electronics Joins Hands With Apple to Expand Its AI Home Push... Unveils 7 Next-Gen IoT Products

LG Electronics and Apple unveiled seven next-generation IoT devices co-developed by the two companies. As LG Electronics pushes to expand its AI home ecosystem, it outlined a direction to expand both companies' AI home platforms together. On the 13th local time, the two companies held a product launch event in Manhattan, New York, and introduced seven IoT devices that connect with their AI home platforms.

The event was attended by Kwak Do-young, vice president and head of LG Electronics' North America region, Jeong Ki-hyeon, vice president and head of the HS Platform Business Center, and Matthew Costello, vice president of hardware engineering at Apple. The products unveiled consisted of an indoor camera, two outdoor cameras (with and without floodlights), a doorbell, a smart lock, a thermostat, and a temperature sensor.

The seven products unveiled this time connect with LG Electronics' AI home platform, 'LG ThinQ,' and Apple's ecosystem. This enables easy connection through mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads.

Users can check device status and control devices anytime and anywhere. It also allows users to save device usage history and personalized data in the cloud.

LG Electronics said the storage of personalized data is intended to improve convenience in management. The two companies plan to first launch the products in North America, including the U.S. and Canada, as well as the U.K., later this year.

LG Electronics and Apple combined their respective strengths to conceive and develop AI home products together. LG Electronics developed the products based on customer experience and manufacturing capabilities accumulated in residential spaces, while Apple combined platform-based user experience. The two companies collaborated from the early product concept stage and set as their cooperation goal the creation of an intuitive AI home environment that naturally blends into everyday life.

The thermostat introduced as a result was designed to operate using iPhones and Apple Watches. It controls indoor heating and cooling by comprehensively analyzing users' movement patterns, time of day, and weather information, and by using room-specific information collected by the temperature sensor. In this way, it optimizes the heating and cooling environment throughout the home.

The smart lock responsible for access control is equipped with multiple sensors. It analyzes subtle user movements and intent to enter, providing a door-opening function without separate operation. It also sends alerts to mobile devices when it detects abnormal situations such as the door being left open, attempted tampering, or unauthorized entry.

Vision AI technology has been applied to the cameras and doorbell. The outdoor cameras and doorbell distinguish between people, animals, cars, and deliveries to provide situation-specific alerts. The outdoor products also feature IP65-rated dust and water resistance.

The indoor camera has people and pet recognition features and also supports detection of abnormal sounds such as a baby's cry or the sound of glass breaking. Based on this, it delivers customized alerts and also supports inter-device connectivity. When the user returns home, the indoor camera automatically switches to privacy mode. The outdoor camera continuously monitors the area around the home and provides alerts for abnormal situations.

LG Electronics and Apple presented security and privacy protection as key development elements. LG Electronics applied its security solution, 'LG Shield,' and Apple applied data encryption technology. They said this would raise the level of protection for sensitive lifestyle data and minimize the possibility of hacking and data leaks.

The design combines the strengths of both companies. Three colors were used — Essence Graphite, Essence White, and Essence Silver — and product seams were minimized. The concept aims to harmonize with a wide range of residential spaces and enhance the user experience through designs that match interior decor.

LG Electronics will expand its business areas with the launch of the new products. The expansion axis is to broaden from AI appliances and AI home platforms to IoT devices. The existing ecosystem consists of the AI home hub 'ThinQ On,' the platform 'ThinQ,' and AI appliances, and the company aims to add devices such as cameras, smart locks, and sensors to improve connectivity inside the home and raise the level of automation.

LG Electronics highlighted Apple platform integration as a key means of driving this expansion. Apple platforms have more than 2.5 billion active devices, and LG Electronics sees this as a foundation for expanding contact points with global customers. It also plans to expand its AI home experience centered on home appliances to the broader residential space through linkage with Apple's ecosystem, and to broaden its customer base by starting market expansion in North America and the U.K.

Jeong Ki-hyeon, vice president and head of LG Electronics' HS Platform Business Center, said the company aims to combine LG Electronics' expertise in home appliances and residential spaces with Apple's user experience and both companies' security capabilities. He also expressed his commitment to delivering a safe and intuitive AI home experience.

Source: TECHWORLD · Park Kyu-chan
Original: https://www.epnc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=408155

References

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