New features for existing Samsung appliances – delivered via Smart Forward over-the-network updates – will roll out to select devices in coming months, Samsung announced on Wednesday ahead of IFA 2024 in Berlin.
Miyoung Yoo, EVP and Head of the Software Development Team, Digital Appliances Business at Samsung said the updates come after years of R&D “with a relentless focus on the home user experience”, and included improvements in functionality and security.
Samsung says the Smart Forward updates “introduce an array of new functionalities designed to help enhance the user experience and appliance performance”.
The Family Hub, a touch screen panel installed on the 4-Door French Door Refrigerator for “food management, entertainment and communication”, will now come with Quick Share, Buds Auto Switch and Fridge Call, features designed to improve connectivity and usability.
Quick Share allows users to send photos to the Family Hub screen directly from their mobile device.
Buds Auto Switch allows users who connect Galaxy Buds to Family Hub to switch to their mobile device to take and make calls.
Or you can receive phone calls with Fridge Call directly on the Family Hub, using its microphone and speaker.
“This is especially convenient when users’ hands are occupied with cooking, cleaning and dishwashing, making it much easier to multitask while remaining connected,” Samsung says.
The new features will be available on refrigerator models with Family Hub produced from 2017 onward, rather than new models only.
Meanwhile, Quick Remote – an additional feature in which a user’s mobile phone becomes a remote control for connected Samsung appliances – is being expanded across refrigerators produced since 2023, regardless of whether they include a Family Hub screen or not, the company says.
Other connected appliances include washing machines and air conditioners produced since 2023.
The upgraded Bixby will “understand commands with multiple intentions and remember the most recent conversation … making voice commands more intuitive and responsive”.
Samsung is also providing the update to two products launched in Australia in 2024: Bespoke AI Laundry Combo and Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI.
The new Bespoke AI Heat Pump Combo will also see an optimal scheduling function. A large-capacity washer-dryer, it is the latest in the expansion of Samsung’s Bespoke AI laundry range, and will be available in Australia from September 12 (RRP from $5,499).
“Equipped with a 7-inch display and SmartThings connectivity … [it] uses AI innovation to learn your usage patterns, and provide recommendations to help care for your clothes to help you do more in less time,” said Jeremy Senior, Vice President of Consumer Electronics at Samsung Australia.
“For 50 years, Samsung has delivered appliances that are built to last. Now our focus is taking that one step further by helping those quality products do even more for longer. Enabling our smart appliances to recognise how we live, and learn to be one step ahead, will bring meaningful value to our everyday lives.”
