Samsung has added to its range of Wi-Fi enabled appliances, bringing Wi-Fi into the laundry in a bid to offer Australian consumers a ‘connected home’ experience.
The front load Washer Dryer Combo (10kg Washer/7kg Dryer) is the first of its kind to be launched by Samsung in Australia and represents an addition to the “exciting” line-up of products that the brand has been spruiking since holding the Samsung Regional Forum in Jakarta earlier this year.
The machine offers a number of features that are becoming standard across Samsung’s whitegoods line-up, including a quick wash function, My Cycle function that remembers the user’s favourite washing program, a Digital Inverter Direct Drive motor and an 11 year parts replacement warranty on the motor.
However, the new model increases this functionality with the addition of Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing users to monitor and control both the washing and drying cycles on the machine through a compatible smartphone, thanks to Samsung’s Smart Washer/Dryer App (available through Google Play). The combination Washer/Dryer joins the similarly Wi-Fi enabled Smart Series Air Conditioner in Samsung’s range, the second generation of which was launched at the start of October; both products can be controlled via an app when the user is outside the home.
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According to Philip Newton, vice president of Consumer Electronics at Samsung Australia, the new laundry appliance is part of a broader ‘smart’ appliance strategy for the brand.
“The new Wi-Fi enabled washer dryer combo is our next step in developing a truly connected home for Australians,” said Newton. “Consumers now have control of their washing — they can start, stop, pause and resume a load of washing from practically anywhere using a compatible smartphone or mobile device.
“People who purchase this machine will also have the added support of our nationwide team of field engineers who can assist with its installation to ensure our customers are comfortable using the machine from the very start,” Newton added.
This last comment points to a key point of difference for Samsung, with the brand providing a retail value-add of “Samsung Premium In-Home Service” including optional in-home installation assistance for every machine bought through local retail channels.
Samsung has been vocal about its commitment to adding smart functionality and premium feature sets to its home appliance line-up.
Speaking about the brand’s 2013 product line-up, the head of Samsung’s home appliance division Mike Lilly told Current.com.au that it was an “exciting time” in terms of new releases for the brand.
“We are committed to bringing in well designed, well featured, intelligent products to market, all with the idea of taking the chore aspect out of doing the washing and making it more of an experience than what it has been in the past.”
The Washer Dryer Combo (WD10F7S7SRP/SA) features a 3.5-star energy rating and a 4.5-star WELS rating, and is now available in “major retail stores” for RRP $2,899.