Microsoft Enters Smart Home Market Through Washing Machines

Microsoft has made a strategic pivot in the smart home market by partnering with LG Electronics to embed intelligence directly into home appliances. The tech giant is bypassing traditional entry points, such as smartphones and dedicated speakers, to provide a more fluid and interruption-capable experience for consumers.

The Speech-to-Speech AI agent, called Voice Live, will be integrated into the ThinQ ON smart home hub through a firmware update within 2026. This move undercuts the subscription-based models of Google and Amazon, which charge $20-a-month and $19.99-per-month respectively for their services.

LG plans to release Voice Live as a free firmware update for existing ThinQ ON users, making it a more cost-effective option for consumers. The partnership also allows LG to become a vertically integrated AI-home vendor, moving away from licensing Alexa or Google Assistant.