LAS VEGAS— Coway had a large presence at this year’s CES. Kevin Shim, U.S. director for the company, told HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® that it is putting a major focus on smart home appliances, and its connected home environment lineup showcased that focus.
“Consumers are getting increasingly more concerned about the home environment and seeking ways to improve it. This is particularly true with middle-aged consumers who have an interest in more granular insights into their home and are seeking control and real-time visibility,” said Shim.
On display at the show was Airmega, a connected air purifier that the company launched in the U.S. in 2016. “Airmega is a luxury smart air purifier. With smart mode, Airmega can clean the air more efficiently. It senses air pollution in real time and displays current pollution level on the product and within the app,” said Shim.
While most of the appliance’s major features remain the same from its initial launch, at the show the company unveiled Amazon’s Alexa integration. The integration now allows the air purifier to be controlled via Alexa’s voice recognition technology. The company also expects to add Google Home integration in the coming year. In addition, the air purifier will be offered in a new granite color, available in the U.S. next month.
The company also showcased a number of smart home focused air purifier models not yet available in the U.S. but that are planned for a future release. A new connected air purifier and humidifier in one, model APMS-1516E, features real time indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring, an ultra fine mist humidifying system, four types of multi-action modes and a four-step HEPA filtration system.
The company also featured Cobot, its robotic take on the air purifier. At the show, Shim likened the unit’s robotic abilities to those of iRobot’s Roomba robotic vacuum. According to the company, pollution signals automatically activate the robot to purify the air.
Coway also showcased its line of connected water filtration appliances. One new unit was the company’s model CHP-482L, a connected countertop water filtration appliance. It features water quality control using a sensing system and a customized filter, triple auto-circulating sterilization system and a reverse osmosis membrane filter system.
The company also showcased a new connected personal care appliance. The beauty auto dispenser includes 720 customized skin care solutions and monthly delivery of fresh skin care product cartridges to reflect changes in skin condition and living environment.
Linking each appliance and category is the company’s IOCare app. According to the company, the IOCare app collates data from each of its connected devices in the home to provide a detailed lifestyle analysis. From air quality to water quality to skin care and sleep, the app provides insights into habits and lifestyle and provides consulting and solutions.
When it comes to connected products, Shim noted that the most important thing is to let the consumer understand what the benefits are and how they can use the product efficiently. “It is not just cool features and app connectivity, but how the technology actually makes the home more comfortable without any additional work from the user,” he said.
