Samsung Debuts a New Standard in Connectivity with Next Generation of Family Hub Refrigerator at CES 2019

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. unveiled the next generation of its award-winning Family Hub refrigerator, continuing to innovate and redefine the refrigerator category. Family Hub continues to set a new standard for connected living, bringing the family together in the kitchen while freeing users up to focus on what’s important to them.

As the new generation of homeowners look to technology to define both who they are and how they want to live their lives, there is no better place to do this than in a connected kitchen. And with the Family Hub, which offers the simplified connectivity they’ve grown accustomed to, families can spend more time focusing on the things that matter most to them.

In 2019, with the new Family Board, a communal screen that family members can interact with in a personalized way, Family Hub helps foster true family connection, food management, and a connected home experience in today’s fast-paced modern world.  

“When we first launched Family Hub three years ago, it was an app-based experience anchored in food management, family connections and entertainment,” said John Herrington, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Home Appliances, Samsung Electronics America. “Today we are introducing the latest version of Family Hub featuring Bixby with AI capabilities. Bixby now provides a new level of connectivity and intelligence designed to make everyday tasks much easier. When combined with our new Family Board, the Family Hub is the perfect combination of convenience and connectivity.” 

Intelligence

Bixby allows for a smarter, hands-free, more personalized way to use the Family Hub. Users can ask Bixby for their Morning Brief while getting breakfast ready for the kids so they know all of their daily essentials like the weather and top news. All of this appears on the Family Hub screen so they can see as well as hear it. And through Bixby’s voice ID technology, each family member’s voice is distinguished, so everyone can get tailored information for their individual needs. Bixby is even smarter and more conversational – allowing users to interact more naturally. Imagine, now users can search for a plane ticket through Expedia, call an Uber and pre-set the oven temperature just by talking to the Family Hub.

Taking intelligence a step further, with the Family Hub’s seamless integration of SmartThings, owners can now see and control hundreds of Samsung and third party smart home devices right from the refrigerator screen and by voice with Bixby.

Family Connections

The new Family Board screen acts as a digital bulletin board in which members can easily stick notes and photos and even doodle right on the screen. Users can now have a devoted screen to share photos, messages and memories on their fridge, and are able to customize their photos with different photo styles, add handwritten notes and stickers, and even change the background color to match their kitchen – all bringing the family closer to elevate the way they connect and share.

The Family Hub displays a dynamic screen saver that can be used to display precious family moments, important information such as the weather, or even artwork. It can also be set to blend with the décor in the kitchen.
 

Healthier Food Management 

From the beginning, food management with Family Hub has been a cornerstone feature elevating the way homeowners manage their food – whether using “View Inside” to see if they need eggs from their smartphone while at the store or adding items to their shopping list and tagging expiration dates. The Family Hub enables a user to create better and healthier meals with Meal Planner, which customizes recipes based on food preferences, dietary needs and the items in the fridge. 

In 2019, Samsung will expand the Family Hub platform across more models to ensure that there is a Family Hub configuration that meets the needs of all consumers.