Samsung has announced a whole new wave of AI home appliances. At their launch event on March 27, the global tech brand unveiled the latest additions to their 'Bespoke' range (Bespoke being Samsung's range of products that utilize AI).
The announcements included a new robot vacuum cleaner, washing machines, and fridges/freezers. We've already seen what Samsung's AI tech can do in the Bespoke Jet AI Vacuum and found it impressively intuitive, albeit expensive.
The new range boasts eco-conscious features, with AI chips being able to minimize power usage by adjusting the settings throughout the day. They're also designed to sense and detect user patterns to optimize their performance.
It's an exciting step for tech to be able to respond to our behavior and learn from it. Samsung aims to have AI built into every home appliance to create what they refer to as a 'connected ecosystem,' as all of Samsung's Bespoke AI appliances can connect to each other in the SmartThings app or can sometimes even be controlled via each other.
Samsung's new range of Bespoke AI home appliances
The new products include a 3-in-1 robot vacuum, and new lines of washing machines and fridge/freezers. Read on to hear what they can do.
Samsung AI Jet Bot Combo
We've already covered the Jet Bot Combo robot vacuum in more detail, but it's essentially a 3-in-1 cleaner that can vacuum, mop, and sanitize using steam. Steam cleaning is a unique feature for a robot vacuum, and will likely be a big help when it comes to tackling tough stains on hard floors.
I saw the Jet Bot Combo in action, and it's definitely a sleek appliance to have in the house, regardless of how it cleans your floors. But the most surprising revelation was that it can be used for remote communication: pre-record messages and the robot can go to your kids' rooms and tell them to wake up. It's an odd thing for a vacuum cleaner to be able to do, but maybe this is the way all future home appliances are heading. And unlike any of the current best robot vacuums, it even has audio and motion detection.
Samsung Bespoke Family Hub Refrigerator
We've seen Samsung's screened refrigerators before, but the new range has the added feature of 'AI Vision.' Now, there's a camera on the top of the fridge interior that can identify and track food that's put in.
At the event, I saw this in action. The product demonstrator added a cucumber, and the fridge identified it immediately and prompted him to enter a use-by date so that the fridge could keep track.
With this information, the fridge can then recommend recipes based on what you have. You can cater these recipes to specific requirements, like being vegan, celiac, high protein, or if you just hate mushrooms. And if you don't have all the ingredients, your fridge gives you the option to select which ones you need to buy, and it will then display a list of supermarket vendors you can order from right the fridge's screen.
It all sounds very convenient and high-tech, but watching the demonstration left me wondering whether this would be more effort than it's worth. There's only one camera, so if any top shelves are full, the fridge will struggle to identify new objects placed below. Unless you enter the correct use-by date each time you put something in, your fridge will have an inaccurate view of its contents and will give untimely alerts. But having recipes recommended to you based on what you have will be huge news for anybody who struggles to make do with what they've got.
It also has a water dispenser between the door panels so that you can access it without opening the fridge properly. This will undoubtedly save energy down the line, as will the 'AI Energy Mode' that optimizes energy based on how you and your family use it. There's also an energy saver mode, which is effectively like the 'low power mode' on a smartphone: you can save up to 50% of the energy during periods when the fridge isn't being opened and closed as much.
Samsung Combi Fridge/Freezer
Instead of a screen, the new fridge/freezer is designed to be one of Samsung's most energy-efficient yet. It has an 'A' energy rating, decreasing energy consumption by 55.9% compared to their previous models.
This is in part thanks to the new AI Inverter Compressor with larger rotating parts, meaning that it can keep the power longer and use less energy while keeping the temperature in the fridge cool.
It has separate air flows for the fridge and freezer compartments so that there's humidity in the fridge and dry air in the freezer. It also has the same AI energy tech as the Family Hub, with options for energy-saving mode or optimized performance.
Samsung Bespoke Washing Machines
The washing machine lineup is designed with energy efficiency in mind. It boasts a new AI Ecobubble feature, which is said to be a more efficient and effective way of penetrating clothes.
The 'Bubble Shot' sprays soapy water inside the drum on top of the clothes and pulls it through a circulation pump, penetrating the detergent and enhancing overall washing efficiency.
Like many smart washers these days, it also has an 'auto detect' function, where you can put in a load of detergent once, and it determines the right amount to use each time. During the demo, the experts explained that, if using all the features together, you can save up to 70% on energy—but I'd imagine this would involve using eco cycles rather than the more intensive ones.
If you're wondering how to choose energy-efficient appliances, Samsung have come up with their own answer for you. And with all this talk of the new AI-designed Jet Bot Combo, you may wonder: are robot vacuums really worth it? They're big investments, so it's probably smart to see what the experts say first.
