Samsung launches new refrigerator model with 32″ tablet

When Samsung launched its first smart refrigerator in 2016, a reasonable question arose: “Do we really need an Android tablet on the refrigerator door?”. If you weren’t sure you needed one, then Samsung’s latest model, the Bespoke 4-Door Flex With Family Hub Plus, available for pre-order today, is unlikely to change your mind.

But if you really wanted to have a bigger Android tablet attached to your fridge, then you’re in luck.

The eighth generation of Samsung’s Family Hub Smart Refrigerator features a huge 32-inch Full HD touch screen, up from 21.5 inches in the previous version. This new model with a larger screen size is also the first Samsung refrigerator to be a Matter controller . Existing Family Hub refrigerators version 2.0 or later will be upgraded to Matter’s new smart home standard controllers in July, Samsung said.

Announced at this year’s CES, the Bespoke Family Hub Plus will cost $5,000. Bespoke means you can choose different colors and finishes for the non-tablet fridge panels, and Samsung is offering $1,200 worth of credits if you pre-order on Samsung’s website before June 6th. The refrigerator will appear in retail sales on June 7th.

It’s still an expensive device—about $1,000 more than a similar non-screen Samsung refrigerator. But if you love the idea of ​​watching Samsung TV Plus while chopping vegetables, or using the fridge’s digital dashboard feature that lets you display photos and notes, view recipes, control smart home devices, and more, it’s all on the big screen.

The larger screen looks impressive. The extra space feels more useful as a TV in the kitchen, and thanks to a new picture-in-picture mode, you can multitask on a tablet. The new screen also has no bezel and blends in better with the interior when not in use. A giant tablet in the kitchen can be distracting, and Samsung has fixed that with its new models.

As a Matter controller, the refrigerator can connect Matter-compatible devices such as smart lights, sockets, thermostats, and locks. The SmartThings app version is installed on the refrigerator’s touchpad, giving you a large screen for smart home control.

The same software update that will bring Matter control to all Samsung Family Hub refrigerators in July also adds Google Photos integration to turn the refrigerator into a digital photo frame and Amazon Essentials integration for one-click Amazon shopping from the refrigerator. Samsung also says it has improved the cooking dashboard, a feature that uses artificial intelligence to recommend recipes and meal plans based on user preferences, as well as AI refrigerator cameras that can recognize food in the refrigerator.