There’s lots of companies that talk big about the connected home, but Samsung Electronics Australia is actually delivering. Their latest fridge features a massive 21.5″ touchscreen in the door and today they’ve announced you’ll be able to order groceries and have them delivered to your door, thanks to a new partnership with Woolworths.
This raises the question about customers who shop at Coles, well unfortunately you’re out of luck (at least for now), but with this convenience it may be enough to have you switching supermarkets.
By this stage most forward leaning tech enthusiasts have smart lightbulbs, maybe a smart doorbell and even a robot vaccum cleaner. When it comes to connected appliances, this is Australian-first to give households the ability to order groceries directly from their refrigerator.
For those playing at home, the fridge runs Tizen, the same operating system that power’s Samsung TVs, Gear wearables and even some in-car systems. As with all good platforms, the apps that ship are just the starting point and users can download new apps to give the device new functionality. Owners of the Samsung Family Hub can download the Woolworths app directly from their fridge. The Woolworths App will be made available during October 2016.
As if an interactive touchscreen wasn’t a big enough draw card, the Family Hub fridge can also connect to your phone via the Samsung Smart Home app to sync grocery lists and also view the inside of the fridge thanks to cameras that take photos of the contents everytime you close the door. This means if you’re on your way home and can’t remember if you need milk and bread, you check your fridge via the app and you’ll have your answer. It’s innovations like this that give appliance connectivity practical application in day-to-day life and demonstrates an understanding of modern challenges by the designers and engineers at Samsung.
Head of Home Appliances at Samsung Electronics Australia said,
“We’re excited to be partnering with Woolworths to bring the Family Hub experience to Australian households.
The integration of the Woolworths App is designed to give Australians more convenience than ever before, saving time and adding an extra layer of support and functionality. Family Hub breaks new ground for household technology that is designed to transform the way Australians manage their food and life around the kitchen.”
Woolworths GM of Digital, said
“At Woolworths, the customer is at the centre of everything we do, so working with Samsung on the Family Hub™ made perfect sense for us as we work to provide our customers with convenient ways to shop.
With the kitchen at the heart of the home, the Woolworths App on the Family Hub will deliver a great experience for customers, while also acting as a constant source of food inspiration.”
In the detail of the announcement we also discover there’s 200,000 users of the Woolworths mobile app and more than 500,000 Aussies are shopping online each month. That certainly places Woolworths in a nice position to collaborate with technology companies to improve services for tech-savy shoppers and make the deliver as efficient as possible.
Features
While the fridge’s display can certainly be used for sharing family photos or controlling music, perhaps its most kitchen-related use is the access to more than 2,200 recipes. In the smart home of the future videos we’ve seen a variety of proposes for a display in the kitchen, like overhead projectors and wall mounted TVs, but the fridge actually makes the most practical implementation. What would be great would be an integration with other smart home appliances like auto-setting the timer and temperature on your oven based on the step you’re up to in the recipe. The Family Hub features cooking ideas on the homepage and is dynamically updated based on the time of day, updating suggestions when it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner time.
Shop On The Spot
- Woolworths App – Australians have the opportunity to order groceries from Woolworths directly from their fridge via the Woolworths App.
- Shopping List – Compile and keep track of grocery lists, which seamlessly sync between fridge and compatible devices.
See What’s Inside
- Family Hub features three tiny, high quality cameras positioned inside the refrigerator that capture an image each time the doors close.
- Food Reminders – Use the Family Hub screen or compatible smartphone to drag and drop expiration dates to the image of items inside to know what needs to be used, and by when.
Connect With Your Family
- StickiBoard – Keep in touch with family members by sharing multiple calendars, posting photos and writing notes directly on the screen [or with] your compatable mobile device.
- WhiteBoard – Write notes and draw pictures on the Family Hub™ and through a compatible mobile device to leave messages for your family.
- Photo Album – Display daily photos and iconic family images for all to see.
Don’t Skip A Beat
- Pandora and Tunein Radio – Australians now have the option to stream music directly from their fridge.
- Web Browser – Surf the Internet using a full browser for all family needs.
Plan Ahead
- AccuWeather – Get weather updates while multi-tasking in the kitchen.
Something Samsung’s offering on a number of their fridges is the FlexZone. This means the bottom-right quadrant of the refrigerator, can either be a fridge or a freezer, great for when you need to entertain and keep some extra drinks chilled in summer.
The fridge itself as the name suggests is built for families, so it features a substantial 671L capacity. For those playing at home, the model number is SRF670HB and rather than a regular stainless steel finish, Samsung are running with a stunning Black Stainless Steel colour which looks closer to a piece of art than appliance. If you’re also in the market for a dishwasher, they also have matching Black Stainless Steel options.
Price
Now for those who’ve fallen in love with the idea of display in your fridge, its time to start saving. If you thought a Series 9 SUHD TV was expensive, get ready, that may not be the highest priced item you buy this year. The Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator has an RRP of A$7,499 and is available now from selected retailers.
Make no mistake, regardless of the price, I want this fridge and it’s definitely time we have more innovation in fridges than water and ice dispensers in the door, that’s so 2005. This fridge has WiFi, Bluetooth (up to 4 devices inc headphones), cameras and is capable of understanding voice commands, play music, and being a whiteboard, it’s definitely the smartest fridge on the market.
For more information, check out Samsung Australia.
