Google made 100 announcements during its Google I/O developers conference this week, with none relating to the smart home sector. However, this apparent disinterest in a topic we care about didn’t stop TV and smart appliance manufacturer Hisense from revealing plans to incorporate new Google Home APIs into its ConnectLife app, which will allow third-party smart home devices to be integrated into that system.
Hisense initially declared its intention to open the ConnectLife app to external products in December 2024. Today, it shared that it will implement the latest Google Home APIs into the app by fall 2025. Hisense claims this will allow users to onboard a wide variety of third-party smart home devices, including Matter and Works With Google Home-certified products, for a more cohesive smart home experience.
Hisense provided two examples illustrating the benefits for ConnectLife users: “One-touch modes and custom automations can merge Hisense products with external devices, resulting in intelligent home reactions, such as air conditioners automatically adjusting based on third-party air quality sensors or smart lights giving visual alerts when the VersaTemp drawer of the Hisense refrigerator reaches the optimal temperature for chilling beverages.”
“At Hisense, we are dedicated to making smart living accessible for all,” commented Miguel Becerra, Hisense Director of Smart Home Experiences in the Americas Region. “This integration improves ConnectLife to deliver seamless experiences that enhance convenience and enjoyment in everyday life for our customers.”
The updated version of the Hisense ConnectLife app is anticipated to launch this fall for both Android and iOS operating systems.
As for the new Google Home APIs, these were subtly announced on May 15, prior to Google I/O, and do not appear in the “100 things we announced at I/O” list that was released on May 21 after the conference concluded.
This integration takes advantage of Google’s Home APIs, which provide access to over 750 million devices, including those that support Matter, “Works with Google Home” certification, and Google Nest devices.
Hisense, a worldwide producer of consumer electronics and home appliances, has revealed the integration of Google’s new Home APIs into its ConnectLife app, which will allow users to incorporate their third-party smart home devices into the ConnectLife ecosystem by this fall.
According to Hisense, this initiative permits ConnectLife app users to seamlessly onboard and manage not just Hisense products, including TVs, refrigerators, and air conditioners, but also a variety of popular third-party smart home devices, fostering a more interconnected smart home experience.
“At Hisense, we are dedicated to simplifying smart living for everyone,” Miguel Becerra, director of smart home experiences at Hisense Americas Region, stated. “This integration enriches ConnectLife to create seamless experiences that make everyday life more convenient and enjoyable for our consumers.”
Hisense highlights that this announcement aligns with the smart home updates from Google I/O 2025, where the company is featured as a launch partner for Google’s new Home APIs. This integration utilizes Google’s Home APIs to access over 750 million devices, including Matter, “Works with Google Home” certified products, and Google Nest devices. The increased connectivity is expected to enhance device compatibility and advanced automation capabilities, allowing users to control both Hisense products and third-party devices, such as smart plugs, lighting, doorbells, curtains, and more, all from a single app.
The global electronics manufacturer emphasizes that ConnectLife users will be able to effortlessly incorporate third-party devices to enhance experiences related to entertainment, pet care, air quality, and beyond. Hisense mentions that one-touch modes and customized automations can merge Hisense products with external devices, leading to intelligent home responses, such as air conditioners that adjust automatically based on data from third-party air quality sensors or smart lights that provide visual notifications when the VersaTemp drawer of the Hisense refrigerator reaches the ideal temperature for cooling drinks.
Hisense adds that while visual notifications through smart lights have previously existed, its integration allows dealers to configure these elaborate cross-device interactions easily within the user-friendly ConnectLife app. The company indicates this simplifies the setup for advantages like having third-party smart lights alert users who may be hard of hearing, when their hands are occupied with tasks around the house, or for individuals who prefer to keep their phones silenced, delivering a smooth, unified smart home experience without having to manage multiple third-party apps for configuration.
The enhanced ConnectLife app, featuring the integration of Google Home APIs, is expected to become available this fall for both Android and iOS platforms.
Hisense is transforming its television into a central hub. The company’s platform, dubbed “ConnectLife,” will provide a 3D representation of your smart home on Hisense TVs and enable you to manage your entire smart home from this platform. During their presentation, I was reminded of Samsung’s similar promise from last year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Last year, Samsung revealed it would be incorporating SmartThings, its smart platform, into their TVs alongside a comparable 3D view.
Being a Samsung TV owner, I was thrilled about integrating SmartThings, a platform I actively use. Nevertheless, I’ve noticed that since then, I’ve only utilized the TV as a hub once—prompted solely by a menu reminder to see if there had been changes since January (there hadn’t).
Honestly, I doubt that people will interrupt their viewing to switch to the hub interface and navigate the multi-step process to find and activate a device when a quick swipe on your phone or a voice command can accomplish the job faster. I don’t think Hisense will see much impact either. While the idea of merging TVs with hubs makes sense in theory, it falls short in practical application.
On the other hand, Amazon seems to have developed a more effective system. Although it lacks the same interface, all Fire TVs serve as hubs owing to their integration with Alexa. This feels like a much more sensible incorporation of smart technology since the voice assistant can control the TV itself if the remote is misplaced, eliminating the necessity for a smart speaker in that room. The TV effectively takes the place of the speaker.
Hisense’s approach to integration is distinct. Each smart device you buy typically necessitates an app and/or a hub, which usually only works with that brand’s devices. In rare instances, like with Google, Apple, and Amazon, those hubs can facilitate integration with other brands, leading us to refer to them as “multi-hubs.” I observe a trend where various brands are attempting to evolve their single-brand hubs into multi-hubs. Brands like Brilliant, Hubspace, and even Aqara allow for other integrations through different connection technologies, such as Matter, Zigbee, or Z-wave.
Hisense is taking a different path. Their app, ConnectLife, is designed for managing Hisense devices exclusively. However, if you wish to control devices from other brands via Hisense, you can connect the Hisense app to Google Home (which is compatible with nearly all other brands), and through Google Home, you can reintegrate those devices back into ConnectLife.
For those already using Google Home, this merely adds another layer of integration into an existing app, so it’s not a significant change. However, if you’re not utilizing Google Home and want to leverage Hisense as a multi-hub, it requires downloading both applications. You can simply opt for ConnectLife if your goal is to manage only your Hisense devices. The interesting part is the reported integrations that may allow you to control Hisense devices using Alexa or Siri. If you’re already engaging with a multi-hub through Alexa or Siri, it’s more logical to connect your Hisense devices to that platform rather than through the Hisense multi-hub on your TV or phone.
If this all seems overly complex, that’s because it is—quite unnecessarily so. Hence, in some respects, it would be better to let existing multi-hubs handle integrations instead of attempting to create a multi-hub solution.
Hisense is also incorporating AI and meal planning features into its refrigerators. Among the new range of smart appliances being introduced this year, Hisense unveiled two innovative refrigerators: a large side-by-side model (claimed to be the biggest available) and a “FreshVault” French door fridge. These refrigerators will feature a meal planner that utilizes AI technology known as “Dish Designer.” Dish Designer, a collaborative effort between Microsoft and Hisense, can analyze your family’s preferences alongside the ingredients available in your fridge to assist in crafting meal ideas.
Personally, the capability to assess what’s inside my fridge and leverage those ingredients for meal planning excites me. I occasionally forget what I have in my fridge, and although I consider myself a competent cook, I often struggle to decide what I feel like eating. These meal assistants could genuinely provide valuable suggestions for a wide variety of options. While I typically don’t rely on recipe suggestions from other smart appliances like my Brava oven or Brisk It Grill, those devices don’t take into account my preferences or available ingredients when they do provide ideas. Hisense, however, assures a different outcome.
An application that already provides suggestions based on my preferences and available items is Samsung Food, which leverages AI and in-fridge cameras to evaluate what you have and make meal-planning recommendations. I haven’t experimented with either Dish Designer (set to launch around Q2 next year) or Samsung Food (I’m eagerly anticipating my fridge), but I have spoken with several people who own Samsung fridges with these functionalities. Most of them aren’t utilizing the meal planning feature, and the common reason seems to be that the technology struggles with accurately identifying the contents of the fridge, leading to unreliable recommendations. The in-fridge camera struggles to detect everything if the fridge is packed, food in paper or plastic wraps can’t be recognized, and labels must be positioned correctly to be seen. Hisense’s announcement doesn’t suggest they’ll include in-fridge cameras, so I’m unsure how they plan to consider the food you have available.
To Hisense’s merit, the technology that will most effectively help minimize food waste isn’t reliant on AI but rather on engineering—featuring vacuum-sealed drawers, adjustable bin sizes, and ultra-thin foam insulation to prolong the lifespan of your ingredients. Although AI could potentially lead to very helpful meal planning in the future, it currently doesn’t seem to hit the target and will only succeed when it improves accuracy regarding personal preferences and inventory.
AI might enhance laundry combination machines. A highlight is the introduction of the LuxCare Mini Washer-Dryer Combo, which claims to be quick, efficient, and quiet. All-in-one machines aren’t novel, but their reviews have often been lukewarm. However, this perception has shifted in recent years with the advent of smart-enabled combo machines from LG, GE, and Samsung. These combined units allow individuals in smaller living spaces to have washing machines. I know three people who have recently acquired combo machines, and they all express positive feedback about them. It’s plausible that the added AI technology in these machines, which enables them to handle fabrics differently using sensors, has significantly improved their performance in real-world use.
I’m hopeful that Hisense will impress me. I’m enthusiastic about any brand that invests in more smart technology, but it needs to be practical. I appreciate Hisense’s enthusiasm, and I enjoy their TVs. Concepts like the combo washer/dryer, which enhance accessibility, are appealing. I can only hope that their other ideas, such as utilizing the TV as a hub, AI-driven meal planning, and expansion into a multi-hub concept, are executed more effectively here to deliver better results than previous attempts by other brands.
Leave a Reply