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Samsung Family Hub smart fridges are now receiving a system update that includes ads in their interface. The “feature” is currently rolling to internet-conected fridges sold in the US, but can still be disabled, learn how.
Samsung started updating its Family Hub fridges to a new system version. Besides the usual updated features, and more connectivity (including AI), the South Korean brand sneakily mentions it also adds “curated advertisements” on $1900 appliances that originally didn’t have them. It is possible to disable them, though, following a couple of instructions.
Individual users will be identified by the fridge using voice recognition, and interface customizations made on the Galaxy phones can be imported to the fridge’s navigation. That feature probably requires a Samsung account and seems to be designed to improve personalization and even accessibility.
The home screen on the fridges now includes a widget to display calendar appointments, weather forecast, news, and—sneakily—ads. In an interview for The Verge, Samsung’s representative stated that the ads will initially display content related to Samsung products, but suggested that third-party ads may be shown in the future. Users can swipe out of the ad and choose not to see a specific one in the future, but those are only temporary fixes.
Samsung Family Hub fridge Image source: Samsung
To remove the ads from a Samsung Family Hub fridge, users will need to disable the widget. The option is available on updated models, but we are not particularly optimistic Samsung will change or hide it in the future:
Open the Settings page.
Select Advertisements.
Toggle off the option.
For now, the ads will only be displayed in US models for fridges with big displays, larger than 21.5 inches. Samsung is not adding them—again, for now—on smart fridges with smaller displays or other appliances.
Samsung is trying hard to make it look like it is something users will want in their expensive appliance—currently over $1900 in the US—but that just reinforces the arguments around buying “dumb” devices that do not need to be connected, have updates to fix security issues, or worse, be bricked because a remote server/certificate went offline…
What about you, do you think the features highlighted by Samsung are a worthy trade-off to have some occasional ads? Or do you think the company will slowly force more ads down its customers?
Seit 2008 schreibe ich für verschiedene Websites in Brasilien, Spanien, Dänemark und Deutschland über Technologie und habe mich auf mobile Ökosysteme spezialisiert. Dabei dreht sich bei mir alles um die interessantesten Modelle, ihre Komponenten und natürlich die ganze Welt der Apps. Dabei lege ich nicht nur Wert auf Leistung und Spezifikationen, sondern auch auf Aspekte wie Reparaturfähigkeit, Haltbarkeit und Herstellersupport.
