Samsung, LG go head-to-head in washer-dryer combo market

Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc., South Korea’s tech giants, are in cut-throat competition to lead the all-in-one, single-drum, washer-dryer combo segment, bolstering the sluggish domestic home appliance market.

Samsung, the world’s top memory chipmaker, is likely to introduce the Bespoke AI Washer & Dryer Combo next month in South Korea before launching it overseas in stages, according to industry sources on Monday. The company launched an event for pre-orders of the all-in-one washer and dryer machine this week on its online store.

Samsung unveiled the model at the Consumer Electric Show (CES) 2024, the world’s largest annual tech trade show in Las Vegas last month.

The Bespoke AI Washer & Dryer Combo eliminates the hassle of transferring laundry from a washer to a dryer and completes the load in one step. The model, which combines a 25-kilogram (kg) washing capacity with a 13-kg heat pump drying capability, allows users to save space by up to 40% in their homes, compared with a vertically installed front-load laundry pair.

The model features a function customized by artificial intelligence, which handles laundry depending on the weight, fabric and soil level. 

“Its AI OptiWash & Dry feature uses sensors to determine the optimal amount of detergent needed for any load of laundry, then the unit washes and dries them for the proper amount of time,” said Reviewed, a US consumer product review website. “The sensors are powerful enough to determine fabric types, and the machine uses turbidity sensors to determine when everything is completely clean.”

The combo is also equipped with the digital inverter heat pump of the existing Bespoke AI Dryer, which improves its drying function to the level of a tumble dryer, Samsung said. The pump also reduces fabric damage while offering better energy efficiency than condenser dryers.

LG SIGNATURE WASHER-DRYER

LG, the leading global home appliance maker, plans to launch a similar washer-dryer combo under its premium LG Signature lineup next month in South Korea.

The South Korean electronics manufacturer unveiled the LG Signature Washer-Driyer with a 25-kg washing capacity and 13-kg for drying at the IFA 2023 in September last year. The company applies low-temperature dehumidification technology that reduces moisture contained in clothes utilizing heat generated by circulating refrigerant.

LG is poised to introduce lower-end models of the washer-dryer combo after releasing the premium version.

Last month, the company launched the WashCombo, an all-in-one washer and dryer, in North America. Its sales were 70% higher than the existing premium front load washers in the first week of the introduction and 50% more than other models in January.

The WashCombo, equipped with LG’s new heat pump dryer module only for washer-dryer combos, completes a laundry cycle, including both washing and drying, in two hours.

“The WashCombo is selling several times more than other best-selling models although its prices more than double those of the existing front-loading washers,” Lyu Jae-cheol, president of LG’s home appliance and air solution division, told reports on the sidelines of the CES 2024.

“We expect it to be the model that contributes the most to growth this year.”

Write to Chae-Yeon Kim at why29@hankyung.com
 

Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.