LG and Whirlpool show off smartphone-connected home appliances

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At CES 2013 Whirlpool and LG will unveil new washing machines, dryers and refrigerators. The new feature that will be included in these LG and Whirlpool-made home appliances is that they can be connected to the owner’s smartphone and tablet via Wi-Fi.

The smartphone and tablet apps give users information such as when is it time to change filters on the appliance, or when is the next scheduled maintenance, or the cheapest time of day to wash clothes.

"We're not looking at having the fridge tweet to you, but it can send e-mails or SMS. We're trying to focus on ways to make tasks easier and simpler, making processes more efficient rather than more gadget-y or gizmo-y." said Warwick Stirling, Whirlpool global director of energy and sustainability.

The appliances, which will be linkable to users’ smartphones and tablets, are expected to launch globally in March 2013 but there is no information on the India launch date of these devices. Do these devices make sense in a country like India? In India the Internet penetration is very low and the implementation of Wi-Fi is even lower.

Besides, the important question is that even though it sounds cool to be able to send your microwave an SMS to heat your food, India is a price conscious market. The appliances that will boast of these capabilities will be more expensive that the regular appliances and that is where they will lose out!

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