For years, the major players in the tech industry have been striving to imagine ever smarter equipment for our homes. Telephones, speakers, televisions… all have evolved into “smart” and “connected” versions. But this is also the case for large appliances, with dishwashers or dryers that send you notifications when your plates are clean or your socks are dry (like those of the Archduchess). And in this regard, refrigerators have not been forgotten.
The South Korean manufacturer Samsung is indisputably one of the brands that have done the most to modernize our fridges, these large, bulky and very practical blocks that keep our foodstuffs cool. Useful when it’s 16°C in Paris on December 31 and the pantry under the window no longer has any interest. With its Bespoke Refrigerator Family Hub Plus, the brand intends to take a new step.
Farewell to the 21.5″ touch screen of the previous generation. Here, we are talking about a 32″ panel connected to the SmartThings home automation ecosystem. A screen through which other connected equipment can therefore be controlled by finger or voice, on which you can also display your latest vacation photos (from Google Photos, a new feature), place virtual notes, manage your shopping lists , place an order online (with Amazon, frequent purchases are just a click away) or watch videos, and even television.
Indeed, this refrigerator now includes Samsung TV Plus, a service with hundreds of channels around the world. Better still, the brand is quite proud to insist on the relevance of this vertically oriented screen for displaying content from the most popular social networks. Who has never dreamed of being able to watch the latest trending TikTok clips on their fridge? Who ? And with the picture-in-picture mode, it’s even possible to keep an eye on YouTube while you follow the steps of your current recipe!
Despite all this, the main times of Samsung’s press release are disturbed by a certain lack of technical information. The possible support of the Matter protocol is not mentioned for the control of connected objects. The refresh rate and the definition of the screen are not specified. Etc. But, oddly, no one is surprised that there is never any question of managing the cold. The storage capacity of the refrigerator and freezer compartments. The energy efficiency of on-board motors and air mixing technologies to prevent the formation of frost. After all, it seems certain that by setting one’s sights on the Bespoke Refrigerator Family Hub Plus, it’s a pretty object (with customizable fronts) embellished with a large screen with which one equips one’s kitchen, more than a fridge.
For more information about this product, including its marketing window and price, you will probably have to wait for the opening of the Samsung stand at CES 2023, on January 5.