Samsung has confirmed that its high-end Family Hub smart fridges will display advertisements through an upcoming software update. The update, starting this month, introduces widgets and themes that include curated ads alongside useful information like news and weather. Users can opt out, but doing so limits access to new features.
After an unpopular pilot test last month, Samsung made ads on its smart fridges official this week. The advertisements will appear on 2024 Family Hub models, which have manufacturer's suggested retail prices ranging from $1,899 to $3,499. The update will roll out this month and show content on the fridge's integrated 21.5- or 32-inch screen when idle, via what Samsung calls Cover Screens.
Samsung described the new feature in a statement: "As part of the Family Hub software update, we are piloting a new widget for select Cover Screens themes of Family Hub refrigerators. The widget will display useful day-to-day information such as news, calendar and weather forecasts, along with curated advertisements." The company emphasized that ads will be contextualized rather than personalized, avoiding user data collection.
According to reports from The Verge, the widget appears as a rectangular box at the bottom of the screen, cycling content every 10 seconds. The update also adds a Daily Board theme, offering five tiles for information like appointments and weather, plus one for ads—though Samsung's announcement omitted mention of the ads in this theme.
Users have options to avoid ads: they can adjust settings to use Art or Album themes for the Cover Screen, which exclude advertisements but also block the new widget's features. Alternatively, owners can skip the update entirely, forgoing improvements like a user interface refresh and enhanced internal camera recognition for more fruits and vegetables.
This development reflects a broader trend in smart home devices, where manufacturers introduce ads post-purchase to generate revenue beyond hardware sales.