Samsung-LG spat spreads to clothes dryers
The ongoing spat between Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics over 8K televisions has expanded to clothes dryers after Samsung claimed its products beat LG’s and moved to the top spot in July in the domestic dryer market.
LG Electronics shot back, saying Samsung’s announcement came from an “unreliable” source.
On Sunday, Samsung Electronics issued a press release, saying, “Samsung’s dryer garnered a market share of more than 50 percent in July and has since continued to maintain the top place in the domestic market.”
But Samsung did not disclose a source for the data or an exact figure. It did not disclose the gap in market shares between its product and LG’s, either.
The tech giant instead stressed that the product’s distinguished methods of drying clothes and manually cleaning the condenser have been well-received by consumers.
The domestic dryer market has been dominated by LG Electronics.
According to data compiled by market researcher Euromonitor International, LG secured a market share of 69.2 percent in 2018.
LG Electronics claimed Monday that it cannot accept Samsung’s announcement, implying LG still maintains the top spot in the domestic dryer market. “Samsung did not disclose a source of data or exact figure, thus the announcement is considered unreliable,” an LG Electronics official said.
At the end of last month, Samsung also taunted its rival by uploading video clips to its YouTube channel.
In one clip that features its Grande dryer, Samsung emphasized that it applied a manual system for cleaning the condenser in an apparent bid to take advantage of a recent controversy over LG’s products that have an automatic condenser cleaning system.
On Aug. 29, LG was advised by the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) to replace components of 1.45 million TROMM Dual Inverter Heatpump Dryers, which have been sold in the market since April 2016, free of charge.
This was in response to consumer complaints over accumulating dust in the condensers, although an automatic condenser cleaning system means users do not have to clean the parts by themselves.
Regarding the issue, the LG Electronics official said its product has not been found to have defects.
“The KCA’s advice meant that there was room for improvement, thus we have been working to improve the product for consumers,” he said. “Samsung is staging marketing activities designed to scratch LG’s product by using a controversy that is considered transient.”
The latest tit-for-tat fight came at a time when Samsung and LG have been engaged in a war of words over their 8K TVs.
LG has pulled the trigger on Samsung at the IFA 2019 tradeshow held in Berlin early September, playing down the latter’s 8K QLED TV as “not a real 8K TV” because it does not meet internationally set standards.
LG also filed a complaint with the Fair Trade Commission, claiming Samsung has been running “exaggerated and misleading” ads for its 8K TVs.