TL;DR
At CES, Samsung said it will use Google Gemini-powered AI in new refrigerators to identify more food items — even those not previously registered — and generate shopping lists. Some models will also support opening doors via voice through Bixby; the showcased unit is one of several high-end models, with a highlighted price north of $3,000.
What happened
At CES, Samsung outlined plans to expand AI features across its appliance lineup, describing new refrigerator capabilities that combine the company's Bixby voice system with Google Gemini image- and item-recognition. Samsung says the technology will recognize a wider range of foods in the fridge, including items that haven't been manually registered, and can produce shopping lists based on what’s missing or needs restocking. The company also demonstrated hands-free convenience features: certain refrigerators will accept voice commands to open doors. Beyond inventory and door control, Samsung’s smart fridges can stream music and movies, surface recipes and interact with other connected home devices. Not every model will include these advanced functions; the CES press materials highlighted a high-end refrigerator priced at over $3,000. The company has previously run ads on premium fridges and later provided an option to disable them.
Why it matters
- Hands-free door opening could simplify kitchen tasks when users have their hands full.
- Integrating Google Gemini for item recognition may change how users track food and manage grocery lists.
- Smart features expanding into major appliances increase the amount of personal data processed by home devices.
- Premium pricing means these capabilities will initially target higher-end buyers rather than mainstream adoption.
Key facts
- Announcement came during Samsung’s presence at CES.
- Samsung plans to use Google Gemini to recognize more food items inside refrigerators.
- Recognition applies to food items that haven’t been previously registered, per Samsung.
- Refrigerators can generate shopping lists based on missing or low-stock items.
- Some new Samsung fridges will accept voice commands to open doors (reported via The Verge).
- Smart fridge features also include streaming music and movies, providing recipes, and controlling connected smart home devices.
- Not all Samsung refrigerator models will include the advanced AI and voice-open features.
- A highlighted model in the CES press materials carries a price tag above $3,000.
- Samsung previously placed ads on its top-end fridges and later added an option to disable those ads.
What to watch next
- Which specific refrigerator models will include Gemini-powered food recognition and voice-open capability — not confirmed in the source.
- Exact availability and wider pricing for models beyond the highlighted $3,000 unit — not confirmed in the source.
- How Samsung will handle privacy, data collection and sharing tied to item recognition and voice controls — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Bixby: Samsung’s voice assistant that accepts spoken commands to control devices, run tasks and interact with apps.
- Google Gemini: A family of Google AI models used for tasks like understanding images and generating contextual outputs; in this context, applied to identify food items.
- Smart refrigerator: A refrigerator that connects to the internet and offers features beyond cooling, such as item tracking, streaming, recipe suggestions and smart-home integration.
- Voice command: A spoken instruction given to a device to trigger an action, such as opening a door or playing media.
- Item recognition: AI-driven analysis of images or sensor data to identify objects and categorize them for tasks like inventory and recommendations.
Reader FAQ
Will all Samsung refrigerators get the voice-open and Gemini features?
Not confirmed in the source.
How much will the new smart refrigerators cost?
The CES press materials highlighted a model priced above $3,000; broader pricing details are not confirmed in the source.
Can Gemini recognize food items that haven’t been previously registered?
Yes — Samsung says the system can identify more food items, including those not previously registered.
Will ads appear on these refrigerators and can they be disabled?
Samsung previously added ads to top-end fridges and later made it possible to disable them; future ad policies for the new models are not confirmed in the source.
Samsung's Bixby is set to open some doors… literally Credit: Samsung By Timi Cantisano Published 3 minutes ago Timi is a news and deals writer who's been reporting on technology for…
Sources
- Samsung's Bixby is set to open some doors… literally
- Voice control comes to Samsung's smart fridges
- Samsung's smart fridges now open and close their doors …
- Your Voice Can Control Your Fridge, Washer and Vacuum
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