Some of the fanciest Samsung fridges will start showing on-screen ads in the US, prompting questions about the company’s future smart appliance plans.
As reported by Ars Technica, a pilot program in the US means that advertising will appear on the screen of some Family Hub refrigerators after a software update. GadgetGuy understands that it’s a highly localised pilot by Samsung, so ads will not appear on fridges in Australia at this stage.
Advertisements on smart appliances aren’t an entirely new concept. LG worked on a screen-toting coffee machine in 2023 that was capable of showing “promotions, and news about new coffee brands”.
Samsung’s latest move has sparked strong backlash online, with critics questioning whether the pilot will lead to more widespread advertising on other appliances’ screens.
