LG has unveiled a smart home hub called ThinQ ON that has the technology to control not just LG-branded appliances, but other smart home devices as well. It comes with a built-in speaker that lets you talk to LG’s ai voice assistant, so you can use it to look up information as well as control your smart devices with spoken commands. LG says its technology can “understand the context of conversations” and can determine your preference for a specific device. Perhaps it could tell you your preferred temperature for the thermostat or the wash cycle you typically use. And it can notify you when a task is done, such as when the drying cycle is finished.
The ThinQ ON hub is Matter-certified and can use either Wi-Fi or Thread (a low-power wireless protocol) to connect to smart home devices and appliances. Additionally, LG’s acquisition of smart home platform company Athom and its Homey Pro smart hub earlier this year gives the device’s compatibility a big boost. The Homey app store reportedly contains over 1,000 apps that will give the hub the ability to control products from a wide variety of brands around the world.
LG has yet to reveal pricing or availability for the ThinQ ON, but will unveil the hub at IFA 2024 in Berlin, Germany, which runs from September 6-10.
