Samsung Electronics announced today that it has started rolling out a software update to introduce new features for its Bespoke AI Refrigerators with screens,1 which is launching in 2025. Designed to enhance the user experience, the update includes the Voice ID feature provided by Bixby, which was unveiled at Welcome to Bespoke AI global launch event in March.
Our primary goal for this year is to realize an AI Home that adapts intuitively to the user,” said Jeong Seung Moon, EVP and Head of the R&D Team for Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “We aim to enhance the user experience through continuous software upgrades for existing products, taking us one step closer to a true AI Home experience.
New Update: Bixby and Samsung TV Plus
The Voice ID feature2 is a new multi-voice recognition function provided by Bixby.3 It identifies users’ voices registered either on the refrigerator or a Galaxy mobile device, enabling personalized features based on the recognized user. This allows consumers to personalize shared home appliances for individual use, offering greater convenience and functionality.
For example, Bixby intelligently switches to each user’s Samsung account based on the recognized user. Users can check their registered schedules on the calendar,4 or their photos5 using simple voice commands. Also, they can trigger an alarm on their phone to check its location, even when the device is set to silent mode.6The Voice ID feature also enables seamless interactions with the refrigerator screen for users who utilize vision enhancements on their Galaxy mobile phones. Even without a request to switch accounts, Bixby automatically switches accounts with general conversations for these users. It then synchronizes the appliance’s display modes with the settings on the user’s mobile phone, such as color inversion or grayscale.7
Additionally, Samsung has introduced a new way to activate Bixby on the screen. Previously, users could activate Bixby by clicking the Bixby icon on the screen or through voice commands. When the screen is off, an additional option has been added to activate Bixby by double-tapping the display. Users can make the most of this feature by selecting their preferred method in the settings.
The update is being applied to Bespoke AI Refrigerators with AI Family Hub launching in 2025 first,8 with availability coming after the completion of the latest software update on AI Family Hub screens or SmartThings.
Additionally, Samsung plans to gradually apply this update to the Bespoke AI refrigerators with AI Home9 in the second quarter of 2025. For refrigerators with AI Home, the update expands the service area for Samsung TV Plus, as well. Previously available in only South Korea and the United States, the service will extend to Canada, Brazil, Australia, Mexico and India. Thanks to the update, it is expected that consumers will be able to easily enjoy entertainment features right from their kitchen with Samsung TV Plus.