Samsung Boosts Home Appliances with Smart Forward Updates
Samsung Electronics has unveiled new features for its home appliances through Smart Forward, its over-the-network update system. These updates, rolling out in the second half of the year, aim to enhance existing devices with new functionality, future-proofing, and improved safety and energy savings.
Miyoung Yoo, EVP and Head of the Software Development Team, Digital Appliances Business at Samsung, expressed excitement about these updates. “After years of R&D with a relentless focus on the home user experience, we are thrilled to be rolling out more Smart Forward updates to our earlier released appliances around the globe,” Yoo said. With Smart Forward, Samsung continues its commitment to delivering optimal experiences to more users.
New Functionalities Alter Kitchen Experiences
The updates bring new functionalities designed to improve the user experience and appliance performance. For instance, the Family Hub™—a touch screen panel on Samsung’s 4-Door French Door Refrigerator—now includes Quick Share, Buds Auto Switch, and Fridge Call. These features enhance connectivity and usability.
Quick Share allows users to send photos to the Family Hub™ screen directly from their mobile devices, making sharing memories and recipes easier. Fridge Call lets Australians take phone calls directly on the Family Hub™, using its microphone and speaker. This is particularly useful when hands are busy with cooking or cleaning. The best part? These features are available on refrigerator models with Family Hub™ produced from 2017 onward.
Samsung has also expanded Quick Remote, a feature that turns a user’s mobile phone into a remote control for connected appliances. This feature is now available on refrigerators produced since 2023, as well as other appliances like washing machines and air conditioners. Users simply need to be near a SmartThings-connected appliance, and a remote control menu will appear on their Galaxy phone screen.
Future-proofing Home Appliances
In addition to enhancing user experience, Samsung is also future-proofing its appliances. The upgraded Bixby now understands commands with multiple intentions and remembers recent conversations, making voice commands more intuitive. This update is also available for the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo™ and Bespoke Jet Bot Combo™ AI, both launched in Australia in 2024.
Bixby’s new ability to open refrigerator doors upon verbal request adds an extra layer of convenience. Users can simply say, “Open the refrigerator door,” without needing a wake-up command. This hands-free operation is a significant step forward in smart home technology.
Safer Use and Low Energy Consumption
Samsung is also focusing on safety and energy efficiency. Updates are rolling out to older models, including refrigerators made as far back as 2021. These updates allow refrigerators to detect and notify users via the SmartThings app when internal temperatures rise after a power outage, helping ensure food safety.
Users can also customise open door notifications with different chimes and put ice makers in sleep mode to prevent noise during the night. Additionally, the Bespoke AI Heat Pump Combo™ now features Optimal Scheduling, which delays operation during peak energy usage hours, and a power-save mode during wash cycles, helping users reduce energy consumption.
These updates showcase Samsung’s commitment to enhancing the longevity and functionality of its appliances. By improving products already in use, Samsung ensures that customers don’t need to worry about their devices becoming obsolete. This approach not only protects customers’ investments but also aligns with Samsung’s efforts to promote sustainability.
Samsung will showcase these Smart Forward updated appliances at IFA 2024 in Berlin, from September 6 to 10, where visitors can experience the new features firsthand. Read the full article here.
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