Samsung Electronics is applying the latest artificial intelligence (AI) features to refrigerators released five years ago. The company will continue adding new functions to products sold based on its home appliance operating system (OS), Tizen. The strategy aims to extend the product lifespan of appliances not only through hardware durability but also through software (SW) and services.
Starting this month, Samsung will sequentially roll out the Tizen 10.0 update for select existing refrigerator and washing appliance models. This is to enable older products to utilize AI services, Bixby, and user interfaces (UI) that were introduced in this year's new models.
Family Hub refrigerators released since 2021 offer features such as 'Now Brief,' which provides personalized information, and 'What's for Today?,' which recommends menus and recipes based on available ingredients. Even refrigerators released up to five years ago will be able to use some of the latest AI features applied to newer models.
'AI Vision,' which integrates Google's generative AI Gemini, will be applied to 2024-2025 Family Hub refrigerators equipped with an internal top camera. It recognizes various processed and packaged foods, as well as labels handwritten by users on containers. Recognized ingredients are automatically registered in the food list, and features like 'AI Food Manager,' which suggests customized recipes, can be utilized.
The latest Bixby, enhanced with natural language and conversational context understanding, will also expand to existing Family Hub models. By integrating with generative AI service Perplexity, users can ask questions and receive answers not only about appliance usage but also about everyday queries via voice.
Samsung plans to expand these AI features beyond refrigerators to laundry appliances, water purifiers, and dishwashers. Some 2024-2025 laundry appliances will also feature Tizen 10.0, providing the latest Bixby and UI.
Since 2024, Samsung has supported up to seven years of software upgrades for Wi-Fi-enabled appliances. Last year, the company extended its integrated software platform 'One UI,' previously applied to smartphones and TVs, to home appliances, updating 2024 refrigerators and washing machines with AI Vision, Bixby, security features, and UI from newer models.
This shift reflects an effort to expand the criteria for how long appliances like refrigerators and washing machines—with long replacement cycles—can be used, from hardware durability to the sustainability of software and AI functions.
Indeed, as AI appliances spread, the standards for judging product lifespan are changing. Even if mechanical performance remains intact, outdated connected services or AI features can lead to a gap in user experience compared to newer models. Conversely, continuous OS updates allow existing hardware to add new services and functions.
Samsung's expansion of Tizen in home appliances is part of this strategy—to transition from one-time sales to a platform model with ongoing OS and service updates.
“Home appliances are products consumers use for years,” said Jung Seung-moon, Vice President and Head of the DA Business Division at Samsung Electronics. “Beyond reliable hardware, we will support continuously evolving software to enhance the long-term value of purchased products.”
