LG threatens to put Wi-Fi in every appliance it introduces in 2017
You can also use a camera to save you the trouble of opening your fridge. — In the past few years, products at CES have increasingly focused on putting the Internet in everything, no matter how “dumb” the device in question is by nature.
Context & Ripple Effects
LG's pledge is the appliance-maker answer to a race already underway at CES: Samsung laid out an open Internet of Things platform for developers back at CES 2015, and days before this announcement Amazon pushed its Alexa-everywhere strategy with integrations for Whirlpool appliances and Dish's Hopper DVR. The fridge camera in the article is the tell — connectivity is no longer a feature tier but the default chassis for household devices.
First-order effects
- Every new LG appliance becomes a networked device out of the box, putting buyers on notice that 'dumb' versions of washers and fridges are disappearing from the lineup.
- LG positions itself to host whatever control layer wins — its own apps now or third-party assistants like the Alexa integrations Amazon is signing with rival Whirlpool.
Second-order effects
- Samsung, which had already showcased connected 'family hub' fridges and Bixby integration across TVs and cars by early 2018, faces pressure to keep pace on connectivity breadth rather than just flagship models.
- Voice-assistant platforms gain a larger installed base of addressable appliances, intensifying the fight over which ecosystem controls the kitchen and laundry room.
Third-order effects
- Once every appliance ships connected, the battleground shifts from hardware specs to software interoperability — culminating in LG and Samsung agreeing their smart home apps will control each other's appliances and TVs under the Home Connectivity Alliance.
- With the base layer standardized, vendors pivot to intelligence on top of it, as the planned AI-focused showcases from Amazon, Google, Samsung, and LG at IFA 2025 indicate.
The trend: Home appliances are moving from optional connectivity add-ons to always-connected platforms whose value is decided by the software and assistant ecosystem layered on top.