According to reports, Samsung is launching a new round of software updates for its Family Hub series of smart refrigerators in the US market. The update will display promotional and advertising content in some themes when the refrigerator door screen is idle.
Samsung confirmed to the media that this advertising display is currently being launched in the United States as a pilot project. Some Cover Screen (door panel display) themes will have ads, but some themes will remain ad-free. According to the change log, ads will be displayed under the weather, solid color, and daily message board themes; ads will not be displayed under the art and photo gallery themes, and users can browse photos or artworks safely in these themes.
A Samsung spokesperson said: "Samsung is committed to innovating and enhancing the daily value of home appliance customers. As one of our measures to continue to improve user value, we are piloting promotion and customized advertising on some Family Hub refrigerator models in the US market. The OTA (online upgrade) software update users receive will include terms of service and privacy policy instructions. Advertisements will appear on the Cover Screen of Family Hub refrigerators, that is, when the door panel display is idle. The advertising style will be based on the Cover Depending on the screen personalization settings, ads will not appear when displayed in art mode or photo album. Users can also manually turn off specific ads, and they will not appear again during the activity cycle."
It's unclear which specific refrigerator models will be affected. It is reported that Samsung’s existing Family Hub models in the US market start at about US$1,800 and range up to US$3,500. Users cannot completely turn off ads, and disconnecting from the Internet may prevent ad push, but it will also cause some smart functions to not work properly.