What kind of fridge do digital natives want?
DO YOU know what FOBO is? A new generation is struggling with a Fear Of Being Offline and being away from a smartphone.
Makers of white goods, such as washing machines and refrigerators, are hoping to tap into this market by embracing smart home technology – where home devices are controlled by the Internet.
Interconnected devices
For years, the domestic appliance industry has been dreaming of interconnected and remote-controlled machines, for example to make them more convenient to use.
Refrigerators have been given cameras and extractor hoods have WiFi. “We are at the beginning of something exciting,” says Reinhard Zinkann, a spokesman for the German household appliance industry.
A cross-industry technical platform is still lacking. “But if we look ahead five or 10 years, we will be opening the garage, controlling the alarm system and turning on the washing machine using the same platform.” Many future customers have grown up with digital technologies and are used to them being part of their lives.
Saving energy
New technology over the years has led to more energy-efficient and water-saving machines. Although the time for major innovations is over, “there is still something to be done, even in the case of household appliances”, says Zinkann.
Engineers are faced with the challenge, more than ever, that further savings do not lead to a reduction in comfort and results – for example, when washing machines and dishwashers run for hours so that they use less water and electricity.
Repair or replace?
Research carried out by scientists in Germany shows that one in three people buy a new refrigerator because they want a better one. The fridges don’t get repaired, just thrown away – with serious consequences for the environment, as the German Environment Agency points out.
Zinkann rejects this. If someone buys a better new device, there is often another use for the old one. “The old TV can go in the guest room, the washing machine can be donated to the student dormitory.”
The German Environment Agency also complains that household appliances run down faster than they used to.
In either case, studies carried out by the Stiftung Warentest consumer reports institute show that it’s much better for the environment to repair your washing machine than buy a new one. — dpa