Your smart home may be about to get even smarter, at least if you have one of the Whirlpool branded smart appliances which will now support Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant.
There’s not much information on the update, or which appliances will be GA/AA enabled or if it will be via an update. Whirlpool hass outlined what Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa support will bring to your Whirlpool smart appliance, saying:
Hands-free Help From the Google Assistant: With voice command capabilities throughout the kitchen lineup, families can ask how much time is left on the microwave, set and adjust cooking mode, set temperature and time on the range, start a cycle on the dishwasher or set temperatures in the refrigerator.
Voice-control Appliances with Amazon Alexa: In addition to capabilities in the kitchen, simple voice commands in the laundry lineup allow families to start, stop and pause the washer or ask how much time is left on the dryer. We’re also making it easier than ever to use voice control through Alexa-enabled devices. Now families can simply ask “Alexa, defrost five pounds of chicken.” or say “microwave for two minutes on high.”
Ryan Craig, senior manager, internet of things global strategy and partnerships for Whirlpool said
With more connected home devices introduced each year, it can be a challenge to make sure they all remain interconnected. By introducing the collaboration with the Google Assistant on Google Home in addition to our previous collaboration with Amazon, we’re hoping to offer a more connected smart home ecosystem for families.
If you’re in the market for a new appliance it may pay to check out the smart options before you go ahead.