Emerson's Offline Smart Home: Voice Control Without Cloud

Emerson Smart has unveiled a new range of voice-controlled home appliances designed to enhance convenience while safeguarding user privacy. Unlike typical smart home devices that rely on cloud-based processing of voice commands, Emerson's new lineup processes these instructions locally on the devices themselves. This ensures that recordings of user interactions are not transmitted over Wi-Fi or stored externally, addressing common privacy concerns.

The setup process for these smart plugs, fans, and heaters is remarkably simple, requiring neither a dedicated mobile application nor a Wi-Fi connection. Users can activate devices with simple voice commands such as "hey Emerson, lights on" or "hey fan, turn on low." Some appliances, like the air fryers, feature built-in programming to understand specific voice commands for 100 cooking presets, allowing users to say "reheat this pizza" to set the correct temperature and time.

While the offline nature and lack of an app limit advanced programmability, this trade-off appeals to privacy-conscious consumers. Individual devices can be distinguished by custom wake words. A selection of these devices is available now, with new Emerson Smart products scheduled for production later in 2026.