A spokesperson for LG Electronics told The Wall Street Journal that fewer than half of the smart appliances it has sold stay connected to the Internet long-term. A Whirlpool rep said more than half of their connected appliances are online but declined to be more specific.
Smart appliances with fancy bells and whistles can help hook buyers at the time of purchase, but it goes deeper than that. Internet-connected devices can (and usually do) relay data and other insights about usage directly to the manufacturer, helping them better understand how owners are using their products.
