Intelligent products to transform homes

Chinese home appliance makers are in a new competition for gaining an edge in innovation. They are forging tie-ups with technology companies to make smart home products.

The Shunde, Guangdong province-based Midea Group, which makes electrical appliances, is one of the trendsetters. It announced research and development of smart home appliances in March 2014.

It began making its smart or intelligent products across 30 categories, from electric cookers to air conditioners, and launched an app to inter-connect and remote-control them last year.