At last year’s CES, Samsung rolled out four smart fridges, complete with interactive touch screens, clever internal cameras for checking their contents remotely and an even smarter operating system dubbed Family Hub 1.0. Twelve months on the company is back with not four, but 10 fridges and all underpinned by Family Hub 2.0 that brings even more useful features and even greater connectivity and smart home integration.
“After just one year of availability, the Family Hub has transformed the concept of the connected kitchen by enabling users to order and manage grocery shopping, connect with family and friends, and access entertainment right from the comfort of their kitchen,” said Byung-Sam Seo, president of home appliances at Samsung Electronics. “Taking flexibility and functionality to a whole new level, the Family Hub 2.0 is entirely about helping consumers better manage as well as enjoy their lives.”
So now, as well as being able to check via cameras to see if there’s enough milk, the system will automatically add it to your digital shopping list or even order it for you thanks to integration with the Groceries by MasterCard app.
When looking for culinary inspiration, the Family Hub now offers a huge suite of recipes and meal ideas supplied by AllRecipes and if you’re the sort of cook that bases meals on the weather conditions or how hectic a day the family is facing, simply ask the fridge about the forecast or about household appointments and schedules and it’ll respond.
This system is also good for dictating a shopping list that can then be sent directly to a smartphone screen or for messaging anyone in the household.
Despite all of the new technological features, Samsung hasn’t forgotten that the fridge door is usually where notes are stuck and so there’s now a 21.5in LED touch screen integrated into its smart fridge doors that serves as a digital noticeboard where notes can be handwritten, pictures shared or calendars checked, in real time.
As for how the fridge family hub is set to develop over the coming year, Samsung is adding new localised partners, including Spotify and iHeartRadio plus Morning Brief and NPR so that consumers in the US, Europe and Korea can get curated news, information and music while chilling out in the kitchen.
