It would seem that Alexa is starting to take the technology sector by storm, and the latest device to have it is the LG SmartThinQ Hub. Just like the Amazon Echo, this is essentially a cylindrical speaker that has some buttons found at its top. The biggest difference between LG’s offering to that of Amazon’s own device is that the former has a 3.5-inch LCD, whereas the latter doesn’t even have a display. With this LCD, it can display certain bits of information such as weather, or whether you want your doors and windows to be locked. The screen is not the sharpest in the market, but it is still quite useful nonetheless.
It was during CES 2016 when the LG SmartThinQ Hub was first introduced, and the only options that were available during that time were the buttons that were found at the top of the speaker. Although it did have physical buttons, users are also able to control the device with the use of a companion app that has been downloaded and installed in their smartphones. With the integration of Alexa, it now adds voice control into the mix of features.
With Alexa, users are able to take advantage of using voice commands on the SmartThinQ Hub. Just by stating a specific command, you will be able to do things such as control music playback, check the traffic conditions of a particular area, verify and predict the weather forecast, and even check the meetings found in your calendar for a specific date. However, Alexa can only be used for this device as it cannot integrate itself with other smart home devices such as smart door locks or smart bulbs. This makes it a bit of a disappointment since this kind of feature can be done with an Amazon device.
Furthermore, in order to activate Alexa, you would need to press the button on the device itself, which defeats the purpose of having to control the unit from afar. This kind of setup is also similar to that of the Amazon Tap, and there were many who were also disappointed by how the feature is set up with that device.
Because of this, you cannot trigger Alexa for the LG SmartThinQ Hub across the room with just the use of your voice. At the time of writing, LG has not yet given a price or a release window for the unit. Hopefully, when the device does get a finalized, it will be able to let users take control of the unit with just the use of their voice.