LG’s new ThinQ app is bringing about a handy feature that will certainly be helpful for more than just a few people. The new ThinQ app now features voice and speech recognition that’s powered by Google Assistant, meaning you won’t have to worry about it misunderstanding your words or getting commands wrong.
The SmartThinQ line is being rebranded to ThinQ, fitting more in line with the rest of LG’s appliances and electronics that also feature this same namesake.
This works for all SmartThinQ and ThinQ-branded appliances including washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, air purifiers and more.
While these types of these seem pretty gimmicky for the most part, LG’s implementation here is actually quite brilliant and it’s incredibly convenient. The handiest of all the new features is the troubleshooting guide, which is entirely voice-driven and can be used to help figure out what’s wrong with a specific appliance in the house.
Asking the ThinQ app why the washer is making a clanking noise while spinning, or why there’s an amber light on the refrigerator will result in a conversational-style response from the app.
Being powered by Google Assistant will help significantly when it comes to understanding and knowledge retrieval, as Google Assistant has proven time and time again to be the absolute best and most intuitive virtual assistant on the market. It also means that very specific commands aren’t needed since Google Assistant understands more natural language and can interpret a wide variety of commands and functions by inferring meanings and related words.
It’s not just about troubleshooting though, it’s also about the daily operation of devices including specific functions and asking how to operate something. Asking the assistant whether or not the washing machine is running, what temperature the house is being warmed or cool at, or even how clean the air measured from an air purifier is as simple as asking it what you’re thinking.
You can also ask things like how to adjust the water temperature on the washing machine, or how to run a cleaning cycle on the oven. It’s a more intuitive approach to the typical user manual experience and feels a lot more natural than flipping through PDFs or keeping a manual around to collect dust over the years.
Alice Ryu, head of LG Home Appliance & Air Solution Company’s smart home business, had this to say about the new app:
Creating a smart home experience that actually makes our customers’ lives measurably more convenient is what drives us daily. With the voice-capable mobile app, we have created the ultimate smart home ecosystem that puts convenience first.
That new ThinQ app will be showcased at IFA 2019 in Berlin between September 6 and 11 and will be available in South Korea immediately following the show. US availability is expected later this year and European availability will follow sometime early 2020.
At this time, the South Korean version of the app will also be able to generate a usage summary for all connected LG ThinQ devices in the home and create a home living tips report to better help users save money, energy, and time.