LG Shows Off Next-Gen, AI-Powered, ThinQ Smart Home
Way back in 2011, Korean tech giant LG launched ThinQ, with big claims of being the first brand to put Wi-Fi modules in its home appliances.
LG's first ThinQ offering was a smart refrigerator, boasting features such as a food management system, device warnings and various other software applications accessible via its LCD screen.
In the decade and a half that has followed, ThinQ has expanded rapidly; LG's smart home platform has found its way into a multitude of connected devices, from refrigerators and ovens, to washing machines, air conditioners, robotic vacuum cleaners, and even smartphones and televisions, creating a pretty comprehensive ecosystem.
However, it's all been pretty locked in, with a walled garden approach that meant that ThinQ has never really been able to compete with more mainstream smart home systems like Alexa, Apple Home or - more importantly, given the great rivalry - Samsung's SmartThings.
But that's all set to change as LG has made great strides in the past year or so to open up ThinQ to the masses and has, in Korea at least, stolen a march on its rivals with a brand-agnostic, AI-driven system.
I was fortunate enough to visit LG's Science Park in Seoul recently, where I got a first-hand look at the 'next-gen' version of ThinQ in action, at a demo house kitted out with the latest ThinQ tech.
The LG ThinQ ON Home Hub
It was the first time that I'd had to chance to see the 'brains' of ThinQ AI in action, the LG ThinQ ON, which was announced at the end of last year.
Essentially a smart speaker designed to take on the likes of Amazon's Echo Show range, the ThinQ ON boasts Zigbee, Wi-Fi and Thread connectivity and works with Matter.
The features of the LG ThinQ On Hub
Crucially though, it has been created using the awesome Homey architecture on board. Homey, in case you're not aware, is a hugely respected smart home platform from the Dutch brand Athom… a brand that LG snapped up last year.
The acquisition initially saw LG take an 80% stake of Athom, with the remaining 20% due to change hands over the next three years.
In January, it was announced that ThinQ devices and appliances now work natively with Homey. That news was hot on the heels of LG announcing that ThinQ would become accessible with the launch of the Application Programming Interface (API).
This means developers and other brands can now more easily integrate their services with LG appliances.
LG's new AI Home Solutions push
Combine all of this with a raft of new IoT devices (think motion, temperature and humidity sensors, plus smart buttons and switches) and the advanced AI appliance chipset that LG is putting in its latest appliances, and the result is a pretty impressive smart home solution.
Over in Seoul, at the ThinQ Real demo home, I was shown how all of this can be combined for a voice-driven smart home experience, with a much more natural interaction than has previously been possible with voice assistants (although Alexa+ should change this as it rolls out further).
LG's IoT smart home devices
For example, we were shown a demo whereby the command 'Hi LG, tell me about the movie About Time,' ended up with a full cinema scene being kick-started.
After that initial voice prompt, the ThinQ ON hub replied with some information about the 2013 movie, powered by Open AI's GPT-4o and then it asked 'Do you want to know more?'
Our presenter replied, 'No, I want to watch it,' and the AI assistant replied, 'OK, shall I start cinema mode?'
With a 'yes' the room went dark aside from some mood lighting, the blinds behind us closed, the TV fired up and About Time was fired up from a Korean streaming platform.
We were shown a few more of these contextual voice demos; such as a bedroom routine involving the HVAC, lights, shutters and more, and also a laundry routine with a wash cycle timed to end in a few hours… all with a natural flowing conversation and no set routine key phrases.
Our demo was in English and not quite as instant as I'd hoped for, but I was assured that the 'real' version, in Korean, is much slicker.
Available already in Korea, I was told that the US is the next region for a roll-out, but wasn't given a timeframe.
It's not just new hardware powering the next evolution of ThinQ though, there are also plenty of software tweaks that are taking advantage of the new AI smarts.
For example, ThinQ UP is, much like you'd get with a smartphone, a system that continuously evolves meaning you can download updates to your connected devices and appliances and not worry about missing out on key features that launch on newer models.
LG ThinQ UP personalization
ThinQ UP also includes hyper personalization options, whereby your devices will adapt to your use-cases and needs over time. For example, your refrigerator would learn that you are most likely to open and close the door between 7 and 8pm, so could adjust power settings accordingly, or your dryer would learn that you often use it after a certain wash cycle is used, so could get prepared while the wash is still ongoing.
It's all part of LG's 'Zero-labor' vision, which could also extend to your home hub following you around the house; the upcoming Q9 Self-driving AI Home Hub could finally make home robots as essential as a smart speaker.
LG ThinQ UP Smart Home AI Agent
Unlike traditional smart home hubs that sit in one place, the Q9 is designed to roam around, using AI-powered navigation to follow you from room to room.
Equipped with voice, sound, and image recognition, it won't just take commands, it will actively assess your environment and respond accordingly.
Need a reminder to drink water? The Q9 can prompt you. Forgot to turn off the lights? It can handle that, too.
All of this means that LG's ThinQ platform, which was once a pretty isolated smart home experience, is perfectly positioned to become a major player in the broader connected living space.
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