Samsung, LG enhance security solutions on vacuums

[Photo by Yonhap]

South Korean home appliances giants Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. are focusing on digital security as their key feature to get a leg up on the competition with Chinese robot vacuum cleaners in Korea.

According to multiple sources familiar with the industry, both companies put greater emphasis on security features of their robot vacuum cleaners to improve its standing vis a vis Chinese brands. The main strategies include advanced Internet of Things (IoT) security solutions and robust after-sales service (AS).

Chinese robot vacuum cleaner brands have gained market share in Korea by offering affordable prices.

Market research firm GfK reported that as of June, China’s Beijing Roborock Technology Co. held a 35.5 percent share of the robot vacuum cleaner market in Seoul, having recently introduced several new products. Xiaomi Inc. also launched a new robot vacuum cleaner in the Korean market in June 2024.

Despite the high market share of Chinese products, however, many Korean consumers remain worried about how secure Chinese products are because robot vacuum cleaners use cameras while moving around the house, including private areas such as bedrooms and bathrooms. Chinese robot vacuum cleaners have been accused of being highly vulnerable to security threats; for instance, Consumer Reports ranked the Chinese Ecovacs Robotics’s robot vacuum cleaner as the worst security product at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2024.

In response, Samsung Electronics has introduced the Bespoke AI Steam, the newest robot vacuum cleaner that supports Knox, a Samsung Electronics security platform that safeguards products and services from the chipset level to the operating system and applications. It protects devices from cyberattacks, and images and videos captured by the robot vacuum cleaner’s camera are stored in the SmartSync, accessible only to authorized users.

LG Electronics also focuses on security solutions for its upcoming launch of robot vacuum cleaners by employing the company’s soft engineering standards, known as LG Secure Development Lifecycle (LG SDL), to mitigate possible security risks.