CES 2016: Samsung unveils smart fridge with camera and giant touchscreen

Internet of Things is certainly a top contender for flavour of the season at CES 2016. In keeping with the trend, Samsung has announced a new smart fridge – adding to its ‘Family Hub’ range of home appliances. The four-door fridge comes equipped with a 21.5 inch full HD touchscreen built into it. The fridge also features a camera that allows keeping an eye on its contents. There is also a system to replenish stocks by shopping off the refrigerator, provided the distributor partners are in place. The system also tracks food that has been purchased and makes note of the expiration dates, alarming users when the due date nears for the item. The Family Hub allows users to connect to the refrigerator via smartphones or tablets. It also has built in humidity and temperature sensors and if something goes wrong, it gives a push notification. It also features a stereo speaker system and a recipe book. While the shopping system seems feasible in the Korean model, there is no clarity of its application in the North American system – something that an Amazon Dash button might be able to substitute for. Samsung is no stranger to smart fridges. Back at CES 2013, the company gave us a peek into its smart fridge, the T9000 that had a 10-inch touchscreen and apps including Twitter, Epicurious, a Google Calendar client, among others. No announcements have been made about pricing and availability, but are expected later this week. Watch this space for more as it happens.