Samsung turns refrigerator displays into advertising space

Samsung has announced a software update for the smart refrigerators in its Family Hub series. This includes, among other things, improved AI-based food recognition, the One UI user interface, and a new screen interface. However, the latter contains a less pleasant feature.

Samsung calls the new screen widget "Cover," which appears when the refrigerator is not in use. The widget displays “useful everyday information,” Samsung announced. This includes “news, calendar, and weather forecasts”.

However, advertising will also be displayed on the screens, which have a diagonal of 21.5 or 32 inches depending on the model. These ads are “carefully selected.” The advertising is intended to be context-based and not personalized. Advertising will initially only be shown on devices in the USA. A corresponding test run took place in September.

Advertising can be blocked

At least Samsung offers the option in the settings to completely disable advertising. Instead, images will be shown. In addition, individual ads can also be blocked specifically.

However, there is a catch: disabling the advertising means disabling the entire Cover widget. This means you also have to forgo news, the calendar, and weather forecasts.

Samsung plans to initially display advertising for its products, said Shane Higby, head of Samsung's home appliance division in the USA, to the US online news outlet The Verge. However, The Verge reports on a presentation by a Samsung manager, according to which Samsung also wants to enable third-party providers to advertise on its smart home appliances in the future.

The refrigerator recognizes food

Among the practical functions, on the other hand, is the AI Vision Inside system, which is intended to help prevent food waste. It now recognizes more foods, namely “37 fresh foods, including apples, cherries, cucumbers, mangoes, and kiwis," as well as “up to 50 packaged foods.”

The voice assistant Bixby gets new Voice ID functions: it recognizes who is speaking to it and thus offers access to one's own calendar or photos, for example. In addition, Bixby is supposed to help find a misplaced smartphone.

Finally, the update, as announced at IFA, brings the One UI platform to the refrigerators. This makes apps and services known from Samsung devices also available on the home appliances.

According to The Verge, the new software version will be available from November 3rd. According to Samsung, owners will be notified when it is ready for their respective device. There is an option to reject it.

The Family Hub refrigerators mentioned cost between 1900 US dollars and 3500 US dollars.

(wpl)