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You can open LG's new refrigerators with your voice

Helpful in an era when you have to mind what you touch.

LG

Voice-controlled refrigerators are already a practical reality, but LG might just make them particularly handy. The tech giant has introduced a 2021 line of InstaView fridges that can open the door with a voice command. That’s useful when you have your hands full with groceries, of course, but it could also be helpful during a pandemic where you have to be mindful of what you touch.

You can expect more conventional voice features like Amazon Dash replenishment, checking the ice and water dispensers or asking about the day’s schedule.

The new models also add UV light-based disinfection for water dispenser taps (again, helpful in a pandemic). LG likewise promises a 23 percent larger glass panel for the InstaView’s namesake knock-to-look feature and the option of making craft ice in side-by-side fridges.

As usual for CES-oriented announcements, LG hasn’t outlined the pricing or exact release dates for the updated appliances. We’d expect them to carry a premium like past InstaView models. That voice control may tip the balance, though, at least if you bring in enough groceries that hands-free opening could save you some hassle.