Samsung, LG Collaborate to Build ‘Smart Home’

In a bid to reinforce the future of smart living, industry rivals Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are joining hands to establish a “Smart Home.” Their collaboration involves integrating both companies’ smart home platforms in the cloud to bolster interconnectivity between appliances.

On Aug. 29, it was revealed that Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are working together with the aim of interconnecting their respective appliances by the end of the year. This is a significant accomplishment, as it’s the first commercial application of the Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA) standard 1.0 showcased at CES 2023.

Established last year, HCA, with its 15 member companies, has been pivotal in setting a standard that allows controlling appliances from various members through a single smart home app. It’s a convergence of opinions to establish an IoT standard optimized for home appliances, enabling consumers worldwide to conveniently use a myriad of branded appliances under a unified home IoT platform.

Samsung Electronics, a founding member, partnered with global appliance giants like GE Appliances, Haier, Electrolux, Arçelik, and Trane, taking the initiative in establishing the HCA. Samsung has also played a leading role, especially in holding the unique position of the representative chairman, aiming to build connectivity between appliances.

True to its status as a founding member, Samsung Electronics was the first among HCA members to apply the HCA standard. Starting next month, they will integrate with Vestel, a Turkish appliance manufacturer, and partner brand Sharp, followed by LG Electronics within the year.

Historically, it has been challenging to connect appliances from different brands using a specific brand’s app. If a consumer owned a refrigerator, washing machine, and air conditioner from different brands, they had to install multiple apps. Even with multiple apps, it was tough to create a seamless connection between all the appliances.

However, as multiple smart home platforms become interconnected, consumers can query and control appliances from various manufacturers through one application. For instance, users of Samsung’s SmartThings app can now control appliances not only from Samsung but also from LG Electronics, Vestel, and others. Similarly, with LG’s ThinQ app, users can control Samsung’s appliances. This eliminates the need to switch between LG’s ThinQ and Samsung’s SmartThings to control an LG washing machine and a Samsung dishwasher.

Samsung Electronics will commence its integration services in a total of eight countries, including South Korea and the U.S., this year. The integrated products include refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, dryers, dishwashers, ovens, robot vacuums, TVs, and air purifiers. They plan to support core functions that consumers frequently use such as remote operation, shutdown, and monitoring.

Future upgrades will expand the range of compatible brands and will introduce more diverse appliances and features. By next year, they intend to move beyond appliance control to incorporate in-home energy management and add connectable devices like electric vehicle chargers.

LG Electronics, on the other hand, plans to champion the expansion of the smart home ecosystem not only by partnering with Samsung Electronics but also with other HCA member companies. They’ve begun extensive discussions on appliance integration with Vestel, following Samsung Electronics.

The range of service areas and products will gradually expand. They plan to progressively increase their target in major global markets like South Korea, the U.S., and Europe, starting with core products like washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers. In the future, they aim to enhance customer convenience with features and services beyond mere appliance interconnectivity.

Additionally, LG Electronics is not only active in HCA but also serves as a chair company for the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) global standard union. The CSA is an organization dedicated to developing and standardizing open communication protocols for smart home devices. Currently, over 500 companies participate as member firms.

LG Electronics is actively participating in the development and standardization of “Matter,” an Internet Protocol-based home IoT communication standard led by the CSA. U.S. market research firm Statista predicts that the smart home market could see significant growth from this year on with the adoption of the Matter standard.

According to Statista, “With the establishment of new common standards, if all devices can communicate regardless of the manufacturer, the smart home can noticeably grow from this year.” They added, “The combination of the transition to the 5G network and the adoption of the Matter standard can bring significant progress to the smart home market.”

Statista projects that the smart home market, valued at US$117.6 billion last year, will reach US$222.9 billion by 2027. Moreover, the household adoption rate for smart homes is expected to increase from 14.2% in 2022 to 28.8% by 2027.