Smart fridges have been on the market for years, but none of us have them for one simple reason, cost. Previous generations have been north of $10k, while a dumb fridge can be picked up for less than $1k. Things are changing though, Samsung are now offering their Smart Series Refrigerator (SRF800WGDLS) for a RRP of $4,999.00.
Clearly there’s still a significant difference at 5x the cost, but a reduction by half in a few short years is great progress. It sets a timetable for the future when these smart devices will be affordable for every home, just like HDTV TVs.
There is of course another issue that needs to be addressed and that’s the justification for even needing a smart fridge. Fridges today do one thing really well, that’s keeping our food and drinks cold, so is a smart, connected fridge something you really need?
Samsung’s smart fridge features an 8-inch LCD touchscreen with eight built-in apps. These apps get their data from the internet via a built-in WiFi connection. Those apps are listed below, so take some time to read the list and consider if any sound inviting to you.
- · Epicurus – Stuck for dinner ideas? Search through 1000s of great recipes
- · Memo – Leave notes and reminders for yourself and loved ones. Messages can be inserted by handwriting or keyboard with adjustable pen thickness, color or eraser thickness and can be attached to the home screen as a reminder.
- · Google Calendar – View and schedule upcoming events and sync with your compatible phone
- · Photo album – Share photos of loved ones and special memories with Photo Album. Photos can be uploaded via All share, SD Card or Picasa Website and used to create a rolling slideshow.
- · WeatherBug – Check the weather before leaving home and never be caught in the rain again. WeatherBug provides virtually real-time weather information including day, night, temperature, wind, humidity and alerts.
- · Grocery manager – Keep track of your groceries in the fridge and add items to shopping lists automatically.
- · AP News/Twitter – Stay up to date with the latest news and share updates with friends and family.
Personally I like the idea of more screens around the house and more connectivity in the items we use in our daily lives. Technology after all is meant to make our lives easier, but this fridge sadly, won’t order your food for you. It’s still a tough ask for people to spend $5k on a fridge, especially considering the functionality and apps on offer can be obtained for much less by getting a tablet.
The great thing about a tablet is that its portable and not stuck to your fridge, however you do have to charge it constantly. Given the fridge needs to provide power anyway to perform its primary function, running an additional screen is unlikely to send your power bills soaring.
So would you buy this fridge? The Samsung Smart Fridge is available in-store now, exclusive to Harvey Norman.
