Samsung is rolling out a new software update to owners of its Family Hub refrigerators. This will bring cool features like an upgrade to Bixby and smarter food tracking with AI, but it comes with curated advertisements on the cover screen.
The biggest part of this update is a major upgrade to the AI Vision Inside technology in compatible refrigerators. This feature is meant to help you reduce food waste and save money, which is something I can always get behind. The AI Vision Inside can now recognize 37 fresh food items, like apples, kiwis, and cucumbers, which is a big jump.
My favorite part of this update is that it now has the ability to identify and suggest labeling for up to 50 frequently used packaged food items you place in the fridge. The idea is that the fridge will keep track of your groceries for you, so you never forget if you're out of milk or something else.
Samsung is trying out a new widget for select cover screen themes that will show curated advertisements, which we've been preparing for. The widget will also show useful day-to-day info like the news, calendar, and weather, but it’s the ads that have my attention. I get that companies love new ways to put ads in front of you, but it feels a little strange to have them on your refrigerator's screen, even if the information is useful.
To be fair, the ads will only be contextual or non-personal, meaning Family Hub devices are not collecting personal information or tracking consumers, which is a relief. One thing that stands out to me is the option to remove them.
You can turn off the Cover screen ads completely in the Advertisements tab of the Settings menu. You can also dismiss specific ads right on the cover screen so they won't appear again during the campaign period. Also, ads won't show up at all when the cover screen is set to display Art or Album themes.
So this isn't something forced on you after you buy your expensive fridge, but this may be because you were not informed of ads when buying fridges before today. However, I would keep an eye on the terms and conditions you agree to in the future, just in case the option to turn ads off is ever removed.
Another part of the update is an upgrade to Bixby. The voice assistant now has Voice ID capabilities, meaning it can recognize who is speaking and automatically switch to their specific Samsung account. This is super convenient, letting you easily access your personal calendar and photos, or even use the Find My Phone feature to locate a misplaced device, even if it's on silent.
Voice ID also lets you sync the fridge's display with the visual settings on your Samsung Galaxy phone, like grayscale or color inversion. Also, you can now activate Bixby even quickly with a simple double-tap on the screen.
The software upgrades will start rolling out this month for existing Family Hub owners. You’ll get a notification on the fridge's screen asking you to opt in, and the features will become available as soon as the update is complete. So check your fridge screen every day and opt in if you're interested in this new update.
Source: Samsung